Darius loomed above the wreckage - once the Velvet Merchant's main outpost - his expression dark while Magnus wrapped up describing the nightmare found underground. Smoke curled through the air nearby, rising from where a fire spell had burned out the agony rooms beneath.
Seventeen kids made it through," Marcus murmured, his healing power holding together the toughest ones. Most survived - though a few… He stopped short, eyes heavy from everything he'd witnessed. A couple will carry those wounds forever"But they're alive," Darius said. "That's what matters. Sara, status on the prisoners?""Twelve captured, all secured," Sara reported. She looked exhausted, her armor dented and bloodstained. "They're singing like birds now that they know the operation's burned. We've got names, locations, client lists. Enough to keep the Crown's investigators busy for months."
"Fine," Darius muttered, pressing a hand to his head - again attempting the link spell. Just noise crackling back. That weird magic haze hadn't let up since they'd moved in. "Hate flying blind. Anyone else nervous we're getting zero word from the others?"
"Could just be the same interference we experienced," Marcus suggested. "If all the locations had similar magical defenses—"
"Or it could mean they walked into traps," Magnus interrupted. The shadow-touched warrior was cleaning his blades, his expression dark. "This felt too easy. We found exactly what we expected to find, exactly where we expected to find it. The Velvet Merchant is supposed to be careful. Paranoid. Yet we just walked into his primary hub with minimal resistance?"
"You call that minimal?" Sara gestured to the bodies being collected by the city guard. "We lost two soldiers, Magnus. Four more wounded."
"For a facility of this importance? Yes, minimal. Where were the elite guards? The magical defenses? The fail-safes?" Magnus shook his head. "This was a distraction. Or a sacrifice. The real operation is somewhere else."
Before Darius could respond, a runner from the city guard approached, breathless. "Commander Darius! Message from Prince Ethan's team. They're requesting all available forces converge on the Velvet House in the Noble Quarter immediately."
"The Noble Quarter?" Darius's eyebrows rose. "That was supposed to be the prince's target. What's the situation?"
"Unknown, sir. The message just said 'converge immediately' and gave coordinates. The prince's Black Guard sent it."Darius exchanged glances with Magnus and Sara. "That doesn't sound like a request for backup. That sounds like—""Like they've found something big," Magnus finished. "Or something's gone very wrong."
"Mount up," Darius ordered. "Marcus, Sara, you're with me. Leave a squad here to secure the prisoners and escort the children to the medical sanctuary. Everyone else, we move now."
The Noble Quarter felt way too still when Darius's group neared the Velvet House. That fancy place looked perfect under the moon - clean, calm, untouched. Yet dead guards dumped near the edges said something else entirely.
"Black Guard work," Magnus observed, studying one of the corpses. "Clean kills. Professional. But something's off."
"Where's the guy with the crown?" Sara said, fingers resting on her blade.
The door swung open. Out stepped Captain Thorne - blood smeared on his dark armor, face unreadable. "Darius," he said flatly. "Appreciate you getting here fast.""Report, Captain," Darius said. "What's the situation? Where's Prince Ethan?""Inside," Thorne said. "Securing the... evidence. You should see this for yourself, Commander. All of you should."
The way Thorne spoke set off alarms in Darius's gut. Not just a hunch - years around fighters taught him that flat, steady tone; it belonged to people who'd witnessed chaos tearing through what should've stayed intact.They stepped into the big house - Darius got it right away.
The entryway looked like a butcher's yard. Around twenty - could've been twenty-five - corpses sprawled over red-stained stone floors. Their outfits screamed hired fighters. Not one left breathing. Every last one taken out fast and ugly.
"Gods," Marcus whispered. "The prince did this?""The prince and ten Black Guard soldiers," Thorne corrected. "Against twenty mercenaries and an ambush they knew was coming. We took them apart."Magnus was already moving through the hall, his experienced eye reading the battlefield. "Coordinated assault. Professional tactics. They hit you from the front, then reinforced from the sides." He studied blood patterns, the positioning of bodies. "You were outnumbered nearly two to one, caught in a prepared killzone, and you still achieved total victory with minimal casualties. That's... impressive."
"That's the Black Guard," Thorne remarked - no boast, just words laid flat like stones. Not proud. Plain truth dropped into silence.
"Where's the prince?" Darius said once more.
"Basement level three. But Commander... you should prepare yourself. What we found down there is—" Thorne's professional composure cracked slightly. "It's worse than the warehouse. Much worse."
They went down the secret steps, moving beyond the first couple of lower floors - nothing strange there - then hit the third floor where a hallway full of metal doors began.
Prince Ethan Valisar stayed put right in the middle of the hallway, fancy clothes ruined by red streaks, magic sword still in hand. Nearby, Black Guard troops moved slow, pulling scared kids from locked rooms - not rough, but soft-like, tucking warm fabric around shoulders while murmuring calm words that didn't match their usual harsh image.
Nineteen kids. He checked each one when his group stepped out of the stairs. Each pair of eyes carried weight - way more than they should've at that age. Every single one got chewed up by a system built on taking advantage.
