The assassin blinked when they caught sight of their employer crumpling to the ground, then let out a frustrated groan. "Ah, he's dead, isn't he?" they grumbled and, with a flick of their hand, sheathed their knife. "Damn, contract's a bust then. Guess I'll just take the cut for what I did achieve, but not for the whole thing."

  "What are you talking about?" Petula demanded, slightly winded but sword still at the ready. "You're not escaping-!"

  "I am. Goodbye, and please do consider the Broker if you ever need an assassin." The masked individual paused, then tossed the damaged crossbow aside to distract their pursuer's eyes. No point in carrying that much weight in making their getaway now that it wasn't needed anymore. They could always buy a new one from the pay after all this.

  They lightly stepped back, then fell off the battlements to the city outside. The vampire snarled and rushed over to try tracking where they'd gone, but there was no trace of them. It was like they simply vanished the moment they were out of sight. And before she could try to search any further, arrows coming from the still hostile attackers outside had her ducking back.

  With a very unladylike curse, the duke's daughter turned away and glared hatefully at the discarded implement. Then Petula noticed that there was still a crossbow bolt loaded, its tip coated in some liquid she knew better than to touch. But she remembered, from reading one of their very few books, sometimes one could make a cure from a poison.

  Even if that wasn't true, it might be useful. So she took the entire thing and headed back towards the inner keep.

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  "Your leader is dead!" Teodor seized upon, raising his voice so that all in the bailey could hear. He almost found it hard to believe that now, he was the one to make demands of the invaders. "You have no further reason to fight against House Cordis, lest you incur the emperor's wrath!"

  An unsettled ripple ran through the retinue of the dead heir. Unlike before, there was nobody to counter those words, no charisma to declare them false and press the attack. Maybe a few did have the idea of avenging their dead master, only for the armored oathbreaker in that moment to slam their swords down in an unspoken challenge.

  Perhaps they hadn't meant for it to be interpreted that way, but well, if it made the reckless reconsider their position, then it was fine.

  "Surrender," plainly offered the vampire noble, "and you will receive fair treatment and trial by imperial law. This, you have my word as heir of Gabion. Or, we could proceed with your deaths now if you wish. Remember: you have nowhere to go now. Choose wisely."

  There still was the chance of the gallows, but there also was a chance of becoming a penal soldier in a legion somewhere. An uncertain chance of life later, versus a guaranteed death now. The choice was weighed and made, with some letting their weapons drop to the ground. Once it began, then it spread quickly among those in the bailey.

  The soldiers of House Cordis let out a brief victory cheer, then hurried in securing and detaining the prisoners. They also began to hastily search for the wounded, hoping to save more lives regardless of whatever side they had fought on. There was a darker reasoning too, Teodor realized, that maybe they could ransom more back to the Duchy of Viszal to earn back some coin after all this mess.

  But there were still those outside the walls who hadn't heard and continued fighting. Those closest to the portcullis had noticed the surrender and were already turning away to run, much to the confusion of their comrades behind. He still wanted word to spread further. "You. Grab one of the standards of Viszal, and mount it upside-down on our walls," he ordered one of the lesser wounded soldiers to do. "Make sure to announce to all that we have slain their leader."

  "My lord, they could hide or escape the city before we could catch them."

  "They'll do so regardless. But the sooner we can break their cohesion and ranks, the sooner that we can open the gates and reestablish coordination with the city guards," Teodor reasoned, wanting to reestablish control first and foremost. Anything else could be hashed out later. "Together, we should be able to do a thorough and make sure Gabion is clean at the end of all this. At the very least, I want our people to understand that we are here, and we will protect them still no matter what."

  "I understand, my lord. It will be done."

  Now to actually address the giant in the room. Though now when he approached them without raw adrenaline or fear clouding his thought, House Cordis' savior wasn't actually very tall. Even with armor on, the figure only reached his own height, wasn't that a thought? But their might, it absolutely was undeniable.

  He absolutely had to bargain with them the right way. "Noble...oathbreaker. Your services to House Cordis today will not be forgotten," Teodor settled upon before daring. "With your allegiance proven, we would be glad to restore your oaths and position-"

  "Ah, sorry. I'm not a hedge knight that's looking for a new master," they casually told, turning while sheathing both greatswords. "I'm an adventurer, and I quite thoroughly like to roam about. Call me Kuch."

