Enslaved - Enslaved Sister Harem - Chapter 20

“The gates are still closed.” The merchant frowned as the
caravan moved closer to the city wall pulling off his thick coat which seemed too
hot for the weather.

“Yeah, I was afraid of that…” I said, noticing that the
ropes we had scaled the walls with had also been cut down.

In fact, the city watch was still acting on edge, their
weapon at the ready as if they expected they might be ordered to attack us. Scanning
the top of the wall, my eyes landed on Lord Stebes and I could only let out an
annoyed sigh. I had hoped that he wouldn’t have gotten personally involved in
this. Could he seriously still be planning to assassinate me in broad daylight
with thousands of witnesses?

“Lord Stebes, an enemy is on the horizon!” I shouted, “Open
the gates!”

“On whose authority?” He said with a sneer.

“You won’t open up?” The pushy hooded woman from before
pushed forward, her voice coming off somewhat haughty.

“How do I not know your caravan lead those monsters here?” Lord
Stebes answered. “I could be letting a traitor into the city. My actions are
completely sound and justified.”

“You… bas-“

“Don’t worry…” I held up my hand stopping the woman from
continuing the argument. “I’ve got this.”

She came off as bristly and hostile. I had the feeling she
might bring the arrows down on us if she kept talking. She was likely a
beastkin like the others, but she took great care to hide her ears and tail. I
had seen her during the attack on the caravan. She was the only woman there
that took up arms against the undead. She wasn’t a guard, but she wasn’t a
civilian either.

“Hmph… suit yourself.” She crossed her arms and turned away.

I turned to look at Baba, who was sitting up in one of the
caravans. She had been healing people’s wounds using her magic. The caravan was
well aware that she was a magician, but if they heard she was the Grand Magus,
they would certainly be shocked.

“Baba… I was hoping to learn a bit more magic from you.”

The little girl blinked and cocked her head. “Hmph? What’s
that?”

“Explosive magic. Perhaps a demonstration. That gate sure
looks sturdy.”

Her eyes narrowed and she snickered. “Is that my lord’s
orders?”

“I wouldn’t dream of telling someone such as yourself what
to do.”

A smug expression formed on her face. “Hehe… it looks like
my young disciple is finally learning how to treat his Great and Magnanimous
Master with res-“

“Children rarely listen to what you tell them anyway,” I
added in a low voice only a few people nearby could hear while looking in the
other direction.  

“Geh!” Baba shot me a glare and then got down from the
caravan. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that last part.”

“Wh-what are you doing?” Lord Stebes let out a shout as Baba
walked into the front of the group.

The caravanners didn’t know how powerful Baba was. She had
barely cast a single spell to help during the battle. Many were grateful for
her healing, but there were many healers in this world and that didn’t
necessarily translate to being a powerful mage. In fact, given her age, it wouldn’t
be surprising if it was assumed she was an apprentice to some mage. This only
made our exchange of words where I was the disciple and her the master even
more confusing to the group.

“Knocking the door off its hinges should suffice,” I added.

Baba nodded but wore a mischievous grin on her face. To some
of the people, it sounded like I was egging her on, but I was actually hoping
to reel her back. Baba had looked disappointed when the monster situation was
contained without her magic. I had the feeling she would be happy to stretch
her magic a bit and may cause some long-lasting damage.

“Are you crazy? You just said a monster army is coming! Do you
want to put a hole in the city walls just before we’re attacked? You’ll kill
everyone in this city.”

“I don’t fault you for looking out for your people, Stebes.
I took, am just looking out for my own. If it was me alone out here, perhaps I
would just turn and leave and let this city’s fate be decided by you. However, the
second I leaped over this wall, I took responsibility for this caravan. I will
do whatever it takes to protect these people. You have my word, while in your
city, I will vouch for them.”

As I spoke, the pudgy merchant looked at me with a surprise
and then a nodded, a smile on his face. My words did come out incredibly bold
sounding, and those among the Caravan had a deep sense of gratitude.  The most unnerving person was the woman in the
hood, who was staring at me the entire time out of the corner of her hood. I
couldn’t see her features any better than she could see my own. However, I still
felt like she was studying me, and getting out far more information than I
wanted to give her.

“You… vouch for them?” The Lord growled. “And why would I
trust a devil?”

I pulled back my hood, listening to numerous gasps behind
me. Even on the wall, a few people gaped in disbelief. My presence in the city
was known, but hearing there was a devil and realizing the cloaked man in front
of you was that devil were two very different things. This time, I spoke even
louder so anyone on the wall could hear. I also let a tinge of arrogance touch
my voice.

“I am Prince David, Prince of Pria and your lord. Do you
deny me entry into the city? I will consider that an act of a traitor. Grand
Magus, I see a better target if you aim up and to your right. It’s a much
thicker piece of wood.”

That spot I indicated was of course where the lord was
standing on the wall. His eyes bulged out like he was about to explode. However,
the Grand Magus’s dark chuckle cause even his spine to tingle. I was merely a
menace, but the Grand Magus was a catastrophe. There might have been some
confusion before. When I had met Lord Stebes at the gate, I had followed the
Grand Magus to the inn. He likely had believed I was hiding behind the Grand
Magus and using her as a shield. This is why he dared to attempt to assassinate
me.

