Before Suliel could take tea with a Lady or host a Princess for dinner, she needed to take care of her morning meeting.

“Thank you for seeing me at such short notice, Administrator Ragnor,” she said once the tea was served. “I hate to intrude on your religious duties.”

“It’s no problem at all,” the priest assured her. He was an older man, with dark, weathered skin and his black hair was going over to grey. His muscled shoulders were ill-suited to the satin robes he wore, and the scar on his face gave him a fierce countenance, at odds with his friendly demeanour.

“I relish the opportunity to get away from the paperwork and speak with an elegant and cultured young woman,” he said.

Suliel smiled. “Does paperwork often require the use of a sword?” she asked, glancing at the shortsword beside him. He had entered the room with it at his side, but he’d detached it from his belt with a well-practised maneuver when he sat down.

“More often than you’d think!” he joked, “No, one of the requirements of Butin’s higher clergy is that we all stand ready if called to the fight.”

“I suppose that’s to be expected of the God of War?” Suliel said. “We had a few of Butin’s clerics pass through, and they were all armed, now that I think of it. It looks less strange on a traveller than an Administrator, though.”

“Indeed! But rules are rules.” The priest patted the blade. “At least I’m skilled with a smaller blade, there’s some poor fellows that need to carry a greatsword with them into meetings. But I doubt you came here to hear of the travails of the ordinary working priest. How can I help you, my lady?”

“It’s a matter of some delicacy, but ultimately an administrative one. I… heard that your Church sought the bodies of your deceased clerics.”

Quite a lot of Ragnor’s jollity faded away and he frowned. “Where did you hear that?” he asked softly.

“We had an adventuring party come through, seeking to conquer Kirido’s dungeon,” Suliel said. She sipped some of her tea. “It included Finnian Stonehammer.”

“The Stormguard,” Ragnor sighed. “I had heard they were out of town, but… Finnian is dead, then?”

“He is, I’m afraid,” Suliel said. “His surviving party member mentioned that there would be a reward for retrieving the body, but he was unable to make it out while carrying Finnian.”

“Did the dungeon not consume the body, then?” Ragnor asked.

Too greasy, Kelsey quipped. Suliel carefully did not react.

“We were able to retrieve it later,” she said. A true statement, if you knew exactly who we referred to.

“Your people managed what the Stormguard could not?” Ragnor asked, surprised. “I had not heard that Kirido’s Guild was so formidable.”

“I can’t speak to their relative skills,” Suliel said, “But the delve was unauthorised, so the Stormguard weren’t able to consult with the local experts before going down.”

She sighed regretfully.

“If they had sought out advice, they might still be alive now.”

“They’re all dead?”

“All of them except for Draven Blackthorn who is currently incarcerated. I don’t hold out much hope for keeping him there once he has recovered. I shall be lodging a complaint with the Guild here in the capital.”

“I wish you luck, though I fear little will come of it,” Ragnor said. “Ah, this is ill news. Finnian was well-liked, a pillar of the Church. But to get back to your question, yes we would like to have the body. May I ask about the condition?”

Suliel grimaced. A lady was not supposed to talk about these things. “Decapitated,” she said grimly. “But both… pieces were placed in ice quite soon after death.”

“Ice?” Ragnor said. “I would have thought salt, near the sea, but ice is better. Yes. What boon would you have of us in return?”

“Before that,” Suliel said hesitantly. “May I ask… why?”

“Ah well,” Ragnor said. He looked away, scratching at his short beard. “I suppose it isn’t a secret. You see, Resurrection is one of our God’s gifts.”

Suliel’s teacup rattled on its plate. “What?” she asked.

“A Fifth Tier trait,” Ragnor clarified. “It appears in some of the higher clerical Classes.”

“I… hadn’t heard there was a Fifth Tier in Bures,” Suliel said faintly.

“There isn’t,” Ragnor said. “Some of my superiors are getting close though, and the chances of getting the Trait are improved if devout members of Butin’s church are… available targets.”

“And then… this Fifth Tier can just resurrect anyone?”

“I wouldn’t get my hopes up,” Ragnor said gently. “High Priest Tharek won’t reach Tier Five anytime soon, not unless there’s a war, and we don’t see one on the horizon.”

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

I get where you’re going with this, Suliel, but resurrecting your dad is going to cause a lot of problems. You won’t be Baroness anymore!

Be quiet, Suliel sent back. You still have his head, right?

I do, Kelsey sent. I’m not going to trash it and say I lost it. It’s still a mistake.

“Well,” Suliel said aloud. “I couldn’t ask for a reward for something so obviously beneficial for so many. It will be made available to you as soon as you are ready to pick it up.”

What! No! For free? Milk these guys for everything they’re worth!

“That is very generous of you,” Ragnor said. “But please, at least accept a monetary reward. The possibility of resurrection is not something you should pin your hopes on.”

“I don’t need money,” Suliel lied. “But… how much do you know about my situation?”

“I’ve heard some rumours,” Ragnor admitted. “I’m not sure how much faith to put in them.”

“My position is quite precarious,” Suliel said. “I have to plead to the King that my Class isn’t an offence to him. My husband is still away on a quest. Even my mother has turned against me, and I am still a young girl, only just started on Tier Two. If I could ask the Church for whatever political support they could provide…”

“Of course! Say no more. We’re not exactly high up in the King’s councils, not unless there’s a war on, but come to us if there is something you need.”

“Thank you, Administrator,” Suliel said. “That is very reassuring.”

That’s something, at least, Kelsey sent.

