Lament of the Slave

Reluctantly, I went inside. There at the head of the table sat a man with a dark, medium-bearded beard, a roman nose, and thick eyebrows that contrasted with the bald head on his head. When his gaze fell on me, it sent shivers down my spine, for some reason.

[Baron: lvl ?]

Based on his expensive-looking and richly decorated clothing, I thought it would be someone of high rank. The system confirmed to me that he was a lord. Probably the Castian Lord mentioned by the gals in the canteen.

His entourage was not any poorer-looking, the two young women behind him looked like orderly noble ladies. Although I didn't like to admit that I envied their appearance, they were gorgeous.

[Maid: lvl ?]

[Assistant: lvl ?]

I could only doubt again what the system was showing me, whether what I saw was the class in question, the general description of it, or the person's title.

Looking around the room, I saw Captain Rayden leaning against the wall by one of the windows. But she wasn't the only face I knew in the room. Sitting at the other end of the same table as the Baron was Marcus, and next to him Janina, two healers who had helped me and knew who I was, were sitting side by side now.

But there were also strangers to me, like the man sitting to Marcus's left.

[Guardian: lvl ??]

The guardian was not in armor, but he was twice as huge as the healer sitting next to him. I would guess his age at fifty from his appearance, but I never had a good judgment of the people's age. Moreover, his face was hidden under a long trimmed gray beard that the lords could not compete with. Unlike the city leader, his head, despite his age, was covered with long gray hair pulled back into a ponytail.

The last person in the room was the man behind the trio. At first glance, his attitude showed that he would rather be somewhere else and instead face the monsters in the labyrinth. The scars on his right side of his face were proof that he had met the monsters up close. His sharp gaze fell on me as soon as I entered the room.

Even his level, I saw as two question marks.

[Swordmaster: ??]

The level of people in the room made me think about the city guards, more specifically, the senior guards and their levels. I was surprised that the Baron himself and his entourage did not reach these levels. Based on what the system said, he must have been between levels 141-191, and my instinct told me that his level was closer to the lower number, unlike the two young women behind him.

The atmosphere in the room was tense, but I didn't expect anything else. I just hoped there wouldn't be that many people here and definitely not the city lord.

"Emm ..." Trevis cleared his throat to get their attention.

Whether this was necessary was questionable. Those people knew I was in the room the moment I entered it, maybe even earlier. They just ignored me and preferred to stare daggers at each other across the table.

The first to react was Marcus, "Lass, good to see y..."

"We've been waiting for you," Janina said, stopping Marcus by elbowing him in the ribs.

In other circumstances, I would have liked to talk to them. Not now, but I was glad they were here nonetheless. Not so happy that they were waiting for me though, I'd rather everyone forgot about me. I had to stop myself from cursing, knowing that it would not happen. Instead, I just nodded in response to Janina's words, unaware of what I should say.

For the first time in my life, I was in the presence of a real nobleman, a baron. So far, I have only seen nobles on television or photos on the Internet, I had no idea how to behave in his presence, afraid that I will unknowingly offend him with my behavior or words.

"Is that her?" The Baron asked, suppressing his anger.

"Yes, Lord Egerton," Trevis nodded with a slight bow. "Korra Grey."

We were both still standing at the door we came through, and until someone told me where to sit, I was determined to stay here, not to move, and avoid faux pas if possible.

The Baron looked at me, studying me. His gaze felt very uncomfortable to me, intrusive even. I couldn't figure out why, though. Was he using a skill? I thought so, but I couldn't say for sure. The moment he stared at me seemed like an eternity, seconds like minutes. He hadn't even spoken yet, and I was already sweating buckets.

"Miss Grey, I been told that you are the reason my city was attacked?" He asked me, controlling his anger.

I glanced at Trevis standing next to me, looking silently for advice, but he didn't even look at me. Asshole.

I gulped and nodded, "Yes, I was the target of the attackers, Lord."

The silence was nerve-wracking, making me even more nervous than I was, making me think that I had said something wrong that I confessed to something I didn't have to.

"Direct answer, I didn't expect that," the Baron nodded.

When he finally spoke, I was much relieved.

"I've read the report of what happened to you, Miss Grey, but I'd love to hear it from your lips," Lord Egerton told me, but even though it sounded like a request, I was fully aware that it was an order.

I hesitated for a moment, looking around at people I did not know, especially Egerton's maid and assistant, but when none of those present objected, not even Captain Rayden, I figured it was okay.

