For the Glory of Rome: Chronicles of an Isekai'd Legion

B2 Chapter 54: Let's Make a Deal

Marcus itched at the mask pressed against his face. It was an angular thing made of metal and vaguely shaped like a human face, but with square eyes and a more pointy chin. Its corners pressed into particularly sensitive spots around his eyes, and the lack of breathability left his forehead dripping with sweat. That, along with the Legionnaire's helmet and heavy cloak he wore, left him practically sweltering.

Nevertheless, it couldn't be helped. He understood the reasons—remaining anonymous during the ransom process was essential for him.

Beside him, Gaius and a small group of Legionnaires stood without any such disguises. For them, being recognized by the duke would almost be a boon. After all, they were making no secret of who had captured Hausten and its former baroness. Presenting themselves forthrightly like this would only further solidify them as a real nation rather than a band of brigands.

Still, he couldn't help but sigh. Until negotiations were well behind them, it would be too much of a risk to venture inside the city again. Their passage had already been noted if the shadowy pursuers that Iladrien mentioned were any indication. So while his night on the town had been a fun change of pace, it was a vacation he wasn't likely to get again anytime soon.

A horse bearing a lone rider appeared on the horizon, coming from the direction of the city. The figure soon resolved into that of a wispy-haired man with spiderlike limbs and a fine travel coat. A small pair of spectacles perched atop his beak of a nose.

The man galloped to a halt in front of Marcus's group and dismounted carefully. He straightened his coat and stepped forward, his voice clear.

"I am Charles Piedmont, chamberlain to Duke Mark of Redcliffe. I am here to confirm the claims put forth in this letter."

Charles reached into his jacket pocket. Marcus felt the Legionnaires tense at the motion. The chamberlain froze, seemingly picking up on the sudden increase in tension before continuing to produce the letter. More slowly this time.

One of the soldiers stepped forward to retrieve the letter, then passed it to Gaius for inspection. It took only a few moments of scrutiny before the officer nodded. "This is indeed the letter we sent. You agree to our conditions then?"

The chamberlain swallowed and nodded. "I am in your care. But know that if anything should happen to me, much less to Mariella and her daughter, then you will be hard pressed to find a more tenacious enemy than the duke."

Gaius chuckled. "Rest assured that we mean you no harm. It is in our best interests for negotiations to go smoothly. Now, if you would."

With a hesitant nod, Charles raised his arms. He was patted down for any hidden weapons, then he climbed atop another horse in front of a Legionnaire. A blindfold covered his eyes as the rest of the group mounted up and rode off.

Their destination wasn't too far away. However, the switchbacks and extra turns they took to confound the chamberlain's senses significantly increased their travel time. Marcus was certain that Gaius didn't mind. The presence of horses out here had lifted the man's spirits considerably, prompting them to buy what they could. But some of the ideas he was hearing to get the beasts home… well, Marcus was curious to see them put into action.

As they moved, Gaius calmly explained how things were going to go.

"For everyone's safety, including that of our two hostages, we will not reveal their exact location. Otherwise, the temptation to push forward with a rescue attempt may prove too strong—and we wouldn't want to risk them coming to harm in the chaos of such an event..."

Marcus followed Gaius's words as he kept an eye on Charles. So far, he detected no hint of deception or anything indicating an imminent betrayal. Just the standard nervousness one might expect in such a situation, albeit masked by a veneer of feigned confidence.

As for the spiel itself, Marcus had obviously assisted in preparing it. Though not a noble himself he was certainly used to running in those circles—which meant he could speak their language. Hearing rationale and speech patterns in line with that would make the man far more comfortable and confident in the Legion's intentions.

The group entered into the copse of trees and ushered the old man into a tent before removing his blindfold. He blinked in the dim light before focusing on the figure seated before him.

Baroness Mariella von Latimore sat unrestrained and ungagged in a small chair. In her lap sat the cherubic figure of her daughter. The mother combed through the little girl's hair with a fine brush.

The pair were in just as good of health as Marcus could hope. They looked a little disheveled, sure, but certainly not malnourished or harmed.

The baroness's eyes widened at the new arrivals. "Uncle Charles!"

She scooped up her daughter and leapt to her feet, rushing toward the chamberlain. A legionnaire moved to block her path, but Gaius reached out a hand to stop him. The two met in what Marcus found to be an unexpectedly warm and familial embrace.

The heartwarming scene was somewhat ruined as Marcus saw her slip a small note inside Charles's pocket. The sight made him shake his head internally. The woman was persistent, he'd give her that.

