Therizo 22 – Therizo 25, Imperial Year 1644
The Royal Palace, Mercia – Morning
King Alaric read the report in silence. His hands trembled – not from age, but from barely contained rage. The parchment was thick with details: Orin Vex, a merchant of the Free Cities, executed by the Black Knights. Evidence scattered. The cult destroyed. Victims freed.
"Another one," Alaric said. His voice was hoarse. "Another lord – no, a merchant – but still a man of wealth and influence. And they killed him."
His spymaster knelt. "Your Majesty, Vex was guilty. The evidence was overwhelming. Rape. Demon worship. Organ selling."
"I don't care if he was guilty! I care that a masked vigilante decided to be judge, jury, and executioner!" Alaric crumpled the parchment. "The Black Knights are making a mockery of every law in the land."
"The people see it differently, Your Majesty. There have been celebrations in the streets of Velathri."
Alaric's jaw tightened. "The people are fools. They cheer for monsters until the monsters turn on them." He stood, pacing. "What of the other kingdoms?"
"Valdria has made no move against the Black Knights. The Free Cities are divided. Thornreach has ignored them. The elves do not care. The Khanate is silent."
"Then we act alone." Alaric stopped pacing. "Double the reward for information. Send riders to every city. I want Zero's head."
The spymaster bowed and left.
Alaric stared at the map on his wall. The Black Knights had struck again, and he could do nothing.
Not yet, he thought. But soon.
The Royal Palace, Valdria – Afternoon
King Theodric read the report with a faint smile. He sat by the window, a blanket over his knees, his breathing shallow. Age had weakened him, but his mind was still sharp.
"Orin Vex," he said. "I remember hearing his name. He tried to bribe my trade minister."
Prince Orin stood beside his father. "He was a monster, Father. The Black Knights did what the courts could not."
"They did what the courts would not." Theodric set down the parchment. "I should be outraged. A foreign power – a non‑state actor – executing a merchant in his own home. But I find myself… relieved."
"Relieved?"
"Because Vex's network extended into Valdria. His cult had agents here. His organ buyers purchased from our demi‑human population." Theodric looked at his son. "The Black Knights solved a problem I could not solve without starting a war."
Orin nodded. "And the council?"
"The council is divided. Some want to declare the Black Knights enemies of the state. Others want to send them a thank‑you note." Theodric chuckled. "I have told them to wait. To watch. To learn."
"And if the Black Knights cross into Valdria?"
"Then we will decide. But I will not hunt a man who cleans my neighbor's stables." Theodric leaned back. "You have thoughts on this, Orin. I can see it."
Orin hesitated. "I think the Black Knights are dangerous. But I also think they are necessary. The old ways are failing. The corrupt grow bolder. Someone must push back."
Theodric studied his son. "You sound like you admire them."
"I admire their results. Their methods…" Orin paused. "Their methods are another matter."
"Good. A prince must hold two truths in his head at once." Theodric waved a hand. "Leave me. I need to rest."
Orin bowed and left. In the corridor, he allowed himself a small smile.
Zero, he thought. You've done it again.
The Free Cities – Council Hall, Velathri – Evening
The Council of Merchants was in chaos.
Magda Serran, the eldest, sat at the head of the table, her face calm. Around her, merchants argued, shouted, and pounded the table.
"Vex was one of us!" a fat merchant cried. "They killed him like a dog!"
"Vex was a monster," another said. "The evidence was clear. He was selling organs. Organs."
"It doesn't matter what he did! They had no right!"
Magda raised a hand. The room fell silent.
"Orin Vex was a member of this council. He was also a rapist, a cultist, and a murderer. The Black Knights did what we could not – they removed a cancer from our midst." She looked around the table. "I will not mourn him. I will not hunt his killers. I will, however, send a message."
"What message?"
"To Zero. A private message. Thanking him for the evidence – and warning him that the next time he kills a council member, we will expect the same level of documentation."
The merchants murmured. Then, one by one, they nodded.
The Frozen Keep, Thornreach – Morning
King Jorund the Grim read the report while eating a breakfast of hard bread and dried meat. His face showed no emotion.
