A New Star Chapter 38

Alexandra 

I looked at the corpse hanging from the tree and rolled my shoulder. Damn, but it had been a little while since I'd been knifed; I forgot how much it could hurt. My regenerative affinity was still working on the wound, as the healer at Pietr's wasn't all that strong, nor had I given her much time to work before taking off. I turned back to Robert's little disguised whorehouse, because that was what it really was, that and much worse, surprised to see a large group gathered behind me. There were townsfolk around the edge of the square, but none dared approach the group behind me, which now included my parents, the Silver Lady, the count, the people in cloaks who I had suspected were perhaps from the capital, the captain commander, and several other of my family members. Their looks ranged from surprise to shock to frustration to horror and disgust. Well, I suppose the truth, and the blood, wasn't for everyone, but I would not apologize for what I was or what was necessary. 

"That seemed…excessive," the captain commander was the first to speak. 

"Commander, we need your guard here," I said, ignoring the comment. "There's evidence preserved in that building that we need our hands on." 

"That won't be necessary," the count interjected, waving a hand. "I believe I can handle the collection of such things. Give me a moment." 

True to his word, the count suddenly disappeared, startling many of the nearby people, as someone who could just disappear like that was clearly enormously powerful. The people in cloaks, who I still wasn't sure exactly of their nature and was watching them warily, were also rather startled, not seeming to have realized who the count was. I eyed the woman leading the group, who were missing some members, if I recalled correctly. I was in the middle of something, but I still paid attention to my surroundings, and I had noted more than three people at their table at Pietr's tavern.  

It didn't take long for the count to return, carrying a satchel filled with materials and having a safe hover next to him through…some means. Hmm, if I recalled correctly, when he had done his long-winded introduction, he had said something about steel. The safe must have come from the basement as I hadn't seen or detected something of that weight in Robert's office, which I could have done even if it was hidden behind or beneath a secret panel. Even with the count securing the evidence, the members of the gang and anybody else related still needed to be rounded up, which the captain had realized, dispatching runners from the town guard to bring people down to handle the situation.  

"So, do you want to do the honors, or shall I?" I asked, turning to my father. 

"What honors? Alexandra, what are you talking about?" he asked, displaying clear frustration with his tone. 

"The mayor is up to his neck in this," I replied coldly, the count instantly scrambling at my words to bring out a ledger and another book to page through. "Either you can go handle it or I can, but if you leave it to me, there's going to be another person nailed to that tree before the night is over." 

"I think I can handle the affairs of the town just fine," he replied tartly. 

"Laughable," I said coldly, earning a glare from both my parents and a disapproving frown from the Silver Lady. 

"Alex! Show some respect," my mother scolded. 

"Respect is earned, not given," I snapped back. "Maybe paying a little closer attention could have prevented the kidnapping and near assassination of Marianne. Do not tell me you have a situation under control that I have had to solve for you. Honestly, pissing on my head and telling me its raining, how gullible do you believe I am?" 

"Marianne's what?!" my mother exclaimed. 

"Oh, yes, that," I said, making a face of disgust. "I was interrupted earlier by Mina-" 

"That's captain Mina," said the commander. 

"I was interrupted earlier by captain thick horns," I continued, glaring at the commander and daring her to interrupt again, "as I was working, telling me that Marianne was missing. I searched the estate quickly and, upon not finding her present within, spread out my search further from there. It was obvious the path a kidnapper or assassin would take, and I caught their trail rather quickly, catching up to them not quite two hours ago. I heard them discussing how they were kidnapping her to then kill her in some way that framed someone else, at which point I then engaged from a position of stealth. They were rather strong, but I have faced worse, and I killed the four of them before returning Marianne to the house." 

"Wait, wait, wait," my mother interrupted, holding up a hand while also massaging a temple. "Marianne is safe? You killed the assassins? She was kidnapped?" 

