The contract's golden light pulsed once around them before fading into the evening air. A weight seemed to lift from Morten's shoulders now that he no longer had a choice.

Nova released his grip on his ankle and stepped back. "Can you stand?"

Morten rolled to his side, wincing as his battered body protested. "Give me a moment." He spat a mouthful of blood onto the grass, then slowly pushed himself to his knees. "I've had worse."

Nova watched him struggle, making no move to help. "Do you have healing skills, or do you need my help?"

"I've got one." Morten pressed a hand to his ribs, channeling a faint glow that quickly faded. "Enough to keep me from dying, but not enough to fix everything." He looked up at Nova with a reluctant respect—and beneath that, fear. "You're not what I expected."

"I get that a lot." Nova's eyes scanned the clearing. "Your sword first, then we talk."

As he walked, he stopped the Unification skill, sinking back to his normal height. 'That will take some getting used to. But I handled myself well in the fight. I feared the older form would cause me to make mistakes.'

The red blade lay half-buried in the grass where it had fallen. Nova carefully retrieved it, studying the crimson metal, which still radiated heat. Although the flames had died out, power thrummed beneath its surface.

'Let's have a quick look.'

[Fragment of Nova Gorton equipped.]

A delicate but mighty melody came from the sword, humming beautifully in his grip. The flames flared lightly at his command, and he felt a connection that told of immense power.

[The Quiet Rage (Epic) {Grade 8}]

[A masterwork sword forged from dragon steel and an Ancient Ember. The ember gives it a patient fire, but it can unleash hell upon its enemies in the right hands. Forged by Royal Blacksmith Torman.]

'Now this is the kind of metal I want to get my hands on! It doesn't have any enchantments, but the Ancient Ember clearly gives it an impressive ability on its own. I guess there are some decent blacksmiths in this world after all.'

"Impressive weapon," he said, holding it out to Morten.

"Thanks. It was forged by our previous royal blacksmith." Morten reached for it with reverence. "A gift from the king himself for services rendered."

Nova handed it over, watching as Morten sheathed it with practiced care. "That teleportation technique. Is it from another item?"

Morten shifted his weight, testing his balance before attempting to stand. "It's a skill I learned through my job as an overseer. It is only given to a select few."

"Oh, really? It must use up quite a bit of essence, but if it's that fast, it's more than worth it. Could you teach me?"

A bitter laugh escaped Morten's lips as he finally managed to get to his feet. "I could, but it's part of a different contract I'm under. The moment I reveal anything, it would trigger an investigation into my actions."

Nova's small face remained unreadable. "Then don't. It would be a shame to lose you this early."

"Noble of you." Morten's tone made it clear he was being sarcastic.

"Practical, not noble." Nova turned toward the distant lights of Collport. "We need to establish your story before you return to your king."

Morten nodded, brushing dirt from his tattered clothing. "The simplest lie is best. I investigated, found nothing suspicious, and determined the harvesting should continue as scheduled."

"And your injuries?"

"Training accident. I've been known to push myself too hard." Morten's lips curved into a grim smile. "No one will question it."

Nova considered this, then nodded. "Good. Now I can reveal that the Governor is more involved than I said earlier. I've made a contract with him as well."

"Ah…" Morten quickly pieced it together. "To keep his involvement secret. How did you convince him?"

"I would save his granddaughter if he allowed one month without any harvesting. Then, I would pay him for all the following months to prevent the king from becoming suspicious. But I accidentally cured his granddaughter before it was time, which is why you didn't meet much resistance from him."

"I see… Well, we're on the same side now."

"How long will you stay in Collport?"

"Three more days at most. Enough to do a thorough investigation." Morten's professional demeanor returned as they discussed logistics. "The king expects regular reports. I will inform him that the temporary halt was due to the governor's caution after the assassination. And that any lost souls have been recouped."

"And what exactly is your position with the king?"

"I'm his Hand of Justice. One of six." Morten's voice held a hint of pride despite his defeat. "We oversee the kingdom's most sensitive operations."

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Nova's eyebrows rose slightly. "Hand of Justice? Is that a joke?"

"Well, justice depends on the viewer, doesn't it?"

"That's debatable. But your rank is higher than I expected. That's useful."

"Don't get too excited." Morten grimaced as he tested his injured arm. "The other Hands would notice if I acted against the king's interests."

The setting sun had nearly disappeared, casting long shadows across the trampled clearing. Night birds began their evening calls, untroubled by the battle that had raged minutes before.

"I'll need a way to contact you securely," Nova said. "Do you know any communication spells?"

"Not any that would work over such distances, no. The capital is over three hundred kilometers away from here."

"Let me teach you one, then. You seem competent enough to figure it out before too long."

For the next several minutes, Nova demonstrated the spell, explaining each component in detail. Morten absorbed the information quickly, occasionally asking for clarification.

"And this is secure?" he asked when Nova finished.

"As long as you use it alone, it's completely secure. The thin barrier around it is soundproof, so you won't have to worry about eavesdroppers either."

"And we will contact each other at regular intervals?"

Nova nodded. "Once a month unless there's an emergency." He stared at the distant city. "What can you tell me about the king? Is he as complicit in this harvesting system as I think?"

Morten hesitated, but he knew he had no choice. "He... created it. Nearly forty years ago. And before you get any ideas, he's incomparably stronger than me, so don't even consider fighting him."

