Chapter 2: A Diamond Mission
As Garfield’s party proceeded towards the exit, Pandora suddenly had a request. “Garfield, do you think there’s somebody here who would enjoy building a shrine at your mansion?”
“A shrine?” Garfield responded. “Why would you need that?”
“It’s difficult to explain, but a shrine dedicated to me puts me at peace while I spend time in the mortal realm.”
Garfield looked around and saw his old friend, the minister, sitting right nearby. “Minister, do you know anybody who would be willing to build a shrine?”
“I-I would be honored to!”
“Wonderful. Please stop by my estate later to work out the details with Assistant Duke. Pandora, how much space do you need?”
“Oh, I already have a spot picked out. I’m sure you won’t object.”
“Very well.”
--
After returning to his mansion, Garfield drafted a message to the King. Summarized, the goddess Pandora has descended for a change of pace and decided to live in Garfield’s mansion. She generally wants to be left alone, so there’s no need for the Kingdom to do anything in her honor. The city guard need only enforce normal prohibitions on entering the northern district.
The minister set to work immediately, converting a corner of Garfield’s mansion into a shrine. Garfield was probably supposed to get permission before doing something like that to a mansion in the capital, but he didn’t think the kingdom would object in this case. Business in Bretten returned to normal fairly quickly.
--
“Master, you’ve received a message from the royal family.”
Garfield took the envelope from his butler and inspected it. He saw both the crest of the royal family and the Adventurer’s Guild on it. “Interesting…”
The message was a formal request for Garfield, a Diamond-ranked adventurer, to complete a request on behalf of the royal family. Details would be provided at the palace. Garfield had no objections with going to the meeting and hearing everyone out. He sent a message to Yttria’s home, inviting her to join him if she wished.
“Hannah, do you want to come with me too?” Garfield asked.
“That’s not even funny anymore,” she responded.
‘Ouch…’
--
At the designated time, Garfield, Hannah, and Yttria met up at the Adventurer’s Guild. The Guild Master joined them as they proceeded to the palace.
“Ah, welcome Duke!” the King greeted the party. “I’m sure you’re curious why I’m requesting your aid as an adventurer, and I’m ready to explain that right now.”
The King was joined by the crown prince, first princess, prime minister, Captain of his guard, Brooke Briarwood, and Count Polonio.
“I’m sure you have quite a good reason, so I’m glad to be here,” Garfield offered. The King began his explanation.
“Roughly once a year, we send a diplomatic party to the Elvish Forest, east of the kingdom. The main purposes of this visit are to discuss trading arrangements for the upcoming year and to share intelligence regarding the surrounding nations. For the past two years, my daughter Charlotte has traveled as the representative of the royal family.”
The first princess beamed with pride.
“One of our greatest concerns with this trip is, of course, security. At a minimum, we always send several knights as guards, and typically, we assign a trustworthy party from the Adventurer’s Guild or Fighter’s Guild for additional protection. Last year, we assigned Brooke’s party White Glow to keep Charlotte company, more or less, and the Diamond Adventurer party Swifty.”
Garfield hadn’t heard of Swifty before. He probably should have paid more attention to the goings-on at the guild.
“Father, White Glow wasn’t keeping me company, they were protecting me!” The King smiled but didn’t stop to address the objection.
“Unfortunately, Swifty is currently away on another mission, so we were planning to invite a different party to provide security for the duration of the visit.”
“My apologies for my lack of foresight, my King,” the Guild Master offered.
“Nonsense. It’s Swifty’s good work which brought us critical intelligence, is it not?”
The Guild Master bowed as Count Polonio stepped forward to speak.
“Duke, the reason why you were invited is because we received some troubling intelligence regarding the Elvish Forest which increases the danger of the visit.”
“Should you not just reschedule, then?” Garfield suggested.
“That was my initial recommendation, but the royal family has decided to proceed due to the importance of this visit and the eagerness of the Elven Nation to host us. Also, the intelligence we have is far from conclusive.”