"Orin Vex," he said. "I remember him. He tried to sell me a shipment of 'medicinal herbs.' I had him thrown out."
His advisor nodded. "The Black Knights executed him, Your Majesty. They also destroyed a demon cult."
"Good." Jorund set down the report. "One less merchant polluting the world. One less cult." He chewed his bread. "The Black Knights are proving useful."
"And if they come north?"
"Then we will see. But I do not fear justice. I fear chaos. These knights seem to bring order, not chaos." He drank from his cup. "Send word to the border. If the Black Knights enter Thornreach, do not engage. Observe. Report."
"And if they break our laws?"
"Then we will decide. But I suspect they will not." Jorund stood. "They hunt monsters. We have no monsters here. Only cold."
The Silverwood, Aelindor – The Elven Court
Queen Aelindra read the report while sitting in her garden. The flowers were in bloom, and the air was sweet. She set the parchment aside.
"Humans killing humans," she said. "Again."
Her ambassador bowed. "This time, the victim was a merchant who funded a demon cult and sold organs."
"Demons are a concern. Organs are a human problem." Aelindra waved a hand. "Send word to our border watchers. If the Black Knights enter Aelindor, they are to be detained and questioned. If they resist, they are to be killed."
"And if they are simply passing through?"
"Then let them pass. But they are not to harm any elf." Aelindra returned to her flowers. "Leave me."
The Khergit Steppes – The Khan's Tent
Khan Temur listened to his scout's report while sharpening a knife.
"A merchant was killed. A cult destroyed. The Black Knights again."
Temur grunted. "The merchant. Was he a threat to the tribes?"
"No, Khan."
"Then I do not care." Temur tested the knife's edge. "The cult. Did it worship demons?"
"Yes."
"Demons are a threat to everyone. Good that they are dead." He sheathed the knife. "Tell the tribes to watch for these Black Knights. Do not fight them. They are not our enemies."
"And if they become enemies?"
"Then we ride. But not today."
The Ironhold Compact – The Dwarven Council
Thane Grimstone read the report by the light of a forge fire. His face was grim.
"A merchant. A cult. Organs." He set the report down. "The surface world is filth."
"The Black Knights are cleaning it," his aide said.
"They are making it their filth." Grimstone stood. "Send word to the surface. Find out who Zero is. Find out where his weapons come from. If he is a dwarf, he will answer to us. If he is not…" He paused. "Then we watch."
"And if he comes to the Ironhold?"
"Then we greet him with steel. But I do not think he will. He hunts humans." Grimstone turned back to the forge. "Leave me."
The Grand Cathedral of Dike – The Holy Knights' Order
The High Inquisitor, a woman named Seraphine, read the report in her chambers. Her face was pale.
"Brother Aldric," she said. "He has joined the Black Knights."
Her adjutant nodded. "We have confirmation. He was seen leaving a chapel with Zero."
"He was one of our best healers. And now he serves a vigilante." Seraphine set down the report. "This is a problem."
"Do we hunt him?"
"No. He has broken no law – yet. But we watch. And we pray." Seraphine stood. "If the Black Knights become a threat to the church, we will act. Until then, we wait."
"And Zero?"
"Zero is a symptom. The disease is the corruption that makes people cheer for killers." Seraphine walked to a window. "We must cure the disease. Not the symptom."
Therizo 25, Imperial Year 1644
The Class's Camp – Evening
The class gathered around a small fire. Elara had bought a stack of broadsheets from a merchant. She read them aloud.
"Mercia is furious. Valdria is quiet. The Free Cities are divided. Thornreach doesn't care. The elves are ignoring it. The Khanate is uninterested. The dwarves are watching."
"And the Holy Knights?" Roderick asked.
"They're worried about Aldric. But they're not hunting him. Yet."
Kaito shook his head. "Zero is changing the world. One monster at a time."
"He's also making enemies," Reinhard said. "Kings don't forget."
"Neither do we," Elara said. "We need to find our people. Before the Black Knights become the only story anyone remembers."
The fire crackled. The class sat in silence, listening to the wind.
Somewhere to the north, Zero was already planning the next strike.
The world was changing.
And they were determined not to be left behind.
End of Chapter Fifty