Day 329 - (A Paladin is Undaunted)

Day 329 - (A Paladin is Undaunted)

“You can't just ignore my credentials!”
“If you would like, I can go back to the hall, pick up a copy of the full charter of the paladin orders, come back, and read it to you.”

The young monster stares daggers at me.  I stare back at it.  The gate guard stares at the both of us.  I couldn't say who is more tired or annoyed at this entire conversation.

“I demand to speak to your superior.”
“You can demand whatever you want.  That's the only legal thing you're doing here.”

It talks again, and for the third time I will my mind elsewhere.  Like that poor security guard.  This shouldn't be his job.  He's paid to sit in a chair so that it looks like we're at all worried about our borders.  He makes sure that a handful of guns are greased and he checks the cards of any monsters that stroll up to the gate.  That's it.  He isn't paid to do this.

I'm not paid to do this.

“If these fruit don't make it to market soon their value will plummet, and so help me I'll have the difference taken out of your wages!”
Okay.  Okay.  I take a deep breath.  “Miss, if these fruits enter the city, I will confiscate and burn them.  You will be branded, so that any future glamers you perform will be immediately recognizable, and I will personally escort you back out of the city.”
Its eyes widen.  “You wouldn't dare.”
I smile.  “Guardsman, open the gate.”

As the chainlink barrier disappears into the wall, I smile.  “Please, try me.”
“I would see you-”
“Smile.  You leave, or this burns.  Either way I smile.”
If looks could kill, I'd be a dead man.
“Make up your mind, miss.  I'm about to order this gate closed again, and then I'm not coming back.”
“You'll suffer for this,” it spits.
“I'll suffer for a lot of things, but not this.  Guardsman.”

We both turn and leave as the gate closes.

In hindsight, I really should have just waited until it walked inside to walk up and confiscate the demon realm fruits.  It wouldn't have kept my oath to uphold the law, however.
Which means that that fruit will just go elsewhere.
Oaths are painful things to keep.

“So it would seem.”
I twist, looking for the source of the familiar voice.  Ilnostreon.
I don't find it.  I am alone in this quiet road.  Almost.
“Look at you.  So powerful.  So much of this world is at your command, and what do you do?  What limits you, except yourself?”
“Everyone limits themselves.  It's what separates us from wild animals or psychopaths.”

“What is it you want?”  A shift in tone.  It's bargaining now, rather than trying to deceive.
“I could ask you the same.”
“I want what you want.  I want the world returned to a better time.”
“When gods and demon lords determined the fate of men?”
“Surely that's a better answer than monsters.”
“Surely.”

“Tell me what you want, paladin.  I'll give it to you, for so little a price.”
“Whatever it is, it won't be worth it.”
“You cannot fathom what I could do for you.”
“Nor should I.”

“Are you,” it begins, and the world goes pitch black.  “Are you mocking me, paladin?”
“No, but I should.  A literal deal with the devil?  I'm insulted that you think I'd accept anything you offered.  I'm a man of history, creature – I know how these play out.”
“Then I will make you a promise, instead.  If you interfere, I will see your end.”
And with that the world reappears, exactly as it was.  The handful of passers-by don't seem to notice anything unusual.

I wonder when our enemies will realize that threats of death aren't meaningful to anyone who puts on one of these collars.

---

“Victor.  Just the man I wanted to see.”
“Autocrat.”

He gestures, and I follow through the branch hall.  A handful of eyes look up at me as I do.  There's something odd in them.  We enter his office, and he takes his seat.  There's something in his eyes, too.  “So tell me, Victor, is there anything you'd like to tell me?”
He's expecting something specific.  Something that I'm not going to say.  Why does that trouble me?  “Ilnostreon contacted me again.  It tried to bargain with me to keep me from interfering with whatever it is planning.  It threatened violence when I refused.”
He lifts his brow, genuinely seeming surprised for a moment, but then it fades.  “Trouble with a demon?  Well, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, considering.”
“Sir?”

“Something seemed off about you lately, Victor, so I had a few of my boys ask around.  I heard the most interesting stories when I did – how well you've been working with the police mare, a dark priestess spoke about how kind you are, and a mermaid talked about how you saved her child.  It seems that some of your work hasn't made it onto your reports, Victor.”
“Nothing of relevance, sir.”
“Nothing of relevance,” he echoes.  “Well, I'd have to disagree with that, Victor.  I find this all quite relevant.  Relevant enough to contact the main hall.  Relevant enough to suggest that you be removed from your obligations, dismissed from your order, and stripped of title and rank.  My report is already on its way.”

He leans back in his chair, his smile gone.  “I'd have your sword broken if I thought it possible, and your shield split if you carried one.  I'd have our finest with the blade cut you down in honorable combat, were you not him.  What I can do, however, is tell you to get out of this hall and never come back.”

I feel my heart against my ribs and hear it in my ears.  For a moment, I want to grab my blade and advance.

Only for a moment.

I march out of the office.  I have sufficient funds to live off of for years if I choose.   I rarely ever spent the coin I earned during my training and work, and my expenses are few.

Besides, I never imagined I would live for very long.