The Sword Saint’s Second Life As a Fox Girl
6-15 Dark dealings

William Marsh strode through the darkness that covered the extensive hallway. There was no light of any kind along the entire path, not even a single torch. There was no window either. There wouldn’t be one as this hallway was, in fact, a tunnel. It had once been a tunnel in every sense of the word but Marsh had refitted the tunnel to his liking and convenience. After all, it was a path that he took frequently. It was the path leading to the dungeon under his luxurious manor.

The paths leading to his dungeon was a maze and those who were not in the know would only realise this fact much too late. The furnished tunnel gave no impression of it being a trap but rather, a welcoming structure annexed to the main house from the underground. Being the architect and the owner himself, Marsh had no difficulty navigating the maze-like tunnels.

It took him as much time as a soldier would need to fully equip themselves with their gear. At the end of the maze, a vast room spread out before him. It was just one huge room with no dividers of any kind. It was a hall, one could even say. It was a laboratory if Marsh was asked to describe this room. But if any other sane person were to see this room, they would label it as a torturer’s room. Apparatuses of questionable designs littered the room, be it the size of a hand or the size of a human body. There were even machines of evident heinous intent here and there. 

The dark and gruesome purpose of the room bothered Marsh not a single bit. He marched through the room from one end to the other without showing any hint of distaste or disapproval. He passed by cylindrical glass tanks, as if laid out parallel along his path to welcome his presence. There was a person in each of these thanks. From the old to the young. Man or woman. The only similarity these poor captives had was their commoner status. None of them looked to be a person of high life. A siphoning pipe was connected to each of these tanks at the top.

“How’s the progress?” Marsh asked once he reached the far end of the room.

There was a man in rags on the far side of the room. His back was crooked. His hair was thinning. He looked more feeble than a stray orphan from the slums. He jumped and spun around when he heard the question. “William, you’re here!” the ragged man exclaimed.

“Is that a problem?”

“No, not at all. It’s just… you only ever come here every other day.”

“How’s the progress?”

“It’s going very well. Haven’t I told you this just yesterday? Nothing’s changed.”

“There’s a new problem. Time is short, Baloc.”

Baloc chuckled wryly and glanced behind him, where a glass tube stood, large enough to house a person. Instead of a person, there was smoke and gas in the tube. Or at least, it looked like smoke and gas. “At this rate, it will only be finished by mid-winter, but that’s considering if everything goes smoothly.”

“Mid-winter? We don’t have that much time.”

“We don’t? But you said—”

“I know what I said, Baloc. But that was then.”

“And what do you want me to do? I’m already doing my best here. If you want faster progress, you’re going to have to bring me better specimens. These ones are too subpar. You’ll have to stop getting specimens from nameless villages.”

“What about the slums?”

Baloc snorted. “They would be worse. We need ones that have led a… lavish life. Those who led very miserable lives, their souls aren’t worth much. They are worth as much as a few copper coins.”

 “What about the fallen nobles in prison? There are a lot of them.”

“They would be better, but not by a lot. Their fall from grace had reduced much of their souls’ values. Besides, you haven’t told me how much time we have.”

“A month, at most.”

“A month?” Baloc scoffed. “You’re asking the impossible.”

“The king’s a walking vegetable. If that’s possible, then so is what I’m asking for now.” 

Baloc sighed. “Haste makes waste. Why are we even rushing?”

“What do you think?”

“Oh…” Baloc’s face turned grim with epiphany. “Have we been discovered? No, that couldn’t be it. We were already being suspected from the beginning but that has never bothered you. What’s changed? Or is that not the reason?”

“I was never bothered by it because the nobles are just putting on a performance. They never truly cared about the missing villagers from nameless villages. They can accuse me all they want but they were never going to take any action against me. It’s more trouble than it's worth.”

“Ah, someone took notice other than the nobles?”

“Not just anyone.”

“Oh? Who?”

Marsh shook his head. “I do not know, yet. But whoever they are, they were strong enough to beat Lawson and his men. Even more interesting is that it is a one-sided slaughter.”

 “Wow,” Baloc muttered. “Lawson is in the lower sixties, is he not? His men weren’t any lower than the twenties. And they were one-sidedly slaughtered? Is this… ascertained?”

“I have confirmed it myself.”

Baloc let out a dry laugh. “That is worrying but I don’t think that’s any indication that someone is onto us.”

“The gold, the liquors, the glitters, all untouched. Whoever did this, they didn’t do it for the rewards.”

“Well, I’m convinced. We are short on time. So, what am I to do?”

“Pick up the pace.”

Baloc sighed. “No, no, no. I can’t just do that. Not with the specimens I have. I need better specimens.”

“And you will get them. Just what kind of specimens?”

“Preferably, I will need specimens from some place… lavish. Young ones with comfortable living.”

“The nobles…”

Baloc nodded.

“I can’t do that.” 

“Then, I can’t do it. I can’t make glitters if I don’t have precious stones.”

“The city will be swarmed by the guards before the day ends if I touch even a single hair of the nobles.” 

“That had not stopped you before, has it?”

“That was before I was a High Lord. And how many nobles are we talking about?”

“One to twenty.”

