Chapter 40 – Those That Leave Behind

Aenon sat in his chair, with his head leaning on his fist and his other hand tapping the arm rest. He had a lot to think about, and a lot to plan. Things had escalated faster than his calculations. The fact that the prince was able to track him, and mount an attack was unsettling. If the death of a minor prince had caused as much chaos as Eskad described, then the death of a crown prince would be catastrophic. If they could track him even though he did not land the killing blow, they would surely be able to track him down now. He had to speed up his plans and prepare more contingencies, and quick. And he needed allies.

“Enter,” he said loudly when he heard a knock on the door. The residents all filed and took their seats in haste. They all looked haggard and sleepy. He had called this emergency meeting in the middle of the night after all.

Before anyone could enquire what this was about, Aenon tossed an object in the middle of the table. It was the corrupted gemstones that all the treants he killed dropped without fail. The reactions were just as he expected based on how Allie had reacted the first time she saw him with the corrupt ring. All the people in the room, except Jenny, jumped back in disgust and alarm. Elara even had her staff pulled out and pointed at the harmless looking gem.

“What is that doing here,” she shrieked loudly.

“My question exactly,” Aenon responded calmly. He quickly deposited it in his inventory to calm everyone down. “I need you to tell me about it. But first, there are some things you all need to know.”

Everyone sat down reluctantly, eyeing the spot where the gem was with fear. They all turned to him as one, waiting for his explanation.

“First off, the reason I am telling you this is because things have proceeded faster than I had hoped and it is beyond my power to contain,” he addressed all of them. When he got quizzical looks, he continued, “I am the one who is responsible for the death of Gareomos. The arbiter merely landed the killing blow.”

Pindrop silence permeated the room at his declaration. The husband-and-wife duo stared at him slack jawed, while the twins were confused but had a broad smile on their faces.

“I don’t know if you are blowing smoke up our backside, but if this is true, we owe you one,” exclaimed one of the dwarves. Aenon really needed to figure out a way to tell them apart.

“And before you ask the how and why’s, it is all related to that gem you all saw,” Aenon added before Eskad could get his question in.

The smiles vanished from the dwarves’ faces, and they exchanged concerned looks. Even Vincent and Blake opened their mouths to say something but closed them as they couldn’t decide the words.

“Respectfully sir, we’ll need more information,” Elara finally managed to ask for them all.

“Very well. There is a goblin dungeon nearby that I solo cleared a while back. I noticed that all the dwellers were hobgoblins, and the layout was significantly different than usual. At the end of it there was a throne room, where I met this prince of yours. Apparently, he wanted to have some fun at the expense of adventurer’s running the dungeon and had systematically been modifying the dungeon run to kill me. When all else failed, he tried finishing the job himself,” Aenon explained.

“That’s not possible. The brat might be many things, but brave is not one of them. There is no way he would have come personally if he wasn’t sure of his safety,” Eskad said grimly.

“There were close to two dozen hobgoblins guarding him and there was a field that blocked all mana wisps,” Aenon replied.

“Oh,” Eskad said before shutting up. His eyebrows shot up when he realized Aenon had managed to take on all those hobgoblins by himself, without magic. Aenon felt a shiver run down everyone’s spine a moment later. They had only seen him as a magic caster after all.

“If I may, I still don’t see the connection, sir,” Elara asked in a far more respectful tone than ever.

“Let’s just say the brat likes to harp. He basically confessed to using forbidden magic. And after I dealt with him, the arbiter came in and ended him. And when I took down a juvenile treant next, this thing dropped,” Aenon finished explaining. He hoped that Vincent and Blake didn’t connect the dots to his real identity, but there was not much he could do. He needed the information.

Realization crossed their faces as they came to their conclusions. He gave them a moment to process before asking, “So, since you have been in his employ, what do you know about this?”

“I swear we had nothing to do with this. We never…,” Eskad started before Aenon cut him off.

“I am not pointing fingers here. I know you are not involved directly. But you have spent time there. There must be some small bits you might have heard. Even rumors would be acceptable at this point. We are flying blind otherwise.”

The adventuring party looked at each other solemnly before Elara spoke up, “Everyone knows a lot of shady things happen in noble houses. But anyone who ever got close to any such information, was killed without exception. So, we kept our heads down and just tried to pay off our dues.”

Vincent and Blake tensed up and nodded in affirmation. They too probably knew how the noble houses operated. And from what Aenon had gathered so far, he didn’t blame them for their caution. It was pointless poking a wasp nest if there was no need to.

“Hmmm. Very well then. As it stands now, all we know is that a noble house from the Solarian Dominion is actively trying to manipulate dungeons on this planet. We don’t know their methods, nor their intentions. Is there any way we can find these things or does anyone here have a clue, no matter how remote of a possibility,” Aenon asked while looking around the room.

The room was silent as everyone thought about the question. It was no doubt dangerous, but crucial to their survival after all.

