Crendell marched with a small piece of paper in his hands that legalized practically anything he would do for now, at least until the duchess herself or his boss would come and tell him to back down. Right now he had the power to legally execute everyone except for two people, and it felt intoxicating. Normally when he patrolled the streets of Malencia, he had to watch out for any nobles that would make his life sour if he didn''t bow to them at first sight, right now he marched with his team straight towards their destination, and made it clear to his men that no one would be hampering them. Protestors on the streets did occasionally throw rocks, but they didn''t try to pick too big of a fight with a dozen armed guards not coming for them.


    Crendell''s objective was in the outer district, the adventurer''s guild. Esstrey was handling the inner district, and starting the domino''s. Her secretary who still gives Crendell the creeps would handle the middle district. The nobles were mainly located in the inner district, and Esstrey being the highest of rank of their little group was best suited for handling them, not to mention that she wouldn''t hesitate to pile drive uncooperative individuals into the ground. The crafters, factories and merchants were located in the middle district, Crendell wasn''t sure how the maid-thing was well suited to that location, but she seemed to have confidence. Crendell''s outer district was by far the largest, and the hardest to handle, luckily his team wasn''t there for the impossible task of restoring order over the area. With how widespread the riots were, he doubts the full might of Malencia could properly quell them, especially as they were only bound to get worse for now. Or at least, they would if Esstrey wasn''t planning on letting demons, creatures from the Beyond, and the undead to help the guard more openly.


    One dozen men, possibly up against every adventurer currently in the guild, if he''s lucky they won''t act rash.


    Crendell is never lucky, he has always had to rely on skill.


    He couldn''t bring more men so that he could actually break through the protestors, and considering the absolute ocean of them, he''s surprised they haven''t broken into the inner district yet. Worst part is, waltzing inside the adventurer''s guild with his men will get him beaten up by them, he''s heard plenty of stories of soldiers marching into the guild to know that they tend to feel threatened by things like bureaucracy in force. Thus, his men will wait outside while he walks into the dragon''s den... alone.


    The doors to the guild swing open, and Crendell''s shit for luck begins to show as it''s busy in it. Adventurers tend to be better set than everyone else in the outer district, and are enjoying burning through their savings for booze and food until the riots and hunger issues blow over. Few seem to notice the lone colonel entering, thoroughly engrossed in whatever inane games they are playing to keep themselves distracted from all the ruckus outside. However, even the strongest alcohol Malencia has to offer isn''t enough to dull the wits of people who survive mostly out of paranoia. Those who land their eyes on him keep them glued there, and his presence gets less and less unobserved as his rank isn''t something usually seen around these parts, hell the guard rarely patrols these parts without the riots already, usually sticking to the walls.


    Then Crendell marches up to the notice board, and begins tearing off every request related to destroying undead, missing criminal cases, demon hunting practice commissions, and countless dead-end investigations into the black market. With all the notices in his hands, he marches up to the desk counter, where the only person sits who watched him like a hawk from the moment he entered, the receptionist. A cat-kin who looks at him like he''s the tax collector during a particularly harsh season, even if he''s something worse this time around.


    "By order of the Duchess of Malencia the Guard is enforcing the fifth rule for the establishing of the adventurer''s guild; No commissions targeting individuals representing the city, illegal activity conducted by specified personnel is to be documented and reported to the Guard." Crendell does his best impression of the quartermaster, who always happened to seem to have a stick up his ass whenever he was forced to give out supplies he didn''t want to give out.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Colonel... these are all quests for handling... demons... undead... and other monsters of such nature. I do not believe the guild is in breach of contract, unless the nobles have suddenly become much more honest." Crendell isn''t sure which of the creatures mentioned fall under nobles, and considering the lone snicker of the now quiet guild, he''s certainly not going to ask either.


    "Incorrect, these mentioned... groups are now all registered soldiers under the Malencian Guard." Considering the shifting expression on the catkin, she had hoped the colonel wasn''t serious with his claim, that hope was unfounded.


    "I see, I will take these quests and this information to the guild master, and see how... quickly we can give you your response." Or whether to give a response at all, depending on how idealistic the guild master is it could go badly, but that''s no longer Crendell''s concern. Turning to leave, he''s confronted by a large bear of a man, literally. He stands a solid two heads taller than Crendell, and looks like he''s been in plenty of fights. The bearman snorts in Crendell''s face, looking down on the man in every way.


    "You are the mere human that follows that mermaid around, the big one that wormed its way into high society, are you not? I knew there was something off about her the moment I saw her, should have disposed of her then and there. How about this, you deliver a message for me to her, tell her I''m coming for her in that little keep of hers. That would serve her right for consorting with creatures that prey upon the weak." Many adventurers raise their mugs at the speech of the bearman, clearly intending to help in bringing about justice.


    "If that is what you wish, so be it, but I recommend anyone agreeing with this sentiment wholeheartedly to voice such concerns outside in the coming five minutes. Anyone who doesn''t want to die to accomplish this is recommended to stay inside during that time." Crendell is putting up a brave front, but is sweating bullets right now. Nobles tend to forget faces, their rage is undirected. Standing in front of the agitated bearman who could crush him like Esstrey could, he really doesn''t feel that that applies to people who have plenty of personal power. Good thing that the bear is only laughing at his audacity while he quickly walks away like the scared little bureaucrat he is, leaving the adventurer''s guild.


    Crendell hasn''t even left before the large bear is gathering people to ''stop the insanity of the duchy'' with, plenty sign up with the help of their booze and the endless games getting on their nerves. The dreaded receptionist every adventurer fears is also absent to keep them in line, but one group noteably speaks out against it.


    "Don''t do it Addelar, you will lead these people to their deaths. I saw the mermaid on the wall myself, and I don''t think she hasn''t accounted for people like you." Fergus stares down Addelar, who snorts in his direction, and spits on the ground.


    "Didn''t take you for a coward Fergus, your people especially so, isn''t the old man a rather devout follower of the gods?" Despite Addelar''s scathing remark, some adventurers who were previously hesitating remain firmly seated, and the party members of Fergus pointedly ignore Addelar.


    Addelar decides to strike while the iron is still hot, and after gathering a few parties he sets out for the door, ready to bring the crazed city to heel.


    .


    .


    .


    "VUUR!!"


    *BLIING* *BLIING* *BLIING* *BLIING* *BLIING* *BLIING*


    A hail of lead turns the bear man lands in the bearman, having gone straight through any metal plating he was wearing and into the people behind him. One of the shots landed cleanly in his cranium, and Addelar''s crusade is brought to an early end.


    "Squadron one reload! Squadron two ready!" The men of squadron one reload their break-action muskets, and walk behind squadron two on orders of their colonel.


    The adventurers inside are divided into multiple lines of thought, fear, panic, and screaming their lungs out. The sheer volume of fire means a few shots went past Addelar and found other marks, while most went straight through him into the unlucky ones behind him. Healers tend to the screaming ones, the silent ones need healing no longer. No one dares get close to the door, lest the guard casts another hail of lightning on the wounded, who are now very much sobered up to their great discontent.


    Crendell waits outside for a few more minutes, not needing to fire another volley. He was certainly scared when he faced that bear, but his boss is many times more terrifying. He is now certain he saw some hungry ambition in her face when he had hit the mutant outside the walls. A single shot is a mild threat, but a group of men armed with muskets becomes a dangerous thing indeed.


    So much for ''mere'' humans, they only outnumber and outgun everyone else.