Well, all Li needed to do was talk to them. As he swung the cottage door open, keeping the two beastwomen safely held at his side, warm air laced with the scent of roasting meat rushed out. The Feli under his arm, though still unconscious, licked her lips, her nose twitching.

Li saw who he expected to see with one exception. 

First, sitting around the table, were Launcelot and his trio of superheroines. Then there was Triple Threat and Old Thane seated on the ground, forming a small ring around the fireplace. Tia was at the back, gnawing on a black carapaced insectoid leg almost the same size as her. 

The exception was a youthful man who probably could barely pa.s.s for twenty. Striking blue eyes and long golden hair that reached down to his shoulders. He stood at the end of the table, arms crossed with a faint smile that seemed to be natural resting expression. 

All the adventurers were still dressed for combat, wearing st.u.r.dy armors or leathers, though their weapons were probably stashed outside in the warehouse for temporary safekeeping and to prevent clutter. The new man, however, was dressed in a smooth white suit banded with gold, indicating that he was no fighter. 

As soon as Li took a step into the cottage, all heads turned to him, and then to the beastwomen. He closed the door behind him and said, "Let's talk."

________________________

"That's the gist of it," said Li, his back to the cottage wall so that he could face everyone while talking to them. Tia had fallen asleep by his side, her belly full of Gigantopede leg. He had told them that while talking to farmers about bargaining for their land, he found that they were bound by unjust contracts and intimidation tactics by Chevrette, and that the so called golden man was not so golden after all, running the largest slave trade ring in all of Soleil. 

Li looked to the beastwomen. They had been moved by the fire and wrapped in warm blankets and skins. Judging from how strong the [Sleep Spore] had been, unless they were forcibly awakened, they would be out until tomorrow at the least.

"I've decided I want to end this whole illegal operation and take Chevrette down with it. Also, my apologies for ruining your celebration dinner and congratulations for taking that Gigantopede down."

"Our celebration is no longer important," said Jeanne. She looked around the room, her sterling silver armor clacking with the frantic motion. "To think I've heard no tell of this foul trade around Riviera. We must end this nonsense at once."

"I agree," said Sylvie with a nod, though her red eyes did flash with concentration, her mind thinking.

"No complaints here," said Azhar. "Ain't bout' to sit on my a.r.s.e even longer, and my arm's nearly back. Let's shove this golden p.r.i.c.k right into a dungeon cell."

"Aye, slavery's never sit well with me," said Old Thane as he scratched his beard. "Slavers made their rounds in the Northwastes, wanting our powerful Jotun's blood, but still, I thought the foul trade had ended with the d.u.c.h.ess's ascension." 

Li took note of the fact that despite the common man of the duchy holding prejudices against beastmen, the adventurers did not have any such reservations. As Sylvie had once said in explaining why they were so nonchalant about Li's status as a foreigner, it would seem that it was true that the more well-traveled you were, the fewer prejudices you tended to hold. 

"Merely that there are laws in place does not mean that vile desires fade overnight," commented Sylvie. "And where there is demand, there will be supply. But still, to think that it was Chevrette, the golden idol of the downtrodden, that ran this and that I nor n.o.body I know has heard tell of this."

Launcelot raised a gauntleted hand to speak. "Chevrette's slaving is not like that of olden times. Cra.s.s, brutal, and in ma.s.s scale. It is highly refined, limited to sating the tastes of the highest of elites. None but those in the upper echelons of n.o.bility and wealth know of his trade."

Jeanne shook her head and gave Launcelot an accusing look. "Surely there is one n.o.ble among many that would fight against him?"

"Me?" Launcelot sighed. "Yes, as a son of the Lakely house, I knew of Chevrette's crimes. But to oppose him was to ruin our entire family. Chevrette holds the bank here, and all my family's fortunes lie in their coffers."

"Screw the fortune to high heavens," said the younger blonde man. Before Li had explained the situation, the man had introduced himself as Leon Lakely, Launcelot���s younger brother and true heir to the family's building ventures in Duvin.

"The Lakelies man the primal runes that fortify this city's walls. Chevrette would not dare to oppose us when the entire city's safety – the very reason that all those of wealth feel confident enough to invest in his bank, in this city, in the first place – is under our control."

"Under your control," corrected Launcelot. "You are the true heir to Lakely runesmithing and building, and I hold no such power. You are the only one that can control the walls, but you do not even live here, nor can you afford to spend more than a few days away from your company in Duvin."

"I can spend more than a few days this time around," said Leon. "The Gigantopede has robbed my company of many of its men, and I can take that as an excuse to loiter about, fis.h.i.+ng for new talent in our lovely little hometown of Riviera."

Launcelot shook his head. "Say that it is so, that you stay here for this venture, to face Chevrette. You believe you can bargain your control over the walls against him. Yet are you truly willing to rob the city of its walls when tensions with the Republic mount so?

Once you erase the runes, it will take months, perhaps years to prepare them again after poring through centuries old texts. Can you truly endanger the lives of countless thousands? No, we hold no bargaining power, and a man as sharp as Chevrette will understand this."

"As level headed as ever, brother," said Leon with a defeated shrug. "As expected of a Veritas graduate. I still wonder why you did not man this whole building business. It is quite the burden you've pa.s.sed upon me, you know."

"I am certain you cry upon your bed of coins every night," said Launcelot as he rolled his eyes. The two brothers shared a smile before Launcelot continued, addressing everyone in general. 

"I understand that a just fire burns within you all, as it does within me, but there is a reason Chevrette has prospered so long, even through the d.u.c.h.ess's reformations of the n.o.bility. He is extraordinarily dangerous. His family name, having once been great traders in Trieste, allows him to hire the most powerful of warriors across the world across the north and the east, to dredge up the foulest of forbidden mages in the darkest of corners and crevices. 

But power is his weakest trait. No, it is his grasp over this city that allows him to stand so strong. The Gold Standard is the largest bank in Riviera, the lifeblood of all the wealthy across the entirety of Soleil, not to mention that he personally is responsible for having funded much of the restorations of streets and businesses across lower and middle Riviera. 

The common man adores him for his seemingly heroic generosity with his coin. The n.o.ble man cannot oppose him as he holds powerful blackmail against the vast majority of them with his slave trade – the real purpose of him undertaking the trade to begin with.

It will take far, far more than a mere few days to uproot this man."

"So we do nothing?" said Jeanne, her voice challenging. 

"I did not say that. If you wish to fight, then I will join. I merely wish to tell you all of the risks involved."

Li cracked his knuckles, and the room fell silent as they awaited what he had to say.

"It might just be that it'll only take a couple of days to get rid of this guy," said Li. "Like you said, the reason why n.o.body can take this guy out is because he has so many connections to this city and so much dirt on everyone. His generosity is revered by the common man, and that's why even the d.u.c.h.ess hasn't been able to just throw him out by using the law. 

So all you need to do is destroy his good image. Once you do that, once the common man is against him, the law will finally have a chance to bite down at him."

"How do you suppose to bring this about?" said Launcelot. "Chevrette, as you said, is revered like a hero. It will be difficult to tarnish his image for none can bring word against him."

"But we can put word against him." Li put his plan into motion. "We have our own hero, don't we?"