“Wait a minute. The tokens. That brat wanted the tokens,” the dwarf who was quiet till now suddenly jumped up in excitement. But he took one look at Aenon before clearing his throat and sitting down. He continued in a more normal tone after that. “The tokens we gathered are extremely rare and only drop from dungeons with a high casualty rate. It basically allows you to modify a dungeon to favor you. However, the tweaks cannot be something major. Like, you can’t turn a forest dungeon into a water world. But adding some extra lighting, is acceptable.”

Aenon tapped the armrest as he thought about it, “Hmmm. This partially explains the how. Although we still don’t know how they are making major changes, and that too remotely on a planet that doesn’t permit outside interference. And more crucially, we don’t know the why.”

“If I may sire,” Elara asked. When he nodded for her to go on, she continued, “Newly seeded worlds such as these are prime targets for noble houses. The number of resources and raw talent they can earn is phenomenal. They are always on the lookout for ways to beat the competition and reach the planet first. They even use some rare treasures to send in their scions to these worlds to gather as much power as possible. And these scions are ruthless when it...,” she froze mid-sentence before clapping her mouth shut.

Aenon saw her exchange a look with Vincent and Blake, whose faces went white with fear. They probably discussed his origins at some point, and the former village leaders must have shared their thoughts on the matter. Venge probably heard them but Aenon hadn’t had the time to talk to her yet. The fire mage and the two men stood up and bowed low, apologizing profusely. But Aenon dismissed them with a wave of his hand.

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“I do not care about idle gossip. I need your full focus on this,” he said firmly. “So, it is about the potential resources and the presence of a scion of Lightseeker house nearby. We may be grossly mistaken, but we do not have anything but conjecture to go on at this point. So, let’s accept it and move on to the last topic of concern. What can we do about it?”

The trio had sweat running down their forehead when they sat back down. Aenon didn’t really expect betrayal, but he would ask Venge to keep a closer eye, just in case. Everyone was lost in thought when Jenny spoke up for the first time.

“Ummm, I don’t know much but… how is this of any concern? That prince died a while ago, and there is no chance of them linking it to you, is there?” she asked timidly.

“Oh, it is totally our concern because I killed their crown prince an hour ago,” Aenon dropped the biggest bomb on them casually. Everyone blinked multiple times, unable to process what he had just said. It was like their minds couldn’t register what they just heard.

“YOU WHAT?” the berserker stood up with enough force to toss his chair into the wall and shatter it. The sudden noise snapped everyone out of their thoughts as they all jumped in surprise. Everyone but Aenon, who was still seated casually in his seat. He turned to the berserker with a flat look.

“Th… there must be mistake. Surely, you jest sire,” Elara said with a trembling voice.

“We didn’t hear any battle,” Blake stated hesitantly.

“Because he directly attacked my soul,” Aenon responded without taking his eye off Eskad. The big man was paralyzed with shock and fear, which were suppressing his anger to some extent. Aenon could feel all the conflicting emotions running wild in his soul. But he didn’t blame the man. This was probably the expected reaction from someone who just learned they were up against an empire.

“You need to tell us everything,” he demanded, his anger winning in the end.

Aenon calmly looked him in the eye as he responded, “No.”

“What?” Eskad glared.

“No. I don’t need to tell you everything. I will tell you what is relevant, and that is that.”

“So, you expect us to put our lives on the line and protect you from an entire empire? All because you saved us from some low-level monsters. Heh. All you nobles are the same,” he stated with hate and fury in his voice.

Aenon stared in silence, debating how to respond. On the one hand, he understood where the guy was coming from. He probably needed to think of his own party members, having lost one already in a similar situation. But Aenon had hoped he had at least earned a chance to explain. But looking at the hate and fear in everyone’s eyes, Aenon took a decision.

“One copper coin each. That is the price I claim for saving your lives. Pay it and get out. We are even after this,” he said while pointing at the door. Before any of them could react, he walked away towards the window, with his back to them.

He could sense the shock and embarrassment off everyone present. But he didn’t bother turning around. He heard some coins being placed on the table before everyone walked out one by one. Only Jenny hesitated for a bit, before she too walked out. He tracked them walking to the mansion door, before he turned away from the window and sat at his desk. For the first time since coming to this world, he actively stopped his soul sense.

He leaned back and closed his eyes. This was why he never relied on anyone. Without fail, everyone in his life had either left or abandoned him. Either out of greed, or fear, or plain cruelty. He was used to it by now, but it always hurt when it happened. Countless memories of faces he wanted to forget resurfaced unbidden. His aunts and uncles, the social workers, the foster parents, everyone.

He was trying to distract his mind when he felt several wet things touch his hands and feet. He opened his eyes to four tiny pairs of tongues licking him all over. The pups were clinging on to him.