"You're alive." Charles stepped back and smiled with relief. "Are you unharmed?"

Mariella nodded, albeit a little reluctantly. "We are unharmed. But Klein…"

She trailed off, her gaze going distant at the mention of her late husband. The chamberlain also fell silent as he understood her meaning. He squeezed her and her daughter tightly.

After a moment, Marcus stepped forward. He pitched his voice down and affected an accent that fit in with the Romans around him. "You've seen that they live. Are you satisfied?"

Charles turned to him and shook his head. "Not yet. I must speak to her to verify that this is no illusion."

Marcus nodded. "Understood. However, I will have you step back. Just in case."

He placed a hand on the man's shoulder as a pair of Legionnaires stepped toward the baroness. At the same time, Marcus activated [Sleight of Hand] to snag the little paper from Charles's pocket without anyone noticing.

The woman resisted as she was gently pulled away, but the Legionnaires didn't budge. She scowled, glaring at the men momentarily before her daughter began to wiggle restlessly. Her expression softened as she began to gently bounce the girl.

The baroness and chamberlain began to talk, albeit with a few feet of distance between them now. As they spoke, Marcus quietly sidled up to Gaius and slipped the officer the note he'd pilfered. The officer glanced down and raised an eyebrow, but obliged and read the paper out of sight.

Marcus returned his attention to the conversation. Despite its relatively mundane nature, it was abundantly clear that they weren't simply making small talk. The topics bounced around as though both participants had the attention span of a squirrel. Marcus could pick out where the conversation felt off, slightly stilted or contained non-sequiturs that were just strange enough to be unnatural.

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It was clear that their speech was being obscured by some sort of skill—one that encoded their words. Unfortunately, without a counter he had no way of actually knowing what messages were being passed along. Maybe the baroness was trying to pass along their location? Unlikely. They'd taken care to ensure that she didn't have an exact idea of where they were either, though she might be able to give general directions to the Legion camp. Maybe they were simply encoded wellness checks.

He whispered as much to Gaius. The young officer nodded, tucking the baroness's note away in a pouch at his waist. "I'm not surprised. Likely they have some manner of verification in place in case of an event such as this. I would. Still, we'll move camps after this for the sake of caution."

Marcus nodded in agreement. They'd set up the meeting location in a separate copse of trees than the one the Legion had made camp in. However, it never hurt to be too careful.

"All right, that's enough," Gaius interrupted them. "You've had plenty of time to confirm it's actually her. That was all we needed you to do."

Charles stood up and straightened himself, tugging his clothes in order before clearing his throat. "I have been authorized by the Duke to negotiate her release immediately. He's willing to pay what you requested—double, if you allow both of them to return with me immediately."

Marcus's eyebrows shot up at that. Perhaps they had been a little too conservative in their pricing if the man was this willing to pay. One glance at Gaius's face suggested that he was honestly considering the chamberlain's offer.

"We have no guarantee that you will make good on your payment once you are in possession of the hostages." Gaius pointed out. "Unless you have brought such a sum on your person?"

Charles shook his head. "Obviously not. Unless you believe that I've somehow managed to conceal multiple chests worth of gold on my person and snuck them past your inspection."

Marcus almost chuckled. In theory, it was possible. It just would have required a dimensional storage device worth more than the ransom itself.

"I thought not." Gaius replied. "Releasing them both incurs too much risk o us, as I'm certain you understand. However… as a gesture of good faith, I'd be willing to release the girl to your care."

Charles started. "Truly?"

"Of course." Gaius smiled. "We are no savages. We have no taste for the ransoming of children. Rather, her inclusion in the letter was simply a means to inform you that she is safe and in our care."

Marcus practically felt whiplash from the bald-faced lie. But the sheer smoothness with which the officer delivered the line made him reconsider how many points Gaius might actually have in charisma.

The information caused Charles's stern countenance to soften significantly. He still eyed the Legionnaires with wariness, of course. That was only to be expected. But it did earn them a dip of his head..

"Milord will be pleased to hear that. I accept your offer gladly. Then—"

"No."

Every head in the room turned to face the baroness. She clutched her daughter tightly to her chest as she stared Gaius down.

"No." She reiterated. "She will not leave my side."

Charles blinked in surprise. "Mariella," he began in a conciliatory tone. "She'll be safer away from all of this. More comfortable, too. Besides, it won't be long before you'll be able to rejoin her."

"I don't trust them." The baroness said flatly. "Who's to say that they won't simply kill or capture you both once you're out of sight?"

