Almost an hour after he’d been taken from the market, Romulus found himself standing in an opulent sitting room within the inner city. Isolde and her team had taken him from the bustling crowds of the city’s Grand Bazaar westward through the city, bypassing several checkpoints he likely would never have been able to pass himself, and veering north toward the towering walls of the inner city.
When they’d entered the district, the traffic had died off considerably, though the presence of guards had ratcheted up in tandem. It was something to take note of, given that the guards within the inner city seemed both better presented and better supplied in terms of equipment and general health than the two he’d met at the southern outer gate of the city.
When they’d come to a stop only a few hundred metres from the third and final gate, which Isolde had told him led to the restricted entrance of the towering black citadel — The Revenant-King’s Necropolis — that dominated the inner city and northernmost point of Blackstone; the wardens had changed direction toward one of the palatial villas closest to the citadel. All of them were wrought of the same obsidian-hued stone as the walls and Necropolis, which told Romulus that the buildings had likely belonged to the Death Knights of the Revenant-King’s Court.
Of course, that was just a guess, but it seemed to make the most sense.
The fact that skull iconography seemed present in many places supported his theory.
Isolde had dismissed all but two of her team and led him deeper into the estate, passing at least two dozen guards in various areas as she led him toward what seemed to be the heart of the villa.
Finally she had told him to wait in the sitting room he now occupied, along with enough gilded finery that even his mother would have cooed in delight. The floor was adorned with a gold-bordered green carpet, matched to a similar theme in the chairs and various pieces of tertiary or secondary decoration.
The walls were covered in a tasteful selection of portraits and tapestries, some displaying what were no doubt famous ancestors while others depicted battles against creatures of evil. In one place heavy drapes were hung to obscure a section of the wall, and Romulus could only hazard a guess at what manner of dark adornment had been permanently added to the forbidding estate.
He tapped the hilt of his sword in thought as he waited, still amused by the sequence of events that had allowed him to keep it.
First Isolde had asked him to hand it over, and the moment he had the man who tried to take it nearly threw himself off his feet in his speed to wrench his hand back. That hadn’t gone over well, until Romulus had explained that the sword was bound to him. He’d called it a gift to aid his new life as a traveler on Eternus, which hadn’t been a lie.
A debate had occurred then, until Isolde had grudgingly decided that even if he had the weapon, he was too low level and too ill-equipped to present any real danger to the Duke or anyone else in the estate — though he would be watched carefully.
A pulse of derision had come from the sword, though Romulus had wisely said nothing.
Boredom crept up on him as he looked toward the clock in his HUD, and raised his eyebrows. At least four hours had passed in-game, yet true to the word of the developers, his local time only showed the clock edging toward 8pm. The time compression was nuts. He could pass an entire day and night in-game and only be playing for six hours in the real world.
Romulus let his eyes roam the interior of the room until they rested, once again, on the obscured area of the wall dominating the far end of the sitting room. Situated on the eastern wall, it was in perfect view of the two sets of doors entering the room from North and West, and Romulus couldn’t help the curiosity that rose within him at what could be under the curtains.
Glancing at the door he’d entered from and the other one as well, Romulus threw caution to the wind and marched over to the end of the sitting room, his right hand idly resting on the skull-head pommel of his blade as he did. Soothing pulses came from the weapon, as if it were trying to reassure him of his choice to investigate. That only stoked his curiosity higher, and Romulus extended his left hand toward the drapes with determination.
When he pulled back the heavy fabric, what he saw was not what he expected.
A large family portrait was hung on the wall, displaying a proud-looking man with brown hair and wise, compassionate eyes. He was adorned in a formal tunic in green and gold, and had an elegant-looking blade strapped to his hip. His legs were hidden behind a high-backed chair, his right arm resting atop it.
In the chair itself sat an elegant blonde woman with bright blue eyes, and a familiar cast to her features. Her hair spilled down from her head to her waist, and she wore a dress of similar colouration to her presumptive husband, a gentle smile on her features.