“Well, what is this intelligence?”
“The orcs, who reside in the Orcish Hills east of the Elven Forest, are possibly ramping up efforts for a renewed assault on the elves. There’re also hints that the dark elves might be getting involved, somehow.”
“Hm, I haven’t had any dealings with the elves, dark elves, or orcs before. I should learn more about them before agreeing to join up for this mission.”
“Perfectly understandable,” the King cut in. “You did become a Diamond adventurer in short order, so it wouldn’t be fair to expect for you to have completed missions in those geographic areas already. By all means, have our Court Mage provide you whatever information you need. White Glow has already agreed to escort Charlotte again this year, and the rest of her escorts are decided, so we need only confirm that you will fill in as the other party.”
“All right, I’ll let you know once I’ve finished my, uh, research. Hannah will join me, for sure. What about you, Yttria?”
“I’d be delighted to join you on this request.”
Garfield nodded, and the trio made their way to Kay’s wing of the palace.
--
“So that’s what’s going on!” Apparently, Kay was in the dark about the plan to send the first princess to the Elvish Forest. “And you’re the party they’re sending as guards?”
“Yes, although we haven’t formally agreed yet. In particular, I need to learn about the elves, the orcs, and even the dark elves.”
“Oh, that’s easy. Once that’s done, let me go with you!” Kay begged.
“Come again?”
“Your party is only three people right now, right? I could join your party before you accept the King’s offer.”
“Are you even an adventurer?”
“Yes! I’m a support mage in Gold Upper-Half. There won’t be any issue with me joining up.”
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
“I can think of a lot of issues… Is it normal for the Court Mage to disappear like this?” Garfield wondered aloud.
“Oh, it’ll be fine! The royal family needs a break from me every once and a while anyway.”
“Okay, but, if you get too annoying, I’ll teleport you back here.”
“Deal!”
Kay proceeded to instruct Garfield on the elves, the orcs, and the dark elves. Her description of the elves more or less matched his expectations: fair, athletic, long-lived, naturally good with magic, and at home in the forest. He wanted to ask how ‘slender’ the female elves are, out of curiosity, but he couldn’t think of a tactful way to word the question, so he just decided to wait until he could see the real thing.
Apparently, the reason why Charlotte was selected to represent the kingdom each year is because she gets along really well with the elves. Several of the elves are very interested in summoning magic, so Charlotte spends more time discussing and practicing summoning magic with the elves than actually conducting official business. Garfield would probably be better served keeping his unique summoning magic to himself while in the Elvish Forest.
The orcs, meanwhile, are very similar to humans, except with somewhat pig-like cosmetic features and a predisposition for violence. Hundreds of years ago they set up shop in the hills east of the Elvish Forest. Somehow, the two groups ended up at odds and they’ve been warring ever since, with the elves usually defending and the orcs usually attacking. This stalemate has continued because both parties need to defend their lands from other neighboring nations despite the ongoing conflict with their rival, so neither group can give it their all.
The dark elves have dark skin and light hair. They live north of the Elvish Forest in the Caves of the Dark Elves. These cave systems lie below a dark forest also controlled by the dark elves. It’s unclear what contact they have or have not had with the orcs in the past.
“That should be about all you need to know. The orcs specialize in fighting with melee weapons, whereas the elves specialize in bows and magic. Dark elves rarely get involved personally so it’s hard to say what their specialties are. Any questions?”
Garfield decided to go for it. “Do the elves ever intermingle with other races? Are there half-elves and the like?”
“Huh? I’m not aware of anything like that. On rare cases, female elves were captured by the orcs and brought back to the Orcish Hills, but I don’t believe they were able to produce any offspring…”
“Okay, this should be good enough for now. I don’t need to know the detailed history of these races in order to accept this request, anyway. Do either of you have any concerns?”
