BEGINNING OF BOOK 0 PART 2: FREEDOM
The cart passed the farmlands once more hurrying down the path going west.
“West?” Alois Herzog, Carnifex’ Minister of Commerce, had asked when they planned their trip back to the capital that evening.
“Yes, West,” the jester Claudius, had confirmed.
“But going through the woods in the north would be faster!” Herzog had objected. “They need to go on trial as soon as possible!”
Of course Claudius knew that, but he had argued that taking the three prisoners through the Whispering Woods, would be an unnecessary risk.
“Never mind the other two, but going west through the Goblin King’s Plain would mean meeting lower leveled mobs that pose less of a threat to the LVL 1 Player.”
That’s how he got through to Herzog. When it came to Players, his priorities were risk minimization first and efficiency second. Any other topic would be exactly the opposite with him. Eventually Herzog had agreed to the unconventional detour, even though it would some time longer. What the Minister of Commerce didn’t know when they reached a cottage belonging to a particular overseer they had met that morning, however, was that Claudius had an ulterior motive for the detour. My intuition tells me that something incredible is afoot.
Their carriage was filled with all sorts of different energies. The Baron Lucio still moped around that he had to leave the manor on such short notice, because he was unable to pack more clothes for the trip. Herzog, the ever so loving father, thought that Lucio was worrying about the fire still raging in the estate and if the three dead workers would impact his duties to the King, so he tried to comfort him.
“Look on the bright side, my dearest,” Herzog said, holding one of Lucio’s hands reassuringly, “we can solve this crisis together as a family. And while we’re at it, you can enjoy a nice vacation in the King’s Palace to calm down after such a horrible holiday. I’m sure Stamos will take care of everything until you are back.”
At this point the Baron had already half forgotten the problems at the manor. He had his arms crossed and muttered curses towards the Player that had gotten him into this mess. The same Player that had the Jester preoccupied from the moment he had laid eyes on him holding a dead NPC in his hands. Stick Arslan. What an interesting character.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
He turned to the carriage window to take a look at the transportation wagon behind them. It was a simple buggy, just a shallow box, pulled by the last two horses of the Manor. It had a single seat for two people in the middle, where its driver, the knight Becket, was steering the horses, leaving room behind the seat for luggage or in this case, the prisoners. And there he was: between the House Blitz Knight and the Westener, the youngest and smallest of them, orange hair lighting up in the setting sun, hands still tainted in blood. It was the worst day of his life and Claudius had thought of something to spice it up a bit more. He couldn’t contain his shoulders from shaking, something that the other two in his carriage didn’t notice. He wanted to be, no, hoped that he was right. The anticipation! The excitement! Oh Gods, don’t let me be wrong!
As they passed the cottage, Claudius feared for a moment that they might miss him, but sure enough, the thin man with short-cropped, brown hair, the overseer Miriad Clif, came out to take a look at the commotion. Claudius wasn’t one to waste opportunities. He waved a goodbye to the overseer and like a loyal dog he immediately responded by waving back at the High Council member. And just as Claudius had expected, this automatic response garnered the man, whose real name was Montgomery Cliffe, as he had remembered, unwanted attention by the prisoners in the buggy behind him. In an instant Montgomery had lowered his hand and hid his face under his sun hat, but it was too late. Whatever secret he had to keep from the other NPCs had definitely gotten out. Why else would he introduce himself with a false name?
The prisoners’ faces fell from tragic to downright miserable, when they saw Montgomery. Stick Arslan even rubbed his eyes with his blood stained fingers to take a better look. Claudius kicked his feet a little. It took every fiber of his being to not scream in enjoyment. The other two in his carriage would ask too many unnecessary questions, if they caught wind of this little moment. Oh, the drama! The betrayal! How delicious!
image [https://i.imgur.com/q4xU0a1.jpeg]
Just how Carnifex’ work didn’t stop at the deaths of any NPCs in their way, their carriages carrying the High Council’s symbol on the side continued their way home, disregarding the whole world that just broke in the new Players head. Yes, indeed it is a broken world, a broken system, a broken society where the strongest remain the strongest. Where those in power stay perpetually in power. Where those without power either suck up to the top or get crushed by it. It is static, fixed, unfair. And it is also so, so boring! But I witnessed it first-hand how a broken world produces the greatest heroes. The greatest heroes that make for the greatest stories. The greatest stories that wash any boredom away! Can you become the greatest hero, Stick Arslan? Can you write the greatest story? Can you stop my boredom?
He had planted yet another seed for a great story in the fruitful ashes of this once great world burned down by Carnifex. A big smile formed on Claudius’ deformed face. Luckily, his secrets were easy to hide behind the mask.