It seems the others were having a hard time processing things, though I thought I had done an admirable job in laying out the sequence of events. I sighed and said, "Yes, that's right. Marianne was kidnapped, I found her and the assassins that kidnapped her to execute her, killed the assassins, found that Robert was involved with the assassins, and decided to put several more problems to rest." 

"And Marianne is back at the estate?" Mother asked, nodding at the commander as she was assembling a team around herself. 

"Yes," I replied simply, giving my father a glare, considering he was reading through things the count had brought out. He got the hint, or he had just read what he needed for justification, though a grand duke didn't really need justification to do pretty much anything at this current point in time. Father strode off across the square, not even giving Robert's corpse a glance, and four town guard along with four of the newly arrived estate guards, not looking too great at having been woken up in the middle of the night, followed at his heels. Tough. They would get over it. 

"So, Alexandra," the count said to me, paging through a ledger. 

"That is, in fact, my name," I replied, turning from admiring my earlier handywork to face the man. 

"Do you have any further information about these, well, assassins, as you say?" he asked. 

"Their corpses are still there," I said with a shrug. 

"Shall we?" the count said, gesturing to me. 

"Come on, then," I grumbled. "Always doing all the work." 

I led a rather large procession out of the town, though it was a procession of quite a bit of power, considering my mother, the Silver Lady, the count, and two of the strangers were part of it. Speaking of the strangers…"Who are you, exactly?" I asked, turning to the two strangers. 

The woman leading the group stopped and saluted, pressing her hand to her chest, which also revealed her gleaming gold and white armor. She then withdrew a token and showed it to me, causing me to just stare at her blankly. She cleared her throat, blushing just slightly as she said, "I am Emily Sheffield, captain of His Majesty's Royal Guard and lead of Investigative Unit Three. We were sent here to, well, investigate the criminal elements of the town, mainly in relation to some problems from the Central District that have been working with elements up here. We suspected their involvement could lead to some extreme cases, but we were not aware it was already bad enough they were transacting with assassins." 

"Unlicensed assassins, captain," I replied coldly before turning and continuing to lead the way at a rapid pace.  

"Right," she said behind me.  

I could hear the rest following me, and I moved through the woods, zeroing in on the clearing where I had defeated the bandit. I was moving rather rapidly, but everyone was easily able to keep up with me; I didn't know the exact ranks of the Royal Guard, but they weren’t at all bothered by the pace, meaning they were likely at least J- or K-rank. I was still working on healing my wounds, though they were much better at this point than they had been just a little bit ago. My raid on Robert's place hadn't done my injuries any favor, nor had my execution of him, but I was patching myself back together, slowly but surely.  

As we were getting close, there was a noise from the forest to my right and slightly forward of me, signaling something approaching. Before anybody else could react, a massive panther about half the size of a train car leapt out from the dark of the undergrowth at me. As others either cried out or made to intervene, I charged up mana through my body, counter-charging the beast the sliding under its attack before delivering a strike with the force of a falling star right to its chest. The beast was thrown away from me with a howl of pain, but it didn't escape for long, as I followed right behind it, slamming into it just as it smashed into a large tree. I meant that literally, as I slammed into it with my body, ice reinforcing my already immensely strong bones, lightning surging through the titanium cables I called muscles, and searing flame coating my skin. My charge smashed the beast through the tree, and the one behind it as well, sending it slamming into a big hunk of moss-covered rock that had probably been there since before the continent had been settled.  

I leapt on the beast and lifted it bodily off the ground, swinging it through the air before smashing it back into the rock again, hearing bones crack and snap from the amount of force I used. Sword, spear, bow, mace, pistol, rifle, and far more; I had used and mastered many weapons in my long life, but my body was the ultimate destructive force. The panther tried to rise, to flee, or lash out in rage, I knew not what, but it didn't matter. I slammed into it again, my tier seven body, enhanced by a lightning stronger than the realms of mortal understanding, smashing the beast flat before my fists and feet pummeled its head, neck, and chest, more snapping sounds ringing out. Finally, I leapt into the air, spinning as I did so and forming two great spears of fire and lightning before falling back down upon the beast, impaling it through the neck and chest, pulverizing its heart with one attack while tearing open its throat and piercing all the way to its brain with the other. I let the spears fade and stood, adjusting my clothes as I heard the others comment. 

