Chapter 20: Arrival of the Baron
Personal System Calendar: Year 00012, Day 1-14, Month IV: The Imperium
Imperial Calendar: Year 6857, 1st to 14th day of the 4th Month
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Soldiers of Gremory
Baron Kirka marched with his assembled forces to retake Kirka Village, the settlement that bore his name and represented everything he had built before his life collapsed under the weight of deception and betrayal. He had explained the full situation to Marquis Gremory, who had originally served as his benefactor when he first rose from being a successful merchant to minor nobility.
The Baron recounted how he had lost control of the village and why he had fled back to Gremory in disgrace. The timing had been fortuitous in one respect: he had been able to explain his prolonged absence from the village during the period when the Empire declared war on all major criminal syndicate organizations. Three years ago, the coordinated continental purge had crushed the Seven Shadow Syndicates in a single night of simultaneous raids across all three subcontinents.
That campaign had provided Baron Kirka the context to finally reveal the truth he had been too ashamed to admit earlier. He told Marquis Gremory how a woman he had failed to properly investigate had become his wife through calculated deception. An escaped convict from an asylum, a serial killer with a fractured mind, and her depraved son Rommel who had been revealed as an associate of the Corvus Syndicate.
The Kingdom of Ogind had been shocked upon the Empire's declaration, learning that many seemingly legitimate businesses were actually criminal fronts. They too had launched their own cleansing operations, following the example set by their Imperial allies. This was the major reason that Rommel had fled Kirka Village when it had briefly served as a command center for Ogind's army during the war with Arwen. He had known what was coming and escaped before justice could find him.
With that history laid bare and his shame acknowledged, Baron Kirka had been given another chance by Marquis Gremory. Now he marched with substantial forces to reclaim what had been stolen from him.
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The Assembled Force
The Baron's army consisted of multiple components, each bringing different capabilities to the operation:
Gremory City Forces (400 soldiers): Professional troops provided by Marquis Gremory himself, representing a significant commitment of the city's military resources. These were disciplined soldiers experienced in urban combat and siege operations.
Baron Kirka's Personal Retinue (50 loyal knights): Men who had served the Baron before his fall, who had remained loyal despite his disgrace and absence. They represented the core of his legitimate authority.
Knights' Men-at-Arms (100 soldiers): Each knight commanded his own contingent of professional soldiers, creating a force multiplier that brought the Baron's direct command to one hundred fifty fighters.
Black Lion Mercenaries (100 fighters): Perhaps the most prestigious addition to the force, recruited at considerable expense but worth every coin for their reputation and capabilities.
The Black Lion's Mercenary Company was not simply another hired sword organization. They were mercenaries of justice, their range of services extending from detailed protection of goods and people to full combat operations in wars. What distinguished them from common sellswords was their commitment to good deeds performed without payment, bolstering their reputation across the continent.
They helped take down criminals when opportunities arose, assisted strangers in need along the roads, and maintained standards of conduct that elevated them far above typical mercenaries. Usually, mercenary companies fell under the Mercenary Guild's management and regulatory framework, but there were always exceptions to every rule. The Black Lion's had exceeded the guild's span of control entirely, operating as an independent organization answerable only to their own code.
At present, they maintained one headquarters, thirty major branches, and five associate branches across the three subcontinents. The headquarters had been established in the Kingdom of Mirwind, located on the central-eastern subcontinent of Arkanus, on the opposite side from the Kingdom of Ogind beyond the Great Caldera and the Great Mountain Ridges that split the central subcontinent into two halves.
A Mercenary Headquarters could field approximately five hundred fighters. Major branches maintained a maximum ceiling of two hundred personnel. Associate branches were not directly managed by the Black Lion's organization but had been formally recognized by them, an honor that alone was enough to make merchants and nobles flock to their offices with contract offers.
The Black Lion's branch in Gremory was a longtime partner of Baron Kirka's, established during his more prosperous years. They were famed for their almost entirely black equipment adorned with lion sigils on their worn chest plates and shields. Some fighters even wore lion-inspired helms, creating an intimidating visual presence. By total numbers alone, they approached the size of a small army, but they were not classified as such because they remained mercenaries scattered across the three subcontinents rather than a unified military force under a single command.
Baron Kirka had recruited them at a discounted rate due to their long-standing alliance and mutual respect. The current deployment represented a hundred of their finest, led by their commander in this region.
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Commander Delilah the Lion's Heart
The commander of the Black Lion's company assigned to this operation was a woman named Delilah, who bore the title Lion's Heart in honor of her father who had held the same designation before her. She had known Baron Kirka since childhood, and he addressed her as "dearie" in the familiar manner of someone who had watched her grow from a girl into a formidable warrior and leader.
When they reached the outskirts of Kirka Village and made camp to prepare for the assault, Baron Kirka reviewed the intelligence reports provided by August's messenger birds. The system was efficient, allowing near-instantaneous communication across considerable distances through magical resonance and trained avian carriers.
