Chapter 70: Accusations and Deception

Chapter 70: Accusations and Deception Since he'd fallen asleep in his pants, Kai simply pulled on his tunic and grabbed his shoes on the way down. It looked like Zae Zin Nim would sleep straight through the shouting, despite its growing volume. As he leapt down the stairs, he could hear it getting even worse. Half-way to the crowd, he barely remembered to drink one of his new Class potions. Not a moment too late, because when he hit the bottom of the stairs, he saw chaos in the main room. There was a whole mob of hunters, some dressed as city guards and others in uniforms emblazoned with the symbol of the Corinin clan. They looked like they were trying to break into the inn, and the only things holding them back were a small group of citizens and social propriety. Kai considered the group briefly, noting their power was between 30 and 50 on average. Not that strong for seasoned guards, but it didn't matter. What they brought against him wasn't raw power, it was the rule of law. "There he is!" One of the Corinin hunters jabbed a finger in his direction and suddenly the entire group was looking toward him. "You there, are you a hunter?" "I..." Kai knew he shouldn't hesitate, but the question itself made him stumble. That had been his mental identity for so long... but here, given the situation... "No. I went through formal training, but I'm not officially a Goralian hunter." "That's obscuring the truth." A man wearing extremely fine Corinin robes took a step forward. "This man is an ex-hunter banished from a northern city for his crimes, yet the Lantrian clan is hiring him to do their dirty work." "Do you have any evidence other than hearsay?" The new voice was Razzagah Lantrian, who Kai hadn't even noticed up to that point. He couldn't face off against the hunters, but he stepped up to the Corinin official. "You haven't showed us a contract, a warrant, or anything else. This is a flagrant misuse of the city guard." "The evidence is standing right in front of you! If you have any honor left at all, ex-hunter, tell us the truth about how Razzagah Lantrian hired you to guard his caravan." All eyes turned toward him, especially the city guard. Razzagah shot him a pleading glance, but Kai couldn't afford to meet his gaze or he would look suspicious. He bought time by clearing his throat, desperately considering how to answer. Normally, he would have said that it was always the best policy to stick to the truth. Considering that policy had gotten him banished... But this confrontation was clearly about mixing truth and lies. Assuming no extra layers of deception, the Corinin clan had felt comfortable sending mercenaries everyone knew were theirs out to destroy the shipment. That would never pass if normal testimony was accepted. If so, then the accusation was just a ploy and the real question was plausible deniability. "I was never hired as a hunter," Kai said. "We were traveling together when mercenaries attacked our group for unknown reasons. Because I took an injury defending the caravan, Razzagah paid for recovery at this inn, but I didn't perform any services as a hunter." "Exactly!" Razzagah shot him a barely concealed grin and then turned to the officials in outrage. "I hired a dozen guards for my journey and every single one of those contracts is on record at the Hunters Guild. Pretending that I was making illegal contracts is entirely spurious." "It will be less fantastic if their next retaliation involves sending elite mercenaries to attack us." "Oh, I don't think they'd do that in the city." Razzagah finally stopped smiling and faced him seriously. "But I understand why you'd be concerned. Your best defense might be to take a formal role here in the city. They're willing to attack unknown travelers, not targets who would draw more attention to them." "But I really am banished. I can't join any Hunters Guild." "Did I say anything about the Guild? No, I mean that you need to make a public appearance at one of the clan balls. Doesn't matter if you're Clanless, they like to have visitors, especially if they bring in any exotic flavor. Northerners are welcome, and of course your companion would be as well." "She'll decline." Kai folded his arms and scowled as he considered the matter for himself. He hated the idea of participating in southern social culture, but he couldn't dismiss the offer out of hand. "What exactly is going to be involved here?" "Just attending a dinner or two at the Hunters Guild. I'd formally invite you to join the Lantrian clan, but given the accusations..." Razzagah shrugged helplessly. "That doesn't mean that we can't work together off the books. I've been thinking about what you said earlier... you know, about needing a mana pool. We may be able to help each other?" "How?" "Best not to get into it here. By tomorrow I'll know more... we'll meet at noon, alright? Wear whatever your best clothes are - no, never mind, I can bring something." As Razzagah headed out, Kai wondered just what he was getting himself into. The promise of getting access to a mana pool was tempting, but part of him just wanted to abandon the city entirely. Getting entangled in the conflicts of merchants struck him as a headache. When he headed back upstairs, he found Zae Zin Nim sitting up in bed, so he explained what she hadn't been able to hear. She nodded quietly, following the clan politics despite her lack of familiarity. Then, when he started to explain his reluctance, she surprised him by immediately shaking her head. "No, you need to get involved. Maybe not with Razzagah, but somehow. I'm not just saying that because I need a mana pool. This is your best chance to move forward." "And how is that?" Kai asked. "I like merchants even less than you do, but they're necessary. So far, you've been fighting opponents with weapons you've put together out of sticks and mud." She settled back against the headboard and closed her eyes. "The mana is dense here... denser than I've ever felt in Cloudspire, even if it doesn't compare to the qi. And it's being controlled by the merchants and other powers. You've gotten far on your own, but eventually you need to take advantage of those resources." Kai sighed and accepted that he didn't have a choice. Not only was he getting involved in the clan politics he'd always tried to avoid, he was doing it along with a Lantrian.