Well… this is awkward…
Aoi and Hana back off, then I summon a Holly, and one nature and two earth elementals.
"Hold him in place," I order the nature elemental and we move into a circle formation around Alissa and Roxanne.
The man warily eyes the approaching curvy dryad, but doesn't resist the vines as they wrap around his limbs.
"Forgive me if I don't believe you immediately, but I'll ask that you remain still and avoid making any sudden movements," I say and smile apologetically.
"Can I… at least remove this arrow?" The man asks and grabs the shaft of the arrow sticking out of his waist.
"Sure… but we can't get close enough to heal you."
The nature elemental allows him to move up to a point, so, with a yank and a heavy groan, he pulls out the arrow and throws it towards us. Since it's a bodkin arrow, it didn't get caught on his insides, making it easy for him to remove it.
"I have potions…" The man says and drinks something out of a metal flask hidden below his shirt, then he pours the rest on the wound and applies pressure on it so that the bleeding stops.
The man sighs and relaxes in the dirt. Then he removes his balaclava and I see a mature, but still very pretty, golden elf man with cheek-long hair. With his short, whitening beard, he's got a bit of a "classy dad" kind of charm, so I feel a little bad about his situation.
"How did you find me?" He asks.
I get a nudge from Alissa in my soul space that directs me to say, "I'd prefer not to reveal that, for now."
He chuckles once. "Fair enough."
"But how did you?" I whisper to Alissa.
"I smelled anti-scent, something that only happens if there's somebody else using one. Then I felt an odd lack of presence in this mana-filled place and thought that there could be someone there, so I decided to act," she whispers back.
She had so little evidence that it was almost paranoia, but I'm thankful that she's that aware of our surroundings.
"What's your name?" I ask.
"Ervo," he says without hesitation.
He's not lying.
Curiously, he doesn't have a last name. Perhaps he's a Blood Slave or an orphan.
"I see a few daggers under his clothes," Alissa whispers.
"I'm more worried that he might try to escape after hearing what we talked about," I whisper.
"Yeah. We also mentioned [Gate]. It wouldn't be good to let that leak just yet," Lina whispers.
I pull out our scrubber, keeping the onyx disk hidden behind my shield, ready to activate it the moment that I see or feel anything resembling a [Gate].
"He seems physically weak, but I'd bet that he's at least fast," Hana whispers.
"If he attacks, I'd be more concerned about poison than lethal blows," Ciel whispers.
"If anything happens, I'll immediately [Explode] his arms and knees," Roxanne whispers.
"Don't get too nervous. Remember to breathe and stay calm, but alert," I whisper.
"Always," Lina whispers with confidence.
I whisper an order to the Holly near me, and she perches herself on one of the branches of this ginormous tree that we're inside.
After a few awkwardly silent minutes, the Holly sees a white, nearly transparent bubble with a bunch of people inside flying down from a similar hole to the one that we came from.
The ball floats towards us and takes two more minutes before it enters Alissa's senses.
"Seven people," she says.
"Why didn't he come through [Gate]?" Ciel asks Ervo.
"It would leave him vulnerable to you. No offense, but it's better to not risk it," he says and smiles cordially.
"None taken," I respond.
The ball lands effortlessly at the shore of the island and I feel mana escaping from one of the female mages as she bends the air to her will and allows all seven to walk towards the ginormous tree unimpeded.
The party crosses into the net-like tree just before the ball is dispelled, allowing us to properly see them.
The most striking one is in the middle. A mature golden elf man with thin eyes and an oval face. His graying golden hair is conservatively styled and the lack of a beard makes him look rather youthful, but confident. He walks forward with a slight smirk, but his posture is impeccable and his presence is slightly humbling.
His armor is a pure shining white that makes me uncertain if it's the usual wood or actual metal. Multiple gems are proudly displayed in his armor, shield, and sheathed sword.
