Chapter 12

  Infiltration

  The two humans, disguised with plate-mail branded with Deokk's insignia, drag the rest along with chains bound to their collars and approach the border checkpoint, pretending to be the remains of a caravan heading to Archbishop Ferdinand. They pull into a line of other merchants, traders, nomads, and all other folk trying to cross the border that day.

  The other traders do their best to ignore the slaves in ruined clothing being dragged along by Deokk duchy knights, and the commoners wonder why the knights didn't take the “express” route of angrily shoving their way past. The border guards, however, took notice.

  “Soldiers! Why in the blasted pit are you not in the soldier's line and are going along with the rabble?”

  “Sir! We've spent the last several days avoiding fights with both man and beast, and didn't particularly care for starting something here!”-Ricardo

  “Is that so? Where's the rest of your caravan?”

  “Sir! We had the misfortune of encountering a Black Vipers base in the mountains on the way here! The rest of our team was held back fighting them and sent us ahead. Seeing as there's only two of us that can fight and the rest is our 'precious' cargo, we had to do our best to stay out of combat until we got here, and after days of that, we're really not in the mood to pull rank with some commoners.”-Suzie

  “Ooh! Ouch! So you're waiting in line in the hopes that the rest of your men can catch up?!”

  “Well. We'd rather not give Archbishop Ferdinand a reason to suspect we were lax with the 'cargo' and draw his ire.”-Ricardo

  “Oh? Is that who this shipment is for? Invoice please.”

  “Here you go.” Suzie hands over the invoice provided by Allura earlier.

  After a cursory glance, the guard hands it back “Everything seems to be in order. No ore with this shipment?”

  “I just do what the Baron, or Duke, wants. I don't bother to ask.”-Ricardo

  “Good man! LOWER THE DRAWBRIDGE! LET THEM THROUGH!!” The guard shouts as the two “soldiers” in Deokk branded plate-mail and the team of slaves are allowed to bypass the rest of the line and enter the checkpoint city.

  Once everyone was inside the Sydonia side of the border checkpoint, preparing to head over to the Holy Kingdom side, everyone realizes that their infiltration is only half-way completed, the easy half.

  “Okay, you're the expert here, Ricardo. Now what do we do?”-Suzie

  “Hate to admit it, but I'm stuck here. We managed to BS our way in here with a false delivery order for the archbishop, but slavery is actually illegal, death penalty illegal, without official due process, in the Holy Kingdom, so I don't know how any of the shipments of slaves from the duchy managed to reach their intended Masters without wrecking all sorts of havoc. I have no idea what channels they used, what paperwork they filled out, who were the middle-men to make thing look even remotely legit so the authorities don't come down hard on them, etc.”-Ricardo.

  “Well, that's just fan-fucking-tastic! We try to go into the Holy Kingdom like this, Ricardo and Suzie could wind up executed and everyone else gets shipped back to Sydonia, just so all the higher ups could save face.”-Allura

  “Maybe this isn't a total loss. We just needed to get past the Sydonia soldiers on their side of the border to get into the city. We might find it easier to get out of the city on the other side, if we're not too choosy as to how we get there.. In the meantime, I suggest we find a nice, quiet place to change our human friends out of that Sydonia decorated armor and into something more … comfortable and then try to get the layout of the city.”

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  “Sounds like a plan. We'll go our separate ways and then meet in the town center, in about an hour?”-Allura

  “Just one small problem. We need funds so we don't stand out too much, maybe buy a quick meal...”-Suzie.

  “I have no knowledge of the local economics, but I can provide 1 gold and 30 silvers, each for the leaders of three groups, Ricardo, Suzie, and Allura. I can only hope that's sufficient...”

  “Yeah. That sounds about right. Any more will attract undue attention. Any less and we're likely to be kicked out of any establishment we come across.”-Ricardo.

  After distributing the currency, losing their disguises, especially taking off Allura's inactive slave collar, and choosing who will survey which direction, the group breaks off into three directions, with Allura looking for the Holy Kingdom's embassy to investigate if seeking asylum is a viable option while Ricardo and Suzie will each try to find methods of leaving the city by means other than going through the main gate and having to deal with the Paladins stationed there.

