Dimensional Travels: Chapter 140: Deciding our fates

Chapter 140: Deciding our fates

Michael sat in Jethrel’s office. His green eyes had dark circles under them, and a beard was starting to grow, little more than stubble. A sergeant walked into the room, handing him a fresh stack of papers. "Captain, as requested, here is the list of all the rescued civilians."

Michael sighed. "Thank you, Ricardo."

Erica sat at a different desk, sifting through financial docunts. "You look like hell. Are you sure you don’t need to rest? You’ve been awake for nearly thirty-six hours."

Michael shook his head. "I can’t rest while we still consolidate manpower. Right after taking control of a new city, it is at its most vulnerable. We can’t afford to relax, then have our throats slit in the middle of the night."

Erica grimaced at the visual. "I see."

Justin walked into the room and stood in front of Michael’s desk. "Sir, the city leaders have co to talk to you, as requested."

Michael stood up. "Alright, let

wash my face and shave. Tell them that I will be right there."

"Yes, sir."

Erica looked up from her papers as Michael walked out of the room. "You were able to find the city leaders that quickly?" She said, looking at Justin.

He nodded. "Yeah. They kinda..."

He paused as if unsure what to say.

"Let’s just say that they actually sought us out. I was with Bravo setting up the shelter for the orphaned children, and a woman in a red dress approached . She told

her lord wished to speak with us."

Erica narrowed her eyes. "A red dress, you say? Is that all the woman wanted?"

Justin gulped, his eyes looking rapidly around the room. "Yes, I promise."

She smirked, turning back to her papers. "You are so fun to ss with, babe."

Michael stepped into the bathroom. He looked at his gaunt face and sighed. "How do you do it, Eric?" He said as he shaved his face.

After leaving the bathroom, Michael saw Justin standing there like a rat trapped in a cage.

"You good, bud? You look like you’ve seen a ghost."

Justin turned around. "Yes, sir." He said shakily. "Just tired."

Michael looked at Erica, seeing her smirking. He shook his head. "Whatever. Lead

to the room where the town leaders are."

"Dreil, are you sure that these otherworlders will be better for us than those Cartharic buffoons?" A man said nervously as he looked around the room. "I’ve heard tales of these n in green. My uncle said they destroyed Hizel’s unit without a single loss."

The man the speaker was talking to smirked. A woman in a red dress walked into the room and handed him a cup of water.

"Thank you, Maribeth." He said before turning to the speaker.

The woman rely bowed before taking her place standing behind him.

"Lirel, the truth of the matter is that you will no longer be able to line your pockets with bribes. Tell , friend. Are you rely worried about the other worlders, or how much change you will miss out because you can’t pay your way in?"

Lirel scoffed. "You lie." He hissed, his hands clenched under the desk. "My products are clean, and more desirable than your..."

Dreil narrowed his eyes. "Stop referring to people as products, you vile fiend. I will see you hanged one day. Your ’business’, if you want to call it that, repulses

to no end. No one confronts you for it because of your Army... but oh? You don’t have one anymore. Is that right?"

Lirel began shaking. He stood up, pulling a mana pistol out and aiming it at Dreil. "Enou-"

His words were cut out as Michael walked in. Michael paused, feeling the tension in the air. His soldiers had their weapons raised and were advancing towards the sole man standing. "What’s going on?" He then saw the pistol.

He imdiately tackled the man, knocking the weapon away.

"What is all this about?!" Michael shouted in Brishian as two soldiers ca to assist in detaining Lirel.

Dreil sipped more water as Lirel was cuffed. "That man is a slaver. I called him out for his business, and he feels that his case is just. He pretends to operate his business under Cartharic law, but I assure you that is not the case. Under Cartharic law, enslaved people are only legal for criminals convicted of kidnapping, sexual assault, and murder. I am sure that if you search his property, you will see many of the Dreskin city won caught amidst the conflict, trapped in cells. All of whom are innocent and have no history of such cris that would warrant slavery."

Michael narrowed his eyes. "And you are sure of this?"

Dreil nodded. "Yes. The lady you see behind

is in charge of collecting information for . She was able to spot this man’s crew rounding up won and children when your forces were making their way into the city."

Michael frowned with disgust. "If I send my soldiers with your lady, can she show them?"

Maribeth bowed. "Yes, my lord. I will be happy to show your n where the innocents are being held captive."

Michael’s eyes widened, and his hands raised in front of him. "Ma’am, we do not do that here. I am not a lord. I am a captain in the Army. Please address

as such, and I ask that you not bow to ."

Maribeth stood up and smiled. "As you wish, Captain." She noticed the ring, and Michael thought that he saw disappointnt in her eyes. Michael sat at the head of the table and looked at the two soldiers holding the captured city leader. "Take him to a cell for now. See if you can get any information from him. If he refuses to talk, so be it."

The Sergeant in charge of the watch nodded before directing two new soldiers to take position in the corners of the room. "Alright, you gentlen asked to see ," Michael said, pulling out a notebook. "What is it that you wish to discuss?"

Dreil looked to the two other leaders. Neither of them spoke, so he sighed.

"Very well."

He then turned to Michael. "For a long ti, our families have held control over Dresken. Polsanski here."

Dreil pointed to a red-haired man who appeared to be middle-aged. He was dressed in a maroon suit with a black corset.

"Is in charge of finances and the laws that govern business. Lirel, the man your soldiers apprehended, was in charge of the defensive budget and police force. I am in charge of governnt policies and ensuring that no single person has sole power over governance. Lewerky."

Dreil gestured to a heavy-set man present in the room. Lewerky was wearing a blue suit and had thick gold-rimd glasses on. "Is in charge of sanitation and general health. There are other nobles who are in charge of various duties, but by now they must have either perished or fled the city. Now, the reason why we requested this eting is simple. We wish to know of our fates. I am sure that we will no longer be in power, but who will be in charge, and will we have to give up our assets?"

Michael took note of the nobles as Dreil spoke. He wrote down the nas of each man and their duties before looking up from the notebook.

"I will answer your second question first. No, you will not have to give up your assets. We will conduct a thorough investigation of your estates to ensure no illicit activities or human rights violations are being committed, but your assets will not be seized so long as you are not breaking the law. We will publish new laws as soon as we have a more permanent guard rotation and the Riemskin officials arrive. As for who will be in charge of the city? Riemskin will retain command. My unit will be in charge of security."

Dreil nodded. "Very well. I can only speak for myself, but I will fully cooperate with your investigation of my estate. I will also offer any resources I can to help with manning the periter."

The other two nodded, and Michael narrowed his eyes.

"This is too easy. People in power never give up that power like this."

He thought as he tapped his pen against the desk. "Gentlen, I will be frank. Your words make

suspicious that you may be hiding sothing. From my experiences, I know that those in power do not give it up that easily. Is there a reason why you simply wish to hand everything over to us?"

Dreil laughed. "Once again, I can only speak for myself, but I find it to be a hassle."

Michael almost choked on his water. "A hassle?"

Dreil nodded. "Yes. A hassle. I run a lucrative craftmanship business. My artisans are renowned throughout Cartharic, and many of my clients travel for months to purchase from . Running Dresken politics detracts

from my financial goals. If I may be so frank as to say, you are offering

a way to simply be a businessman? And you will not take my assets? Well, that puts my mind at ease. I have heard rumors of your power, and tales from the front lines reached all the way here. When I saw the power of your equipnt for myself, I was fearful that you may wish to dispose of us. Since you say you have no desire to do so, I am happy to go on about my business. Although it will be in Riemskin now, and not Cartharic."