Soul Info
Name Confiel Rincipio Race Golden Elf Level 90 HP 100 MP 9,120 Magic Power 2,250 Strength 18 Endurance 23
On his sides, there are two similar-looking mature women with cute eyes and round faces, his wives. One is a golden elf, while the other is a silver elf. They look kind, but a hint of smug and refined pride makes them look mischievous. Their presence is the opposite of Confiel's, and looking at them makes me feel slightly at ease.
They wear fine mage robes that are faintly transparent, revealing a set of chain and padded leather armor below. Both hold simply-designed staves, each composed entirely of a single crystal that slowly pulses with light. Luz, the golden elf, has a red staff while Lua, the silver elf, has a blue staff. Their hair is tied up in a bun so that they can wear helmets, but still look regal. Alissa and Roxanne take mental notes about that hairstyle.
Soul Info
Name: Luz Rincipio Race: Golden Elf Level: 77 HP 100 MP 15,340 Magic Power 5,005 Strength 13 Endurance 19
Soul Info
Name: Lua Rincipio Race: Silver Elf Level: 77 HP 100 MP 15,340 Magic Power 5,005 Strength 13 Endurance 19
The fact that their stats are exactly the same is very interesting.
Diamond dragon scales… they are basically half as powerful as Werner Rizek…
Beside Confiel's wives, there are two tall and buff soldiers in armor similar to Confiel's, their personal bodyguards. Behind them, there's an old mage holding a vine staff adorned with a white gem, likely the healer. And behind them all, there's a tall dragonkin man in dark metal armor. He has lustrous long brown hair and scales, and a scarred face, making him look like a handsome barbarian.
The bodyguards all have their swords drawn, but the blades are pointing down in a non-threatening posture, so we mirror them.
Confiel's eyes scan over our party and his gaze slightly unnerves me. It's far from being as powerful as the Anaras' piercing eyes, but it's still a mysterious power that makes me wary. I feel like it's different from the Anaras' mental attack; it's a feeling that he represents "danger."
His smirk turns into a normal smile. He nods respectfully as he says, "Greetings, Helios. I am Crown Lord Confiel. Ruler of the Eastern High Forest."
I bow to him and the girls repeat the gesture after I'm done. I summon all my courage to speak with clarity. The memories of Gify's vision about dragons seem to release whatever hold Confiel's presence was gaining over my heart. "Greetings, Lord Confiel. I am Wolf Ryder, and these are my wives."
He nods in response and his eyes turn to Ervo, still being held by the nature elemental. "First, I'd like to apologize for unknowingly spying on your fellowship, but you must understand the importance of this door. My intention was to know if Lord Mavel would ever find this place, not to spy on you, specifically."
I turn to Ervo and say, "You can stand." He obeys with a slight grunt as his wound is still not fully healed, then I continue, "Apologies accepted. I also apologize for wounding your agent. Lately, we've been very wary of ambushes, but unfortunately, he did hear some things that he shouldn't have."
"Has he heard something sensitive enough that requires his death?" Confiel asks, still in a calm tone.
That nearly throws me off, but I remain composed. "No, but if we are to negotiate, his return must be postponed until we are done."
He nods once. "Agreed. But can you finish healing him? From what I know, your fellowship has two healers."
I unsummon the nature elemental, then Ciel nods and walks towards Ervo, who straightens his posture as she approaches. He still holds his hand over his wound, and I see that it's bleeding slightly.
After a short chant, Ervo nearly releases a sigh of relief and his posture relaxes. He [Clean]s his hand and inspects the now perfectly closed wound.
The bodyguards sheathe their weapons, and the mages store their staves inside their [Item Boxes], so we do the same. Aoi doesn't have a sling, so she just stores her halberd in her [Item Box], provoking a short look of surprise from Confiel, his wives, and the old mage.
Ervo kneels and looks down. "Forgiveness, my Lord, I have compromised your position with my failure," he says.
"I don't fully fault you for that. Misty Foxes are famous for being spy-killers," Confiel says and sends an amused glance towards Alissa, who simply smiles proudly, though I can feel that her heart is also being affected a little by his presence.
