Soul Merger

The now official leader of the Diamond Pickaxe Merchant group, Brianna Flam, gave them a polite nod as they walked into her office. "I hope my hospitality has been to your standards?"

"It's been very nice, thank you," Akari replied.

"Much better than the place the guild would have tossed us!" added Rosalina.

Alissa rolled her eyes at the dragon woman saying the quiet part out loud, but it was the truth. They were effectively being held for questioning. But instead of a locked boarding house and oatmeal they got private rooms and a full breakfast.

All it had taken was a little lying to the guards up top. Which wasn't something she really wanted to do, but she wanted to be caught in a town's political battles even less. And a dead merchant prince with a pile of corpses meant lots of politics.

After they'd all taken a seat Brianna motioned her servants to close the doors. The woman drooped a little when her guards were out of earshot. Allisa saw signs of several sleepless nights and tear smudges, but the merchant leader kept up an air of professionalism. Explained why their house priestess was so uptight about reputation.

"I haven't been able to back up your statements about my father's assassination. But Caroline has confirmed my brother's guilt in the other murders." She picked up a letter knife and felt along its edge. "She also confirmed several things I'd suspected but was unable to prove about his treatment of her. So I have to thank you for that."

Finally she let the letter opener clatter to the desk and sighed. "Hard to keep the family reputation with that hanging over it. Not sure why I should bother trying. Still I'd prefer that to a trade war. And that's what I'd get if I let slip that my brother murdered several delvers working for other guilds. Which then leads to how do I confirm his death without announcing that to the whole world?"

"Um, I'm afraid that's not really something we can answer," Fili said.

"I suppose not," Brianna replied.

After a quiet moment Alissa spoke up despite her better judgment. "It'd probably help if you could pin your father's murder on him. Depending on how cut throat business is here."

"Play off their fears of internal dissent?" Brianna leaned back and thought on the idea. "Not terrible. Of course I'd need to find proof first. And 'a friendly necromancer questioned their corpse' isn't something I can use."

Akari's ears swiveled. "Unfortunate, but true."

"In any case that's my problem." Brianna said. Alissa relaxed a little at that proclamation. "I'll see what I can do to keep this matter from impacting us all too drastically. It will help that I can recover the items stolen, based on the maps you deciphered with that little necromantic trick. Which means you can get on the road."

"However," Alissa tensed again at that, "there are a couple of matters I'd like you to assist me with if needed."

Clara shifted in her seat. "Not sure what we can help with back in Seaport, but we'll listen."

"First I'd like you to give me a sealed note confirming what happened with your encounter," Brianna said.

"That seems like something that'd cause us all the problems we wanted to avoid," Rosalina pointed out.

Brianna snorted. "If you wanted to be certain the story never got out you needed to kill Caroline. Since you didn't, it'd be for the best that proof of your tale exists somewhere outside your heads."

Alissa sighed and rubbed her forehead. That was probably true. There were lots of ways to get information out of people. And if word got out they'd screwed over the guild the inquiry would be just as bad if not worse. It'd be a good idea to have some insurance to explain things.

The grim looks on everyone but Akari told her they'd all come to the same conclusion. "Alright."

"The second thing I would like to ask is that you find some place to keep Caroline if matters do blow up." Brianna folded her hands. "While she's guilty of a lot of things, I don't believe hanging would be real justice. And that will be what the other merchants demand, if only to show they can be tough. If matters get to that, I'd like to send her to Seaport and do charity work there."

Alissa joined the others in looking at Rosalina. The dragon looked surprised. "What. I'm not a saint, and I don't have a church!"

"But you're the only one who does charity work instead of tossing money into an offering box," Clara said.

"Fine, I'll look for something. But you'll all have to help me if it's hard." Rosalina crossed her arms and pouted.

"Sure." Alissa would bet money the dragon woman would have three possible options in as many days. She turned back to Brianna. "Anything else we need to cover?"

For a few long seconds the woman stared at the wall thinking, but then she shook her head. "No. Thank you again for your discretion. I can't say it was good working with you, but hopefully some good can come of it. You may leave at your leisure" She closed her eyes and absently added, "If only my brother had been so reasonable. I didn't want the business. I just wanted Alfred...."

Alissa stood, but as the others headed for the door, she couldn't help but say to the merchant lady, "Given what your brother did to the people he had power over, maybe it was for the best he got himself killed."

Brianna didn't respond, so Alissa left herself out.

Personally, she was quite glad she'd stabbed the prick. But it seemed impolite to say that to his sister.

As they exited the manor house they'd been kept in and started towards the village proper Rosalina groaned and stretched. "Well that's done. And a miserable time was had by all."

"At least we got what we were looking for," Clara pointed out. "And some extras. Metal slime residue, volcanic salts, and enough magma drake blood to look into buying the rest of the materials you three need."

That was true. They'd been focused on getting out of the labyrinth without ending up in a five month investigation, but they'd still hit a lot of their goals. "Do you think it would be better to sell the drake blood here or take it back to Seaport?"

"I'd like some for my fire essence," Fili said.

"Fair enough. We can break it up. And it'd be better to sell the rest here." Clara shrugged. "If I was a proper traveling merchant I'd have the connections to find who sells the stuff in Seaport and make a better deal, but if we're just looking for a buyer...."

"There's a chance we end up with several gallons of blood we can't get rid of," Alissa finished. The eternal curse of the merchant. "Right. So might as well get the money today. And properly store what Fili needs."

Akari bowed her head. "I also owe Ibaraki a party or two. Though if you want to leave the city early I can manage."

"Hell no," Rosalina put a hand on the catgirl's shoulder. "We deserve a victory party for sure! Or a survival party. Or whatever. Because damned if I don't want to blow off some steam after that. Besides, weren't we going to hunt down some salamander liver?"

Fili looked back and forth. "I kinda would like to try the salamander. Um, if everyone else is okay with that."

"Of course." Alissa smiled at the mage. "We definitely need a break. Though maybe not whatever an oni would enjoy." A good meal and lazing about would be just what she needed after everything that happened.

"So!" Rosalina stepped up and posed in front of them all. "As the fearless leader I suggest that we gather our earnings, find a nice restaurant, have a luxury meal, and then Akari and I hit the best bar in the city to get smashed and party while you all relax. In the morning, after hangover cures, we meet up to get a ride out of here." She grinned. "Unless one of you wants to join us?"

"Nope." Alissa replied. Best to keep clarifying that wasn't something she wanted to be part of. "But we'll bail you out of jail if needed."

Clara shook her head. "I'll pass."

"Not my thing," Fili said. "Uh, not that I'm judging you or anything."

Akari gave a weak grin. "I understand. I get fairly embarrassed myself sometimes. But it's obvious you aren't judgemental. I know what that looks like."

"Judgment is for the morning after anyway," Rosalina said. "Right now we have the final bit of work to do, and then a private room and fine dining. Let's go."

Alissa found herself starting to relax already as she followed the dragon woman into town. Things were looking considerably better.