Why did I do that? She thought. She would have been well within her rights to refuse the duel. Some may have taken it for confirmation of whatever poor view they had of nobles, some may have thought her a coward, but most wouldn’t care. It had been a challenge issued for no discernible provocation.

  Now that she had accepted though, going back on it would hit her reputation hard. Not that she had need of any such thing now, but she may in the future. She was furious at Gavin, but she was just as furious at herself.

  In the moment, she saw an opportunity to put him in his place. His father should have no reason to terminate her employment or otherwise undermine her when... if she won. Gavin was the aggressor; the source of conflict. If she read the governor correctly, he would have no problem with her beating his son after such a brazen challenge.

  But that was just a guess. For all she knew, the governor would threaten her job if she didn’t lose on purpose. She would find out soon. Explaining to the governor the situation immediately was her best chance. She didn’t know why Gavin was so dead set against her, but she would find out.

  Harper strode into the city hall and then the governor’s foyer. The governor's assistant waved her through at seeing her purposeful expression and message in hand.

  She walked in and the large man looked worried at her fast return. After some quick greetings, Harper handed him the letter and explained what happened. She also explained their previous terse interactions. The governor went from impassive to angry to resigned.

  “That damn fool, and now of all times,” he groaned. He put his head in his hands and rubbed his eyes. Looking back up to Harper, he apologized. “I am sorry Miss Waspen. I should have foreseen that something like this could happen.”

  Harper was relieved. She had read him correctly; he was as frustrated with Gavin’s antics as she was. His next words were even more welcome.

  “Don’t worry, I do not blame you for accepting the duel. Win or lose, I won’t hold it against you.”

  “Thank you, governor. But now that this is in the open, why? Why would he challenge me to a duel? Why is he so antagonistic to me, or rather, to nobles in general?”

  The governor sighed. “I suspect that some of his hostility is an act. Either to get a rise out of you or show others his disposition.”

  That answer raised even more questions. “Are you saying he has been pretending to hate me for a political purpose?”

  “Not entirely,” the governor amended. “There have been groups like the Unshackled for a while now, though most are less extreme. Merely treading the line of treason than outright crossing it as this new group has done. He has absorbed a decent bit of their propaganda. There is also a deeper reason.”

  The governor paused, momentarily lost in his own thoughts, but he came back to himself quickly. “Suffice it to say that while much of his behavior is feigned, some is not. His misplaced anger worked in conjunction with his actual motive.”

  Harper was curious at his reference to this “deeper reason,” but recognized that the governor didn’t want her to pry. The newest question was, what possible purpose could he have to align himself against her? The governor didn’t keep her waiting.

  “As to what he wants, that is less complicated. He wishes to join a group similar to the Unshackled. One subtler and less extreme. We only know that it exists, not their name or members. His reason for doing so is twofold. The first is to keep an eye on them and prevent any harm to the colony.”

  The governor got up from his chair and began pacing in the back of the room. “The second is less innocuous. He hasn’t told me such, but I would guess that he supports their cause and wishes to be a part of it. I don’t believe that he would take part in anything treasonous, but I worry for him. His pursuit of this group has been against my wishes.”

  From there, Harper was able to connect the dots. This group didn’t trust Gavin. The governor was, if not appointed by, approved by the kingdom. They were worried that Gavin was attempting to infiltrate them. The same reason was also a point in his favor. If he could truly be trusted by this mysterious group, then his position could benefit their cause greatly.

  She was an opportunity for him to prove himself. By publicly challenging her, a noble, he was hoping to show the group that he could be used for their agenda. That it opposed someone whose presence he already disliked was a bonus.

  Harper wondered at this group's goals. It didn’t sound like they were taking any hostile action... yet. But should they continue, would they behave in a manner similar to the Unshackled?

  Harper spoke, pulling the governor away from his pondering. “I understand now. What would you have me do?”

  The exiled noble decided this was not her problem. She would let the governor sort out his wayward son; she had no desire to be involved in any way with this group, even if they weren’t doing anything illegal, it was still too shifty for her taste. If they brought the kingdom’s enforcers down on their heads, then they deserved it.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  She continued speaking. “I can throw it, but I'd like if-”

  “Can you win?” The governor interrupted. “I will give you a core to integrate to even the odds if you believe you can. While it may be convenient to have an insider in their group, it’s too risky. That’s assuming this foolish ploy would even work. And Gavin could stand to be humbled; he underestimates the nobility. Better he learns now than later.”

  Harper paused for a moment, but only a moment. “I’m confident that I can. I will not need a core to integrate though, I absorbed one the other day.” It hurt a little to say, but if she was seen in the future with an Alius different from the one the governor gave her, he would know that she deceived him. Besides, one core would not make or break her fortunes anymore. It’d be a nice profit, but it wasn’t necessary.

  The governor raised a brow, but didn’t ask about it. He likely assumed that she had more coin from her parents than he first expected. The large man took her confidence in stride as well.

