While Tonberg rotted from within, the finest of delicacies and wines were carted towards the castle to please those with more money than sense. There would be no end to the unrestricted hedonism of the wealthy under the watch of such a listless and resigned king. Lieze didn’t see them as human. Mere animals, confined to luxurious pens and fattened with venison and pastries--more deplorable than even the undead husks they were destined to become.
“...The fact that we find common ground on this matter speaks volumes of just how far this city has fallen.” A voice replied gravely, “But it is never too late to rein in disaster. Soon, the values under which Tonberg once prospered shall be restored. I will see to it that nothing stands in the way of its revival… yourself included.”
Helmach’s hair had been tied into a short ponytail. Combined with his cloak and vest, the wildness of his appearance had been somewhat restrained. It came as no surprise to Lieze when the two of them ran into one-another at the gala. It was quite possibly the most respectful conversation either of them would ever share. Despite his attempt at feigning normalcy, however, Lieze could glimpse something new in Helmach’s eyes. A madness that would have been more at home in the gaze of a rabid animal. His words were curt, but laced with inconsolable hatred.
“You don’t seem much of a threat without that sword of yours.” Lieze taunted.
“Do you know what? I feel the same way.” He agreed, “I always thought myself more suited to spears, or maces--weapons proudly wielded by the Church. Something so unrefined and brutish as a greatsword doesn’t represent the purity of our Lord. I detest it.”
“Why use it, then?”
“It took me years to understand why the Cardinals were so insistent about it.” He continued, “That greatsword represents my sin. My unworthiness to serve the Gildwyrm. It is my penance. A trial to test my faith. With that in mind, I can wield it with more finesse than any dagger. Every second I spend away from it is torture. I am nothing without that sword.”
“Spoken like a true dog of the priesthood.” Lieze turned her back to him, “You should rejoice. Those who understand their place as tools are often the most content.”
Something took hold of her wrist. It was hardly a hand--more like a steel vice which threatened to crush her bones at the slightest inclination of resistance. Lieze didn’t turn her head to face Helmach. Just as she’d once watched him cleave a member of his own fold in half, a pang of something resembling fear took hold of her. Despite her anger, she couldn’t bring herself to meet his barely-veiled insanity.
“I will kill you.” He vowed, “Slip up even once--allow yourself the most innocent of mistakes, and my blade will end you. Don’t think for a second that I’m not aware of who you really are. My shadow will stalk yours until the end of days. Not even death can prevent me from exacting my revenge.”
Killing Noma was a mistake. Lieze should have never made a mortal enemy of Helmach. He was no holy man. No righteous crusader. Just a poor, broken soul motivated entirely by vengeance. As he released his grip on her wrist, she could feel his eyes burning into her back even as she disappeared into the surging crowds of the throne room.
“That worm… that maggot…” Her thoughts raced, “He’s mad. He would destroy everything if it meant having one shot at my life. He believes himself invincible… I’ll take great pleasure in watching the hope fade from his pitiful soul.”
New Quest Received! "The First Seal" - Kill Helmach Lawain Reward - 6,000xp
As always, the scale homed in on her intentions. It offered a reward unlike any other for the deed, although Lieze feared that it would be quite some time before she was in a position to face Helmach. He was simply too unpredictable of an enemy to tolerate when her circumstances were still so volatile.
It didn’t take long for her to locate Drayya. She seemed remarkably intrigued by the ongoing party despite her claims of finding the occasion disgusting. Lieze steadied her breathing before calling out to her senior.
“Drayya.”
“Hm?” The girl lifted her head, “Is there something amiss? You look ragged.”
“Helmach is here.” She reported simply, “More importantly, have you been keeping an eye on that staircase in the antechamber?”
“I have indeed. Guards seem to give it a wide berth. Do you suppose there’s something hidden down there?”
“I can’t imagine anywhere else is worth searching.”
“Why not the rooms on the upper floor?”
“If you want to pilfer Ricta’s sock drawer, then by all means, don’t let me stop you.” Lieze joked, “I’m not interested in a political scandal or an embarrassing habit. We need to discover something that could ruin Ricta in both mind and soul.”
“Don’t you think you’re being a tad optimistic?” Drayya cautioned, “What are you expecting to find down that stairwell? Some kind of dreadful monster the royal family are trying to keep hidden? Corpses stacked up to the ceiling?”
“Something.” She replied.
“Something.” Drayya repeated, “Honestly, Lieze…”
“Are we headed down there or not?”
“Yes, yes. Just try to be somewhat hidden. I don’t think a guard would tolerate you plumbing the depths of His Majesty’s castle like a dungeon.”
The scale had confirmed everything Lieze needed to know. Somewhere within the castle was a secret--a secret of such magnitude that it was worth more experience than any of her previous quests. Whether it could be used against Ricta or not was irrelevant. The boon for discovering it provided all the motivation she needed.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Thankfully, the partygoers hadn’t crowded the antechamber. It was a simple enough matter to slip out from the hall and towards the staircase before anyone could catch a glimpse of her skulduggery. Flashbacks to her first meeting with Baccharum replayed in Lieze’s mind as she descended into darkness. The gala’s ambience melted away.
At the bottom, she busied herself with removing her impractical gown while Drayya searched for her own opportunity to descend. A few moments later, the echoing of footsteps against stone foretold the girl’s arrival.
“How tiring… I was expecting a night of good humour and far too much drinking, but these nobles can’t resist the urge to discuss business.” She complained, “I would expect nothing less of the maggot king--organising parties for the rich while his country burns. For a moment, I… wha- why are you undressing!?”
