HOME | DD

Description
Completely unaware that the Mask was on her way to Kannassi, Seralde arrived back at the Belfrido manor in time to not be missed. Stepping through one of the quiet side-doors, she looked around to make sure that her employer was nowhere to be seen. She had for the last few years been employed by Baron Gionassi Belfrido, current Lord Mayor of Saredoca as a tutor for his son. A close friend of Prince Honorius Gallantrus, Belfrido was not only a loyal retainer of the Prince, but a mostly harmless mayor for the city. Not incompetent, he administered the operation of Deatrucea’s most important port city well enough that it remained profitable for the Prince and therefore he remained of use to the king.

He was, however, a singularly annoying man with peculiar neuroses, quirks, and obsessions. One of the most frustrating obsessions for Seralde was his obsession with her. The last few days had been nice, time away from the manor and his odd doting nature. He wasn’t ugly to her, just… too eager. Coming into the front hall, Seri glanced up at the gleaming marble statue of an elven girl that she’d walked past probably a thousand times and only this time did she realize that the sculpture was of Pavawen. “Hm. No accounting for taste I suppose…” she said, comparing the nude sculpture’s curves to her own.

“Seralde! I haven’t seen you since the night of the party!” the Baron said from atop the stairs. “It’s so good to have you back! How was your holiday?” he asked, referring to the week she took away from her position.

She looked up to him and answered in the best way she knew how. “I… did things, and they were just fine. I didn’t go anywhere, if you wondered. I mean, I went to places, just not other places than Saredoca. I saw the Royal Museum again…” The elf trailed off, obviously getting lost in some errant thought.

Belfrido sighed as he descended the stairs. “Well, I’m happy you enjoyed it! I’ve asked chef to prepare a special meal tonight to celebrate your return.” He told her, getting a strange response. She looked up at him with a raised eyebrow and one ear pitched up. “Roast lamb with pine nut sauce and a rich elderberry pie.”

The thought of more elven food ruined by that poor old chef made her stomach turn, and after an awkward moment she simply droned out her reply, “I ate a pie this morning.” She then disappeared down the lower corridor toward her study, leaving Belfrido on the middle of the stairs to blink at her.

After sighing he smiled, thinking about how beautiful and entertaining she was. “You’re such a blessing, Seri…”

In her study Seralde quickly found the packet that she had delivered and pulled it open, revealing copies of all of the documents she had on Elric Shores. Within just a few short minutes the small, cozy room was covered in them, all arranged in a way that made sense to her letting her track motions of money, goods, and people. She had no idea that she’d spent the entire day and part of the evening in there. Only when a knock came at the door did she come from her thought-induced spell. “Ah… come in?”

Baron Belfrido himself pushed the door open slightly and leaned in. “Seralde?” he asked. “Chef has supper ready. You may come to the table whenever you wish, the family has already… what is all of this?”

She wasn’t a good liar, and she knew it. “Documents about Elric Shores,” she told him, certain he’d be upset. She was wrong, he was simply befuddled.

“Why are you reading into the finances of an East Town merchant?” Belfrido asked as he picked up a small stack of papers and flipped through them.

“He may be engaging in numerous crimes: Extortion, tax fraud, and laundering of money in Piacina and Kannassi.”

The claims made Belfrido flinch and blink. “Elric… Shores!?” the spindly mustachioed baron asked, completely boggled.

“Yes, I’ve been… um… working with the Mask of Saredoca to get to the bottom of this.” Seri told him, expecting a reprimand. She saw his face turn upon hearing that she’d been working with a known vigilante, but when he read over papers again his expression changed. It was clear that the baron was impressed.

“This is excellent work… While I don’t exactly condone the Mask’s actions, it would seem that she’s working in a more responsible way now, giving you a chance to bring this to my attention,” he said, turning his eyes to Seralde and waiting for her to reply.

“Sir?” she asked before understanding his point. “Oh, of course! Yes! That’s exactly it!”

