“…” Weed silently stared at Arthur. He could guess what the curse was…
Arthur looked at the at the lord for permission to speak.
The lord nodded as he stared into his empty tea cup.
“Youth.” Arthur cried out with emotion. “Many foolish would rejoice for extended life but not us! For our monstrous strength transformed to grant us the youth of an elf. In his judgement the high elf said that we must bear the guilt of the dead elf. We were told to mend relations with all elves for the remainder of our lives. As younglings are very dear to the elven race he said this punishment was the most severe he could think of. It indeed was! For my lord’s ambitions were fueled by his strength, by robbing us of our strength the High Elf stole my Lord’s ambitions.”
Arthur was teary as he continued narrating the story.
“The high elf pronounced this as our punishment before letting us go. We argued that sealing the power of the dragon blade was enough but the high elf said that in time the power of the dragon would resurface as his own seal weakens. Furthermore, the lifespan that the elf lost was a loss to great to be satisfied with merely the sealing act. He said we would truly understand it when we lived at the very least half the lifespan of an elf.”
Weed’s mouth was left gaping open once again. ‘Half the lifespan of an elf?? That’s ridiculously long for an human NPC…’ But what was of greater interest to Weed was the hint that the dragon blades were still in possession of the lord and they were probably becoming more powerful. Weed’s eyes twinkled with greed.
“And that is how I know the elves very well. Since then, the high elves and I have met on a number of times up until recently since they all have disappeared.” The Lord had the last word on his story.
“And that is the complete true story of how the lord became famous amgonst the elves? That would make both your ages over 200 years and maybe many more to go?” Weed shot question after question.
The duo smiled let off a smile. Their smile bothered Weed, there was something about it that he did not like and could not ignore. Their smile had a hint of maliciousness within it. Weed only asked the question for the sake of asking, he only wanted to fill the silence while he thought about everything that was revealed to him. He still distrusted the Lord but they had no reason to lie to him. Then there was the talk about the sword and the Blessing of His Grace. These two were potential game changing powers. Weed knew he had to learn more about these as well before more players learnt of the Lord’s story. ‘Maybe there are already players out there on this quest?’
“My Lord, how many people know of your story?” Weed asked.
“Other than the loyal servants of this castle and the elves, you would be the first outsider sent by His to know.” Arthur replied in his Lord’s steed.
‘Loyal servants of this castle?’ Weed frowned. There was a spanner in his plans. If the servants knew then most likely rumors of the Lord’s story were already circulating in Lavias. In effect it implied he was most likely behind in the race to acquire the dragon blades. ‘I guess there is no point in pursuing the dragon blades…not directly at least. It is unlikely that he would easily part with such a power item.’
“My lord, would you know where by brethren have disappeared off to?” Weed meekly put forward his question. He was feeling slightly guilty in using the Lord’s for his own personal gain. ‘Then again this is a game and these NPC’s serve no other purpose..’ Weed reasoned with himself.
“Alas even I do not know where they have disappeared off too. I was hoping you would be able to tell me exactly where is it that they have disappeared off too!” replied the Lord.
“…”
“Do not be disappointed elf. They may have left but I was informed of two things before they left in a prophecy. Firstly, that I should be expecting a high elf to return to these lands when all others leave and secondly an invasion that would wipe Lavias off the map of Versailles.” The Lord calmly replied.
Weed’s mind was exploding with questions to ask. Who made the prophecy? When was the prophecy made? Are there any other details to the invasion? Has the Lord already begun preparing for an invasion? Weed wanted to ask them all but he knew better; patience was the key to dealing with the Lord of Lavias.
“Informed by whom?” Weed asked while trying his best to appear uninterested in the matter. `He began with the most important question; how credible was the source of the information. Depending upon who made the prophecy Weed would be able to judge whether it was worth believing or not.
“That is my secret to keep. As you can see the prophecy was not wrong. A high elf has indeed returned when all others departed! And this calls for a tea party!” The Lord exclaimed excitedly.