“We feel your pain, Alpha. And your thoughts. Which is why you need to understand one thing. You are not alone now. And never will be. For wolves never abandon their pack,” Aenon heard Bane’s voice.

And when he turned towards the room, there were eight abyssal wolves sitting on their haunches. And despite himself, a tear ran down his cheek, which thankfully was covered by his mask.

“Tree. Friend. Forever. Too.”

Aenon chuckled at the childish voice that cut through the solemn mood like butter. He removed his mask and faced the pack. His pack. He walked up to Bane and stood before him.

“What if my path led to nothing but death and ruin, with no chance of survival,” he asked with a smile.

“Then we make it a death the world will remember,” he replied with a ferocious glint in his eyes. The huge wolf closed its eyes and rubbed its snout on Aenon’s face. Aenon in turn hugged the wolf. The pups came up to them and started running around in circles around them.

After a while, Aenon let go and smiled, “None of our lives are worth more than the other. I will put my life on the line for any one of you, just as easily.”

“As an Alpha should,” Bane replied with a nod of respect.

Aenon smiled and walked to the table. He leaned forward to collect the coins but realized that there was one coin short. He was puzzled by it when a voice cut in.

“Ummm. Am I allowed to join in?”

………………

Overseer Velcodirust

The overseer was in a good mood today. The news he just received was one of the best ones he had received in a long time. The crown prince of the Lightseeker house was finally dead. He was a thorn in his side that he had been trying to eliminate without attracting attention for a long time. He hummed a soft tune as he poured himself a rare and exotic wine that he reserved for such occasions.

He filled his cup and sat down by the fireplace in content. He had spent so many resources to collect the crown prince as one of his blades. But the man was protected by so many safeguards that it was nigh impossible, even for someone like him. He had sullenly settled on eliminating the potential threat, but now he didn’t have to lift a finger. All the political strings that wretched house had pulled to project shame on him were for naught.

He pulled up an orb which projected a scene before him. A scene of utter chaos with men and women running around in complete confusion. They all wore the insignias of the Solarian Dominion and were trying to get into a building located in a remote forest. But they were being held back by a group of soldiers in much better-looking armor who also held the same crest.

“Let us pass. Our crown prince is in there,” an official looking man said in a heated tone.

“By the authority of the emperor, no one shall set foot in this building till our official investigation is completed,” the soldier blocking the way responded with no emotion.

The overseer chuckled as the man tried desperately to argue, threaten, and even attempt to bribe the soldier. That last attempt cost the man being thrown to the ground in a heartbeat, before his hands were cuffed. The overseer watched with glee at the latest arrest. He took a big sip as he tapped the orb to change the view to another man.

This man looked much older, but his muscled frame was too intimidating for anyone to question his power. He was wearing rich elegant robes and had an intricate crown sitting on his head. Despite the opulent setting, he had an extremely nasty scowl on his face. His fists were clenched as he stared off into the distance from a balcony of a huge palace. A servant stood behind him, trembling in fear.

“Did they recover my son’s body?” he asked fiercely.

“N… n… no… my king,” the servant replied in terror.

The next instant his body erupted into a bloody plume, as a large fist stuck him. His remains flew across the entire balcony to join the bits and pieces of gore from the previous guy who stood there.

The overseer laughed at the display. It had been a long time since he saw his rival being so angry, but helpless. The wine felt especially exquisite when combined with the scene before him. He and this man went way back, when both were nothing but Level zero street urchins. Though they were like brothers once, they had gone their separate ways. It had been so long since their feud started that he no longer remembered what it was about. It was also the reason; he was unable to lure his son towards himself. The guy knew all his tricks and abilities.

“Let’s see you get out of this one,” the Overseer said softly.

If not for his spies, he would have missed this golden opportunity. He had placed multiple soul chained peasants all over the fool’s kingdom. And using them he had been whittling down his power from within, like termite. But in a stroke of luck, the poor kid had used one of his thralls for some kind of ritualistic sacrifice.

He had been ecstatic when his soul slave was chosen for the ritual. He had set things in motion immediately. Informing the emperor of the Solarian Dominion of the ongoing human sacrifice using remote sources, which could not be traced back to him. He was only hoping for the kid to be caught by the empire, not expecting him to blow his soul up like that.

He didn’t understand how it happened since he was not allowed anywhere near the place, but he was sure the foolish runt had somehow messed up the ritual. That was also the conclusion the truth-seekers had reached, and they were just doing the final cleanup before burning the building down.

Human ritualistic sacrifice was a taboo in the empire, and the remains were often cremated post haste to prevent any bad karma from leaking out to the surroundings. Which was sad, since the overseer wanted to study the ritual more closely. He wanted to learn what exactly the brat was up to. But oh well, such was life. You win some, you lose some. And this time he won big.

“It’s time to set things in motion to completely annihilate you,” the Overseer smiled eerily as he sent out thousands of messages to the thralls he controlled. He would finally win the war he had been silently waging for centuries.