****

Leagues away in Kannassi, the coaches finally stopped. The drivers and defenders all stepped away as they were in secure quarters, safely inside the wall of a small villa overlooking the plains down east toward Gendar and the sea, with the Sedran kingdom of Terralano stretching away to the south.

Kannassi was one of the last outposts of Deatrucean rule in the south before crossing the border into the twin kingdoms of Terralano and Canniha, otherwise known as Barra Sedra. At the crossroads of the West Route that ran from Gendar on the southeast coast northwest to Piacina which sat on the opposite coast, and the Bar Road that ran from Royal Deatrucea to the capital of Terralano far to the south in the Bar. Important for trade in the region, the small city had its fair share of riches… and crime.

It was beneath the warm sun of this place that the Mask’s foot kicked open the door to the coach before she herself stepped casually out. Closing it behind her so as to not arouse suspicion, she walked along, looking in each of the four carriages. Aside from the one she’d ridden in, they were empty. There wasn’t a single trunk among them. There were a few packs of provisions for the drivers, but it was clear that the entire caravan was for the shipment of money, as each had those same kinds of bags of coin in them.

“This is one impressive operation,” she mused. Hearing a door open, she stepped rather casually behind something and even in red-and-gold disappeared fully from sight in the bright sun. She stayed there and listened to a man speaking. His strong Sedran accent was particular… Southern, probably Cannihan, which made sense as she’d never met a Cannihan who was trustworthy.

“And then our compatriot Shores ships the money to us here,” he said. “It’s good that you were able to introduce us to him! I know that you’ve pulled off a lot of big jobs before, but this… This is truly a masterful plot.”

“Why sir,” replied a voice that made the Mask’s skin go white. “My plans are nothing short of perfect, every time.” Coming around the end of the wagons, there was the owner of this villa, the Cannihan who’s name was Vedrano, and Maldreta, the Queen of Thieves. The Mask could do nothing but stare out in utter shock from her hiding spot as she listened to her mother.

“Now let’s talk about my cut.”

Description
Completely unaware that the Mask was on her way to Kannassi, Seralde arrived back at the Belfrido manor in time to not be missed. Stepping through one of the quiet side-doors, she looked around to make sure that her employer was nowhere to be seen. She had for the last few years been employed by Baron Gionassi Belfrido, current Lord Mayor of Saredoca as a tutor for his son. A close friend of Prince Honorius Gallantrus, Belfrido was not only a loyal retainer of the Prince, but a mostly harmless mayor for the city. Not incompetent, he administered the operation of Deatrucea’s most important port city well enough that it remained profitable for the Prince and therefore he remained of use to the king.

He was, however, a singularly annoying man with peculiar neuroses, quirks, and obsessions. One of the most frustrating obsessions for Seralde was his obsession with her. The last few days had been nice, time away from the manor and his odd doting nature. He wasn’t ugly to her, just… too eager. Coming into the front hall, Seri glanced up at the gleaming marble statue of an elven girl that she’d walked past probably a thousand times and only this time did she realize that the sculpture was of Pavawen. “Hm. No accounting for taste I suppose…” she said, comparing the nude sculpture’s curves to her own.

“Seralde! I haven’t seen you since the night of the party!” the Baron said from atop the stairs. “It’s so good to have you back! How was your holiday?” he asked, referring to the week she took away from her position.

She looked up to him and answered in the best way she knew how. “I… did things, and they were just fine. I didn’t go anywhere, if you wondered. I mean, I went to places, just not other places than Saredoca. I saw the Royal Museum again…” The elf trailed off, obviously getting lost in some errant thought.

Belfrido sighed as he descended the stairs. “Well, I’m happy you enjoyed it! I’ve asked chef to prepare a special meal tonight to celebrate your return.” He told her, getting a strange response. She looked up at him with a raised eyebrow and one ear pitched up. “Roast lamb with pine nut sauce and a rich elderberry pie.”