Last was a young girl perhaps sixteen years of age, tall and thin, with a sword at her side and a decidedly happy expression on her features. She stood on the other side of the chair, her features a clear correlation to the seated woman. What was more, he recognised her features.
It was Isolde.
“Wow.” Romulus said quietly, his eyes never leaving the young Isolde as she beamed at him from the portrait. The Isolde in the painting was already visibly of a height with her father, though she possessed none of the feminine curves in bust or hips that the adult Isolde possessed even in her uniform. The hint of them was present, but it was a far cry from the woman he’d met. He wondered if the young girl had known how beautiful she had been destined to become.
“What are you doing?”
Isolde’s icy voice cut into his ruminations and Romulus spun in surprise, cursing his low level [Spatial Awareness] as he did. She had likely entered the room while he’d been absorbed in analysing her family portrait.
“Sorry. I got curious.” He said lamely. “I didn’t realise you were the Duke’s daughter.”
“Why, do you have a problem with me serving as my Father’s Captain because I’m his daughter? You think I’m only in my position because of nepotism?” The sudden anger in her voice took him aback, and Romulus held up his hands in a gesture of peace.
“Woah! I never said that. I think it’s great that you followed your dreams.”
“What the hell do you know about my dreams, Traveler?” She asked dangerously.
Romulus quickly gestured at the portrait, working to keep himself and her calm. “The painting. You obviously have a lot of pride in what you’re wearing and how you’re presented, and you look really happy. I can only guess, but I wouldn’t call that a begrudging face. You must have wanted to be a soldier, and—” he glanced at the portrait “—your mother obviously looks very happy, and so does your father. I can only imagine they’re both very proud of you.”
Isolde stared at him for a long moment, and then slowly turned to the portrait. Her expression seemed to soften briefly as she looked it over, before hardening again quickly. “My mother died shortly after that was painted, so I wouldn’t know her mind on my vocation. Now if you’re done gawking at my family, shall we go see the Duke?”
Of course her mother’s dead. That’s exactly the kind of thing that would happen in this sort of situation. Well done, idiot, you just walked into the most classic gaming trope in history.
Despite his internal self-recrimination, Romulus nodded in what he hoped was a contrite manner. “That sounds great.” He said with not entirely feigned relief. The situation was incredibly awkward. “Lead on.”
Isolde gave him one more cold look and turned to open the door she’d entered from, which was not the door he’d come in with. Romulus promptly stepped to it and followed her through, falling into position behind the towering blonde as she strode down a long corridor wide enough for ten people in formation and lit by the sun, its rays slanting in through arched windows filled with stained glass.
When Romulus took the time to actually look at the windows above and to the right of them, he nearly tripped in amazement. Each of the windows depicted a different warrior in forbidding attire, either standing on a field or sitting astride an equally terrifying mount. He recognised what must have been several different Revenant Runeblades, though they all looked far more menacing and lethal than his own.
“I suppose that’s what we can look forward to?” He questioned under his breath.
Lightsbane pulsed with eager confirmation in reply.
The corridor ended in a pair of massive, open black doors and Isolde nodded to the two wardens on duty, the pair snapping to attention at the sight of their Captain and slamming their silver-mailed fists against their tabard-covered chests. Romulus offered each of them a smile as Isolde led him past, though with their visored helmets covering their faces, all he received back was the impassive view of cold steel.
What he’d seen in the stained glass of the corridor had stunned him, but what he saw in the Duke’s throne room took his breath away.
The ceiling of the room was easily twenty feet above them, with massive stained glass windows from floor to ceiling that depicted battles, gatherings, and triumphant men and women that Romulus could only assume were Death Knights. Twelve windows framed the long room on each side, spaced almost a dozen feet apart, and two wardens stood on either side of each window.
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As they walked along the gilded green carpet, however, it was the image above the throne that most captured Romulus’ interest. A man with obsidian hair down to his chest, wearing a bone-white crown inlaid with diamonds, and attired in skull-bearing warplate that seemed at once menacing and regal in equal measure. Both of his large, armoured hands were wrapped around the hilt of a massive Revenant Runeblade, and his eyes burned with wisps of cold blue fire.