‘Not again!’ Weed wanted to stick to the conversation they were having. ‘If we talk about tea parties again…I’ll lose my mind…’
“But my lord! If the prophecy was correct this also means there will be an invasion! This can be no time for a tea party!” Weed cried out loud, hoping to kill the festive spirit of the Lord and come back to the topic. He had to know as much as he could while the lord was willing to talk. ‘Information is Power’ as Lee Hyun had stated in his lectures. Lee Jun may have never attended Lee Hyun’s lectures but he watched all available video and records.
The Lord’s expression darkened. He did not like Weed playing a dampner on his celebratory mood.
“I think you misunderstand your position here elf.” The Lord began with a tough stance. “You are nothing more than common elf with an appearance of an high elf. Are you not?”
Weed was slightly taken aback. ‘Where is that coming from? After all this time he spent convincing me that I am a high elf…’
“I thought you said I was!” Weed argued back.
“I never did!” The Lord defended.
“But you just said ‘As you can see the prophecy was not wrong’ did you not?” Weed questioned impatiently. ‘Had this NPC not been the Lord of Lavias, I would have murdered him right here and now…’
“I indeed said that. Are you accusing me of lying?” The Lord asked with his voice steadily increasing.
“I am confused.” Weed commented, he was thoroughly lost. ‘So am I a common elf? Or a high elf?’
“You are a common elf. I have met high elves and know them well. You are not one of them.” The lord said.
“But I didn’t know…” Weed began but was cut off.
“It is what you do know! If you always thought of yourself as a common elf then that is what you must be.” The Lord exclaimed excitedly as if he were tired of speaking to a fool.
“…” Weed kept silent. He was trying to make sense of what the Lord just said. ‘Is he just saying this so that he can hold his tea party? Is he a crack pot? Does he not care about the invasion?’
“And you underestimate your lord.” The Lord stated.
“Never!” Weed replied hurriedly. He was desperate to mend their relation.
“Although you are a common elf, you will play a crucial role in the forthcoming tea party.” The Lord said as he motioned Arthur to open the curtains.
Weed gave a puzzled look. He was most confused. ‘High elf? Common elf? Tea party? Crucial role? Is this a quest or not?’
“Elf, our enemies are upon us. I do not believe in mumbo jumbo prophecies but I do believe in what I see. I have been ruling these lands for nearly 200 years. In time I have had the opportunity to learn a thing or two about humans and the nature of their hearts. I can sense troubling times unfolding as this city grows bigger and bigger.” The Lord spoke slowly as he got up from his chair and walked towards the windows to peer down upon Lavias.
“I do not understand my lord.” Weed replied. “Isn’t an invasion supposed to be from outside?”
“The invasion will happen when it happens. It is not the invasion I am afraid of but the enemy within these very city walls. What invasion from outside can possibly happen if Lavias falls before that?” The Lord asked a rhetorical question. “As long as this city lies within the Wind Kingdom, it will be protected by the King of these Lands and the Wind Emporer himself. These lands are blessed by Wind Demi Gods and protected by the Vayu. Lastly, till my last breath no nation will dare to invade Lavias. I have not spent these two hundred years so frivioulously as to not take precautions. Lavias is located at the edge of the borders, it is only natural to take caution.”
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Weed found it hard to believe that the Lord had the foresight to take counter measures against a foreign invasion, but he began seeing a deeper side to the Lord. ‘If I think about the way Lavias has been constructed, its clear that the defense of this city has always been a priority…maybe the Lord isn’t as annoying and dumb as he looks…just maybe…’
“Then is it an internal revolt? Mutiny?” Weed asked curiously. He wondered if he would get an answer to this question.
The lords eyes shined and he replied with a single word. “Yes.”
Weed smiled; there was profit to be made where there was a war. Weed wondered how many people knew about this. News this big was usually always talked about in forums and preperations would begin weeks in advance. Lee Jun hadn’t heard of anything in the last eight months; so he assumed that this was a recent development.
“I am but an ordinary man. My only strength was my relationship with the high elves. As long as the high elves visit me regularly, no one will dare to lift a brow in my direction….but all that changed with the disappearance of the elves. The elves retreated and its been two years since anyone saw any elf. You understand what I am leading at, don’t you?” The Lord asked.
“Your position has significantly weakened?” Weed answered with uncertainty in his voice.