Then he smiles and his threatening presence fades. "With that done, I believe that we have some business to discuss," he says.
"Mr. Bastico has suggested that we might benefit from working together," I say and give him my best business smile.
He nods and responds without hesitation, "Indeed, we might. But this is not a comfortable place to talk about such things. Would you accept a [Gate] to our castle in Goloria?"
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"Certainly."
Luz seems to become pleased while her sister(?) maintains a calm expression.
"Ervo, follow them," Confiel orders, then turns to the old mage behind them. "Ceiro, if you please."
The man licks his lip, a little impatient, then walks towards us and casts [Gate], creating a black circle in front of us.
Aoi reduces to small-Aoi, provoking a twitch of surprise from everyone, then she climbs up onto my shoulder. The brown-haired barbarian seems slightly amused by Aoi.
Hana walks in first and disappears. Through [Bind], I see that she's inside a grand white hall made of wood with stairs everywhere and three thrones in front of her. I assume that this is the main hall of Goloria's castle.
After a moment of hesitation, we follow and appear beside her with Ervo coming through right behind us. Confiel and his party appear a moment later a few meters away from us and closer to the throne.
The hall is carpeted with blood-red velvet that caresses our feet after these long days of walking in boots; it feels largely empty, but I see marks where the chairs and benches are usually set out for events. The stairs lead to dozens of corridors, reminding me of the branch-like style of this castle. Behind us, there's a huge oval double door that's currently closed, but we can see a well-lit corridor through the red stained glass in it. Behind the three lavish thrones, the wall is made entirely of clear glass that allows us to see the dark "Shell" of Goloria. The ceiling is full of dark beams making a beautiful web-like design that seems to be on par with the elven fascination with patterns.
They all untie their weapon belts and store them along with their shields in their [Item Box]es, so we follow suit.
After waiting a short while for us to get acquainted with our surroundings, Luz smiles and says, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Wolf Ryder." Then she extends her hand to me.
Her voice has nothing special to it, which I'm thankful for since the presences of these three Lords are already intense enough for our hearts.
We walk forward and start the custom of kissing hands. Confiel's hand is barely distinguishable from Luz's and Lua's. Aside from it being larger, there's no significant difference; his nails are even painted with the same light silvery shade as that of his wives.
After the girls and I are done, Luz motions for me to come forward, then grabs my hand for a return of the same slow and gentle kiss that I gave, one signifying respect. She's the only one that returns the kiss, but for us, who are mere commoners, this is a significant gesture.
Confiel gestures to the bodyguards and mages, who then leave the room, except for the brown-haired Conan.
Then Luz smiles brightly at us and says, "Follow us, please. The meeting hall is this way."
We pick a large set of stairs and climb for about the height of one or two floors before we enter a light brown corridor. The walls are all carved with Celtic knots, giving the impression of an infinite corridor. The walls are full of wide windows that allow the light to come in and let us see the outside.
The sunlight is beginning to turn orange as the sun starts to set. We see a few colorful gardens and guest houses dispersed in a circular arrangement around the castle. Other branch-like golden corridors extend above us and end in leaf-shaped rooms with green walls.
This castle is certainly odd-looking.
We soon reach the meeting hall and see a tall and wide room with a long circular white table and a servant at the ready near the wall. A recreation of Goloria is carved into the table and covered by glass.
The Lords sit in three lavish chairs, Conan stands behind them, we sit at the opposite side in some very comfy chairs, and Ervo stands beside us with his back turned to the Lords. Then Confiel makes a gesture and the servant serves us some fresh cold tea and juicy sweets, then leaves the room.
Luz and Lua start enjoying the food along with us, but Confiel merely waits.
After we've wet our throats and eaten some delicious sweets, Confiel starts speaking, "As you should already know, we've collected all readily available information about your fellowship. We know all about the skills that you've shown publicly. After all, we're interested in working together with you for mutual benefit."