“Are you uncertain about the amount you need?”

“No, I’m not uncertain. That’s the ratio I’m giving. A single noble would be equivalent to twenty souls of commoners. So, I say we need around… fifty or so.”

“You’re insane, Baloc. That’s a lot. Even abducting one would cause the entire capital to flip.”

“You are the Crown Prince’s friend, no? Surely you would have some leeway with that, won’t you?”

“Leeway with what? Abducting nobles? Your mind is crooked.”

“Well… staying underground for months on end could do that for anyone.”

“I’m not forcing you to be here, Baloc. You chose this.”

“I’m not complaining. I like it down here. There are no disapproving and disparaging gazes down here. I can’t thank you enough for this, William. However, I can’t do what you want me to do if you don’t provide me with the right specimens. If I forcefully accelerate the progress with what we currently have, progress would be slowed down instead.”

“Are there alternatives? Anything to hasten the progress without diminishing results.”

“Well, there is an alternative. But you wouldn’t like it. This one has significantly more risk than the other choices. But the results are… incomparable. Just four or three would do. Give it five, just to be on the safe side.”

Marsh sighed. “I know what you’re going to say. The royals, no?”

“Yes, the royals,” Baloc responded with a shrug.

A sudden bout of exhaustion washed over him, forcing Marsh to take a seat on an overturned crate. “This is even worse.”

“Your friend, the Crown Prince, has a lot of enemies in the court, especially his brother and sisters. How many children does the king have?” Six?”

“Eight, including the Crown Prince.”

“Well, that’s more than enough, isn’t it?”

“You can’t be serious about this, can you, Baloc? Who do you think the people would suspect if five of the king’s children suddenly went missing?”

“Then, it doesn’t have to be the king's children. Relatives would do. But it can only be the next generation. They are the most potent. Make them disappear and then tack the treason on the other king’s children. Simple, won’t you say?”

“Not any less simple.”

“There is another one but I don’t think you would be ready to bear the consequences.”

“More consequential than abducting royals?” Marsh questioned with a frown.

Baloc grinned. “Yes,” he answered. “Apostles and Acolytes. In fact, a holy maiden would be… enough. Just one.”

Marsh groaned. “Your ideas kept getting worse. Are you trying to see me fall?”

Baloc shook his shoulders. “You want progress. I gave you the methods.”

“It’s not only the nobles who are suspecting me. Even the faiths and the Fae have begun suspecting me. They took no action because they had no irrefutable evidence.”

“I’m well aware of your circumstances, William. Say, wasn’t there a hunting competition in a few days? Many of the heirs and successors would be attending.”

“That’s out of the question.”

“Then, what can you do?”

“...A single individual would be much better than multiple.” Marsh’s decision came immediately.

“Ah, you have decided on that? Didn’t you just say that idea was worse than the other.”

“In hindsight, yes. But… the Faiths are never warm with kings and emperors. Many of the nobles have always wanted to rid the faiths of the capital but they never could find a just cause. With the holy maiden gone, the faiths will surely make the first move. Once the nobles saw that, they wouldn't sit still either.”

“Oh, clever. So, it is decided, then?” Baloc asked, looking on in great anticipation.

“It is,” Marsh answered resolutely. “Therefore, be prepared. Make sure the paladins would not be able to sense her presence from here all the way to the ground above.”

“That’s for bloody certain, William.”

“Anything else that you might need? What about assistants?”

“I’m doing fine with the physical labour. I may not look like it but I’m stronger than my body would suggest. Besides, if I need any additional hands, I know a spell or two.”

“Good.”

“However…, there is one other thing.”

“Just say it. What do you need?”

“I need assurance. The Scarlet Blade. What of her?”

“What about her?”

“You are going to abduct a holy maiden from the Ruvans. The Scarlet Blade is the Grand Apostle of Ruva and she has a flying mount. A Wyvern, last I heard. If she heard of the holy maiden’s abduction, she would come flying here the first thing. She would not hesitate to confront you, with or without evidence.”

“You don’t need to worry about that.”

“I do need to worry about that, William. I’m your willing partner in this scheme, if you haven’t noticed.”

“You don’t need to worry about her. She wants to come after me? Let her come. It’s time someone put that arrogant bitch in her place.”

Baloc’s eyes glimmered with interest. “Have the two of you met?”

Marsh chuckled. “We met. But it was a chance meeting. It was before my current title. Our paths crossed. She had plenty to remark about my past employment. A very unpleasant woman but a very formidable fight, even without her level. Still, she’s not as good as she thinks she is.”

“If you don’t mind me saying, William, do you perhaps have some grudge against the Scarlet Blade?”

“Do I?” Marshed muttered. A hint of melancholia tinged his face and tone. “Perhaps, but it is not her that I have a grudge with. She reminds me of someone… A friend, you can say.”

“You have a friend, William?”

“I had a friend. Now… he’s my enemy… my worst one.”

“What did he do?”

Marsh turned and faced Baloc directly in the eyes. “For your sake, I am not going to tell you.”

“Alright. If you say so. I wasn’t that curious in the first place. Now, any more requests?”

“Just be prepared. Failure will not be tolerated, not even yours.”