[RSM] Interlude - Pick Up (Patreon)

"That's the eighth military ship this week." Jashen said as the last of the soldiers left their ships. 

They were now at the edges, just two days away from the supposed Kaorlian border, in a mid-sized city that is run by a single powerful cultivator family, their patriarch was just in the fourth realm. 

This area was not far from the Jagged Peaks mountain range.

One of the great advantages of the imperial house was its boundless wealth, and Celestia was not alien to the ways of how that wealth is then used to oppress and control those beneath them. Treasuries of the Prince were so abundant that they easily sustained hundreds of flying ships of war, with a complete crew to make the most of the spiritual formations within them. 

Celestia and Yavin watched the second realm and third-realm soldiers search the ship, and now they finally left. In a straight battle, Jashen assured her that they would probably win, but the army had plenty of well equipped third realm soldiers, and with enough attrition, eventually their targets would be exhausted.

"They are just waiting for us to find Master Fox, and then swoop in to catch us." Yavin said as he prepared their flying ship to continue on the journey. 

"Or harass us to the point that we give up." Celestia said. She felt the soldiers' constant searches were deliberate. 

Jashen paused, as he pondered the case. "But it is a good sign. They are not attacking us at will, or forcing us into combat. It means that internally, they may be hesitating."

Yavin caught on quickly. "Hesitating to implement the Prince's orders?"

"Every bureaucracy is saddled with resistance to change." Jashen smiled. "It is why small sects like ours are nimbler, while Great Sects take forever to react to something. It is why the great elders never make an appearance to crush a rising star, and tales of legend speak of how chosen ones rise through the ranks and defeat their enemies. After all, for every chosen one's tale, there are millions more dead supposed chosen ones dead"

"And yet they carried out the madness of the Banquet." Yavin said.

"The Prince was there personally. Princes are above bureaucracy." Jashen grinned and Celestia sighed. She watched the military flying ship fade away in the distance. 

Prince Kaorl, even with his diminished strength, had the army at his disposal. Each Prince and Princess, nominally, owned about a hundred 200-man ships, though the powerful princes had easily two to five times that number. These 200-man ships were considered high seventh-realm in strength, though they were only operated by mostly fourth to fifth realm military captains and commanders. 

Recent talent shortages has meant that there were even appointments for third realm captains and soldiers, though they usually managed to ascend to the fourth realm rather quickly with their captain's resources. 

Though the military's cultivators lagged in cultivation compared to sects, they compensated with their eons of treasures and equipment, and their larger numbers. Four to five seventh-realm ships, equipped with powerful spiritual energy formations, could suppress a powerful seventh realm sect master. 

Yavin said he contemplated joining the military. It was his last resort. For an individual that showed an inkling for cultivation, they could take one of three paths. 

The first and most common was to join a sect or a clan. They would work and serve the clan's goals, but they would also get rewards and resources of the clan, as the clans' resources are usually not shared outside of the clan, the guidance and quality of teaching was also superior, often with a wider array of cultivation manuals, techniques and resources. If a cultivator was talented, this was usually the best option. 

The second method was to join the military. These were the preferred option for those who failed the sect selections. The military was rigid with a relatively small selection of  cultivation methods for those in the lower ranks. In terms of base resources though, the military actually gave more than sects and clans, however, there were very few opportunities to earn extra resources, so cultivators who operated within the military rarely sought out extra tasks. 

That said, there were clans and military families that emerged as a mix between the first and second options. These were the martial families, and many were relatives of the Imperial family. Duke Hadrian Thunderstone's Scarlet Thunder Sect was supposedly founded by a senior general and relative of the Imperial family, and served as a feeder to a military, supplying the military with the officers and captains at the fourth to sixth realms. 

Celestia never contemplated joining the military. Outside of certain areas, the military was a strongly male organization, and she knew she would only suffer and be treated as nothing more than a play tool in such an institution, and their recent encounters only reinforced that sentiment. There were more than one soldier leering at her, and their facial expressions and emotions did not hide their lust. 

Horrific tales were aplenty, that if Celestia never got into a sect, she'd rather go for the third option, which was to gather cultivation materials and methods as a wanderer. 

Due to structural reasons, the military was quite heavy with 2nd realm to 4th realm cultivators who were generally on the weaker end. The military itself generally lacked high ranked cultivators in the sixth and seventh realms, and anyone with decent talent who rose to the fifth realm could receive better offers. 

Many more joined royal retinues, such as Elder Grayne Fallows, where they got direct access to Imperial resources, though there exists a minority of military men who wish to avoid such succession politics and thus transfer themselves to the Emperor's Royal Army.

"What should we do?" Celestia asked. "If we meet up with Tundra, we're just leading the military and the bounty hunters to them."

"Looking at the guys we've seen, I actually doubt it'll be much of a problem escaping." Yavin said. "Sure they have large numbers, but if we plot it right, we can fight them off and escape."

Jashen rubbed his chin, and thought for a moment. "The rumors we've heard is that Sect Master Fox is travelling with some other alchemists who may be injured. Even if we could travel freely here, if I was Tundra, I would try to minimize the risk of engagement to protect my fellow alchemists. I'd travel further south or further east, somewhere with friendlier parties." 

"Ah." Yavin nodded in agreement. "If I were him, I would send us a note with a code." 

Jashen nodded. "A shame we do not have one, so that should be something for you to do, Yavin."

Yavin shrugged. "Not a problem."

"But you are right. Let's go to the larger cities and visit some information brokers. They might be able to give us some clues about where they've seen him."

***

Their ship landed in a city named Greatstone Pass, located at the entryway to Greatstone Pass, one of the many mountain passes along the Jagged Peaks, a city technically outside of Kaorlia's border, but by distance, closest to the imperial city.