Even earlier, my words had deferred to the Grand Magus. I
had asked as a disciple. Now, using her title, I had ordered her to attack a
lord, and she didn’t provide any lip. Everyone there understood clearly the implications
of that now. The Grand Magus was this odd little girl, and she was taking my
orders. I had a feeling I’d need to pay the Magus back later for this. She was
showing me face during the sensitive situation in public, and I’d be indebted
to her after this. I didn’t want to use her at all, but it seemed like Lord
Stebes was determined to force my hand. I still had a few more chips, but this
was the one I felt I could afford to pull at the moment.

The reaction of my reveal spread through the caravan. The
looks weren’t exactly hostile. Some seemed confused while others had more complex
expressions on their faces. It had certainly blown the steam out of my previous
comments. They likely reasoned that at least part of the reason they were
having trouble entering the city right now had to do with my presence. On the
other hand, I was a Prince of this country. The hooded woman was only staring
at me now, but what expression she wore as completely hidden.

“Very well!” Lord Stebes snapped. “You may enter the city.
However, I’ll hold you to your promise. If these beastkin animals dare cause trouble
in the city, you’ll answer for it.”

I bowed. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

The gate finally opened, and Baba just seemed a little
unhappy that she didn’t end up needing to blast us in. The Caravan moved first
and I sat to the side and watched. As the people passed, I received a cacophony
of looks from fear to discomfort. Some of the children stared at me, while
others cried. The man in charge, the pudgy merchant, had a wry smile on his
face. I had saved his caravan, but now we were tied. The way things were
worded, I had joined our destinies. Once in the city, these guys would have to
depend on me to survive. That was exactly what I was aiming for. It would be a
layer of protection.

I finally headed into the city as the gate shut behind me.
With a quick breath, I glanced over at the merchant. “We need to talk.”

The man looked over at me uneasily but then nodded, kicking
the heal of his boots before turning to me. I grabbed his arm, leading him to one
of his carts to discuss what he knew. Before we could make it a few steps, a
person walking down the stairway from the wall shouted down at us.

“Wait right there!” Lord Stebes shouted.

I sighed, briefly considering just killing the man. He had
already shown himself to be traitorous. The only reason I hadn’t bothered with him
is that he still had control over the city watch. I had hoped he wasn’t smart
enough to realize that we needed to question this man. After all, he almost let
information die because of his own xenophobia.

“What is it?” I demanded flatly. “With an unknown threat
coming, we must prepare quickly.”

“That’s what I should be saying!” Lord Stebes growled. “You
push yourself too far! This is my city. You have no business discussing its
protection.”

“You mean a city you wished to protect so much you refused a
Grand Magus, two will users, and a small retinue of soldiers entrance?”

My words issued several mumbles from some of the citizens nearby. Perhaps they weren’t happy with the way I was speaking to their lord. Although some might actually agree with my points, and realize that the lord is threatening the city just to stick it to me.

Lord Stebes’ face was red, and he opened his mouth. “You-“

“My lords…” Saria stepped in between us, “Perhaps this
discussion would be better served in the diplomatic quarters?”

I crossed my arms and nodded. “Very well, let us head there.”

Lord Stebes looked between the pair of us a few times, his
face still displaying open anger, but when he noticed more and more of his
subject whispering amongst themselves, his expression changed immediately.

“Very well, the diplomatic quarters it is.”

I gestured the merchant to follow along, bringing the whole
caravan with him. I had only read about the diplomatic quarters. They were a
specialized location in any city where diplomacy could take place. A keep or
castle could be considered too dangerous of a location for many people to be
willing to meet. Thus, the diplomatic quarters were created. In essence, it a building
pressed against the city wall with an exit directly outside the city. This
might make the entire building seem like a vulnerability to the entire city,
except that the wall wrapped around the building, and had another entrance on
the other side.

In short, it was a building that was neither in the city nor
outside the city limits. It was a place for foreign dignitaries. Rather than
settling at the inn, I could have set up to stay here. I had originally chosen
not to because I didn’t even know this city had one at the time, and even had I
known, it would have been dishonorable for a prince to act as a foreign dignitary.
 Lord Stebe’s would have likely found
some trouble for me anyway.

However, now that our aggressions were more open, it was an
ideal place to talk. Furthermore, if he attempted something, I’d be able to flee
the city without having to storm the city gates. It was a preferable situation
for both of us. I hadn’t expected Saria to come up with something so… diplomatic.

We came up to the city walls, the main difference between
this and the main gate is that the size was only big enough for a few people to
walk through at a time. The caravans parked out in a courtyard in front, still in
the city proper. The merchant ordered the men to set up. They immediately began
to put up stalls, and by the time we were led into the diplomatic quarters, a
small bazaar seemed to have sprung up in the city. Eager citizens, likely
unaware of the incoming blight, were coming out to see what was for sale. The
goods consisted of a lot of meats and pelts, which sold well in a city such as
this.

