Forty-Nine

"This sucks," Kon said as he turned over their winnings from the last several matches. Even with Turja's team making bets for them on the side, their winnings were hardly more than what they'd have taken from clearing a few rifts. A heap of F and E-Grade stones that Kon could drain in a hard sparring session to refuel himself.

"Welcome to the world of wandering cultivators. It's bloody, the food is suspicious, and there's not a lot of money involved," Benny said with a cackle as he sat down next to them. Diur grunted but refrained from saying anything negative as she continued to clean her blade.

Her last opponent had some type of corrosive technique that had sent Diur into a rage while the crowd hooted and hollered. She'd still won, leaving the cultivator alive but missing an arm. After the grudge matches she hadn't slain either of her next official opponents, but both of them would carry the scars of the match forever.

Kon's match after fighting Murang had been less than he expected. A small, speedy cultivator that hadn't lasted more than a single exchange of blows. He'd been heckled by the crowd as he climbed out of the pit, but most of the derision had been thrown at the wandering cultivator.

"What are the odds like?" Kon asked. Benny and Turja were working closely on that along with whatever other games the two ancients were up to.

"Diur's becoming a darkhorse. Our bet for her to win her leg of the tournament was originally eight to one, but it's fallen to four to one. Only a few of the sects have left any talent here and she's obviously trained enough to be a threat to anyone left alive. Your fight with Murang was bloody enough that most were assuming it was grit that won out or Murang making mistakes. Last fight didn't help that at all," Benny said the last part with a hint of disappointment.

"My odds don't matter as much as the pride of the sects I've injured. Have their elders made any moves yet?" Diur asked.

"Not yet. Might have to pull the long one on that and get you topside to see that payout. Kon should net us something good if he keeps his cool and draws out the fights. It's going to be tough though, I've looked over the rest of the lower bracket tournament and its trash. You should go straight through them all like nothing," Benny said. Kon tried not to puff up at the compliment as he stared straight ahead, but he could feel a bit of warmth on his cheeks.

"Kon, I want to take a walk with you. Go grab the merchant mask," Benny said after a moment. He'd done this a few times when he wanted to teach Kon how to move stealthily through a crowd or tail a target. Both things he'd been miserable at. Diur didn't say anything as he got up to leave, grabbing his mask and following Benny to the staircase.

"We are unseen," Benny said and Kon felt a tiny flutter of power roll over them as they worked their way down the steps into the main cavern. As the days had worn on turning into weeks, the cavern had slowly whittled down to nearly only those who were participating in the latest tournament bracket were left.

It left the great cavern feeling empty, where there were more shadows and remnants than there were people, even if thousands still worked here. The collapse in quality of the marketplace was another. The supplies had become rather limited as time had marched on. There were still storage rooms filled to the brim for the upper markets catering to the wealthy, but they were heavily guarded by both Teno mercenaries and the sects themselves.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, down a side passage and away from the central cavern before Benny bothered to speak.

"What do you know of the Orders?" Benny asked. Kon had to suppress a sigh as he was being led into an educational lesson.

"They're a series of groups that act more like social clubs with mixed membership, mercantile, martial, fleet, and nobility. From what Alice told me they are one of the biggest political groups amongst the diaspora," Kon said.

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"Wouldn't say social club. Think them more of a…damn social club fits actually. Maybe society would be better? Damnit, my mind keeps wandering. But Alice was right. They span the normal stratification of social classes,they help bind us together. Generally they are led by councils, each elected from their own social sphere, but headed by a Grandmaster."

"Alright, so what's the deal with them and why are they now going to be our problem?" Kon asked.

"Order Draconis rose quickly and powerfully which upset quite a few people. Power moving around does normally make people upset, but this time is a bit worse. Some of the old orders, those limping along more on their name than any deeds done in the last century, have been pushed even further to the side," Benny said.

"Someone decided they didn't like being shoved to the side?"

"That's one way of describing it. I generally focus on external threats but I've kept a bit of an eye on these developments and have some contacts who do internal security. But I believe we've stumbled upon our issue," Benny said. They had found a small room and Kon opened it up as the two of them settled in, closing the door behind them.

"The goblin files were finally decoded?" Kon said as they shut the door and settled into the space. The scent of dried herbs still lingered even though there was nothing left aside from dirt and stone.

"They were. The contact was a human ship. I had to go through my records to see who owned it and it was hidden in a series of shell companies and other myriad ways of hiding who owns the ship. But the crew can't be hidden and the crew are all loyal retainers to House Thierry," Benny said.

"Shit, it explains why he was so close to Crucible to pick us up. He was ready to pounce," Kon said as his mind finished connecting the dots.

"Two strikes in one. I know we were thinking who was the target, Titan's Resolve or Daniur's ascension, but the simple truth of the matter was that it all lined up for them. Two birds with one single stone. Now, their plans didn't quite work out the way they wanted too," Benny said, nodding toward Kon.

"What now?" Kon asked.

"Now, I go and find Melissa and we go crawl through the databanks of the House Thierry warships. Collect evidence that Thierry conspired with outsiders to shed human blood and draw them down," Benny said.

"How does Thierry connect to the order?" Kon asked.

"They have deep roots in the Order of the Lion. Unfortunately for them the Lion hasn't attracted any Knights who have managed to pass the threshold to B-Grade in nearly two-hundred years. It's an old order and they have deep pockets and prestige, but the veneer is growing thin for them," Benny said.

"So try to sabotage the competition, I get that, but what else do they get from it?" Kon asked.

"That's what I'm hoping to find. I suspect war is coming and our services are going to be required. I wouldn't at all be surprised to find Chapterhouses aligned with the Lion are the first in line to get those contracts," Benny said.

"All of this just for money?" Kon asked, disbelief filling him as he thought of Alice and Knight Bosch. Rage funneled through a moment later, hot and acidic, souring in his mouth as his fists clenched at his sides.

"So far. There's still more investigating to do, but it's looking like stupidity and greed won out," Benny said, shaking his head.

"Alice and Knight Bosch died because some old bastards didn't like that they were being left behind?" Kon ground out, a muscle bunching in his jaw as he struggled to hold back the hot torrent of rabid hatred that scoured him.

"Easy, boyo. It's better to be cold about these things. Mourn them, grieve, let it all out. Then avenge them cold as ice." Benny's weathered hand ran across Kon's shoulders as he lent Kon a moment of empathy. Tears ran down Kon's face as he tried to suppress the anger he was feeling, the absolute loathing, rage, black hatred that threatened to drag him into a blinding red fury. It had arrived so quickly, birthed like a star in his gut that it swept him away with the heat of it, the depth of bone deep hate that spawned instantly.

"I always wanted the best for my people. Always wanted to see the good in them. But, we are human and that is to be flawed. I can not change that anymore than you can. All we can do is even the scales when injustice has been committed," Benny whispered. Kon looked up to him, the aged face covered in wrinkles and a sadness, a sorrow that couldn't be comprehended, of loss that defied reality. And he realized as he stared at those hard eyes, Kon knew that Benny would bring justice. A cold, clinical, balancing of the scales no matter how many years passed.

"Yeah," Kon said, his voice trembling under the strain of his emotions as Benny patted him gently.

"We don't know for sure. But we will soon. Just focus on the next match coming up and I'm sure you'll do fine, boyo. Then you go hop in the bath and come out a brand new man, even more full of energy than ever before," Benny said.

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