Although I didn't like to remember it, I started telling him my story. I remembered my stay in the cellar, waking up on the Treim river banks after the last mutation that killed me, my trip to Castiana, and my stay in the city itself.

Egerton butted in a few times, asking me questions, most of which I didn't know the answer to. Still, I tried to answer as best I could.

"Can anyone confirm that what you just said is true?" The Baron asked me, his gaze telling me that he was looking for a hint of irregularity.

Even though my throat went dry from the talk, I didn't dare to ask them for water. Instead, I thought of people who could confirm what I said., "I'm afraid I don't know anyone but Dungreen who could confirm the experiments which I went through. I woke up alone on the river bank, but Lee Scoresby could confirm that he met me at the bridge and drove me to Castiana."

I didn't like pulling the old man into this and causing him more problems than he already had with me. Plus, it reminded me that I still hadn't thanked him for his help.

"Rayden?" The Baron asked sharply.

"Lee Scoresby was here early this morning. His statement matches with Korra Grey's statement," she stated matter-of-factly and unemotionally, not saying more than she had to.

Lord Egerton thought for a moment, "What about the guards at the gate? Can they confirm his and her statement?"

His question surprised me unprepared, so I panicked and tried to remember what guards I had met there. But at the time, I was so nervous, afraid of everyone around me that I couldn't remember anything from that time, at least not any specific names or faces.

The Captain saved me when she responded to the Baron's question, "Lee Scoresby was able to name some of them. After that, it was not difficult to find out who was on duty at the time. Everyone's statements match."

His questions were much more detailed than the agents. I had no idea what his intention was, but he asked me about everyone I met. To my surprise, they already had the statements of almost everyone I mentioned, with a few exceptions.

Their statements matched mine except for one, Shean's. He was the fat clerk in the training rooms. As it turned out, Sean was the son of a high-ranking person, as I thought. Fortunately, he was not Egerton's son, otherwise, I would be a head shorter now. I said some ugly things about him earlier.

Sean was the son of the head of the Castiana Agricultural Department. In his statement, I completely demolished the training room and threatened him with death, refusing to pay for the damage. I really had to hold back so as not to say more about what I thought of this spoiled prick that I would regret when they read me his statement.

To my surprise, Lord Egerton just shook his head at his statement, apparently knowing the nature of this man.

It took more than an hour for Baron to go through everything to his satisfaction. When he had finished asking questions, he paused for a few minutes, thoughtful. In the meantime, I tried to calm my pounding heart, ignoring the sweaty clothes that stuck to my skin and the stiff tail into which I was getting cramps. Not moving with him was difficult, requiring a lot of concentration.

As I tried to get rid of the cramps in my tail with small movements, I noticed that Trevis had jerked, then he nodded toward the Captain, who nodded back. At the same time, the lord's assistant leaned over to Baron and whispered something to him. Despite my good hearing, I heard nothing at all.

He or she had to use some silencing skill.

After she gave him the message, Egerton nodded and thought deeply again. I was relieved when he folded his arms in front of his chest and looked at the Captain.

"I owe you an apology, Rayden, your judgment was correct. Based on the information you had, you could not have predicted that Miss Grey's admission to Castiana would result in an attack on a city of this magnitude. I was upset and was carried away by my emotions," said Lord Egerton.

So far, he had treated everyone very aggressively, even hostile, so I was shocked by his sudden change of attitude. It made me wonder what it was that his assistant had whispered to him.

City Guards Captain, standing at the window the whole time, nodded, "I think we all were, Baron."

I was a little confused. Did they apologize or not? They both looked like they did, but neither of them said sorry.

When Baron looked at me, I straightened up.

"But the question remained, what to do with you, miss Grey. There is no doubt that you are a citizen of the empire, a resident of Castiana. After all, Rayden made you one.

"But as Lord of Castiana, I must take into account the security of the city and all of its citizens. Leaving you here is a big risk," Egerton said.

I stopped breathing for a moment, afraid of what was coming, they wanted to kick me out of the city, I was sure of that.

City guards had stopped one attempt now, but who could guarantee that they would succeed next time. It didn't even have to be an attack of such magnitude as last night, just one assassin was enough. In addition to me, there was a real threat that he would kill the unfortunates who accidentally came in his way, and I didn't want to endanger the lives of anyone I've met so far. So even though I had to try hard not to cry, I was ready to leave Castiana.

As I waited for the words of exile, my heart pounding, Egerton surprised me with his next words, "However, your expulsion from Castiana does not solve the problem. I would just push the problem to another city, if you got into it at all."

He indicated that there was a high probability of me being assaulted behind the city walls.