"Hohoho, the Blurred Devil truly does exceed his reputation!" Baron Kirka chuckled, his characteristic jovial demeanor intact despite the serious situation. "I am simply glad for his thoughtful gesture of giving me the glory of retaking the kingdom's lands for my own honor's sake."
Delilah was shocked to learn that the Baron knew of the infamous Blurred Devil's identity. The legend that had terrorized Gremory's criminal underworld and those beyond it stretching as far as Millhaven, for years even before the continental purge that had destroyed the major syndicates. Even mercenaries operating far from Gremory had heard the stories of a figure who moved too fast to be clearly seen, leaving only glowing green eyes and corpses in his wake.
"Baron, you know of the Blurred Devil's true identity?" she asked, genuine curiosity and professional interest mingling in her tone.
"Hmmmm, oh yes, dearie. I will not tell you much now, but you will be able to meet him during this campaign," the Baron replied with obvious amusement. He had never liked using formal honorifics among friends, and his relationship with Delilah's family stretched back decades.
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The Open Secret
It was something of an open secret in Gremory's upper circles that the Blurred Devil was no longer active but that his identity had been a boy barely into his teens when the legend began. Even Marquis Gremory had learned the truth after the fact, recognizing that this individual had greatly aided him in cleansing his city of the rot that had infected its institutions.
The Blurred Devil had been the young owner of Maya's Traveling Mercantile, a trading enterprise that had become a prominent partner for Gremory City. More recently, Marquis Gremory had learned that this merchant group originated from Maya Village, a newly established settlement that had somehow gained recognition from both the Empire and Millhaven City despite being located within one of the forbidden Great Forests.
A surprising settlement indeed, one that existed where conventional wisdom insisted human habitation was impossible. The fact that it bordered the Principality of Ogind's territory, specifically the forest of Lonelywood, made it strategically significant beyond its apparent modest size.
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First Contact
A scout from Maya Village's forward positions, stationed in the area further north of Kirka, spotted Baron Kirka's forces entering the formal boundaries of the village territory. He immediately reported the sighting through the communication network August had established.
Within five minutes, August himself received the alert. He was flying overhead on Finnester, conducting aerial reconnaissance of the bandit positions and evacuation progress. He quickly issued orders for uncle Jonathan to assume temporary command of Maya's ground forces and coordinate their current movements.
All their groundwork had been completed successfully. The civilian population had been evacuated. The bandits were isolated and demoralized. The village was now ready for liberation.
August descended to greet Baron Kirka personally, already dressed in his new armor. The equipment still incorporated the thematic earthly colors designed much for forest camouflage, but this iteration possessed significant upgrades that made it vastly superior to his previous sets.
The armor included the now integrated Mytherium, the unique metal Master Magnus had helped greatly to incorporate into the design, along with new beast cores that enhanced its protective and augmentative properties. It could grow alongside its wearer's own capabilities, adapting to increasing power levels rather than becoming obsolete. It was easily a hundred times stronger than any armor August had worn before.
True to his word, Admin Magnus had ensured the Mytherium could not be detected by even the keenest Imperial observers. Hence August wore it confidently despite the presence of the garrisoned Regional Imperial Forces at Maya village.
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The Shadow Descends
August flew overhead, Finnester's massive form creating a moving shadow on the ground below. The Mighty Peregrine Eagle was approximately fifty percent smaller than his brother Kirpy and eighty-five percent smaller than their father Aetherwing, who had grown to truly massive proportions now comparable to actual dragons in sheer size.
But that was a matter for later consideration. For now, August prepared to make his entrance.
He leaped from Finnester's back while still in flight, using controlled wind magic to slow his descent and land gracefully before the Baron's mounted force. He wore a hood that concealed his features and a beast-styled mask that gave him an intimidating, predatory appearance.
His aura struck the assembled soldiers like a physical force. It felt like confronting a colossal mountain inhabited by a legendary predatory beast. This was August's presence as a newly budding Grandmaster who would soon be required to enter the Oath of the Strong, restricting his power output to prevent accidental devastation during combat.
Those who had encountered the Blurred Devil before, who remembered the glowing green eyes and the figure that phased the area around him when standing still and who they say could move too fast to even track clearly, they could recognized him immediately despite the new mask that he currently wore. The Baron's words had been true.
Most of the soldiers instinctively reached for their weapons, sweat pouring from their bodies just from standing in August's presence. The pressure was immense, primal, triggering every survival instinct they possessed.
Baron Kirka, in stark contrast, appeared completely relaxed. He was smiling and waving his hands toward this dangerous entity as if greeting an old friend at a festival.
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Revelation
August reached the Baron's war mount and inclined his head respectfully. "Greetings, Baron. It has been a while." His voice was altered by the mask, giving it an eerie, inhuman quality that made the soldiers flinch.