I shot the merchant a look and he shrugged. “We must sell
when we can. If we are forced to flee this city, the lighter our loads, the
better. Besides, once the news of an army spreads out, what people wish to buy
will radically change. This is so-called maximizing profits.”

“When we are done talking, order you, men, to close down. I
will be purchasing all food, medical supplies, weapons, necessities, and cloth
from you at a reasonable rate.” Lord Stebes stated.

The man sighed. “And then there is that.”

It looked like he had hoped he could make a profit selling
to citizens. Lord Stebes’ reasonable rate was likely whatever Lord Stebes was
willing to pay. There was no saying their caravan could even make the money
back on their trade.

As I entered a meeting room with a round table, Lord Stebes
had an army regiment of ten men behind him and a scrawny man that looked like
an advisor. As for me, I had my four soldiers, Bala, Saria, Aeryn, and my
mother. The caravan leader only brought the one hooded woman along with him. We
all found a place to sit, at three distinct corners of the table, with Lord
Stebes consuming the most space.

I lowered my head to Lord Stebes, allowing him to go first.
Rather than being satisfied, he shot me another hateful glare before turning to
the merchant leader.

“How big is this army and how close?” He demanded.

“They should be here by tonight. The undead prefer to move
at night. I assume they’ll attack then.” The caravanner answered quickly. “I do
not know their numbers at all. They do not leave the same traces as a normal
army. I would predict at least 5,000, probably more. They grow with each
village along the way.”

Lord Stebes made an ugly expression. “5,000 undead…”

This city likely only had a few thousand itself. Most of
them were women and children. That meant that we were completely outmatched.

“How many soldiers can you conscript?” I asked.

Lord Stebes snorted.

“What are our numbers?” Saria leaned forward and asked.

Stebes frowned, but then answered. “Two hundred men on the
wall. About 50 in my keep. If I take every able-bodied male between 16 and 40,
we could raise another 1000. However, my armories only have enough to equip 300
additional.”

“550…” Saria leaned back with a hiss.

I turned to the merchant calmly. “Where did the undead come
from? How did you encounter them?”

“What does it matter?” Lord Stebes growled. “They’re just more
devil games. They were sent from Neraka.”

“They came from Perang… correct?”

“How did you kn- ahem…” The merchant covered his mouth. “That
is… their location… how could we guess…”

“Perang?” Lord Stebes exclaimed. “A human city? That is
impossible! Why would a human city generate undead and then attack ourselves!”

“They undead haven’t been attacking the humans.”

“Not Peri!” the elvish princess gasped.

I shook my head. “Not Peri either. How bad are things… in
Benatang?”

“The beastkin nation!” Lord Stebes burst out. “You’re mad! It
isn’t even the most convenient location to attack from Perang. The forests of
the elvish nation are right there. You’d have to cross an impassable mountain
range!”

“Which isn’t very difficult, when you’re not alive.” I shrugged.

“Sir… we’re really just merchants. We were delivering goods
from the Capital of Pria when…”

“Can we end this farce, we neither have the time nor the
situation. Your caravan is a ruse used to spy. My guess is your country has
been getting attacked by swarms of undead for months now. The mountains that
separate the northern part of our country from your own, the same range that
hid their movements, also kept us from hearing about it.”

“Your paranoia… it’s absurd!” Stebes cried out.

“Tell me, Lord Stebes… when was the last time you had
someone approach from Perang? From the elvish nation?”

Lord Stebes looked down, “M-months…”

“We’d have been one of the last… and we bypassed Perang all
together.” Saria spoke up.

The merchant sighed, straightening his back, his expression
changing into something more diplomatic. “You are correct. For the last month,
our country has been flooded with the undead. We were sent to investigate why
the human nation as attacking us. I admit, when the Lord of this city refused to
open his gates, I was convinced it was a declaration of war. Had you not come
out to protect us, I would have sent a runner to begin preparations. Seeing
that the man who saved us is a devil, I can’t say I’m not still uncertain. How
did you know?”

“There were a few clues. I shrugged, first off, your caravan
is extremely well armed for a journey across what should be a relatively safe
journey between the elvish nation and the human nation. Bandits are known to be
heavy in the south, but the northern paths are usually safe. You were also
wearing clothing that didn’t match. Boots and thick clothing, the kind of
travel over hills, not forests. Then, there is the fact that you’re selling
meats and pelts, animalkin products. The elfkin nation exports mostly herbs and
textiles. There was no way you had come from Peri.”

“You knowingly vouched to let spies enter my city?” Lord
Stebes snapped.

“Would you prefer that they are allowed to report that the
undead do indeed come from the human realm? Do you wish to start a war, Lord
Stebes?”

“I see…” The leader sighed. “Since you’ve reasoned this all
out, do you plan to capture of now?”

I shook my head. “How could we arrest you? You’re our
distinguished guests.”

“Excuse me?” Lord Stebes shot me a look of disbelief.

“After all, you’ve done me a great service.” I smiled. “You’ve
returned my sister to me. It has been a while, has it not?”

The robed woman sighed, pulled her hood off, two bunny ears
springing up from under her hood. “Hello, Brother.”