Aquatic Nightmare

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Requesting 30 28 kilogrammes of kibble to be delivered.
Payment on arrival.
-Product report at Almac's jungle servants

Following my heroic display of pursuing science in a world of magic, I quickly found out that I'm not the only one liberally interpreting rules. The lamia by the name of Larktaria was berated for trying to sacrifice animals in her room a few days ago, the lich Xygar got an official warning for attempting to teach students necromancy, and the minotaur woman Bessielle is said to have broken many students bones in sparring matches. The last one apparently liked to target followers of the faith of the goddess more harshly.

The rest of the day progressed in similar fashion. Kyla got into a fight with some military raised student, Cathy was warned for restraining her dueling teacher (that was because of me), but I generally got off scot free due to the whole dueling issue. I'm sure there are many who hate me for what I did, but that's fine as long as they fear me.

Urist also recommended me a good information broker that is based close by. Meaning I can finally get started on what needs to be done. Cathy said she had some matters to attend to, but assured me the people I'm looking for wouldn't be too far off. Making my way over to the address, I am greeted by a small line of students waiting in line.

"Next!" A student enters a small tent that reminds me of those crystal globe scammers. This is the information broker Urist recommended? It better be good. I take a ticket and wait, passing the time by scaring the shit out of passing students by smiling at them. Luckily, it doesn't take long for my ticket to be called.

As I enter the tent, it looks exactly like I imagined. Shitty crystal ball on a cushion included. A woman covered in symbols and jewelry sits across.

"Well, what do we have here? I would liken you to the other mermaid royal in the school, but you carry yourself like a paranoid nutcase. Would you like to see your future?" The young hag has a fancy scam going here. Too bad for her, I'm not interested.

"Don't care, I'm paying for information on slavers in the city. How much will that cost me?" The woman looks at me suspiciously, before getting out a thick tome. She leafs through the tome for a bit before answering.

"I believe I have something for you. There is an auctioneer nearby that specializes in Tazkar'han Mazurians. They tend to go for a pretty coin among nobles with more exotic tastes. Not to mention their capability as combat slaves. I can also tell you that they are not in the greatest standing with the guard, and should they find themselves victim to crime, the guard might not respond very fast." I'm not sure how she could tell that the last bit of info was quite useful to me, but I'm not one to shy away from gifted horse mouths. I put down ten gold coins, and take the address with me.

"Thanks, I might return." I start heading to my room where I stashed my equipment. While on the move, I also cycle my mana through my body. According to the professor, active mana usage makes it easier to use. Something about mana channels not being clogged.

Making my way back inside, I encounter my eternal nemesis. Staring at the stairway in hatred for a while, I suddenly hear another wheelchair behind me. I turn around and get greeted by another mermaid royal. There is also the massive lamia Larktaria with her.

"Esstrey right? I'm Nylchai! The representative of the mermaid enclaves of Mazurio!" She clasps and shakes my hand vigorously, while Larktaria puts her hands horizontally and bows slightly.

"I am Larkta, the Tazkar'han representative. It is good to meet the Quintillian representative." She introduces herself very formally for what is usually assumed to be a savage jungle.

"This is great timing! Larkta do you know anything about the imperial slave trade of Tazkar'han Mazurians?" Larkta looks a bit in disgust before recovering.

"It is common practice to sell prisoners as slaves to imperials, and while I appreciate the gold. It does not sit well with me that they end up serving imperials. Being sacrificed is a much better alternative." So the prisoners are often the losing side? That is good information.

I smile, briefly forgetting about the stairway I need to pass. While thinking on how to go about thing, Larkta starts life magic on our wheelchairs. The coral it is made up of responds by crawling up the stairs like crabs.

"Thanks for saving so many mermaids by the way. I don't know what the enclaves would have done if it went on any longer." as Nylchai speaks, her face gets a little red.

"Why didn't you just stop the ships yourself? I threw quite the wrench in their plans with simply some pirates, and mermaid scavengers working together. The mermaid enclaves should have much more resources than I have." She gets quiet at my question, and starts mumbling away. Did I touch a nerve? I mean I know Mazurians are apparently infamous for lacking initiative, but it can't be this bad right?

Making it to my own floor, I wave goodbye to the tailed brethren. The job I'm about to do is a one-woman job. No witnesses. No loose ends.

I quickly grab my gear, and rapidly descend the stairs. Going downstairs is painful, but possible. As I leave, I notice the sun setting in the distance. Still rubbing my bruised behind from the bumpy ride down, I start moving.

