Forbidden Constellation's Blade-Chapter 159: Care To Start Talking?

Braum Aegis didn’t make an exaggerated entrance or anything, he simply stepped off the airship.

The ramp lowered with a hiss of steam, and he hopped down the last few feet to the stone street below. He straightened, adjusted the strap across his shoulder, and immediately started walking.

Braum was a big dwarf, even if Ryn thought it was a bit of an oxymoron. Surprisingly, he was clean-shaven, as most other dwarven men had sported impressive and highly decorated beards. But what made up for it was his long hair, which was braided impressively and filled with accessories.

The dwarves noticed immediately.

The world slowed, people stopped what they were doing. Conversations tapered off as heads turned toward him.

"Back already?" someone called.

Braum glanced over and grinned. "You still using the east smelter, or did it finally collapse?"

"Collapsed," another dwarf replied dryly. "Took three idiots with it."

"Only three?" Braum shook his head. "Must be a slow week."

A few chuckles rippled through the crowd.

Dwarves clustered around him as he moved, falling into step naturally. Someone clapped him on the shoulder. Another handed him a canteen without asking. Braum took a swig, nodded his thanks, and returned it.

Ryn watched from the edge of the square.

He felt less like an authoritative figure and more like a grounded celebrity.

After a while, the flow of people thinned as they got back to what they were doing prior.

Braum excused himself from a conversation with a pair of engineers and made his way toward the Miner’s Guild.

Gordon was already waiting out front.

Braum stopped short when he spotted Ryn beside him.

He studied him for half a second, just long enough for recognition to settle.

"...Ryn Eden Arctis," he said. "Captain of Gremory’s Hero Party."

Ryn inclined his head slightly. "Hero Candidate Braum Aegis."

Braum’s eyebrow lifted. "Here on campaign?"

"Not...exactly," Ryn remarked.

"Good," Braum replied immediately. "Then we’re not stepping on each other’s toes."

He turned to Gordon. "You look like hell."

Gordon snorted. "You should see the mines."

Braum’s expression sobered.

"Inside," he said. "Both of you."

The guild office smelled faintly of oil and old paper.

Braum shut the door behind them and leaned back against the table, arms crossed, eyes flicking between Gordon and Ryn.

"Alright," he said. "Start from the beginning. And don’t skip the parts you think I already know."

Ryn didn’t hesitate.

"Gremory’s Hero Party was arrested two days ago," he said. "Don’t know what the official charge is but rumors were spread."

Braum blinked. "That’s... new."

"I’d have to start from the very beginning," Ryn nodded. "About why we’re here in the first place."

"We ran out of manalite," he continued. "For our airships."

Gordon stiffened.

Braum’s brow furrowed. "That shouldn’t be possible."

"It shouldn’t," Ryn agreed. "But it happened. Enough that we were forced to dock in Pearlreach."

"That’s when we found out about the manalite supply problem," Ryn said. "And the sheer scale of the issue."

Gordon let out a slow breath.

"And then it got worse," Ryn said.

Braum looked at him. "Worse how?"

"The sea," Ryn replied.

The word hung there.

"Creatures started behaving differently. Fish were bleeding black, and even non-hostile sea monsters became aggressive."

Ryn decided to leave out the Kraken attack, as explaining would muddy information even further.

"Upon further investigation, within Moran," he went on. "I’ve discovered something else."

He took a breath and continued.

"It wasn’t just the sea creatures, but land monsters as well."

Ryn exhaled. "When we killed them and examined the bodies..."

He looked between the two of them.

"...Guess what we found."

It didn’t take a genius to put two and two together. Both Braum and Gordon muttered the same thing:

"Manalite."

Ryn nodded slowly.

"That’s why I think my party was arrested," he said. "They were likely circling the same problem. Asking the wrong questions."

Braum looked back to Ryn. "Even so, suspicion alone isn’t grounds for imprisonment. There has to be something tying them to—"

Ryn reached into his storage ring.

The ledgers hit the table with a dull, solid thump.

Braum’s sentence died halfway.

Ryn didn’t speak as Braum opened the first one. Didn’t interrupt as pages were flipped and numbers were traced with a finger.

The room grew quiet.

"...Royal treasury," Braum murmured. "They scattered the sales."

"So no single route could be followed," Ryn said. "And no single merchant could be blamed."

Braum looked up sharply. "So this wasn’t just petty or greedy theft."

Finally, the dwarven Hero exhaled through his nose.

