Chapter 39: Chapter 39
"Adventurer Artreus of the White Wolves. You are under arrest under suspicion of murder. Come with us peacefully or face the consequence." The leader of the Town's Guard stated while pointing their spears at Artreus.
Just what is happening? I'm a Murderer? How did that happen?
Douglas stepped out of the counter and yelled. "What is happening here? Dan, you bastard. You have the nerve to drag your lackeys here and disturbing my business and harass my customers."
"Mind your tongue, old man, before you get yourself in trouble." One of the town guards stated, staring menacingly at Douglas, an act of intimidation that fell flat on its face as the old man doesn't seem fazed by the contempt thrown to him by a man that is towering over him by at least thirty centimeters.
Dan, the town's guard leader brushed the other town's guard away, facing the Innkeeper Douglas himself. "Pardon our intrusion Douglas the 'Giant'. But we're here on behalf of the town's law. So, unless you wish to oppose the law, I suggest you step aside." He said in a cold face matching old man Douglas's defiant expression.
"You know me, and you still act high and mighty? Seriously, younglings know no respect." Old man Douglas started to roll up his sleeves.
Artreus quickly stepped in, not wanting the old man to put himself in harm's way for Artreus. "May I know why I'm being accused of such horrendous crime?"
"Still putting an act after all you've done? What nerve! Leader, let's drag him out to prison. Maybe there he would change his mind and confess to his crimes." One of the guards, who for some reason looks familiar to Artreus, roared in anger.
"Just try it. I'll make sure you lot wouldn't leave here alive." Mikaela drew her daggers, which alarmed the guards, their spears are now pointed at her.
Before she could do anything drastic, Artreus pulled her back. "Calm down, will you. Your hot temper is not helping us one bit."
"But they are trying to arrest you for a crime you didn't do." Mikaela protested.
"You are right. I didn't do any crime. That is why we should keep a cool head. I am innocent of any crime that they accuse me of, so there is nothing to fear." Although Artreus himself was still confused why the town guard accused him of murder with such passion, Artreus could not let Mikaela and her hot-headedness make the situation any worse. Seriously, it's good to know that she got his back, but her protectiveness of her friends sometimes backfires on them.
With a smug expression on his face, the guard who accused him of murder spoke to their leader. "See that, Captain? That wench threatened to kill us all in broad daylight. They can't be let amok. These murderous wretches are too dangerous."
"Quiet, Negan. I'm the one who will decide what they are." The man called Captain Dan walked towards Artreus and stood before him without a hint of fear although Artreus was accused of being a dangerous criminal. "You have two choices, adventurer. Come with us in peace and I will make sure nothing bad will happen to you unless you are indeed guilty. Or you could resist arrest, and we will drag you back, even if what remains of you is just a cold, lifeless, corpse."
"I would like to see you try." Mikaela tried once again to lunge forward, but Artreus grabbed her shoulder when she turned towards him, he just shook his head to know that she should stand down.
"Good choice." Dan, the Guard Captain nodded in approval before turning to one of his men. "Take him away." Negan quickly grabbed Artreus by the wrist. Seeing that Artreus didn't resist, he took it further and grabbed him by the back of his neck. But when he did, Dan grabbed Negan's wrist away from Artreus' neck. "The man here came with us peacefully and in his own accord. Regardless if he's a suspect, I would not have you hurt him while his guilt hasn't been proven yet."
"Why bother? He's guilty I tell you."
"This is the last time I will tolerate your disrespectful tone, Negan. Don't hurt the suspect and escort him properly to the barracks for interrogation." He said before continuing with a forceful tone to drive home his intent. "Unharmed. Do you hear me, Negan?" Negan just clicked his tongue in annoyance before leading Artreus towards the door. Before they leave the establishment, Artreus could hear Dan reassure Mikaela that the trial will be fair, as with the law and that they will call for them if their statements are needed. After that, their group left the Sleeping Giant Inn.
As they walk, Negan whispers in his ear. His animosity is evident in his tone. "You are deep in the shit now boy."
Curios on why the man shows such animosity towards him, Artreus asked. "Do I know you?"
