CHAPTER 81 Veralyn’s Enchanted Restraint Manacles

Henrietta

[You have attempted to use the Perk Quick Step. You have succeeded.]

[You have attempted to use the Perk: Quick Draw. You have succeeded.]

I let go of Keith, dropping twenty feet to the earth below. I landed kneeling on one knee between the assassins and the road to the castle.

"It's the target!" a beastman with drooping dog ears and a bushy moustache cried out, pointing at me. "Get her!"

I drew Jacqueline from her sheath in the blink of an eye as I stood. A knife ricocheted off my blade, falling to the side.

[You have attempted to use the Perk: Force Thrust. You have succeeded.]

The assassin who'd attacked me was impaled in her right shoulder, and I swung her in the way of four blades that were thrown my way. Two short swords were lunged toward my legs, but I jumped in the air and kicked the assassin off my blade, sending her tumbling through a line of attackers. One arrow nicked my sleeve as I twisted in the air.

[You have attempted to use the Perk: Multitask. You have succeeded.]

My mind suddenly had no difficulty compartmentalizing the groups of assassins attacking me. Jacqueline sang in my hand as I let myself go and let my senses keep me on my feet. I had little opportunity to check on Keith, but I wasn't worried about him.

He fought off assassins more often than I did.

My abilities kept me from being overrun and stabbed to death. [Force Thrust] had a pushback effect that I utilized when it was available again, and my Strength stat alone let me knock back anyone caught by my strike.

Every chance I got, I sent assassins flying into the woods. Only one in four came back. Seventy-five became sixty, which became fifty-two and then thirty-nine. At that point, I had to use [Resist Poison], because an acrobatic masked assailant had flipped behind me, diverting my focus.

I could only [Multitask] to defeat attackers I could see. It cost me a split second, granting a window for a poisoned spear to stab into my left leg.

I was used to losing limbs from my earlier dungeon delves, so a mere stab wound was but a painful annoyance. The spearman, a half elf, broke out into a self-satisfied grin that shifted to horror when Jacqueline crit [Void Damage] in his chest.

There wasn't much left of the assassins on that side of the battle … Actually, Keith had managed to subdue and chain up the few who remained standing.

He raised an eyebrow my way. "You know, Ria, it's hard to question them if there isn't anything left. It's a lot of extra work putting the pieces back together. It's only good manners to [Revive] them and send them back to …" Keith lifted and shook one of the assassins, a partially transformed wolfman. "Who is your guild leader?"

"We'll never say!" The assassin tried to spit on Keith, but the Dark Lord was holding him aloft and simply turned the beastman to his neighbor to take the spittle.

"So I knock you all out and send half of you back to Gloria Welns and the other half to Derek Stannard with a letter demanding an explanation for why they've sent assassins after me and broken our little agreement," Keith told the bunch.

"Jokes on you, we—" a sneering voice jeered from one of the tied-up members before his neighbor silenced him with an elbow to the solar plexus.

"What?" Keith crossed his arms and pressured them with his kingliness aura. I really needed to ask him if it was an actual ability so I could learn the actual name.

"He means that it wouldn't matter because you aren't their target," I guessed. "I am."

Keith dropped the assassin he was holding. The man grunted as he hit the ground next to his fellows. "Still! How are so many assassins getting into my kingdom? I don't see anything that's letting you bypass my golems' spells! You should have activated something when you snuck into Nilheim." It was obvious Keith was tired of his well-crafted peace being disturbed. "And why would you light Kith Bog on fire—"

"I mean, it's an easy target," I pointed out. "And on the way."

"—and while being so terribly organized at that," Keith finished, frowning. "Unless …"

"Distraction tactic?" I offered. "But why?"

"They wanted more of us out of the castle?" Keith reasoned. "To thin out our defensive ranks?"

"To help the Drendil army or assassins get at me?" I speculated.

"Or both." Keith sighed.

I stared at the assassins, many of which were struggling against their bonds. A few were stealthily trying to pick the locks on their manacles. Keith seemed unconcerned.

"What did you use to catch them?" I asked, intrigued.

"Something they won't be able to break free of: Veralyn's Enchanted Restraint Manacles. They're based off the ones used to hold Sir George during his trials. They are a work of art, if I do say so myself. I couldn't break free with my magic, and I don't think even you could break them with your Strength stat."

I eyed the manacles closer. "I'd love to try! You should lock me in them sometime!"

Keith choked on air.

Just then, backup arrived, a golem three times the size of its master walking out of the woods. It was reptilian in nature, as were many of his larger constructs, but its base shape was humanoid. Behind it, a platoon of some thirty lizardkin and naga soldiers marched or slithered up the road from the direction of the castle.

"Lieutenant Franni Bertand reporting for duty, Your Viciousnesss." A lizardkin woman with purple-tipped scales and short red hair stepped forward. "What are your ordersss?"

Keith tossed a set of keys at the woman. "Gather up those who can be put back together again, wake them up, and send them to the Assassination Embassy in Peldeep. These"—he waved over the awake and alive few—"can go to Gloria Welns in Servalt."

"Is that—" Henrietta started but didn't finish. Keith turned his attention her way, waiting for her to continue. She took a deep breath. "Is that wise? Sending them to Servalt?"

"Servalt does have many problems, corruption being one of them. But Gloria isn't someone who would break a treaty. I'll be sending someone to have a talk with her when this is all said and done. In the meantime, she'll be pleased with my gift." Keith waved at the assassins. "Any she doesn't keep will be used to barter back those who I've sent to Peldeep. And hopefully distract both guilds long enough to keep them out of trouble."

"Yes, Your Viciousnesss. Right away, Your Viciousnesss." Lieutenant Bertand carefully stuck the key in her pocket and turned to her soldiers, barking orders.

Keith faced Henrietta. "I think it's time to see what damage Drendil's army has managed to inflict on our forces."

Ria smiled a slow, sinister smile, adorable on her delightful person. "And if my plan worked."