  "Adventurer?" That term rang a bell, but it was his aunt who realized it first.

  "You're the people that Petula met and got those monster parts from! My brother, the duke, he wanted to see you."

  "No time like the present then," they mentioned, then paused. "Huh, are you not him?"

  Teodor flushed, but shook his head. "Gods be good, I hopefully won't be taking the position yet if my father still lives. But he's been shot by an assassin, so I'm afraid I must insist that your meeting with him wait another day." He turned to his older relative and spoke in a low tone. "Do you have any more magic in you, Lady Vio? Anything that could help with the poison in his veins?"

  "I'm sorry, I'm really all out. I can barely keep on my feet, and I'm exhausted. My stock's all gone too."

  "Hm, remind me to bring you some mana potions next time," Kuch spoke aloud, reminding them both that they were still present. "Poison, you said? I should have a look."

  While he was undeniably grateful for his savior, the vampire heir still felt hesitant about letting somebody so unknown get involved. He tried to figure out the best way to politely turn them down. "I'm not quite sure that it would be the best idea-"

  The figure stepped in closer, alerting both members of House Cordis, but before either could react, Kuch spoke in a low tone. "I work with Bedra's daughter."

  "Bedra?" Vio asked, not recognizing the name. But Teodor did, recalling that meeting during winter, and his eyes narrowed. That was not a name that one would know casually. This adventurer, they knew the secret alliance between House Cordis and the illusion dragon.

  He reconsidered the offer with that knowledge, then reasoned that anybody with ill intent surely wouldn't go through this much effort in deception. And that if they really did have such plans, then there probably wasn't much these depleted, exhausted defenders could do. "Very well. Follow along."

  They made haste for the inner keep and, with directions from one of the slightly relieved servants, made their way to the room where the duke was apparently being treated with. Greeting them at the door with a fierce argument was Petula, holding a damaged crossbow that raised some eyebrows. She looked about ready to use against the present physician, who clutched at a sheathed sword and sweated nervously.

  "Brother, looks like it's our victory." She gave a relieved smile before a scowl returned to her face. "Now tell this quack that we're not amputating father's arm!"

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  "My lady, please!" the physician pleaded. "The poison is deep in his system already. We cannot hope to extract it all, but we can perhaps reduce its presence. It should be mostly in his arm, so by removing it from his body-"

  "Should? Mostly?! So it won't get rid of it at all!"

  "H-his body should be able to at least better withstand a reduced dosage, but I cannot say for certain. And I really don't know how to cure it!" they babbled, turning with a begging look at the heir. "My lord, please, I am only saying what I know. I am not archbishop of Johanna, I cannot produce a miracle!"

  "...But maybe they can," Petula muttered, turning to face Kuch. "I wished we met again under better circumstances, but I'm asking you, is there any chance you could spare us a blessing-?"

  "I have a health potion right here," the oathbreaker simply declared and produced it from their belt. "Let us at least try it. At the very least, it should relieve the pain."

  The woman let out a hopeful exhale, then pushed open the door to the room. The physician scurried off as the duke's family entered with the oathbreaker among them, and all were pleased to see he was still conscious. "Teodor," Gregori growled aloud, almost wanting to push himself out of bed but finding himself lacking the strength to do so. So he sank back into the cloth, cursing at the bandaged arm. "To be here and not leading the defense- tell me. Have we won?"

  "We have, father, with what sounds like Kuch's help." She quickly introduced said individual, who stepped forward with the potion in hand. "I wasn't present, I, um...chased down the assassin. Who escaped me," his daughter sheepishly admitted, earning an exasperated, but fond sigh.

  "Please stop running off to avenge me, when I'm not quite dead yet," he dryly told.

  Kuch abruptly made a choking noise from their helmet that suspiciously sounded like a laugh. But they recovered quickly and presented the filled bottle, quickly explaining what it was along with the directions for it. The duke apprehensively took the concoction, glanced at his family's reassuring nods, then drank it in one go. He returned the bottle and closed his eyes, exhaling slowly.

  "The pain, it...ebbs. I can breath easier. But it is still there," Gregori told, opening his eyes. "I can still feel the burn in my veins, the poison refuses to abate. It seems it will not be so easily refused," told the very tired vampire.