Artreus could feel Negan's grip on his wrists tighten as the town's guard try to control his anger. "What the fuck? Don't say you don't remember me. What you scumbags did to me?" For a second, Artreus thought that the guard would snap and try to wring his neck, but miraculously, the guard was able to hold himself back. "Hah... I know what you're doing. That's not going to work. I just need to wait an hour or so and it would be legal to torture your sorry ass. You murderer."
"But I'm not a murderer." Artreus reiterated.
"We'll see about that." Negan said with a haughty tone as if the conclusion is a done deal.
Artreus have a bad feeling about this.
♦♦♦
What should she do? That idiot Artreus got himself arrested. If it was her, she would've fought tooth and nail against those guards. They are adventurers and they have some form of immunity when it comes to the law, after all, accidents and collateral damage to both life and property is something that is hard to avoid when fighting ferocious monsters and fiendish outlaws.
Unless it is a heinous crime... Like Murder...
Mikaela furiously scratched her short red hair.
That buffoon. Just when she is starting to see him in a different light, he goes and does something so stupid.
Like willfully get arrested.
If they just stood their ground and waited for the Guild Master to come, then those punk-ass guards wouldn't have any choice but to let the Adventurer's Guild handle the matters, and since Guild Master Paul Brett Anderson seemed to have good relations with the old man, they could at least be sure that the trial would be fair and that there would be no shady business when they hear his case.
But since the fool surrendered himself to the Town's Guards, thus now under the Law of the land, the Guild doesn't have any choice but to abdicate and leave his fate to the Law of the locals.
Which made Mikaela uneasy, especially with that Negan guy.
The way he looks at her with unmasked anger... Something tells her that that man wouldn't possibly be unbiased.
For some reason, he looks familiar. Mikaela wondered to herself.
She usually has a sharp memory, able to recognize faces just by seeing them once. It's her tools for the trade after all. But with the mixture of worry and annoyance towards the bumbling idiot, Artreus, Mikaela's thoughts were so disorganized to think clearly.
Why did she even heed his request and halted her attack?
Before, she wouldn't even give a rat's ass to what his idiotic mind thinks.
She does what she wants when she wants.
But now, it only takes a grab on her shoulder and a meek shaking of his head in disapproval to stop her in her tracks.
What's more, as soon as the town guards left with that scatterbrain, the inn was instantly filled with chatters from busybodies and gossipmongers chatting about Artreus being a murderer. Some couldn't believe it, while some say that they do, since they saw his wild and unrestrained side. While she could brush their gossips about her companion as ignorance, she couldn't help but get angry at those who slander him, imprinting their ugly mugs to memory so that she knows who to collect this debt of indignity once this all blows over and that dumbass's name has been cleared. As she glares at the people who keep on slandering them, Mikaela was surprised when a voice called out to her.
"Worried about your boyfriend, little girl?" The bartender, one named Douglas, spoke to her.
Little girl? Mikaela raises her eyebrow at those words. How dare this midget call her a little girl when his height couldn't even reach her shoulder. Brushing it off as a figure of speech, since the man is old as a turtle, Mikaela answered with an annoyed tone. "He's not my boyfriend. He's one of the members of my party. The White Wolves. Nothing more."
"Yeah, right." The nosy innkeeper said with a smug look on his face.
Annoyed by this, Mikaela huffed. "I thank you for standing up for us, but don't you have an Inn to run?"
"Bah! Kids these days. Really have no manners. Unlike that boyfriend of yours. He's a good one. Knows how to respect his elders. Really--- " The old coot kept on muttering as he walks away. Mikaela was just about to let out a sigh of relief when she heard him say. "An advice from an old coot like me." Damn it, why do old men seem to have mind-reading powers? Mikaela cursed. "Better gather up proof of your "friend's" innocence. Anything you could provide. That is unless you want to see him hang by the end of the day. Also, don't bother to try to bribe or intimidate Dan. You will just waste your time."
While thanking the old man for his advice is the appropriate thing to do at that moment, Mikaela just silently nodded in assent. The old man annoyed her, keeping on insinuating that something is going on between her and that dumbass Artreus. As if it is their first time seeing a man hang with a woman.