“The Unknown King.” A voice called out, drawing Romulus’ attention back to the throne and the muscular man sitting upon it. He’d completely glossed over the occupant, who was clearly the Duke himself, in his wonder at seeing the stained glass rendition on the back wall.
“Unknown King?” Romulus enquired before he could help himself, drawing a dirty look from Isolde as she glanced over her shoulder sharply.
“Yes. Nobody knows who he is or why he’s attired in such a macabre fashion, but he was clearly someone of great importance. Either the owner of this estate, or the master of the owner.”
“That theory holds merit.” Romulus agreed as he closed the last few feet of distance between himself and Isolde, stopping beside her when she came to a halt.
“Your Grace, I present the Traveler Romulus per your summons.”
Romulus was certainly not from any kind of nobility in the real world, but he was hardly new to fantasy settings thanks to his earlier forays into less advanced VRMMOs and MMOs in general. He executed a polite bow, right hand on his sword hilt and left hand clenched at his side while he bent at the waist. “It is an honour, Your Grace.” He said with his best ‘speaking to the board’ voice, as taught by his father. “Your home is breathtaking.”
“Oho.” The Duke said with a smile. “The Traveler has courtly manners. Were you a Lord in the place Beyond, before you came to Eternus?”
“No, Your Grace. I was, however, the son of a very powerful merchant with a very large, ah, trading empire. My world has scarcely few members of the peerage left, and their power no longer has relevance to the politics of our society.”
The Duke leaned forward at that, raising his eyebrows. “How interesting. You will need to tell me more about this another time.”
“If Your Grace so desires.” Romulus said with a smile.
Congratulations, you have learned a new skill!
Skill Name: Intrigue
Skill Type: Active
Skill Function: You have demonstrated a remarkable talent for the interactions of the courts of the land, and shown yourself to be a shrewd and intelligent individual in the eyes of a member of one of the world’s many monarchic societies. Not to be confused with Charisma, Intrigue is a representation of your ability to identify and navigate delicate and convoluted social currents. Continue to improve your Intrigue skill in order to better establish yourself in Eternus and gain advantage when interacting with the blue-blooded denizens of the world.
Skill Level: Novice 1
Skill Description: You are currently perceived as a pleasant curiosity!
“So far from what I’ve been led to expect.” The Duke said with evident bemusement. “Here I thought all of you Travelers would be a new headache we had to deal with. Instead, you already prove that asking you here was a promising decision.”
Romulus maintained his polite smile despite the Duke’s words. He’d hardly been ‘asked’. That implied a right to refuse, which Isolde had certainly not given him.
“Perhaps you should impress upon the Traveler the reason for your summons, Your Grace?” Isolde prompted coolly, standing off to the side now that introductions had been made.
“My daughter is right, of course.” The Duke said, seemingly oblivious to the irritation that flashed across Isolde’s face. “I did ask you here for a reason, after all. I am told Travelers are uniquely gifted in ways that could be of great value to me and my city.”
Romulus could feel the prelude to another quest as he answered.
“How might this Traveler serve the Duke?”
“I have a problem, Sir Romulus.” The Duke responded with a pleased smile. “No doubt you have seen the large fortress that dominates the inner city?”
“I have, Your Grace.”
“Then you have seen my problem. There is an… issue with this fortress, one that more mundane assistance has been unable to solve for me. I was rather hoping that you might be able to succeed where they failed, regardless of your humble level.”
Is he seriously about to give me a free access ticket to the Necropolis?
Despite his thoughts and internal glee, Romulus remained outwardly calm to the best of his ability. “I am not sure if I have the ability for whatever it is you’re asking, Your Grace, but I would be happy to make the attempt. The Duke’s good graces would be incredibly useful for a new Traveler.”
The Duke grinned widely. “You see, Isolde? This is the kind of fearlessness I’ve been looking for. This must be the courage of an immortal.”