Hannah and Yttria both shook their heads. Hardly anything they heard was new to them, anyway. The group of four reported their intention to accept the request. Apparently, the King was delighted to get Kay out of his hair for a while. Garfield had no comment.
--
Back at the mansion, Garfield and Hannah were making preparations for their trip. Garfield really didn’t need to do much of anything himself, but he thought there were a few things he could do for his party members.
“«Summon Item of Fancy: Infinity Sack, x3». Here Hannah, this one’s for you. Take good care of it.” Hannah excitedly hugged Garfield. Apparently, she really wanted one of these. Garfield wrote up a couple of short notes explaining the Infinity Sack and attached them to the two remaining bags.
“«Teleport». «Teleport».” He sent the first sack to Yttria’s room at her estate and the second to Kay’s chamber at the palace. “It’s raining bling in Bretten today.”
Garfield wasn’t finished yet. He wrote up a few more notes. “«Summon Item of Fancy: Chalice of Endless Water, x3». «Summon Item of Fancy: Basket of Endless Breadsticks, x3».” He handed a set to Hannah and teleported the other items to Yttria and Kay.
“«Summon Item of Fancy: Arsonist’s Lighter, x3». «Summon Item of Fancy: Mage’s Compass, x3». Hm. Good, the compass seems to work. «Enchant Item: Self-Repair, x6».” Garfield’s enchantment would keep the lighter fueled and reduce the risk of the compasses getting destroyed. He divvied them out.
“Can you think of anything else?” Garfield asked Hannah, but she shook her head. “All right, we head out tomorrow. Let’s have a good dinner tonight while we have access to this wonderful estate.
“Can’t you just teleport back for meals during the journey?”
“Hannah, that takes the fun right out of it.”
“Then, can’t you reverse teleport meals from the kitchen here directly to the field while we’re traveling?”
“Hmm. HMM.” Garfield did think about it seriously. “Tempting, but I don’t think I’ll do that…” Garfield wouldn’t be that abusive. Probably. He settled for a nice steak dinner while he had the chance.
--
The next morning, Garfield and Hannah arrived at the palace where several horse-drawn carriages were lined up. A knight by the name of Linet was in charge of security for the trip to the Elvish Forest.
“Does anybody object to the Duke being the de facto leader for all adventurers?” she asked. “I’d prefer to deal directly with one person rather than try to issue commands to a whole group.” Nobody objected.
“The princess is in charge of the mission and has full authority provided security is not at risk. If necessary, we will abort the mission and return the princess to Bretten safely. Does anyone have any objections?”
Garfield asked the one question he’d had on his mind ever since he accepted this request. “What is our role if the elves are attacked, such as by orcs, while we’re visiting their village?”
“Our only duty is to protect the princess. We need not do more to defend the elves. Although we’re on friendly terms and are trading partners, we don’t have any type of a pact to actually defend each other.”
“That sounds overly optimistic,” said Garfield. “If the orcs attack with sufficient force to defeat the elves, they may purposefully avoid our party as an obvious tactic. However, once the elves are defeated, the orcs may regroup and then attack us in great numbers. In such a case, had we fought side-by-side with the elves, perhaps we could have repelled the orcs entirely.”
The Knight brought a hand to her chin and thought about Garfield’s argument. “Very well. If such a situation arises, we will make a decision at that time. However, the safety of the princess comes first.”
“Linet, you worry too much. The Duke will be with us. This trip will be the safest one yet.”
“Princess… very well, I’ll keep that in mind.”
Before departing, the group needed to decide who would ride in which carriage. Linet insisted that she and Charlotte ride in the central carriage. Beyond that, she deferred to Garfield.
“Ugh, can I give the leader role to somebody else?” Apparently, it was too late for him to trade. Ultimately, Garfield decided they would rotate around every few hours which was unanimously accepted.
--
As the procession exited the eastern gate to Bretten, Garfield rode in the central carriage along with the princess, Linet, and Kay.
