Ashen sat behind his desk in the administrative hall.
On both sides of the desk, two low sofas held Alice and Seraphine. Alice wore a stylish skirt, pantyhose, and turtleneck shirt, her long black coat discarded beside her. Seraphine had opted to keep her coat over her usual church attire.
Lucia preferred standing. She leaned against the wall with a stack of papers, reading them with concentration.
Behind Ashen, Sabrina stood in her usual maid uniform, awaiting orders.
The relaxed atmosphere was interrupted by a knock.
"Enter."
The door opened to reveal a soft-looking woman with orange hair. She gave off a bookish vibe with her large, round glasses and slim build.
"My lord, I'm here as you called." She kept her head low, obviously nervous from the way she didn't dare meet anyone's eyes.
"Bonnie, long time no see."
Ashen's soothing voice put her at ease.
"Yes..."
Bonnie had never believed that the Bloodwall soldier who'd saved her in that dirty alley would reach this far so fast.
To be honest, she'd developed a small crush on him since that day. No matter how many men she'd been with for work after, the little spark refused to fade.
On the contrary, as she felt how every man treated her as a hole to satisfy themselves with rather than a fellow human, while he—even after seeing her at her most whorish state on her knees between two men—still treated her as a lady and even defended her, the spark had grown into a campfire.
But that same campfire threatened to be extinguished on the spot when she saw the assortment of women in the room.
It wasn't like she'd hoped for something as dreamy as a relationship. But maybe being allowed to relieve him now and then would be permitted?
That was the primary reason she'd looked for him back in Ashbastion. That was also why she'd followed him here, to the ends of the earth, when she got the chance.
But it looked like the opportunity to satisfy a man she actually liked for once would never come. Not with the way each woman kept sending glances at him. And certainly not with one of them being her idol, Alice Sinclair herself.
"Are you alright?" The same soothing voice echoed in her ears, pulling her from her daze.
"Yes... Yes!"
Seeing her jumpy demeanor, Ashen decided to ease her in with lighter questions before getting to business.
"How have you been? Staying healthy?"
"Y-yes, my lord. Very healthy." Bonnie fidgeted with her hands.
"And adjusting to the new environment? I know it's quite different from Ashbastion."
"Actually..." She relaxed slightly. "Thanks to you, my lord, the conditions here are surprisingly good. And as a woman who works in prostitution, well, as long as there are men, I'll never fail to find my place."
She lowered her head at the end, ashamed.
Ashen's tone didn't change. "That's actually why I called for you."
Bonnie looked up.
"The escort trade will find a place for itself in any civilization," Ashen said. "Stopping it is foolhardy, and I don't plan to. My soldiers and citizens need an outlet to release stress. Some women in this territory need points, and this work is their option."
He leaned forward slightly.
"I won't be cruel enough to deprive them of that. But I do want to regulate this sector. And that's where you come in."
"Me...?" She tilted her head, not understanding.
"Yes. I want you to work for me. I'll give you all the support you need… buildings, points, information, protection. In return, I want the majority of sex workers organized under us."
Her nervousness returned.
Ashen raised a hand. "Don't worry. The work I'm assigning you isn't dangerous. You know how men's tongues loosen during intimate acts. They start saying things they shouldn't."
"I want you to convey all that to me. Who comes and goes. What they say. You've done something similar on a smaller scale before, right?"
"Yes..." Bonnie's voice was barely above a whisper.
"Of course, you won't do this alone. I said I'd provide information, and that includes competent subordinates to help you. By the end of it, you won't even have to lift a finger except to bring me their reports."
Bonnie absorbed this for a moment, then bowed deeply. "Thank you, my lord. I accept. Thank you for trusting me with this."
"I trust your character," Ashen said simply. "And if I'm going to benefit someone, it should be one of my friends."
Bonnie beamed at that.
'He considers me a friend...'
And as she made her way to the door and stepped outside, another thought wormed its way into her head.
'Maybe just having the opportunity to hear that soothing voice is reason enough to come all the way here.'
⁂
As the door shut, Ashen turned to Lucia. "Partner, I'm leaving that and every other information-gathering method in your capable hands. Alice's constructs, the surveillance room, all of it."
"I want you to develop them into a complete and thorough information department."
Lucia gave a small nod, as if he'd asked her to grab groceries on the way back.
"Good."
Not long after, another knock came.
"Enter."
This time, the guest was a gloomy-looking man with a long scar running from his temple down to his chin. His eyes looked almost dead, only lighting up when his gaze landed on Ashen.
"My lord." His hulking frame almost folded in half as he bowed deeply toward the desk, not sparing a glance toward the four women.
"Hans, you're here. Lift your head."
Ashen turned to Seraphine. "Hans is the head of the team I recruited for the inquisition department. There are twenty members for now."
Seraphine looked up, not intimidated in the least by his frame. She tilted her head, gave him a once-over, and smiled at Ashen. "I trust your judgment, Ash."
He nodded, then looked back at Hans. "These two ladies will be your instructors for the foreseeable future. You answer only to them. Understood?"
Hans followed Ashen's gaze toward the delicate-looking blonde woman and the pink-haired one beside her.
He knew their reputations. The pinkette, especially, was like a boogeyman to cultists. As for the nun, there was a saying in Seravelle: any nun is a devil to a cult member, no matter how delicate and innocent she seems.
Even if the one beside him looked like an angel, he dared not protest his lord's choice of leaders.
"Yes, Lord!" He acquiesced immediately.
"Greetings, my ladies!" With the same intensity he'd shown Ashen, he greeted them.
Lucia merely nodded. Seraphine did a small wave with her signature bright smile.
"Alright, you can go. Inform your team that training starts tomorrow. I'll send the schedule later."
"Yes."
After he left, Alice asked curiously, "What criteria did you use for recruitment?"
Ashen's face tightened.
After a pause, he answered. "Circumstances."
"Those who had their families killed by cultists. Those who had their lovers deceived. Their children kidnapped. Or were personally attacked." He looked at each of them. "I gathered them all."
"The current team isn't the best in terms of firepower, but they have a stronger drive than anyone."
The four women absorbed his words and understood the reason for such a choice. He was using hatred as the first defense against betrayal. Cultists always had ways to tempt the unsuspecting, but hatred was a fine cure to temptation.
Ashen broke the tense atmosphere. "Anyway, how about I show you Alice's new workshop?"
Before anyone could respond, another knock came.
"Enter…"
Chief Captain Rodrik stepped inside, looking distinctly flustered.
"Lord, a guest is awaiting you."
Ashen tilted his head, wondering who could make the garrison chief this unsettled.
He understood immediately when Rodrik added, "It's Edward James. The Kingmaker."
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[Bonnie IMAGE]