  “Good. I will offer something else then. A single core enchantment on a piece of your choice by my most talented tinkerer. Consider it both reward for your victory and apology for my son’s reception of you. If you happen to lose, I will still compensate you.”

  “Now,” he continued. “As the challenged I assume you chose the rules?”

  She nodded. “Yes, melee weapons of choice, dull of course. No Alius, no armor and no artifacts. First to score ten peripheral hits or a single vital hit. Next Frostday.”

  “Good.” He stated. The governor gestured towards the door. “Thank you for your cooperation. You can go back to your tasks. My apologies as well that many will likely know your noble origins by now. You shouldn't be treated too differently by most, but who knows.”

  Harper nodded to him and left the room. She had a lot of work to catch up on.

  The rest of her day passed in relative peace, if somewhat frantic. There was some commotion as the city was searched, but no violence broke out. Either they couldn’t find any evidence of the Unshackled, or they were found and surrendered themselves into custody without resistance. Harper guessed the former.

  After all, no acts of terrorism occurred here in Mentril, or the whole colony of Arboren for that matter. Perhaps they had less presence here than elsewhere, or perhaps Arboren wasn’t deemed a worthwhile target. Whatever the case, it was not an issue here, and the searches conducted stopped by the end of the day.

  Harper wasn't able to complete all her tasks for the day until well after dusk. While she had grown much more familiar with the city, there were still many places she was unfamiliar with and had to ask for directions. The messages incurred by the commotion of yesterday only increased her burden. By the time she finished, she was exhausted.

  The next day was better; there was much less that was unfamiliar, and she had a better idea of the most efficient order to make her deliveries. There was only one issue, and it was one of her own making.

  “Briar! Back into the bag!” She hissed, while closing and tying the flap on the bag she carried on her side, hiding the face of a curious lizard covered in thorn-like protrusions. “I’ll feed you later. For now, be patient.”

  Harper was at a butchery, delivering an order for a large amount of jerky as part of the provisions for one of the outlying forts. She should've guessed that the smells would draw Briar out. Even now, he was straining against the bag's entrance. He’d been so well behaved for most of the day; there was little that he felt the need to leave to investigate, until now.

  It was against her better judgement that she took him today, but she didn't want to leave him in her room so much of the time. Harper had taken him with her when meeting up with Vayuhn for a lesson or when going someplace in town, but for nothing else. She wasn’t yet ready to take him out on courier runs, and she wouldn’t be taking him out on hunts for quite a while.

  But sooner is probably better, she thought. He was growing quickly. According to a bestiary she found, he would grow to be a little bigger than a mundane cat. Not very big for a single Domain creature, but the species made up for it in other ways.

  Feeding him was starting to take out a considerable chunk of her earnings, though she had been able to feed parts of one of her and Vayuhn’s successful hunts to the growing lizard. The mundane version of the species was unable to eat meat, their diet being entirely centered around small insects, mainly ants. Fortunately, having a Domain broadened their options.

  Right now, though, his appetite was going to get her in trouble. I can’t imagine the owners would be happy if they knew I carried a lizard in here. She moved the bag, so it was out of sight, waiting for the man behind the counter to finish counting his current stock.

  Eventually, the man came to whatever decision he decided was applicable and wrote down his response in the letter and stuck a stamp on it. Harper thanked him and tucked the message away. She would bring it back to the city hall and give it to the administrator in charge of supplies.

  Her next stop was the Arboren Apothecary. It was the largest apothecary in town and sold both potions and reagents. She was familiar with its location; she’d never been inside, but she passed it on her way to the city hall every day. It wasn’t far from her current location.

  She walked there, pulling out pieces of dried meat and feeding them to the hungry lizard as she went. The food she brought for him was gone by the time she arrived. Hopefully that was enough, and she would not need to sacrifice her lunch.

  Her task here was to pick up a rare set of herbs and bring them back to the courier storeroom. They were almost definitely more ingredients for the hermit alchemist. The reagents she was picking up and the ones from the ranger's lodge made for a small fortune. To have a single alchemist be worth all this trouble, he must be very talented indeed.

  The building was one of the larger ones in the immediate area, being three stories tall. The bottom floor was exposed with large glass panels. Potions, pastes, and powders were displayed near the window, notecards accompanying them and detailing their effects.

  Harper entered, making her way to the counter and requesting the order. Fortunately, her uniform was enough proof. Occasionally she had to deliver payment in the form of a check from the governor, but most of the time payment had been made in advance.

  As she stood there, Briar once again stuck his head out, the smell of herbs or creature parts attracting his attention. Sighing, she took him out, letting him hold onto her shoulder. There should be no harm letting him out here, she thought.

  She felt a tap on her shoulder. An older woman stood there. “Excuse me miss, is that a thorny devil of the first Domain?” She asked, an excited gleam in her eyes.