“Duke, I must say it is an honor to work alongside you,” Linet acknowledged. “It’s difficult to separate rumor from fact, but I hear both your magic and your swordsmanship are the stuff of legends.”
“It is!” the princess agreed. “I’ve only witnessed his summoning magic, but it’s amazing! Isn’t that right, Kay?”
The Court Mage thought back to the angel Garfield once summoned as a demonstration. She shivered at the memory. Unlike the princess, Kay was burdened with the truth behind Garfield’s background, and his magic, so she had to be careful with what she said. “Yes, his magic is something else. He’s even aided me with my magical research.”
“What about your swordsmanship, Duke?” Linet asked.
“You’ll have to ask Yttria about that. I don’t normally use swords and I definitely don’t discuss swordsmanship.”
“But is it true that you defeated Adán!?”
“If anything, I used a cheap trick. Look elsewhere if you want a swordsman.”
--
“So what exactly is your relationship with the Duke?” a knight asked Hannah as they rode together.
“We don’t have a relationship.”
“Then why are you always together?”
Yttria cut in. “Could you stop it with the inquisition? Garfield rescued Hannah from an awful prison in the Empire. He’s the closest thing she has to family, so it’s no surprise they’re together a lot. Show some tact.”
The knight apologized and changed the subject. “What’s your relationship with the Duke?”
“You’ll have to ask Pandora about that.”
The knight decided to stop asking questions.
--
The caravan arrived at their planned stopping point for the evening. It was actually the same location Garfield’s party camped out at when escorting a merchant caravan to Lorenzo days back (if you count summoning a house as camping). Linet assembled the group to discuss the plan for the evening.
“The princess will sleep in the center carriage. The rest of the carriages can be used as you see fit. Anyone else will camp outside. I’ll assign one knight to keep guard at all times, and the Duke will do the same with the adventurers. Are there any questions?”
Hannah, of all people, asked a question. “Is it okay for us to sleep in a house?”
“What?” Linet asked.
“Hannah…” Garfield said under a sigh.
“Oh? What’s this!? What’s this about a house!?” Now that Kay was intrigued, there was no hiding it. Garfield began explaining.
“Last time we stopped here, I summoned a small building to serve as a shelter while we slept. I also summoned a couple of dogs to keep watch so that we could all sleep through the night.”
“I want to see!” the princess and Kay both shouted in unison.
“You are NOT sleeping in some weird magic shelter!” Linet declared, an image of the King’s stern expression flashing through her mind.
“Well, what about us?” Kay asked Garfield. “Can our group at least sleep in this house?”
“If the princess wasn’t here, perhaps. I don’t think it’s right for some of her guards to disappear into a house, though… This is different than when we were guarding a merchant caravan with a Baron.”
“Are you able to summon a larger structure?” Kay asked. Hannah and Yttria also had hopeful facial expressions as they waited for Garfield’s judgment.
Garfield thought to the list of structures he can summon with magic. The Home of the Arcane Researcher is certainly the smallest one. The others are huge. To his recollection, the next smallest choice was the Tower of the Arcane Researcher which was something like ten stories tall with enough rooms to house well over a hundred people.
He was about to decline, but then he remembered he had their literal goddess living at his estate. It was probably too late for him to worry much about these sorts of things. He wouldn’t summon the Palace of the Gods or anything like that, but the tower was probably okay.
“Stand back. Further. «Summon Item of Legend: Tower of the Arcane Researcher».” Nearly the entire open area was taken up by the base of this tower. Everyone looked up at it. All but two pairs of jaws were lowered: Garfield’s and Hannah’s. Even Kay and Yttria were shocked for a moment.
Kay began incomprehensibly babbling as she suddenly ran into the tower. Strangely, the princess ran in after her, with Linet chasing from close behind. The attack mage from White Glow fainted and fell to the ground.
As fancy as the accommodations were, not everyone was in a state of mind to sleep well that night.