I gathered Sera into my arms, her body finally starting to look less broken.
The potion had done its work. Most of the cuts were gone, and the bruises were fading fast.
The moment I tried to lift her, she clung to me like she wasn't ready to let go.
"Hey, Tugnier," I said, turning my eyes toward him. "As for the wish you'd grant me for my victory in this duel… I want just us.. you, me, and this traitor, to have a private talk."
Tugnier gave a slow nod, and left to his chamber.
"I will accompany as well," Quinn cut in.
I glanced at her, raising a brow. She never showed interest in private talks before.
What's gotten into her? Then I noticed the way her eyes lingered on Grave Digger. My lips tugged into a smirk.
So that's it… she wants to see if the sword is what she thinks it is.
"Sure," I said, adjusting Sera in my arms.
Just as everything seemed settled, Rack stepped in front of us.
"Commander Quinn… not punishing the traitor sets a bad example in our warriors' minds."
His eyes darted from anxiety. Anyone could tell that he knew he overstepped.
"You again…" Quinn muttered, her voice edged with irritation.
Quinn's cold voice cut through the air. "Move aside."
Rack flinched. He wanted to resist, anyone could see that, but he wasn't foolish enough to test Quinn head-on.
Then Drane moved forward, his steps slow, his voice all politeness. "Commander Quinn, I am the one you put in charge of discipline and security here. I do hope you'll permit me to take the traitor into my custody, to set a clear example of what happens to those who betray us." He bent slightly, careful, measured.
Quinn's voice snapped like a whip. "We haven't completed the inquiry. We'll proceed in the closed chamber. You got a problem with that?"
Drane took another step, this time toward Quinn. "Of course not, Commander. But I don't want my comrades to have second thoughts about your fairness."
Quinn rubbed her forehead, clearly done with this back-and-forth. "Listen, you lot—" she began, but I caught it.
Drane flicked a look at Rack, the briefest of signs. A silent gesture. A plan.
Then, just like that, his tone shifted again. "We are sorry to have blocked your path," Drane said, bowing low. "We are simply eager in our duties. I hope the Commander will understand."
If I remembered right, Drane was ranked fourth, while Rack sat at eighth. Just four numbers apart, but the gap between them was like sky and earth.
Under the top ten, every single place mattered, and the higher you climbed, the difference became brutal.
Quinn gave Drane one last suspicious glance before finally turning her back on him and leading the way.
We followed her down into a narrow passage, the air cooling with every step. The torchlight dimmed until only faint glimmers licked against the walls.
Soon, we stepped into a chamber carved right into the stone.
It was quiet, dark, and cold. The walls curved into benches and a long stone table in the center. Everything here was old, weathered, built for utility rather than comfort. And waiting at the far end, seated as if he had been here for hours, was Tugnier.
Quinn entered first, straight-backed and formal. "Tug— Commander Tugnier, I brought them," she said, taking the seat in front of him.
The rest of us followed. I slid Sera into the seat beside me, her movements still sluggish, though she leaned against me more out of choice than weakness.
Grig sat farther away, one seat down, trembling like a child still caught in the echo of his nightmares.
Then letters began to form in the air beside me, Nexar.
[She's here. The phantom of shadowfen.]
I gave the faintest nod. Of course she'd show up, I thought silently.
Tugnier's eyes turned to me, sharp and unmoving. "What is it you want to discuss, human?"
Good. Straight to the point. I leaned back a little, matching his calm.
"Tugnier… at this rate, everyone here will be killed."
The words dropped heavy into the chamber, and silence followed. For a full moment, neither Quinn nor Tugnier moved. They just stared at me.
[Dude! In my 100+ years as a system, I've never seen someone open a discussion like that. The fuck is wrong with you?]
What? I just got to the point. What's wrong with that?
Beside me, Sera pressed her palm against her forehead, her sigh soft but loaded.
Quinn's voice cut through. "Did you just threaten us?"
I blinked. "Hmm? No, no... you misunderstood. Not me. The SBV. They'll come here."
Tugnier's eyes narrowed slightly. "Did you report this location to them?"
I shook my head slowly. "No. It's the moles in your group."
Quinn shot to her feet, her chair scraping harshly against stone. "That's out of line. Who do you think you are—!"
"Hold it, Quinn," Tugnier interrupted, his voice calm but carrying authority that pressed even her back into her seat. "Let him finish. We can kill him later."
Quinn pouted, of all things, but settled down.
Did he just calm her down by promising to kill me later?, my brow twitched.
"So, human," Tugnier said, folding his arms, "explain."
I nodded. "The moles among you are working with SBV to save their own skin."
Tugnier didn't flinch. "We already have information on all SBV branches in Shadowfen Valley. None of them are strong enough to cause us a problem."
"Yes," I replied evenly, "but the one coming isn't from the valley. It's the Inquisitor from the capital. Merin."
That made Tugnier's eyes widen ever so slightly. "Merin, huh…" he muttered, voice low, thoughtful.
"Lydia," he called out.
A soft, sultry voice answered from nowhere. "Yes, Commander Tugnier."
And then she was there. Standing before him, seemingly out of thin air.
Her outfit didn't leave much to the imagination, all black silk and light armor that clung more than it covered. Understandable, given her role. Stealth, infiltration, the kind of work that needed agility above all.
She looked vampiric at first glance, pale skin, elongated ears that twitched with every shift in air, but her bloodline was mixed.
Her long ears weren't just for show either; they let her hear at distances greater than sight could reach.
Her divine gift, Phantomcloak (S), sealed her place as one of the deadliest shadows in this valley. She was number three in rank, right behind Tugnier and Quinn. Together, they were the trinity of command here.
If I had to compare… Lydia's build was just as slender as Quinn's, but her breasts were... ahem let's just say, a whole different story.
"Aren't you staring too much?"
Sera's voice pulled me back. I turned to find her pouting, her blue eyes narrowed suspiciously.
Her tone sharpened. "I didn't know you liked girls who wear revealing clothes." She turned her face away, clearly sulking.
My heart skipped. "Of course not, Sera! I love you the most!"
Her head tilted just enough for me to catch her smirk. "Hmm? Love me the most? Doesn't that mean there are multiple people you love, for me to be the most?"
I choked on my own breath. This girl is unnecessarily smart!
[You really should address that, Rune!]
You seem unusually enthusiastic, I thought back at Nexar.
[Of course I am. Lydia will be your second crewmate.]
My jaw nearly dropped.
Huh?