“Don’t be so loud!” Lieze snapped, “I’m not going to wander around a forgotten corner of some ancient fortress in a gown. Since when were you such a puritan?”
“So what--being naked is better!?”
“I’m wearing clothes underneath, you fool! Aren’t you?”
“Yes!” She insisted, “...No.”
“Just don’t blame me if you end up getting snagged on a crack in the wall.”
“I was more worried about falling down those steps. It’s a little dark down here.”
“No doubt we’ll find a sconce or two.” Lieze reassured, “...We still have to figure out where ‘here’ is, exactly.”
A wrought-iron gate barely visible in the darkness provided something akin to an answer. While the door was open, why would a castle ever require a passageway to be cordoned off?
“...A prison, I suppose.” Drayya deduced, “The kind where dissidents and traitors are left to rot. It doesn’t seem like they’re putting it to use nowadays.”
“Well, we’ll see, won’t we?” Lieze resolved, “We’d better get moving. I wouldn’t want a guard wandering down here and discovering us. Or worse--Helmach.”
Light wasn’t far off, as it turned out. An abundance of unlit sconces mounted on the walls awaited just past the barred gate. For a conjurator, it would have been a simple matter of creating a small flame to light the torches within, but neither Lieze nor Drayya were familiar with the school. They would have to contest with the darkness until a source of fire could be found.
The passageway was indeed a prison, and one which appeared to have gone unvisited for quite a number of years. Cells that reminded Lieze of her short stay in Helmach’s precinct flanked the dust-riddled hallways.
“Hold on.” Drayya came to a stop behind her, “There’s a corpse in this one.”
As she placed her hands on the cell bars, Lieze wandered over to take a look at the skeletonised remains crumpled on the floor. She’d become so used to seeing nameplates above everyone’s heads that the lack of information on the corpse frustrated her slightly.
“Allow me.” She offered, stepping towards the bars.
“You want to raise it?” Drayya blinked, “Are you even capable of that much?”
“Be quiet for a moment.”
Eyes closed, Lieze submitted to the Blackbriar’s touch. Despite her lifelong dedication to the Order’s cause, she still felt disgusted by the God of Necromancy’s creeping touch.
MP - 165 / 285
Her freshly-upgraded [Necromancy] was powerful, but expensive. Thankfully, the levels she’d accrued seemed to be having an effect on how quickly her MP was recharging. By her estimations, she was earning back a single point every two minutes or so.
Drayya looked on with interest as the pile of bones was reassembled. Granted new life, a wicked glow appeared in the thrall’s eye-sockets.
Skeleton Level 9 Undead HP: 180 / 180 MP: 0 / 0
“Level 9?” Lieze thought, “Meaning, it was level 18 when it lived… must have been a guild member or something similar.”
“Hoh…” Drayya clapped her hands dryly, “Not a bad attempt, Lieze.”
“I suppose you could have done better?”
“Naturally.” She smirked, “Isn’t it about time you told me how you’ve managed to accrue this amount of power in such a short amount of time?”
“How do you think I did it?”
“Not through hard work, certainly.” She crossed her arms, “It irks me.”
“Are you complaining?”
“Dodging the question, I see.” She noticed, “Well, no matter. Master Sokalar will be pleased, in any case.”
“Whether he’ll be pleased or not doesn’t interest me in the slightest.”
“Hm. Watch your tongue.” Drayya warned, “Just because he’s your father doesn’t give you the authority to act disobedient. Don’t forget that you’re still a peon of the Order.”
Just how powerful was Sokalar? Level 50? Level 100?
It didn’t matter. With the scale, Lieze could aim for heights even greater than that. Her father didn’t care about her in the slightest. She was a tool--and a poor one, at that. But no more. She wouldn’t allow her gift to be squandered doing Sokalar’s bidding.
“...Keep an eye out for more corpses.” She recommended, “Better to have some security than none at all.”
There was no shortage of former prisoners for the two of them to take advantage of. Evidently, Ricta’s father was the sort of ruler who had a bad habit of forgetting about his captives. As their journey through the labyrinthine prison continued, Lieze and Drayya quickly found their mana reserves tested by the abundance of skeletons.
Of course, Lieze herself could only manage to raise 2 thralls, whereas Drayya was able to muster an impressive 9. There was a significant difference between their forces, however.
[Level 3]
[Level 2]
[Level 3]
“They’re all so weak…” Lieze noticed, “Is she using Lesser Necromancy?”
“Is that all you can manage?” Drayya spoke up, “When it comes to necromancy, quantity is always preferred over quality. Maximising the amount of thralls under your control should be your top priority.”
“I don’t seem to have a choice in the matter.” She admitted, “Is there a way to restrict my power to use less mana?”
“Putting up resistance during your communion with the Blackbriar will limit the amount of mana you waste.” Drayya explained, “Considering you’ve acquired so much power in so little time, I’m not surprised you can’t wrap your head around the concept.”
“Resistance?”
“Mentally, I mean. If you allow the Blackbriar unrestricted access to your mana, it will put as much of it to use as it possibly can. This is also true for other schools of magic, naturally.”
The scale had granted Lieze immeasurable potential, but by putting it to use, she was skipping many crucial steps on the path of magical development. Drayya had risen to her current level through sheer force of will and determination--or, to put it in simpler terms, she had a reliable foundation to work from.
On the other hand, Lieze’s aptitude for the magical arts was still abysmal. It was unlikely she would ever be able to learn anything without the scale’s help. The truth dredged up feelings of inadequacy from her youth.
“...Come on.” Drayya beckoned, “There had better be a secret waiting for us after all this marching.”