"No, you are of great value for someone, he is willing to stand up to the empire just to get you. If this incident showed us anything, it is that rats are hiding in high places in the capital."

I didn't quite understand how something that happened to me here could be related to someone high up in Vagonbrei, the Sahal Empire's capital, hundreds of kilometers away. Dungreen couldn't be there, he was in Arda. Then who? Who could be there?

Someone I didn't want to meet. I thought.

"Someone explains it to her." Lord Egerton asked someone to enlighten me.

Despite the absence of my wings and the fact that my tail did not move, it was easy for the Baron to know my confusion. I blamed my ears for that.

"Blaine!" the swordmaster straightened at the Captain's call.

Even though I was nervous about how a stranger with a scar on his face looked at me, I tried not to look away from him, to keep my head up.

"After sending the report about you, an imperial agent was sent to Castiana for further investigation. However, Stanley Morton, a mind mage who pretended to be an imperial agent, arrived at Castiana instead. Prisoners captured last night testified to us that the real agent is dead, they knew when and where he would be and ambushed him. No one knew that Grey had survived the experiments and arrived in Castiana, and we know for sure that the report sent to Wagonbrei could not be intercepted. Therefore there is someone in the capital with access to the report and with interest in beast hybrids research.'' The swordmaster told me as briefly as he could, which I appreciated. "At best, it is a person who is only in contact with the attackers. At worst, there is a mind mage in Vagonbrei who is able to obtain this information."

He mentioned the prisoner, which meant that they did not kill all the attackers, as I thought. Remembering back the conversation between Rayden and Denholm, I realized that the Captain had never said she had killed his people. She just hinted at that.

Knowing that Morton wasn't the head of this operation, that someone had sent him for me, was one thing. But the thought of someone else like him somewhere was frightening.

Although I was terrified by this information, I appreciated being told. I didn't understand why they were telling me, though.

"Thank you for the explanation, but I don't understand why you're telling me all this. Isn't it a secret?" I asked hesitantly, afraid of the answer.

"Miss Grey," Lord Egerton addressed me. "You are certainly aware of your situation. The empire is aware of Dungreen's research but has not yet considered it important. This attempt to obtain you forced the empire to reconsider its research approach."

Oh, they wanted to know what was so special about me. I'd like to know that too. Apart from surviving eight mutations, I couldn't think of anything else. But I knew what he was getting at. They wanted to examine me!

The thought sent a chill down my spine.

"I received word a moment ago that another agent was sent here, together with Imperial Chief Healer accompanied by a squad of the soldiers."

I could only imagine how they received the message at this point. It was the least of my worries, though. I had just learned that a squad of soldiers was coming here with an agent and a man to examine my body. It meant that my freedom was over, that as soon as they arrived, I would end up in a laboratory as a specimen again, either here in Castiana or dragged somewhere else. In a panic, I began to think about how to get out of this place.

"Korra" Janina shouted at me, so loud it rang in my ears. She broke the train of my thoughts and caught my attention. "Imperial Chief Healer is my mentor. He is a very wise and good man. If they sent him, then you have nothing to fear."

I looked at the confirmation from the Baron, who nodded, "No arrest has been issued for you. The squad sent with Lord Delamere is to serve only to protect him. At least that's what I was told."

"Thank you," I bowed, appreciating his answer.

His words didn't calm my heart, though. But I was glad he answered me at all. He was a baron, I was just an ordinary girl, he didn't have to say anything.

But perhaps it was just my distorted view of the nobility that I knew from television, novels, and history books on Earth that gave me an idea of ​​the nobility I had engraved in my mind. I've always thought of nobles as arrogant people who did not care about their subjects' happiness but only about their own.

I would like to be wrong.

I was glad to hear that the Imperial Chief Healer was Janina's mentor, but it did not allay my fears. I was still afraid of the examination that was to come, and especially its consequences. What if they decide that Dungreen's research has potential and that they need to examine my body more thoroughly? I could end up on the autopsy table anyway.

Feeling as if something was stuck in my throat, I tried to calm down, thinking of something else.

However, I couldn't stop thinking about the experiments I went through, and maybe I'll go through. I couldn't get Dungreen out of my head and stop thinking about a potential mind mage in Vagonbrei.

"Sorry to ask you, and you don't have to answer me if you don't want to, but why did you kill Morton. Couldn't you question him who he works for?" I dared to ask a question that weighed on my mind.

Everyone in the room looked at the Captain, which made me think no one had asked her until now. When she frowned at me, my knees almost buckled.