Not that she would mind if the dunderhead tries to get closer to her.
Her face turning red upon realizing her thoughts, Mikaela shook her head and started to formulate a plan on getting that simpleton out of trouble.
It's moments like this that Mikaela wishes for the old man's presence. If he was here, no one would even dare try to falsely accuse them.
As she wracks her brain on how to help Artreus, she couldn't help but wonder what the others are doing. That is when the kids arrive.
"Hiya Mimi! Sorry, we're late." Juliet greeted her with a bright smile on her face. Meanwhile, his brother stood quietly on the side, something that is very unusual of him since usually, he's the first one to greet them with a wide grin on his face. Putting that issue aside in the meantime, Juliet asked a question that Mikaela dreaded to hear. "This is odd." Where's Mister Artreus? Is he still in his room?"
Knowing how close the dummy is to these children, he wouldn't like it if Juliet and Timothy begin to hate him for something that he didn't do. Mikaela's brain feels like it's about to melt finding a way to explain the situation to the kids without giving them the wrong impression. After gathering her thoughts, Mikaela began to break down the situation as carefully as possible. "You see kids... The thing is..."
As she began to explain, Mikaela couldn't help but curse that dumbass Artreus for giving her nothing but trouble...
Seriously, he's such a pain in the ass.
Not cute at all.
♦♦♦
Sitting on a chair inside the town's guards barracks, tension was thick in the air as Artreus was surrounded on both sides by guards, and while most of them doesn't pose any kind of danger to Artreus so long as he doesn't let his guard down, the one who is sitting across the table in front of him doesn't feel like a pushover like the others.
He's the captain of the town's guards. Dan.
He may look uninterested with his emotionless face, but something tells Artreus that the man would not think twice about cutting him down if Artreus makes even a single wrong move.
Seeing that there is no use in waiting, Artreus began with a question. "Now that you've brought me here, may I hear why I'm a suspect of a crime I did not commit?"
"Arrogant punk! You don't ask questions here. We do!" The man called Negan tried to slap him, but a cold glare from Dan made him freeze in place. Negan's eyes show a hint of protest, but since he couldn't do anything without angering his superior, he could only click his tongue in anger and step back.
"Let's go right to business." Captain Dan started. "You are accused of the murder of five men by an alleyway near the town market. How do you plead?" He said with a stern look on his face.
"Not guilty, of course!" Artreus answered immediately. "I did not do it. Why do you think I did it?"
"Still acting innocent, you murderous bastard? Should I knock some teeth out of your lying mouth to jog your memory?" Negan cracked his knuckle, trying to act menacing. But his threat doesn't do anything to Artreus, what troubled him was how the man was so sure of his guilt and was determined to condemn him.
"Officer Negan, why don't you inform our esteemed Mayor that we have in hand our main suspect so we can begin the trial?" Captain Dan ordered Negan, who although he looks displeased that he was being ordered away, still saluted the captain before reluctantly exiting the building, before he disappears from sight, Negan tried once more to give a menacing gaze towards Artreus. After the rude Negan has gone, Captain Dan continued. "Apologies for officer Negan's rudeness. Usually, he's calm and collected. Anyway, back to our subject, we have evidence." Captain Dan stated. "Thanks to officer Negan who happened to be near the scene, we have gathered evidence against you, a few witnesses to be exact. According to their statement, while they haven't seen you commit the crime, they have seen you escape from the crime scene."
"That's preposterous. After the bout, I went straight to the inn. How can I commit murder in such a short time?" Artreus was flabbergasted by the accusation. While it is true that he has to go through the market in order to get to the Inn from the sparring area, he never took to the alleyways since that is just asking for trouble.
"Well, you are an adventurer. A strong one from what I heard, and a bloodthirsty one according to the people who witnessed your bout. Could it be that in your blind rage, you murdered innocent men who happened to bar your path to the Inn?"
"That can't be. I don't kill people who are not a danger to me or to anyone. I am not a psychopath."