The thought of more elven food ruined by that poor old chef made her stomach turn, and after an awkward moment she simply droned out her reply, “I ate a pie this morning.” She then disappeared down the lower corridor toward her study, leaving Belfrido on the middle of the stairs to blink at her.

After sighing he smiled, thinking about how beautiful and entertaining she was. “You’re such a blessing, Seri…”

In her study Seralde quickly found the packet that she had delivered and pulled it open, revealing copies of all of the documents she had on Elric Shores. Within just a few short minutes the small, cozy room was covered in them, all arranged in a way that made sense to her letting her track motions of money, goods, and people. She had no idea that she’d spent the entire day and part of the evening in there. Only when a knock came at the door did she come from her thought-induced spell. “Ah… come in?”

Baron Belfrido himself pushed the door open slightly and leaned in. “Seralde?” he asked. “Chef has supper ready. You may come to the table whenever you wish, the family has already… what is all of this?”

She wasn’t a good liar, and she knew it. “Documents about Elric Shores,” she told him, certain he’d be upset. She was wrong, he was simply befuddled.

“Why are you reading into the finances of an East Town merchant?” Belfrido asked as he picked up a small stack of papers and flipped through them.

“He may be engaging in numerous crimes: Extortion, tax fraud, and laundering of money in Piacina and Kannassi.”

The claims made Belfrido flinch and blink. “Elric… Shores!?” the spindly mustachioed baron asked, completely boggled.

“Yes, I’ve been… um… working with the Mask of Saredoca to get to the bottom of this.” Seri told him, expecting a reprimand. She saw his face turn upon hearing that she’d been working with a known vigilante, but when he read over papers again his expression changed. It was clear that the baron was impressed.

“This is excellent work… While I don’t exactly condone the Mask’s actions, it would seem that she’s working in a more responsible way now, giving you a chance to bring this to my attention,” he said, turning his eyes to Seralde and waiting for her to reply.

“Sir?” she asked before understanding his point. “Oh, of course! Yes! That’s exactly it!”

****

Leagues away in Kannassi, the coaches finally stopped. The drivers and defenders all stepped away as they were in secure quarters, safely inside the wall of a small villa overlooking the plains down east toward Gendar and the sea, with the Sedran kingdom of Terralano stretching away to the south.

Kannassi was one of the last outposts of Deatrucean rule in the south before crossing the border into the twin kingdoms of Terralano and Canniha, otherwise known as Barra Sedra. At the crossroads of the West Route that ran from Gendar on the southeast coast northwest to Piacina which sat on the opposite coast, and the Bar Road that ran from Royal Deatrucea to the capital of Terralano far to the south in the Bar. Important for trade in the region, the small city had its fair share of riches… and crime.

It was beneath the warm sun of this place that the Mask’s foot kicked open the door to the coach before she herself stepped casually out. Closing it behind her so as to not arouse suspicion, she walked along, looking in each of the four carriages. Aside from the one she’d ridden in, they were empty. There wasn’t a single trunk among them. There were a few packs of provisions for the drivers, but it was clear that the entire caravan was for the shipment of money, as each had those same kinds of bags of coin in them.

“This is one impressive operation,” she mused. Hearing a door open, she stepped rather casually behind something and even in red-and-gold disappeared fully from sight in the bright sun. She stayed there and listened to a man speaking. His strong Sedran accent was particular… Southern, probably Cannihan, which made sense as she’d never met a Cannihan who was trustworthy.

“And then our compatriot Shores ships the money to us here,” he said. “It’s good that you were able to introduce us to him! I know that you’ve pulled off a lot of big jobs before, but this… This is truly a masterful plot.”

“Why sir,” replied a voice that made the Mask’s skin go white. “My plans are nothing short of perfect, every time.” Coming around the end of the wagons, there was the owner of this villa, the Cannihan who’s name was Vedrano, and Maldreta, the Queen of Thieves. The Mask could do nothing but stare out in utter shock from her hiding spot as she listened to her mother.

“Now let’s talk about my cut.”