Isolde said nothing, though Romulus noticed with a glance that her expression was icily neutral.
“Do you have a quest for me, Your Grace?” Romulus prompted carefully.
“I do indeed. I want you to enter the fortress, Sir Romulus, and I want you to fix whatever is wrong within it by any means necessary. Whatever you need to make that happen, you shall have it.”
SYSTEM MESSAGE
Quest Issued: Neutralize the Necropolis
The Duke of Blackstone has tasked you with entering the fortress in the heart of the inner city and dealing with whatever is wrong within its depths.
He has authorised you to use whatever means are necessary to ensure the completion of your task, and offered you anything you need to see it done.
WARNING: The manner in which you resolve this quest will have lasting consequences for the world of Eternus. Choose your path wisely.
Difficulty: B+
Success: Variable
Failure: Exile from Blackstone, Other
Rewards: Various
Romulus read over the System prompt and struggled to hold back his grin. He swiped away the screen and offered the Duke his most polite smile, the one he saved for hedge fund managers and capital investors at his parents’ infrequent soirees.
“Your Grace, I would be pleased to undertake this task for you.”
“And what, I wonder, would you ask in return?” Isolde cut in, her eyes locked on him in suspicion.
Romulus noticed the Duke also looked interested, and there was no mistaking the sharpness of the man’s gaze as he joined his daughter in sizing Romulus up. For all the Duke’s cheer, there was a steeliness to his eyes that told Romulus he’d have to be very cautious in dealing with the man, now and in the future.
“There are admittedly many things I could think of as a reward for this task, Your Grace.” Romulus started cordially, his mind racing through The Prince, The Rise and Fall of Rome, and every fantasy novel he’d ever read in search of the proper response. He needed something greedy enough to be believable, while also being reasonable. Selfishness would also be necessary, though he couldn’t afford to be disrespectful.
“If I were to name my desire, however, it would be a place of power in Blackstone, Your Grace—” suitably greedy, and next he needed to be selfish “—and the chance to Court your lovely daughter.”
Silence followed his statement, until Isolde’s cheeks reddened and she opened her mouth, no doubt ready to rip him apart for his impudence.
The Duke, however, beat her to it. “A title, wealth, position, and a chance at my daughter’s hand in return for the resolution of whatever is amiss at the Fortress?”
“Yes, Your Grace.” Romulus said, hoping neither of them could hear his racing heart.
“Done.” The Duke said simply, drawing a stunned look from Isolde. “I like your courage, Sir Romulus. Such gall implies confidence to see the job through. It gives me hope. I would be remiss not to agree to such generous terms.”
“Father, I must protest—!” Isolde started, only to stop at the Duke’s raised hand.
“You must, but you will not. I have made my decision.” He turned back to Romulus. “Go. See to your preparations and undertake your task. I eagerly await your success, Sir Romulus.”
Romulus bowed and tried to keep his immense relief suppressed, partially in disbelief that his gamble had paid off. Asking for the Duke’s daughter’s hand had seemed like something the truly arrogant or self-important men in many of the books he’d read might do… and for that reason alone, he knew, it was perfect. The Duke would have known those kinds of men and even women his entire life. He’d likely have been among their number.
In that moment, the Duke had likely seen Romulus as a potential threat.
That, in Romulus’ experience, was the fastest way to a powerful man’s respect.
“I hope to please.” Romulus said as he bowed respectfully, leaving his internal monologue for his own mind. “I shall see to my quest immediately.”
“Good. Isolde will show you out. May Solarius bless you, Sir Romulus. I daresay you’ll need His guidance.”
Romulus merely bowed his head and followed Isolde as she stomped her way toward the exit. After all, he already had a Divine patron.
Now he just needed to lay claim to Her gifts.
A ping caught his attention, and he glanced at it silently.
Congratulations, you have levelled a skill!
Your Intrigue skill is now Novice 5!
He suppressed a smile as he followed the Valkyrie-like blonde out of the throne room.
Eternus Online was shaping up to be quite the experience.