"Basing on what you did in front of half of town, I think you are. I have half a mind to keep you locked up even if you are innocent of the recent murders. An unstable man like you is an explosive rune waiting to explode." Captain Dan looked at him with cold eyes, like he was already deciding if Artreus was a threat that should be locked up.
"You would really put an innocent person in prison just because they are a threat? Where's the justice in that?"
"If it would save the life of even a single potential victim, then that is justice." Cold Aura burst forth as Dan's expression became dark. Then, as he exhaled, it vanished like it was never there. Dan stood up and turned his back towards Artreus as he gazed out the window where he could see crowds of townsfolks, most are walking along the road, some greet each other, wandering merchants peddling their wares, generally doing their daily routine. Then, with his gaze still glued towards the gathering crowds, Captain Dan spoke with his usual calm, professional tone. "Tell me, adventurer. Why did you hunt monsters and wild beasts? They live in their own homes, living their own lives. Why can't you just leave them in peace?"
Artreus could see where this is going, but he would humor the captain, if not just to learn his way of thinking. "It's because when given the chance, a monster horde would no doubt raid villages and inflict abhorrent acts upon the inhabitants if they are not outright get slaughtered like cattle. Wild territorial beasts who settle near a village are no better. Even if by accident, someone stumbles within its territory, such beasts would attack anyone indiscriminately, leaving people injured, or worse, dead."
"Correct. You protect people from threats from the outside, from monsters and beasts. You see them as beings who could bring evil upon men if given the chance. But you see. Humans are not so different from the ones you hunt and kill, adventurer. The only thing that separates them, from us, is that we have laws that govern us." Captain Dan then turned around, stone-faced, he approached the table between them and slammed his hands against them. "You have no idea about the evil that lurks within the hearts of men. How debauched, depraved, and twisted someone could be if given the chance, and the only thing that stops them from making their vile fantasies into reality is the law. That is why no matter who threatens to break that law, or even attempts it, should be dealt with swiftly. For it only takes one torch to burn down a forest, and it only takes one man to destabilize the law that is the foundation of our civilization, and I will not stand for not. Not as long as I breathe. Within the boundaries of the law of course. For I am not exempted from it." A chuckle and a smile then appeared on Dan's face, the first one that Artreus witnessed all day.
"If you are so adamant in following the law, then why threaten to imprison me even if I'm proven innocent? Isn't that contradicting what you've said?" Asked Artreus.
"Supposed innocence. We still view you as the main suspect of those murders, and even if you are indeed innocent, it is not hard to find some dirt on you, enough to put you in jail. For instance, assaulting an officer, which you have already done in the past." Dan stated.
Now Artreus remembers. That Negan guy was the one who tried to swindle him when he first got in town. The one Mikaela 'disarmed'. "He was trying to swindle me, and wasn't that incident already dealt by the Adventurer's Guild?"
"That's a bold claim, if you haven't been cooperative with us, I would've punched you in the face for the audacity to claim that one of my men, who has been with me through thick and thin and was just trying to deescalate the situation after you broke someone else's property, is corrupt." Dan stared at Artreus with cold anger. "Indeed, the Adventurer's guild handled the situation, healing my men's arm and giving him compensation, and while I wasn't satisfied by the outcome, I am powerless to do anything. But this time, it's different." Leaning forward, he continued. "You're in my house now, and here, the law is god. You will get what you deserve, either it's death or freedom." Then turning towards one of the guards, he ordered. "This conversation is over. While we await the arrival of the Mayor, you will stay behind bars. Both for your, and the people's safety. May justice prevail."
With that, Artreus was escorted to his cell, and to his astonishment, the place was decent, not like the dungeons that the nobles are fond of. After the guards left him in his cell, Artreus began to ponder on the situation he's in and the Captain's line of thinking. A man of blind devotion to upholding the law. He is both admirable and dangerous. For a man could do evil even if their intention is good, and there is nothing more dangerous than a man doing evil believing that they're doing good.
Suddenly, his train of thought was broken as he heard a voice. Looking up the back grills of his cell, someone was peeking. Seeing that he caught Artreus' attention, two words came out of his mouth.
"Hey there."
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