“Yes. The high elves are the only one who can quell the uprising with their presence. You may not be a high elf but you sure can act the part like one.” The Lord winked at Weed as he spoke. “The tea party will be the place where we can reinforce my standing with the high elves. So now do you understand this tea party is no ordinary tea party? And the fact that you are a high elf while truly being a common elf?”
Weed nodded slowly. ‘He wants me to pretend being a high elf…I guess eating moonstones doesn’t change ones race…’
Weed thought for a moment and asked, “Is that why I was head bagged? So that none could see the color of my hair?”
Lord simply smiled.
‘Makes sense, it wasn’t the fact that I was an elf but the fact that he had with him a high elf that he wanted to hide…’ Weed continued, “Also explains why I was kept in this secret dungeon by the sewers and not in the official one?”
Lord simply smiled again; finally the elf was catching on.
“You didn’t want anyone to find out? Did you?” Weed asked for confirmation; he trusted words more than smiles.
“Not in the slightest. If you were found in that attire there were bound to be rumours and rumours can be both good and bad. If I want a rumour to spread it would be one that favours only me.” The Lord replied.
Weed had a changed opinion of the Lord. From the outside he portrayed himself as an idiot but if one looked deeper, it was evident this NPC was thinking several moves ahead. The Lord was shrewd as they got and there wasn’t the slightest error on his part in planning. Weed wondered if he would have done anything different if he were in the Lord’s place. ‘Probably not…’ was his answer to his own question.
“Is that why you sent an elite corps after me?” Weed asked as he began to slowly put the pieces of his capture together.
“They are my most trusted.” The Lord replied assuring Weed that his identity was a well kept secret.
“Then how did you know where to find me?” Weed finally asked the question he wanted to since the moment he had learnt his captors identity. His patience paid off, he was able to earn the lord’s trust and slowly drive the conversation to this very direction.
“Once word got out an elf had returned it wasn’t very hard to find you. You forget Lavias hasn’t seen any elf for 6 months. Most elves began leaving these lands 2 years ago. You were like an oasis in the desert. Must I say more?” The Lord replied to Weed’s question sincerely. It was the truth; he may have been on the look out for elves in general but the moment his spies learnt of Weed’s existence he made haste and wasted no time.
“I guess a tea party must be of great importance then?” Weed checked one last time with the Lord. Weed was more or less satisfied with each of the Lord's reply. The Lord's intentions were clear to him as the clear night sky. 'He just needs someone to help him out of this mess...'
“Of utmost importance.” The Lord finally decided to reveal the designs of his plans and intentions. “You see, the high elf delegation usually arrives at New Years each year to greet and celebrate with us…new years has come and gone but the high elf delegation is long over due. If we don’t hold one soon, I have received word from mouths of those with many ears in Lavias that an uprising may happen anytime soon. So, elf who usually goes by the name Weed. Will you attend the tea party as a common elf who pretends to be a high elf?” The Lord asked.
TRRRING!!!
A message popped up in front of Weed.
Quest: Attend the Tea Party!
You have been requested to attend the tea party being hosted by the Lord of Lavias in honor of the arrival of the high elf and celebration of the new years!
Rank: E
Reward: Unrestricted access to the Lavias Town Center, Lord’s Manor & Estates, Lavias Library (all sections), Lavias Armoury, 400 Public Service points and 150 Fame Points.
Quest limit: If any NPC learns of your true identity before the the ceremony is over, the quest will be deemed as a failure.
Quest Requirement: You must be a high elf or an elf of similar stature - [fulfilled]. You must have been invited to the tea party by the Lord of Lavias - [fulfilled].
Weed’s smile became crooked with each passing sentence that he read. The reward’s weren’t substantial but were more than adequate. If he succeeded, then the level gains and bonus exp rewards would make the quest very attractive.
‘The irony..just moments ago I was in a heated discussion with the Lord not to hold a tea party and now I am dying to attend it..’ Without giving it a second thought, Weed replied, “I would love to attend the tea party!”
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Authors Note:
1. Happy Reading!
2. Last chapter for this month! If you have noticed, each chapter was slightly longer than V8 chapters!! (yes in the last 2 weeks I have written over 12.5K words!!).
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