  Meanwhile, Deokk and his army had just made it to the foothills where the border fortress is, and began advancing on the drawbridge, battered, dirty, and weary. They go with the “standard operating procedure” and completely skip the line of all the weary pilgrims, merchants, and traders patiently waiting their turn.

  “Sire! Your Excellency! What brings you and such a large army to honor our humble post?!”

  “Stow that empty flattery where the sun doesn't shine, Soldier! Has a group of beast-kin slaves led by a rabbit-eared beast-kin passed through here recently?” Duke Deokk.

  “Sire! The only group of beast-kin slaves to pass through here recently was as part of a shipment to Archbishop Ferdinand, they even presented a proper invoice signed by Baron Royce, and their two human guards were clad in proper plate with your insignia, Sire.”

  “Sigh. I hope, for your sake, that you're telling the truth, Soldier, because if you screwed up and are lying to try and cover it up, I will have you and your entire regiment on charges of treason so fast that it will seem like a mage blasting you with a meteor swarm would be a mercy by comparison. Adjutant! Bring the 'Baron' here, now, along with that cheeky sorceress!”-Deokk

  The adjutant snaps to a crisp salute and proclaims “At once, Sire!” before running off and bringing back the badly battered and bruised (former) Baron Royce, along with Sorceress Selene.

  “Royce. Did you or did you not send an order of slaves for shipment to Archbishop Ferdinand around the time your mine was having 'difficulties'?”-Deokk

  “N-n-no, Sir! No slaves were scheduled to be shipped out until next month's ore shipment!”-Royce

  “I see. Sorceress, are the rebels we're seeking capable of forging armor with our insignia?!”-Deokk

  “With alarming ease, Your Excellency. Just going from what I've seen, they are capable of making matter appear and disappear with but a gesture, and I think that last part was merely theatrics.”-Selene.

  “It seems you're telling the truth so far, Soldier. Did you [Appraise] the soldiers leading the slaves in?”-Deokk

  “Yes, Sire! Since we've had beast-kin commandos try to infiltrate our ranks before by wearing visored helms and plate-mail to hide their features. Both of them came back 'human.'”

  “Hmm. Royce! You said that all your men were dead or missing?”-Deokk

  “Y-ye-yes, Sir!”-Royce

  “So we're dealing with either traitors who sympathized with them or a [Necromancer]? Soldier, just to make sure we're talking about the same group, was there a female rabbit-kin beast-man in the party?”-Deokk

  “There sure was, Sire, and she was a beauty! One of the incoming pilgrims even went and drew up portraits of her! Here she is!” The soldier brings forth a lovely color painting of her likeness to show off.

  “Th-th-that's her, Sire! That's the filthy beast that enslaved me and issued a [Quest] to wreck the mine!”-Royce

  “Well done, Soldier! Sorry for doubting you. Is the artist who drew this still here?”-Deokk.

  The soldier happily goes up to the man and brings him to the guard post. “This is him, Sire!”

  “Good man, what's your name?”-Deokk

  “They call me Dick Richardson, Sire!”

  “Alright, Mr. Richardson. I'll pay you five gold coins and provide all the supplies you need to make about 10-15 copies of this image, enough to take to the local guild enforcers to make 'Wanted' posters.”-Deokk

  “With pleasure, Sire!”-Dick

  “Soldier, open the gate and let us through, we have business with the local guilds! Mr. Ricardson, come with us, if you please.”-Deokk.

  “At once, Sire! LOWER THE DRAWBRIDGE! DUKE DEOKK COMING THROUGH!”

  The drawbridge is lowered, but before the duke crosses the bridge with a squad of 50 men, he turns to his adjutant “It might be a bit soon for a promotion, but make sure that soldier and his family get well rewarded. We need competent men like him!”

  With a crisp salute, the adjutant goes running back to the soldier to get his name, rank, and regiment in order to make the proper arrangements.

  The duke, the artist, and the soldiers enter the city to begin the search.