I was always going to ask for something like that, Suliel sent. It was tricky talking to Kelsey while negotiating a graceful and thankful goodbye, but she could handle the etiquette in her sleep. Right now allies are far more important than any gold or trinkets they could give me.

She paused as she went through her final curtsey. But make sure you keep his head safe.

----------------------------------------

“I’m so glad you could make it!”

Lady Seraphina Levenscant was the soul of hospitality and courtesy, meeting Suliel at the door and drawing her in with charm and a sparkling personality. Suliel was completely overwhelmed and didn’t think to protest when Seraphina led her to the back garden and into the midst of a crowd of gossip-hungry older ladies.

Suliel had expected a private meeting with Lady Seraphina Levinscant, so she was quite surprised to find herself caught up in a gaggle of noble ladies. Introductions came in a flurry, and Suliel was barely able to keep up with them. Nobility’s Privilege helped her keep track of who was who.

Karelle Roquefort, Level 12, Unmarried, Parents deceased, 1 sister, Loyal to: Ranon Kalond IV, Human, Lady

Karelle was still young, but old enough that the fact she was unmarried was probably some sort of scandal. It could have nothing to do with her looks, which made Suliel feel inadequate, especially when she compared their respective figures.

Isolde Hartwell, Level 15, Married, Parents alive, No siblings, Loyal to: Lord Percival Hartwell, Human, Lady

Dignified and graceful, Isolde was possibly the oldest lady here. Not old, mid-thirties at the latest, Suliel guessed.

Cecilia Redmond, Level 11, Unmarried, Parents alive, 3 brothers, Loyal to: Ranon Kalond IV, Human, Lady

Cecilia seemed the youngest of the group, only a year or two older than Suliel. She was slender, had dark mahogany skin, and smiled at Suliel like they shared a secret.

Juliana Eversleigh, Level 14, Widowed, Parents deceased, No siblings, Loyal to: Ranon Kalond IV, Human, Lady

Juliana definitely had some foreign blood in her family line. Her bronze skin marked her as coming from the Ett Confederacy, but Suliel didn’t know where silver hair came from.

Marianne Valcourt, Level 16, Unmarried, Parents alive, 1 brother, Loyal to: Ranon Kalond IV, Human, Courtier

Another older woman, in her mid to late twenties, Marianne had caramel-coloured skin that reminded Suliel of Anton. She had an engaging smile and was the first to address Suliel once the introductions had come to an end.

“How wonderful to meet you dear! You must tell us everything that’s happened, rumours have been swirling.”

Flustered and overwhelmed, Suliel cracked immediately. Her Charisma might have risen to dizzying heights, but these ladies all out-levelled her, and Charisma was a Lady’s best weapon. They were so friendly and supportive that Suliel wanted to let them know everything that had happened, so she could finally get the frustration and anger she felt off her chest.

Well, not everything.

Oi, let’s not give away the secrets of the Dungeon, Kelsey reminded her. The statement was meaningless—they’d never listed out what they were keeping secret— but it brought Suliel up short. She had been about to tell them how she got her Class.

“I—I’m sorry, I can’t discuss exactly how we managed to communicate with the dungeon,” she said. She felt the ladies’ disappointment as keenly as if they’d stabbed her, but they moved on to a different topic. They were so understanding.

Now that the bubble had been burst, she could understand what was happening as they pumped her for information. She couldn’t stop them, not on her own, but timely interjections from Kelsey stopped her from revealing too much.

It would probably work on me too, if I was there, Kelsey told her. I don’t think I appreciated Charisma enough.

There’s a Trait available to the Lady Class, called Harden Heart, Suliel sent back. I hope it’s available to my Class.

It wasn’t long before they drained Suliel dry, and their attention could move on to the entertainment Seraphina had provided. When the conversation died down, a Bard struck up a tune.

Suliel, and the others, were all transfixed by the tune. Bards had come to play for her father before, but none like this.

Beneath the moon’s soft silver light,

Love’s gentle whisper calls the night.

Hey, where’s Seraphina gone? Kelsey asked her, jolting her out of the entrancement, again. She looked around. Seraphina had been part of the questioning, but now she was… gone?

Suliel nearly jumped out of her skin when Seraphina took her hand. As soon as she did so, she appeared out of nowhere with a wide smile on her face.

“Shh!” she whispered. “We can have that private conversation, now.”

She led Suliel away, deeper into the garden, to a small gazebo, barely big enough for two. A table had been set for tea.

“I thought we—I mean, I—” Suliel babbled.

Seraphina giggled. “I could hardly host you for a private meeting, not when you’re such a focus of attention. Bringing in those loyal gossips, though, makes you an entertaining centrepiece, just another clever distraction from mundanity. No one will suspect a thing, and no one will find us here.”

“You’re using Private Assignation,” Suliel realised. “You were using Unnoticable Air before.”

“I see your mother taught you well about the different Traits available to the Lady Class,” Seraphina said.

Suliel finally remembered something else her mother had taught her.

Nobility’s Privilege.

Seraphina Levinscant, Level 18, Unmarried, Parents alive, 2 brothers, Loyal to: Ranon Kalond IV, Human, Courtier

“You’re a Courtier,” Suliel muttered. “Should you even be hosting me?”

Courtier was a Class that progressed from Lady, but it also required a Court appointment. Not every Lady qualified.

Seraphina waved her hand dismissively. “It’s fine,” she said. “I may have an appointment, but this is nothing official. Just tea with a family friend.”

“If you say so,” Suliel said doubtfully. “But your status… it’s wrong, isn’t it?”