Your Royal Highness," Darius whispered softly.
Ethan spun around, yet Darius froze - the icy anger blazing in the prince's gray eyes caught him hard. Not the usual schemer tangled in palace plots this time. Nope - something deeper showed up now. Sharper, too.
"Commander Darius," Ethan said. His voice was perfectly controlled. Too controlled. "Thank you for responding. As you can see, we've located another distribution point. Nineteen victims recovered alive. One nobleman executed."
"You did it?" Darius said, cautious in his tone.
"Lord Cassian Valerius," Ethan said, gesturing to a well-dressed corpse at the end of the corridor. "He ran this location. Called the children 'products' and 'merchandise.' Informed me that I had no legal authority to interfere with his business. So I killed him."
The way Ethan said it so casually made Magnus stop, just for a sec. Sara's hand drifted to her sword without thinking - Darius wasn't sure if she meant to back someone up or step in to stop trouble.
"Your Highness," Darius said carefully. "Lord Valerius was nobility. Connected to half the merchant houses in the capital. His execution without trial—"
"Was necessary," Ethan interrupted. His grey eyes locked on Darius. "He would have used legal protections. Bribed judges. Threatened witnesses. Within weeks he would have walked free and resumed operations. I chose a more permanent solution."
"That's not legal procedure," Marcus said, his voice small. "That's not how the law works."
"The law," Ethan said softly, "failed these children. The law with its procedures and protocols allowed this place to operate for months. So tonight, I became something more efficient than the law."
Magnus stepped forward, studying the prince with new interest. "You executed a nobleman without trial or witnesses. You've created a political nightmare that will haunt your father's court for months. And you did it deliberately, knowing exactly what consequences you'd face." He smiled slightly. "I like you, princeling. You've got teeth."
"This isn't a joke," Sara snapped at Magnus. "The prince just—"
"The prince just did what needed doing," Magnus interrupted. "Same as we did at the warehouse, only with more honesty about it. How many prisoners did we take who 'resisted arrest,' Commander? How many mercenaries who might have surrendered got cut down because we were angry about what we found in those basement cells?"
Darius stayed quiet - Magnus had a point.
"The difference," Ethan said coldly, "is that I accept responsibility for my actions. Lord Valerius deserved execution. I executed him. When my father demands an explanation, I'll give him one. When the High Court investigates, I'll tell them exactly what I did and why. Let them try me if they wish. Let them explain to the kingdom why they're prosecuting the prince who saved nineteen children while defending the nobleman who called them merchandise."
"That's a dangerous game, Your Highness," Darius said.
"I'm tired of games, Commander," Ethan replied. "I'm tired of watching corruption hide behind procedure. I'm tired of watching monsters exploit legal protections while their victims have none." He looked around at the cells, at the chains, at the children being carefully led to safety. "Tonight, nineteen children go free. That's worth whatever political cost I pay."
Quiet filled the hallway. Not even the armored troops moved - everyone was too busy paying attention.
Finally, Darius nodded slowly. "Then we make sure the cost is worth it. We document everything. Every cell, every chain, every piece of evidence. We collect testimony from every child who can speak. We build a case so airtight that anyone who questions your actions has to explain why they're defending this." He gestured to the cells. "We turn your execution into a rallying cry for reform."
"Alright," Ethan replied. After a pause, he added softly, "I appreciate it, sir."
"Don't thank me yet," Darius said. "We still need to brief the other teams. Find out what they discovered. And figure out where the Velvet Merchant actually is, because I'm betting he wasn't here."
"No," Ethan said. "He wasn't. But we found something almost as valuable." He gestured to Captain Thorne, who held a leather journal. "Lord Valerius kept records. Client lists. Payment schedules. And a location marked as 'primary residence' that doesn't match any known Velvet Merchant safe house."
Magnus took the journal, flipping through pages with growing interest. "This is good. Really good. Names I recognize. Some of them very high up the political ladder." He looked at Ethan. "You realize these revelations will cause a scandal that makes your execution of Valerius look like a minor controversy?"
"Good," Ethan said. "Let it burn. Let all of it burn. This infection runs deeper than one merchant and his distribution network. It's time to cauterize the wound, no matter how much it hurts."
"Spoken like someone who doesn't have to manage the political fallout," Sara muttered. But there was grudging respect in her voice.
"Reports coming in from the other teams," Marcus said, his hand to his temple as the communication spells finally reconnected. "Finn's team secured their warehouse—twelve children recovered, multiple prisoners taken. Brutus found another holding facility—eight children, heavy resistance but successful extraction." He paused, listening. "Everyone's converging here for debrief. They want to... they want to see what we found."
Let 'em show up," Ethan said. Let folks watch - enough lies. Enough pretending we don't know what these beasts got away with.
One by one, the rest showed up over the next sixty minutes. Finn came in behind Rhea, their group trailing close, expressions dark after what they'd found. Brutus rolled in next, his crew drained yet grinning, hauling intel about fierce fights where they'd been posted. City guards tagged along after that. Medics followed, there for the kids. Then came the note-takers, ready to log whatever proof turned up.