I make it to the address stated. The front door sign reads 'Almacs jungle servants'. So I head to the back instead. It looks like some back-alley shithole, most likely filled to the brim with evil stairs. I look up, and notice a light still on at the upper floor. There is a nearby pipe connected to the rain gutter. I climb up the rain gutter, rattling the entire thing in the process. Hopefully they will just assume some drunk is making a lot of noise. Peering through the windows, I see a clerk writing behind his desk. His back turned to me.

I wonder for a moment how to go about it. Either I break the window, and start a massive fight, or I try to do things quietly. An idea hits me. I'm not using a gun, I'm using a crossbow. Aiming the loaded weapon at the clerk, I nail him right in the carotid artery. The shattering glass has certainly alerted someone, but not a full alarm. Making a quick entrance by shoving the glass aside, I take position next to the door while reloading. Just in time too as someone approaches

"Arthur what wa-" The man opening the door gets a face full of shovel. His face is quickly divided by shovel. The only thing remaining of the man's alert state being a wet squelch noise. Throwing the corpse next to Arthur, I progress down the house. There are three men playing darts downstairs.

"Gerard is sure taking his time checking up on Arthur. You think he's threatening him for a raise again?" The men are starting to get restless.

"It did sounds like glass breaking, maybe he's trying to blackm-" He doesn't get to finish his sentence, a bolt nails him right in the dome from upstairs.

"What?! Intruder!" The men draw knives, clearly not very well paid guards, if guards at all. They rush at the mermaid camped at the top of the stairs, but just before the first can make it to the top, a second bolt hits him in the chest, sending him tumbling back in pain. Falling backwards, he takes his comrade with him down the stairs. Tumbling down and tangled as they are, they have no hope of defending themselves against the mermaid jumping down the stairs. Their skulls get cleaved by cold iron, and a nearby entrance to the basement has rattling coming from it.

"This way!" Armored boots make their way up, but I am faster. The moment the door opens, an armored man gets rewarded for his bravery with a bolt to the throat. He falls down, choking on his own blood. A second man jumps over him in a fit of rage. He slashes the sword at his foe, only to get met with teeth biting into his sword. It shatters in his hand, and he has no time to look baffled as he gets beheaded by a shovel. That's five. The sword I bit did manage to bite back. My face has been decorated with a cut at the sides of my mouth forming a bloody smile. I quickly rush down further into the basement, but not without taking a shield from one of the dead men.

The next opponents in the slaver den are a set of three armored guards defending a bearded man in extravagant robes.

"Get back sir! If she's here, she has already killed everyone above!" The lead guard looks in panic. "You think she's one of the Empir-" He doesn't get to finish his words as a bolt darts for his neck. However, unlike his former comrades, he manages to bring his shield to protect himself just in time. I rush the man, dropping my crossbow. It's now or never. I leap to attach myself to the staggered man, who tries to shove me off his shield. I hold firm, as his comrades try to intervene. Seeing an opening, I pretend to go in for a bite, but instead hack his upper leg with my shovel. He collapses to the ground, but is saved by his teammates.

"Shit! This isn't going good!" They say that, yet the old man they are protecting stays. That's when I noticed a movement from the old man, not with his physical self, but something around him. He's trying to cast a spell! I make my opinion on spells in enclosed spaces clear by throwing my shovel at the man. It finds purchase in his ankle, and he topples over. The spell he was casting disperses, and the energy rampages in his body if his screams are anything to go by. The guards believe me to be open, and charge at me. I dodge into one guard, bashing his face in with my shield. I quickly dash into the other guard, and bite his neck out. I calmly move back to my crossbow, and start loading it. The survivors stare at me in fear.
"No plea-" *Kathunk*

"N-no I don't want to-" *Chak*

*Krunch*

With the men finished off, It doesn't take long for me to find the merchant in charge of this operation. "So you are the one that caused so much trouble for my men. What do you want?" I correct his assumption that he has bargaining power by planting a bolt in his knee.

"The keys to the cells." He fumbles with his pocket, and throws me a keyring. "H-here, now p-please leave me to my losses." He manages in between groans of pain, rather impressive for a merchant. I start opening the cells of slaves, the ones who ask me where they should go I simply give a shrug. I wasn't here for the slaves. My gaze wanders over to a set of carpenter's tools, and some wooden planks. Then I lock my gaze back unto the slaver.

"W-what are you doing?"