Mobile Suit Gundam: Blood Price

Tournament Arc: Interlude

In the fortress of Feoh, a secret meeting between its acting regent and a certain mercenary is currently undertaking.

"You failed to assassinate Alicia in the melee! You just wasted our only chance!" Beardsley roared with a slam to his expensive desk. His anger directly pointed at Vult for failing the task he had given for him and his mercenaries.

Vult sneered at the old man's anger. "My men and I could hardly have expected the tournament to turn out that way," he retorted, his tone half-amused. "It seems Lady Luck was smiling upon Princess Alicia."

"You still failed! Don't you know what will happen when that girl reclaims her position? Everything I worked and have done will be undone, my work exposed and so are your men!" "You mean the dirty work we did for you so you could pocket the Arcturus fortune for yourself?!" Vult's sneer grew wider as he spoke, revealing his true feelings about Beardsley and his intentions. The old man's face flushed with anger, but Vult didn't seem to care. "Oh, you think you can make demands now?" Beardsley growled, his eyes narrowing. "I could have you killed for that insolence!"

But Vult just laughed, a harsh, mocking sound. "Is that a threat, old man?" he asked, stepping closer. "Because I don't take kindly to threats."

Beardsley's hand twitched, as if he were reaching for a weapon that wasn't there. "I'm not threatening you," he said through gritted teeth. "I'm simply making it clear that your position here is tenuous at best."

"You and what army? Your men are my men. They will always follow me. You? With how fat you have become, I'll bet you'll get a stroke swinging a sword, Hahaha!"

Beardsley's cheeks flushed red with anger, but he forced a cold smile. "Very well," he said, his voice was like ice.

"Then I suppose we have no choice but to find a new plan. Alicia must be eliminated, one way or another." He paused for a moment, then added, "But perhaps there is another option. One that would benefit both of us."

Vult raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite himself. "Oh? And what might that be?"

"You see, Alicia's cousin, Princess Prim, is just as much of a threat to our plans. If it were possible to remove her from the picture as well..." Beardsley trailed off, leaving the implication hanging in the air.

Vult considered this for a moment. "I see... So you are suggesting that we eliminate both of them at once? That would certainly make things easier." He paused, contemplating the plan further. "But it also carries with it certain risks. Killing two royals in cold blood will no doubt raise questions and suspicions. It could stir up trouble within the kingdom."

Beardsley shrugged nonchalantly. "We could always blame it on bandits or some other convenient scapegoat. And with the right spin, we might even use the tragedy to our advantage. The people would be looking for strong leadership during such a time of crisis. Whoever steps up to fill that void could find themselves with more power than they bargained for."

Vult narrowed his eyes, weighing the pros and cons of the proposal.

"What about the Goddess Celestine? She is in Feoh and she is rather close to the Ur Princess." Vult is no fool. Assassinating someone dear to Goddess is a death sentence.

"I'll take care of her and her guard, just tell when and where so I can prepare a suitable distraction." Beardsley sneered. Unlike Vult's fear of the Goddess, he never respected the so-called reincarnation of Larentia.

"It's decided then. Me and my men are going to plot the assassination while you distract the Goddess's eyes and ears." Beardsley nodded, satisfied. "See that it's done swiftly and without error. The tournament ends in three more days. We don't want Alicia or her cousin moving out of range before our plans can come to fruition."

"Bah! She just got lucky this time old man. Next time, she won't be." Vult's confident words seemed to appease Beardsley somewhat. "Very well," he said, clapping his hands together. "In that case, I will leave it in your capable hands. Let me know when the time comes, and I'll ensure that everything else is prepared on this end." With that, he dismissed Vult, who left the fortress with a sneer.

Once the man was outside, Beardsley began composing a letter. A letter for the slave trade he kept hidden in Feoh.

Chapter End

Short chapter for now.