  Hopeful faces fell at the admission. His son's fists balled up while his daughter slammed a hand against the bed frame. His sister's hands shook but still she stood, clearly trying to stay strong in light of the news. "Brother. How long do you think you have?"

  "I will make enough time," he ground out, the brief relief already fading, "to at least settle my affairs and ensure it will be a smooth transition."

  "Can you last until you go out to the woods?" Kuch abruptly asked, drawing the family's attention onto them. They walked over to the ruined crossbow still grasped in Petula's hands and held out their hand. After a moment's hesitation, she surrendered the item to them and they took out the still-loaded bolt, studying the poisoned tip. "Tell me. If you think you can make your way west- would you last until then?"

  "What are you talking about?" Gregori rumbled. "What is in the west, other than the kingdoms further beyond? I do not think I would last a voyage that long."

  "You won't have to. Just maybe two days, assuming we don't rest." They paused, becoming still like a statue for a moment like they were considering a tough decision. Then the oathbreaker's hands reached up and pulled off their helmet.

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  I shook Kuch's head about, freeing their hair from the helmet. Ah, I probably should replace the hemp strands with silk now that I actually had that available. I'll do that for whenever they returned next, which was looking to be very soon. Hopefully with my first actual guests, if things worked out.

  The duke and his family seemed to freeze in shock at my doll's reveal. The man himself and his children stared openly at Kuch's blatantly artificial features while his sister, the spellcaster from what I understood, had her jaw hanging wide open. [Detect] was probably pinging her all about my dark crystal core.

  "So," I casually began while clipping my helmet to my belt. "Apologies for the deception, and all the spying while I'm at it. But I was the puppet who was controlling that bird Bedra had caught and destroyed after the tide." Yeah, let's not talk about how specifically Kuch was a doll, and I the puppet behind, there had been enough revelations for one day.

  "Bedra?" echoed the two women, still in the dark. Ah, I supposed I'll explain if neither the duke or his heir had brought them into the loop- wait, should I? I glanced at them and it was Teodor who spoke up.

  "She's leader of the dragons who helped us." A...half-life, I guessed, but one that worked for the moment. "But I don't understand. She warned us about you, yet you now claim to work with her daughter?"

  I waved my hand about. "It's a pretty complicated story that she and I would love to tell you all about when we have time. But importantly, I have a workshop in the forests where I might be able to make you a cure."

  "Might?" Petula questioned, voice getting a little heated like the way she interrogated the physician earlier. I supposed she really did want a bit more assurance than that. Guess I really should confirm it, with the reason why I had needed to take off my helmet.

  Kuch's tongue stuck out and licked at the crossbow bolt, earning mixed reactions from the watching family. I ignored them and focused entirely on the raw information coming through the connection. The taste didn't matter, I was focused entirely on sensation left behind by the brief contact with the poison.

  Total numbness that was already rapidly fading which made sense, it wasn't a prolonged self-infliction. A paralytic poison? I did pick up on faint stinging that I associated with losing health. I considered the combination, then gave a firm nod. Yes, I should be able to treat this with the spider venom, literally fighting lethal poison with a more controlled, weaker dose via a potion of my creation.

  "Correction: I can make a cure," I declared and made sure to carefully store the bolt away. I'll dispose of it properly when I had the chance, or maybe the duke would like a little trophy once I safely cleaned it off. "I'd stake my career as a crafter on it."

  "Huh? But I thought you were an adventurer?" the youngest among them questioned and I hummed.

  "Again, it is a very long tale. But time is of the essence now. I trust your word that you can hold out, sir, but I think acting quickly matters still," I told the duke. "Please, trust me and head west to my workshop."

  Of course, there was the option of making the mix now and then sending Frie out to deliver it. But that came with its own risks of an unintended reaction or side-effect, which was a possibility with odds I didn't like. I'd rather have the duke in my home, where I could directly observe and then react quickly to make new potions to counteract whatever unforeseen issues arose.

  It'd also give me a convenient way of being able to explain everything in the security of my own manor.

  But it was a long ask, I realized that. One being made from somebody they would naturally be suspicious of. After I made my case, I gave a firm nod and stepped back, disengaging from the quick discussion House Cordis quickly held among themselves.

  I hope they would take me up on that offer of treatment.

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