Down they went into the third basement floor. Everyone spotted the prison rooms, metal restraints, tools built for squeezing labor out of bodies. That's when it clicked - Ethan killed Valerius fast, no questions asked.
"Thirty-eight children total," Darius reported as they gathered in the blood-stained entrance hall. "Across all four locations. Thirty-eight lives saved. Twenty-seven prisoners taken for interrogation. And enough evidence to implicate at least a dozen noble houses in financing or protecting these operations."
"The Velvet Merchant?" Finn asked.
"Still unknown," Ethan said. "But we're closer. The journal we recovered has patterns. Payment sources. Communication protocols. We'll find him."
"And when we do?" Brutus rumbled.
Ethan's grey eyes were cold as winter. "Then we do to him what I did to Valerius. But slower."
No one objected
Things'll get messy after what happened tonight," Darius told the group of fighters and magic users. Yet they'd stood up anyway. Sure, officials will push back. Also expect hearings, maybe even charges. Important folks won't like their hidden truths coming out - no surprise there. Still, you chose correctly. Hold onto that once judges and bigwigs begin calling names. We pulled thirty-eight kids out of a nightmare. No matter the cost, that move was right
"For the kids," Captain Thorne remarked.
"For the kids," everyone shouted together.
While medics started moving survivors out, while record-keepers noted clues and guards handled captives, Prince Ethan stayed by himself in the main hall. Staring at the blood on his palms. The gore staining his sword. The weight of what he'd done sitting heavy inside him.
Magnus moved close without a sound. "Any regrets, little prince?"
"Nope," Ethan replied. What about you?
"Never," Magnus replied. "Though I will say—you surprised me tonight. I expected political calculation. Strategic restraint. Instead you went for the throat. Literally."
"Sometimes," Ethan said, "restraint is just cowardice wearing a respectable mask."
Magnus laughed—a genuine sound of approval. "Maybe there's hope for nobility after all. Just don't get yourself executed for this. That would be disappointing."
"I'll try to avoid it," Ethan said dryly.
When morning light touched the city, the squads got ready to split up. While kids headed to hidden shelters, inmates moved toward locked rooms instead. Meanwhile, proof was sent off to guarded storage units.
Still, nobody missed the point - what happened wasn't the end. They'd wrecked part of the Velvet Merchant's scheme, yet he was still out there. Pissed off. On the loose.
"He'll retaliate," Darius said to his assembled team leaders. "Tonight we hurt him badly. Destroyed multiple locations. Freed dozens of victims. Killed or captured most of his ground-level operators. He can't ignore that."
"Let him come," Ethan said. His hand rested on his rapier. "I'm done hiding. Done playing political games while monsters operate in the shadows. If the Velvet Merchant wants war, he'll get it."
"War," Magnus echoed thoughtfully. "Against an enemy we can't identify. Who has connections to the highest levels of power. Who's proven himself willing to kill anyone who threatens him." He grinned. "This is going to be interesting."
"This is going to be dangerous," Sara corrected.
"Same deal," Magnus said.
Once everyone headed off to do their jobs, Darius took Prince Ethan by the arm. "Hey, listen - regarding Lord Valerius… should things go south, I'll back you up."
"I don't," Ethan interrupted. "I meant what I said. I'll accept full responsibility for my actions. But thank you, Commander. Your support tonight means more than you know."
"Just... be careful," Darius said. "Political enemies can be as dangerous as physical ones. Maybe more so."
"I know," Ethan said. "But I'm done being careful. Careful didn't save these children. Action did. So from now on, that's what I'll be—a man of action, not politics."
He turned and left, Darius frozen in the doorway slick with blood, unsure whether this was the start of something brave - or a disaster unfolding.
Possibly both.
Miles off, tucked somewhere just a handful knew about, the Velvet Merchant got word of the mess from tonight. Four spots blown - close to forty people gone. Scores of agents either snatched or dead. Then came the news: Lord Valerius was finished.
On top of everything else - proof. Paper trails. Names written down. Details that might break apart a whole setup built slow over time.
"Burn it all," the Velvet Merchant said quietly. "Every location we can't defend. Every record that might link back to me. Every loose end."
"The clients will be unhappy," his assistant ventured.
"The clients will be terrified," the Velvet Merchant corrected. "Terrified that their names might be in those records. That their secrets might be exposed. That's good. Terrified clients are pliable clients. We'll use their fear."
"And Prince Ethan?"
The Velvet Merchant smiled—a cold expression that never reached his eyes. "The prince has made himself our enemy. How unfortunate for him. Make sure our remaining operations understand Prince Ethan Valisar is now a priority target. I want him dead within the week."
"Yes, sir."
When the helper left, the Silk Trader went back to checking records. This evening's setback mattered - still, it wasn't deadly. Past hits hurt more. Recovery was possible. Shift tactics. Try new paths.
When he fought back, Prince Ethan'd realize certain beasts aren't lurking in darkness due to frailty.
They stay out of sight - this way, taking lives becomes simpler
To Be Continued in chapter 40...