Razetta de Behimoth
Bagan stepped into Razetta de Behimoth's study and found her smiling faintly amid towering stacks of documents. How could anyone smile while buried in such troublesome paperwork? Once you knew she was a workaholic, it made perfect sense. In the game, she always made her addiction to work painfully obvious the moment you met her—absentmindedly picking up documents to work even while walking, only to snap out of her thoughts and realize she was already seated in her study chair. Such descriptions appeared from time to time. She shouldered every aspect of the city's administration, drowning in labor, yet she seemed content with it. What could anyone do?
Razetta finished the document she had been handling and greeted Bagan warmly. Her hearty voice and decisive tone revealed her personality at a glance.
"Well, well! So you're the envoy my brother sent? What brings you here?"
She seemed perpetually short on time, like someone being chased, so her welcome was brief before she cut straight to the point.
"Open the envelope."
Bagan handed her the letter of recommendation Montihall had written. She accepted it without the slightest hint of discomfort and began skimming through it at incredible speed. She was clearly a master of speed-reading; the recommendation letter was quite thick—easily ten pages—yet the pages flipped by in an instant.
"Sally, she reads almost as fast as you do."
"Does she? I hope she isn't missing anything important."
The two whispered so as not to disturb Razetta's reading. Sally had manifested physically, which made telepathic conversation impossible.
"I am also quite good at reading."
Arien, feeling left out of the whispered exchange, chimed in as if seeking praise for her own strength.
"Indeed. When it comes to reading and comprehension, no one can match Arien."
Sally fulfilled her role as an older sister and complimented her. It was not mere flattery, but the truth. For Arien, reading was, more precisely, consumption. Through ingestion she could read anything, and her trait allowed her to instantly grasp its meaning. She possessed the ability to devour books faster even than Sally, who loved them dearly.
While they chatted, Razetta finished absorbing the letter's contents and addressed Bagan.
"According to my brother, you are the one who dealt with De Meca's underworld. You also resolved last year's incident where the sea froze over. We suffered considerable trouble because of that as well."
Since she knew nothing of the full details of the Frost incident, she could only judge Bagan based on the information written in the letter. Yet the way she looked at him now was no longer that of a mere envoy. He was an invaluable benefactor whom even the utmost hospitality would not suffice to repay.
"That's right."
"It also says here that you've come to handle De Marinda's underworld as well?"
Razetta spoke with a smile, as if pleased, yet a trace of reluctance lingered beneath. Having dealt with many high-ranking individuals, she did not let it show on her face, but the turbulent mana within her proved it.
Bagan gave a small nod. The real conversation began here. He could not predict how she would react to what he was about to say.
He steadied his mind and spoke.
"There's something I need to discuss regarding that."
"Please, go ahead."
A tense atmosphere settled over the study. The treatment she had shown him as an envoy had all but vanished. All that remained were wary eyes and a room that suddenly felt much colder.
"It's about the pirates."
"Pirates?"
Razetta had hoped that word would never come up in conversation with Bagan. Even if it had to, she would have preferred to be the one to bring it up first. Since it had come from Bagan's mouth, she could only react.
"They've been quite active in the waters off De Marinda. From what I know, De Marinda prefers naval combat over land battles and boasts a powerful navy. Isn't this dangerous?"
Bagan probed rather than attacking outright. Asking directly why she tolerated the pirates would give her no room to explain herself.
As expected, she picked up a stray document from the floor and began processing it as if it were nothing of consequence.
Shhhk!
"Ah, those people? As you said, our navy is strong. We could eliminate them anytime we wished. However!"
Razetta spun the pen rapidly between her fingers, trying to organize her thoughts. The pen flipped endlessly from palm to the back of her hand at dizzying speed. It seemed the habit had become second nature from holding pens so often.
"However?"
Bagan pressed for an answer, unable to wait any longer. Her hesitation only confirmed there was more to it.
Razetta wore a troubled expression, conflicted over whether to voice the word that lingered at the tip of her tongue. Finally, as if resolved, she set the pen down on the desk.
Thud!
The sound was so loud it made one wonder if the desk had cracked. It spoke to how significant her decision was.
"Because it's profitable."
"What?"
Her statement was shocking. Just as Bagan had suspected, she had many things weighing on her mind.
"You were ignoring the underworld for such a petty reason? They're pirates, for crying out loud. What if they're using the sea routes to transport slaves? What then?"
She replied with the same troubled look.
"Everything requires money. The reason this city has developed so much! The reason we've been able to build such a powerful navy! Money solved all of it. As long as those pirate scum don't touch our city, it's fine. So please, think of your visit to De Marinda as a simple vacation and head to De Pruna in a few days."
"Th-that's—!"