"By the gods," I heard Emily whisper in a harsh voice, glancing at her to see an expression of terrific shock upon her face.  

"Such trivial enemies," I grunted, turning and starting to lead the way deeper into the forest. "Pay attention as we go." 

"Heavens," I heard the Silver Lady say, glancing back to see her examining the corpse before joining us.  

We traveled on for a few minutes as I lamented in my head that not using the Dark Paths made me much more obvious and felt slower. I wasn't trying to sprint, however, as neither could my body take the strain, nor would the others appreciate such a reckless speed. Eventually, I recognized a part of the trail and veered to the side, moving along it until we reached the clearing where the fight had happened. I was going to enter the clearing and lead the others over to the bodies but was stopped short.  

"Hold on," the count said, halting everyone with the force in his voice. 

"Yes, uh, sir?" Emily said. 

"Right, I haven't introduced myself, young lady," the count said, stroking his beard and looking at Emily. "I am Emmanuel du Forch-" 

"Emmanuel," I cut in harshly. "We don't have forty minutes for your lengthy bio. Keep it short and sweet." 

"Ahem, yes, right," he said, coughing into his fist. "As I was saying, I am Count Emmanuel du Forchaine, Y-ranker of wind, steel, and space. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." 

"A Y-ranker," I heard the man behind Emily gasp out in awe. 

"And I am the Silver Lady, Z-ranker through silver, healing soul, and true lightning," the Silver Lady added. 

"A Z-ranker," Emily whispered in awe while, at the same time, it looked like her squad member was about to pass out.  

"And you know my mother, the duchess, and you know who I am," I said crossly. 

"But, I haven't introduced myself?" the commander said quietly, pointing at herself. 

"Be more impressive next time and you get your own introduction slot," I snapped back. "Now, this is where I intercepted the assassins, and it seems their bodies are still mostly intact. Why did you stop us, Emmanuel?" 

"We should approach this scientifically," he said. 

"Psh," I laughed, getting a glare from him. 

"What was that about?" He asked in a cross tone. 

"Somebody who knows how a basic turbine works has fifty times the scientific knowledge you do," I scoffed. 

"I say!" the count exclaimed. 

"Best that you don't," I replied crossly, rolling my eyes. 

"He's right, though," the Silver Lady said. "We shouldn't just blunder into this." 

"Very well then," I said with a sigh, looking at the rest nodding in agreement. I leapt up into a nearby tree and leaned back against the trunk. "Let me know when you're all scienced out." 

"Young lady, you're going to help," my mother stated.  

"I made this crime scene," I retorted. "Not a great forensic method, to have the suspect help inspect the crime scene. I'm here if you need to ask any questions about what happened. I'd get to it before the bodies get too mangled." 

"You know what, she's actually right," the count said. "We should do a thorough review, which shouldn't be clouded by the people involved in the event until we have our initial analysis finished." 

"Fine, we'll do that then," my mother said, gesturing for the commander to start working.  

The Royal Guard joined in, all of them starting to get busy investigating the clearing, starting with mother chasing the animals and beasts that had gathered due to the blood and corpses away. They made their way around the perimeter first, which I thought was a decent start, though I myself wasn't a forensic expert in any way. My long last life had seen me creating many messes over the years, but very rarely helping to clean them up. I knew a little bit, but that largely wasn't my bailiwick, and I had left it to the professionals, including one of my granddaughters, who was a very skilled investigator and problem solver.  

But that was a different life, in a different place, and possibly in a different time. I was still unsure if this strange rebirth had moved me laterally in time, or forward, or possibly even backwards. I would need to try to somehow get out among the stars and get much better equipment that could do much better calculations. That wasn't going to happen on this continent; not for a long time, anyway, and I would have to see what I could do in the coming years.  

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