"That would be detrimental to both parties." Gaius pointed out. "If we wanted to do that, then we could have taken the good chancellor here hostage at any time. Besides, what harm have we done to you and your daughter? We're simply trying to make a show of good faith."

"Was it 'good faith' when you killed my husband?" Mariella snapped.

"He died in battle—a battle he himself chose to engage in, might I remind you."

"Only because you tyrants surrounded our city and took us prisoner. I'm beginning to think that holding hostages is all that you know."

Marcus stood back as he watched the argument unfold. The baroness's objections aside, the negotiations were going more smoothly than he'd anticipated. Too smoothly. At this rate, they'd be able to resolve everything without even meeting the duke.

It might have been ideal in the short term, but not for Marcus's plans. He wanted more out of this negotiation than simple gold. He wanted to use this opportunity to speak to the duke, to feel out his allegiances and disposition. It was the reason why he'd insisted at setting the ransom at such an exorbitant amount—to increase the chance of being called before him. Unfortunately, he'd apparently underestimated the man's wealth and love for his family.

Glancing up, it seemed as though some sort of agreement was on the verge of being reached. One that resulted in Mariella's daughter being allowed free. That meant that Marcus was running low on time. He needed to figure out an in, and fast. One that didn't call for sabotaging the Legion or their negotiations, either.

He stepped forward. "Chancellor. I believe we will need to speak with the duke before these negotiations are over."

The man arched an eyebrow. "I see no need for that. As I said, I've been vested with the authority to carry out negotiations here."

"This is not about the ransom. It is about other matters. Ones that will soon find themselves at his doorstep."

"How incredibly vague. If you wish for me to pass on a message, then I shall consider it. But the duke is a busy man."

Sighing, Marcus raised a hand to his face and removed his mask. He really would have preferred to remain anonymous. But he needed to leverage whatever tools he had at this point. Besides, at the rate that the Legion was conquering things, maybe his status as a wanted man in Novara wouldn't persist for much longer after all.

Charles's brow furrowed. "You. You seem familiar somehow…"

"[Royal Bard] Marcus Silvanus D'Angelo, at your service," he introduced himself with a flourishing bow. "You may have heard my works. There are quite a number of them that have gained notoriety amongst the nobility."

"You works?" The chamberlain frowned in thought for a moment before seeming to recall something. His tone turned dry. "Ah, yes. If I recall, the 'Trysts of the Twin Princesses' has sparked quite a bit of talk in the capital."

Marcus couldn't help but grin. "Ah, so you have heard of me."

"The king has made sure that every noble in the kingdom has." Charles said. "He's made them quite aware of the reward for your head, and the consequences for aiding you."

The bard waved the man's words off. "You understand the risk I take by revealing myself, then. But I assure you, we will make a meeting worth his time. There are great changes on the horizon—ones that I am certain the duke will want to remain ahead of. And I see no better opportunity to clear the air between our two factions."

"You ally yourself with these people, then?" Charles nodded toward Gaius and his Legionnaires. "Have you turned traitor against Novara, too?"

"Traitor? No." Marcus shook his head. "In fact, what I do is for the best interests of its people."

Charles pursed his lips and considered the proposal. He clearly harbored distaste for Marcus, especially given the current situation. But the combination of liberally-applied [Charm] and [Silver Tongue] was nothing to be taken lightly.

"...I will see what I can arrange." The chancellor finally relented. "After our dealings here are through."

"While our dealings are in progress." Gaius corrected. "I have no desire to be assassinated while speaking to the man simply because we've lost our leverage."

Charles looked affronted at the very suggestion, but nodded with a sigh. "Very well. I will arrange a meeting upon my return."

The chancellor and the baroness's daughter were readied for their return trip to the city. Meanwhile, Gaius and Marcus remained in the tent. A handful of Legionnaires remained with them and guarded the baroness herself. The woman continued to glare sullenly at anyone who looked her way.

"I'm surprised." Gaius began. "I didn't expect you to push for a meeting like that."

Marcus shrugged. "I feel that it can be good for all of us. Not just regarding the ransom, but also to exchange information. Besides, I have an idea."

That made Gaius raise his eyebrows, and Mariella's expression darken. "If you so much as attempt to harm a hair on my father's head…"

Marcus shook his head. "Of course not. I wouldn't presume to do such a thing. I was not lying when I said that I act in the best interest of Novara's people, you know."

It really wasn't a lie. After all, being alive certainly was in most people's best interests.