Mogul

Pecorine stared nervously at the disheveled bandits and fought the instinct to adjust her glasses from where they’d slipped slightly down her nose. She didn’t want to provoke them by bringing her hands down from where she had them raised. Three of the bandits were struggling with the ties and tarp over the supply wagon and she figured it would only be a minute before they got frustrated enough to start hacking at the ropes. Her escorts were scowling at the bandits, their weapons stacked on the frosty ground nearby. Well, the crimson haired demon girl, Exa, was flexing her fists, ready to start punching the moment it wouldn’t get Pecorine killed.

The bandit leader stepped forward, ignoring his subordinates still arguing over the supply wagon. They didn’t want to ruin the tarp or ropes because they were as valuable for their survival as the money and supplies in the wagon.

“Miss Pecorine, how nice to see you again.”

She had no idea who this man was.

“Y-yes, um,” she hesitated, trying to put a name to the weather-beaten face before giving up. “Things look like they haven’t been going well.”

He scoffed. “Of course they haven’t! Ever since that bitch Aniela kicked us out, we’ve had to fend for ourselves!” Some of the other bandits grumbled in agreement.

Oh, she thought. These were some of the delinquents that Aniela had asked to leave after they had been caught trying to steal from Maid Mall. It was…safer for them than to let the expeditioners handle it themselves.

“But you’ve always been good to us, Miss Pecorine,” the leader continued. “Always with fair prices, always making sure everyone could get a little something.”

Well, she tried. Honestly, it had mostly been Aniela’s idea. To prevent hoarding and to reduce the exploitation of other expeditioners. Because while she wanted to support everyone here in Mirane as best she could, she still needed to send regular shipments back out home to Madeline. Some things money just couldn’t buy and a lot of those things could be found in the Astra Line, apparently. She didn’t know how much help what she managed to collect did for everyone back home. Fontina was really stingy with war news, but she chose to believe that it was all worth it.

And it was unfortunate that this poor man thought that just because she was nice and a little bit scared of fighting that she’d just give away the things meant for Princess Cherry and Madeline. A bad decision on Mr. Gundy’s part--

Gundy! That was his name!

Poor Mr. Gundy had no idea what was about to hit him. Literally.

“Well, I’m sorry, Mr. Gundy.”

“Who the hell is Gundy? My name is--”

Pecorine spread the fingers on her still raised right hand open and closed and open again. Whatever Mr. Gundy had been about to say was interrupted as his head snapped back in a spray of blood. Moments later, a deep gunshot echoed through the mountains. Pecorine leapt away from the nearest bandits just as Exa let out an excited whoop, wings and a fiery halo appearing over her head as she launched herself with a wide grin into the nearest bandit. The poor man barely had time to yelp before he was being punched repeatedly in the face. The rest of her guards used that opening to collect their weapons and demonstrate their displeasure at being ambushed.

Pecorine just…tried to stay out of the way. They were professionals, after all.