"...Alright," he said. "Now it’s relevant."

Braum let out a slow breath and closed the ledger.

"...I had a bad feeling about the Queen," he admitted. "From the first meeting."

Ryn studied him. "You’re going to confront her directly."

"Yes," Braum said without hesitation. "With authority."

Gordon stiffened. "You realize she’ll deny everything."

"I expect her to," Braum replied. "That’s fine."

He gathered the ledgers and tucked them under his arm.

"This isn’t a trial," he said. "It’s a demand."

Ryn nodded slowly. "And if she refuses?"

Gordon glanced at him.

"Then she refuses in front of a Hero," he said. "One acknowledged by the people."

Braum turned toward the door.

"Come on," he said. "Let’s hear what she has to say."

***No one stopped them.

The palace gates were open, guards posted as usual, but when Braum approached, hesitation rippled through the line. Hands hovered near weapons and eyes flicked between one another.

Then they stepped aside.

They entered the throne chamber unannounced.

The King was mid-conversation with an advisor. The Queen sat beside him, posture composed, fingers resting lightly against the armrest of her throne.

Both looked up at once.

Braum Aegis stood at the center of the room.

For the first time since Ryn had met him, Braum looked tired.

"...You’re back, Brother," the King said, surprise slipping through his voice. "We weren’t informed of your arrival."

Brother? Ryn noted. So they do have history. Was that why the guards reacted like that?

Braum glanced around the chamber. "Strange," he replied calmly. "I arrived on an airship."

Ryn caught the flicker of irritation that crossed the Queen’s face before it vanished.

"What brings you here so urgently, Hero Candidate?" she asked. "Surely matters of state—"

Braum cut her off.

He unfurled the ledger in one smooth motion. It was long enough that it spilled from his hands, rolling across the stone floor until it stopped just short of the throne.

"Where’s all the manalite, Miriam?"

The Queen stiffened.

She recovered quickly, lifting her chin. "You barge into my court and address me so casually—"

"And imprison a Hero Party without charge," Braum continued, voice even. "Gremory’s Hero Party. On whose authority?"

The King’s brow furrowed. "Look, why don’t we just calm down—"

"They interfered with royal operations," the Queen said smoothly.

Braum crouched, flipped the ledger open, and slid it farther forward with two fingers.

"Is that really the best excuse you have?"

"Ninety percent of Khaz Vordun’s manalite," he said. "Diverted to the treasury and sold through jewelry houses and independent merchants."

The King leaned forward, eyes scanning the ledger. "Is this true?"

The Queen didn’t answer immediately.

"That manalite was secured for the kingdom," she said at last. "For contingencies you are not privy to."

Braum stood.

"Then release the Hero Party," he said. "Now."

After a moment, the Queen looked away.

"...Release them," she said.

Ryn watched quietly as the guards disappeared down a side chamber.

He spoke before the room could fully exhale.

"One more thing," he said.

The Queen’s eyes flicked toward him for the first time.

"When you sold the manalite," Ryn continued calmly. "To any merchants or buyers—"

He took a step forward, boots echoing softly against the stone.

"Did any of them wear porcelain masks?"

The reaction was immediate.

The Queen’s composure cracked—just slightly.

"...What?" she snapped.

"Porcelain," Ryn repeated. "Black, faceless. Did any of your buyers present themselves that way?"

Braum’s head turned sharply.

The King looked between them, confused.

The Queen’s face hardened. "I don’t know what game you think you’re playing, but—"

"So you didn’t see their faces," Ryn said softly. "That’s fine. I didn’t expect you to."

"Who are you?" the Queen demanded, rising from her throne. "You overstep yourself again and again—guards, remove this man at once!"

The guards hesitated.

Before anyone could move, footsteps echoed from the side hall.

"Captain."

The word cut through the chamber.

Ryn turned.

Fritz strode in, rubbing his wrists, where a red tinge was still there. The rest of the party followed behind, eyes wide when they saw each other.

His gaze swept the room once before settling on the Queen.

"That’s the Captain of our Hero Party," he said evenly. "Ryn Eden Arctis."

He glanced at her, expression flat.

"But not that you would know."

Ryn turned back toward the throne.

The Queen was still standing, her expression tight, eyes flicking between Braum, the guards, and the Hero Party now assembled behind him.

"Now that we’ve established legitimacy," Ryn said evenly.

"Care to start talking, Queen Miriam?"