But Baron Kirka remained jovial and welcoming, grinning despite his forces' obvious tension. "Hohoho, using honorifics among friends? Oh well, I will let it pass this time, August."
He deliberately used a different name than what the soldiers knew. Those at the back exchanged confused glances, wondering who this "August" might be and why the Baron addressed the terrifying figure so familiarly.
"You seem to have brought substantial forces, Lord Kirka," August observed, his altered voice still carrying clearly despite the mask. "This is fortunate given recent developments."
Then August reached up and removed his hood and mask, revealing his face to the assembled army.
They saw a beautiful young man, features that seemed almost impossibly refined, skin unmarked by the scars one would expect from a legendary killer. He looked barely into his twenties, if that was even an issue.
This was the famed Blurred Devil they had heard stories about? The figure whose very name made hardened criminals flee in terror? The entity with glowing green eyes that hunted the underworld like a supernatural predator?
It was unbelievable. And yet, somehow, it was also an honor to stand in his presence now that the initial terror had faded into awe.
"Hohoho, yes, August," Baron Kirka confirmed cheerfully. "I have been preparing these forces for some time, and Lord Gremory even spared some of the city's own military for this operation."
"I see. Very well then, let us proceed to where we have established camp. Most of the villagers are already there, approximately ninety percent of what remained in Kirka after years of decline and recent occupation."
Baron Kirka nodded solemnly, the reminder of what had been lost tempering his good humor. They prepared to march once more.
It was only then that many soldiers noticed the massive legendary avian creature perched on a nearby hill, watching the proceedings with eyes that held disturbing intelligence. They shuddered at the realization that this being was allied with them rather than against them.
"Baron, I will have one of my men lead you to our camp," August said, preparing to remount Finnester. "I must continue aerial reconnaissance to monitor enemy positions and evacuation progress."
"Take care, August. Hohoho!" Baron Kirka waved with undiminished confidence as August launched skyward once more.
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Questions and Answers
Lady Delilah approached the Baron's side once August had departed, her professional composure barely concealing her shock and curiosity.
"Baron, was that truly the Blurred Devil?" she asked carefully. "The one whose statue stands in Gremory's Plaza of Justice?"
Baron Kirka stroked his rotund chin, pondering how to answer without violating whatever confidences August might prefer kept. "Maybe. Or maybe not. What do you think, dearie?"
His massive smile indicated the answer clearly enough. Delilah decided to keep her thoughts private, recognizing there might be secrets not meant for open discussion. But from everything she had observed, it seemed the Baron's young friend was indeed the legendary figure who had purged Gremory's underworld.
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The Camp
They were met by one of Maya Village's scouts, the soldier who had originally spotted their approach. He led them toward the evacuation camp established approximately five kilometers from their current position, guiding them along routes that avoided bandit patrols and observation posts.
Before any assault could be planned and executed, they needed to establish proper encampment. The soldiers and mercenaries began constructing their field fortifications beside Maya Village's own positions, creating an integrated defensive perimeter.
Baron Kirka finally saw his people's condition with his own eyes. Pain gripped his heart as he surveyed the evacuated civilians. These were the villagers he had abandoned when he fled Rommel and Elisa's machinations. These were the people who had suffered under criminal occupation while he hid in Gremory licking his wounds.
Never again, he vowed silently. Never again would he abandon them to such fate.
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Recognition and Tears
The villagers of Kirka saw the approaching force and recognized the leading banner even before they could make out individual faces. They knew that flag, a standard they had not seen for years, a symbol that had left them to their fates when Baron Kirka fled.
It was the flag of Baron Kirka's house, their rightful lord returning at last.
Many wept from pure relief at seeing their proper lord return after so long. Others cried from bitterness and remembered abandonment, the sting of being left to Rommel's cruelties and then the bandits' occupation. The emotions were complex, contradictory, raw.
Some felt gratitude that he had finally come back. Others felt anger that it had taken so long. All felt hope that perhaps the legitimate authority meant to lead them might be restored and their suffering might finally end.
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Preparation
For now, they set up camp and prepared for formal council. Baron Kirka would need to address his people before the assault began, to acknowledge his failures and recommit to his duties as their lord. The soldiers would need to coordinate with Maya Village's forces, integrating their tactics and ensuring the liberation operation proceeded smoothly.
And the bandits, isolated and surrounded, would soon learn that their time was over. Five hundred thirty criminals against over six hundred fifty legitimate soldiers, mercenaries, and warriors fighting for justice rather than profit.
The odds had shifted decisively. The only question remaining was whether the bandits would surrender peacefully or die resisting the inevitable.
Baron Kirka suspected he already knew the answer. Men like Lance Sellot did not surrender easily. They would fight to the bitter end, and that end was coming soon.
Very soon indeed.