"I have no such plans yet. How old is he?"

"He should be sixty-four." Morten's voice dropped lower. "But he looks too young, honestly. There might be some peculiar magic in play."

Nova's expression darkened. "It doesn't surprise me. There are many ways to achieve eternal youth, but very few are honorable."

"You know of them?" Morten's interest was piqued.

"That's not how I look like this, if you were wondering. But I do know of them, yes." Nova turned back to Morten. "How hard would it be to expand this to the other harvesting operations?"

"...Nearly impossible. You would need to control every Hand of Justice under the king, and at that point, he would have to notice. And the instant he learns of you—"

"He won't." Nova's voice carried absolute certainty. "Not until I'm ready."

They stood silently for a moment, feeling the evening breeze wash over their exposed wounds. Only Morten seemed bothered by it.

"I suppose we should return," Morten finally said. "The captain will be worried."

"She's stronger than she looks." Nova smiled slightly. "But yes, let's not keep her waiting."

Using the remaining essence in his Gorton fragment, Nova created a new Tuck formation. Since there already was a formation pointing at them, he only needed to adjust its coordinates to connect the two, letting him teleport straight back to Larena's office. The runes pulsing with blue light glowed beneath their feet.

"One more thing," Nova said as the teleportation began to take effect. "Don't betray me."

Morten's laugh was surprisingly genuine. "Trust me, child. I won't be giving my life for the king anytime soon."

The blue light enveloped them completely, and they vanished from the trampled clearing, leaving only the evidence of their battle behind—torn earth, scorched grass, and the lingering scent of ozone.

As planned, they rematerialized in Larena's office. She leapt to her feet at their appearance, instinctively reaching for her sword. Relief flooded her face when she saw Nova standing unharmed.

"You're back!" Her eyes widened as she took in Morten's battered state. "And you... won?"

"Did you expect anything less?" Nova asked with a hint of amusement.

Larena shook her head with a smile. "Never. But seeing is believing."

Morten straightened his tattered clothing with as much dignity as he could muster. "Captain Larena, it seems we'll be working together after all."

Her eyes darted to Nova, silently asking for confirmation.

Nova nodded. "Morten has graciously agreed to be our ally. He'll continue reporting to the king that everything is proceeding normally here while we evacuate the children."

"And you trust him?" Larena's hand remained close to her sword.

"The contract ensures his compliance." Nova's tone left no room for doubt. "But beyond that, I believe Overseer Morten is a practical man who recognizes the changing winds."

Morten inclined his head slightly. "You flatter me. But yes, I can recognize when I'm outmatched." He touched his bruised ribs with a wince. "Quite thoroughly."

"Then..." Larena seemed unsure how to proceed.

"Then we continue as planned," Nova said. "Tomorrow, more children will be brought to your office. You'll claim they've been harvested, but instead, they'll be teleported to safety."

"And I'll take the souls as evidence," Morten added. His voice carried professional efficiency despite his injuries. "The quota must still be met, but the king cares little for how the souls are obtained."

Larena's shoulders relaxed slightly. "It could work."

"It will work," Nova corrected. His small face hardened with determination as he looked between his two allies. "As long as we all play our parts."

Outside the windows, night had fallen completely over Collport. Stars twinkled above the castle walls, indifferent to the schemes unfolding below them. The distant glow of lanterns marked the city's outline against the darkness.

"I should retire to treat my injuries," Morten said. Fresh blood had begun to seep through his tattered clothing, staining what remained of his once-impressive uniform. "We can discuss further details tomorrow. I'll need time to craft my first report to the king."

Nova nodded. "Go ahead. But remember our agreement."

"Hard to forget." Morten bowed slightly to them both, then left the office. The heavy oak door closed behind him with a solid thud, and soon his footsteps faded down the corridor.

When they were alone, Larena turned to Nova. "Do you trust him?" she asked again.

"Not at all. I expect him to do everything in his power to be freed of the contract. But I think he'll find it to be quite impossible." Nova turned to the windows, looking at the rising moon.

Larena's eyes widened as she noticed the dark stain spreading across the back of his robe. "That wound on your back—"

"Will heal in a few minutes." Nova touched it from his side, already feeling the regeneration starting to work again. The pain had dulled to a distant throb as his body knit itself back together. "I am perfectly fine."

Larena leaned against her desk, not looking entirely convinced. "Have it your way. I'm surprised he managed to land such a blow on you, honestly."

"He had a surprising skill, allowing instant teleportation. But as soon as I knew of it, it was simple enough to counter."

"Oh, sure…" She shook her head, staring thoughtfully at the carpet on the floor. A smile started appearing. "Wow."

"What?" Nova tilted his head, studying her expression.

"No, it's just…" Larena ran a hand through her red hair, disheveling it slightly. "Now I'm really starting to think we can do this. At least in Collport, everything seems like it will fall into place as we continue doing what we do. The governor, Morten, the church's promise—all the pieces are aligning."

"It does feel like the real start, I agree." Nova walked to the window, looking out at the city below. "But we have to stay vigilant. A single leak can cause it all to fall down on us."

"Oh, come on! We can at least let our shoulders down tonight, right?"

Nova chuckled. "Sure, I'll allow it for tonight." He stared out at the night sky, already planning his next move. Eight children saved today. Thousands more waiting. And now a spy placed close to the king himself.

The scales were beginning to tip.

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