If cultivators were to flee from Kaorlia, the nearest city in a straight line would be to Greatstone Pass.

"It's the most sensible place to be, but knowing our Sect Master, the least likely place for him to actually be." Jashen was tense as they walked the streets. Celestia felt it enough that she kept her hand on her sidearm, and Yavin looked just as ready to activate a spiritual gauntlet at any moment. 

But they were not the only visiting cultivators. The place crawled with various cultivators, some bounty hunters, and more than one opportunistic merchant.

This was where the Kaorlian military set up a fairly large detachment, meant to arrest any wanted alchemists fleeing from their dragnet. Or at least, behave as if they would. It's been slightly over a month since the Banquet of Alchemists, and many members of the military looked like they would rather be elsewhere.

Truthfully, Jashen, Celestia and Yavin were most wary of bounty hunters, though Jashen believed that as long as they were together, they were a difficult enough target that these bounty hunters would not try.

"I believe he would say we are daring, to come so close to the lion's jaws." Yavin laughed awkwardly, but Celestia knew the man was trying to calm himself, and their small group of rescuers, and a small contingent of ten patrolling soldiers in the second realm walked past.

The military had no reason to arrest the three of them. After all, the criminal charge was on Tundra Fox specifically, and did not extend to the rest of the sect located far away from Kaorlia. This was different from the alchemy-focused sects located within the Kaorlia region.

"It is closest to the lion's jaws that we'll get the scraps." Jashen responded. "Besides, if you want to find a trail, it's better to start with where most of the experienced hunters are."

"Would the Whispering Man even know anything?" Celestia said.

"At this point. even a rumor would be useful."

 "Wouldn't the Whispering Man be suspicious of us?" Celestia asked. She did not have experience with such institutions, though she knew that Severian and Jashen both communicated and used their services extensively over the years. 

"When are they not suspicious? Everything the Whispering Man does is sold for something." Jashen laughed. "The very fact that we are talking to them is something they will sell to someone else. Remember, we are both the product, and the customers. Once you know this, it is a lot easier to understand why everyone allows them to be around." 

They didn't even have to find the Whispering Man, the Whispering Man came to find them.

That evening, they found a small note at the door of their lodge. 

***

The Whispering Man's favorite meeting spot was often in the commoner quarters. They lurked and worked with the common people, hiring and paying mortals to do most of their work. Mortals were plentiful, replaceable, and everywhere. 

Mortals also had little spiritual resistance to the kind of spiritual safeguards they often employed.

It was a mortal that greeted them, a mortal with a mark on their souls to reinforce them from the greater spiritual powers. They knew only what they were supposed to know, and nothing more. 

Celestia thought that sort of existence pitiful, and wondered whether these mortals participated in the scheme willingly, or were coerced into it. 

But her thoughts did not become words. They remained thoughts, as she walked into the agreed meeting space. They met in a simple living room, and a man sat on a chair around an empty tea table. There were three other chairs for them, and they sat.

"Greetings, Lord Jashen Whitehalls, welcome." The mortal spoke clearly practiced words. He was perfectly expendable. "Let us get to the point. We know where Lord Fox is."

"If you know, it means everyone else knows." Jashen countered. 

"Eventually, but for now, only a few know. But if the right payment is made, we will delay it." 

Jashen frowned, and as the lead of their rescue party, stared. "And how do you know if the other parties have not released it?'

"There are ways and means, if you pay the right price. How much later depends on what you are willing to pay."

Jashen stared. "Name your price."

"The Whispering Man is fair to all our customers, Lord Whitehalls. What do you have to offer for silence, and for pointing you in the right direction, all depends on what is offered. Fear not, we will not charge you more than the others"

Celestia remembered that Jashen once said that the Whispering Man and the Beggars Alliance ripped everyone off. 

Jashen reached into his pouch and placed a single fifth realm [Thousand Winds Pill], complete with a small wooden box, on the table. "This is all I can give."

A man and a woman appeared from one of the doors, and quickly took a look at the pills. They looked perfectly mortal, and merely nodded. "We will have to give this to the evaluators, but fear now, we will price it appropriately. Currently, by our estimates, we can give you... Three days."

"Three days." Jashen said.

"It is what it is, Lord Whitehalls." The agent said. "Lord Fox was last seen attempting to enter Spearhead Hills near the Thousand Spears Pass a few days ago, and should now be in the Southern Flatlands. We have no records of which exact city or town he is in, but we believe he will not attempt to visit one of the Silent Mountain's cities, due to ongoing internal developments." 

"That's quite further south from here, and quite a large area to search." Jashen said. "How'd he get so far south?"

"No one knows." The Whispering Man answered.

"The Kaorlia army will follow us if we head there directly." Celestia remembered the group of flying ships trailing their path, though they turned around once they landed on Greatstone Pass.

"They would, but they would not attempt to create trouble that far away from Kaorlia. Or so I hope." Jashen answered. "Let me see if we have any friends in the area." 

"It would be for the best, if you move quickly." The information broker said. "If you are lucky, you might meet up with him somewhere without the military intervening. Or just pay the right price."

Jashen nodded, and Celestia kept those words in mind. "Let's go."

They traveled south for two days since. At first, about seven Kaorlian military flying ships were trailed them, but as they got further and further south, those ships began to withdraw, until they noticed only two flying ships continued their pursuit.

It was awfully strange.

"Are they giving up?" Celestia watched more of the ships pull back.

"Seems like it. Or they have orders to just chase us out of Kaorlian territories and once we are out, they can leave us be."

[ A / N : Thanks for reading :) ]