Bagan was so dumbfounded by the absurd statement that he could not find words to follow. He nearly cursed, but held back after seeing Sally and Arien.
Razetta did not stop there. She called for the soldier waiting outside.
"Bill! Escort these people out! We're done for today."
Bill was the soldier who had escorted Bagan's party earlier. Hearing Razetta's voice, he opened the study door.
"Please come out. I'm afraid further audience is not permitted."
Perhaps it was because he had overheard Razetta's pained story while waiting outside, or perhaps he was simply a loyal soldier. Even in his polite yet firm demeanor, Bagan could clearly sense rejection.
Thud!
Bill even grabbed Sally and Arien—who had been holding hands—by the arm and pulled them along. At least, that was how it looked to Bagan.
Unable to leave things like this, Bagan spoke.
"Let go."
Bagan's core trembled. At the same time, a powerful barrier spread throughout the study.
Thoom!
A wave of Fear radiated outward. It did not breach the barrier, however, and dissipated within the study.
"Kuhk!"
The shock was more than any human could withstand. Though Sally and Arien were also within the Fear's range, Arien remained unaffected—perhaps because she was in contact with Sally, the Spirit King of Condemnation.
Thoom!
The Fear radiated once more. The study, roughly the size of a small library, resonated visibly with the force. It was clear how much power Bagan had poured into it.
"No matter what, you resort to force just like my brothers."
Razetta felt the Fear and showed signs of strain. Though she was a Dragonian, as she had said, her blood was too thin for her to use its power. It might not have awakened yet, which was why the citizens of Seiros Kingdom—who revered Dragonians—did not welcome her. That was her sorrow. It drove her to pursue knowledge obsessively, studying like a madwoman until she awakened to the world.
"Power… I had none, so I had to earn money. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to maintain my position."
Thoom!
"Kuhk!"
This time, Razetta coughed up blood, clearly struggling. Bagan decided it was enough.
"I have no more business here. Remember this well—don't treat guests like that."
With that, Bagan walked out of Razetta's study of his own accord.
The moment Bagan left the study, the barrier enveloping it vanished. The oppressive aura that had been crushing Razetta disappeared like the wind.
"Hahk, cough! Cough!"
Her ragged breathing was natural, and the coughing continued because she had already vomited blood once. The handkerchief she used to cover her mouth was soaked in blood, and a sharp metallic scent spread through the study.
"Ah, there are still so many documents I haven't processed yet."
Even so, Razetta looked regretfully at the documents that had been crumpled or stained with blood, their text now illegible.
"He wants to be treated as one of us just because he can use dragon power?"
Razetta mulled over the letter of recommendation from Montihall that the departing Bagan had given her.
"How presumptuous. I myself am treated like a lowly human."
The lord of De Marinda, whom everyone envied, was nothing more than a workaholic living with an overwhelming sense of powerlessness and inferiority because of the three Dragonians who were so vastly different from her.
***
Bagan kicked open the study door with both feet and headed straight outside the main castle. The soldier who had been guiding them had collapsed after coughing up blood, so only Sally and Arien followed, their expressions solemn as they glanced at Bagan.
Guards stood at the castle gates outside the main keep, but they did not stop anyone from leaving. They simply let them pass with a word of caution. Given that they had no way of knowing Razetta had been in danger because of the barrier Bagan had deployed, it was the best they could do.
The three walked in silence for a long time. De Marinda's structure widened as one descended, offering more sights and activities, so they still had to go further down to reach the reserved inn, "Stingray's Nest."
Suddenly, Bagan stopped. His expression remained sullen, the kind that appeared when something was unresolved.
"How? How could she do that? What could possibly be so profitable? Why did she tolerate them, and why don't the pirates touch De Marinda? What were they even fighting over?"
Bagan's anger only grew as he failed to find answers no matter how much he thought.
"Why not go and see for ourselves?"
Arien spoke up.
"We're not going there to play."
Bagan said this because Arien had seemed eager to visit the beach. Yet her expression was serious.
"That is not what I meant. Pirates are bad people. Sister is a spirit who defeats bad people. Bagan is Sister's contractor. We should defeat the pirates."
Bagan glanced at Sally after hearing Arien's words. Sally reached out and placed a finger on his forehead.
'No more worrying alone from now on.'
Bagan nodded. She was right. They only needed to accomplish what they had come to De Marinda for. Even without meeting the lord, the information from Caliban was enough to handle the underworld.
"Sally, it's been a while since we've used that space."
"It is time for the Realm of Condemnation to open."
"Yeah."
Bagan opened a portal in the air. Beyond the brilliantly blazing portal lay Fish Island—the suspected pirate hideout in the waters off De Marinda.
The three stepped into the portal.