His tone turns a little more serious and that makes us become a bit apprehensive. "But there's something that must be adfirst. How did you escape the Innocent Nymph? We don't know how it was possible for you to survive that."
We all look at each other somberly. The memory is still fresh and painful, but it also means that if Confiel is too cautious, he might consider us "cursed" and refuse to work with us.
I breathe in as Gify gives me a small boost in confidence by faintly connecting us all together. Then I say, "I'm a summoner and I always keep eyes around me wherever I go. We've fallen into ambushes a few too many times to not be constantly worried about them. And this time, this vigilance was justified since it was this early warning that saved us."
Confiel continues to pressure us, "And what happened? Not even the Punishers seem to have found closure, even though they've found a dozen Wicked to execute."
I wet my dry lips and prepare for the lie. "Four groups of seven robed and masked men and women suddenly appeared around the Inn. Then they huddled at the four corners of the building to cast [Meteor] in just a matter of seconds.
"Feeling the immense amount of mana being gathered, we all immediately bolted out onto the balcony and jumped. With my [Telekinesis], I guided myself and the girls that can't fly towards the ground safely. Then we ran away from the masked heretics and safely escaped the blast zone.
"We didn't know if they were after us, specifically, so amid all the confusion, we slipped out of town."
After I'm done, the three Lords remain silent as they process what I said.
Lua suddenly fiddles with her system and with a *poof*, she pulls out an Identification Crystal.
She holds the crystal ball in her hand and calmly says, "Forgive us for this, but we have to make sure that you're not Wicked. Too many people with enemies died in that attack and you seem to be the only survivor." Then she rolls the ball towards us.
After everyone has been checked, Confiel turns very pensive and scratches one of his long and flexible ears. Then he shares a look with his wives, who nod at him.
"Considering what you are, I don't suspect that you're responsible, but I suspect that you're involved," he says.
My stomach sinks and I feel a little bit of dread. "What do you mean?" I ask.
"You must be a Gifted person. A Hero in rising that will have the power to accomplish something great. The heretics must have gained a whiff of that information and responded with extreme force."
Denying that I'm a Gifted person would be counterproductive to bargaining with Confiel, so we remain quiet about that. But our faces harden with resolve as we become even more convinced that we're being hunted.
"Where would the heretics find so much power that they could cast four [Meteor]s?" Ciel asks.
"Aremut," Confiel answers immediately.
I look at the others who frown and look worried. I don't know much about Aremut.
"I thought that place was a repeat of the Deadlands. With everything there being dead, the undead can't grow more powerful because there's nothing to absorb," Ciel continues.
"It is like the Deadlands, but it's also their only foothold in the entire realm, so it makes sense to suspect that the heretics came from there. The Emperor himself found evidence that there are or were heretics doing something in Aremut. But he can't find anything meaningful since he's just a single person searching a whole kingdom."
So, we'll have to "visit" Aremut one day.
I sigh softly and say, "It seems that we are at a disadvantage, then. Since the Emperor himself can't find these heretics and the Punishers have no meaningful leads, we are forced to go into hiding."
Luz looks a little sad, which is a bit heartbreaking, and Confiel nods sympathetically, then he says, "I'd say that these heretics lack critical information about you. They used a flashy, crude, and heavily imprecise method to try to kill you. That is, if we are assuming that they are targeting you, specifically. So, a Lord's protection should be enough to keep them away."
I hold back a sarcastic smirk. "And that Lord would be you?"
He narrows his eyes gently and his mouth twitches. I'm not sure if he was going to smile or look annoyed. "Not precisely. Any of the higher Lords of the Avgi and the higher-ranking governors of Maoka have enough power to keep you safe. Considering your skills, trading protection for your services is an easy deal to make."
I force my sarcasm to go away and make my expression become more pleasant to look welcoming. "So what kind of services do you desire from us?"
Luz smiles and says, "If you are here, you must have a good idea of what we need."
"We do," I say with a nod.
"Then think of it as a small test. We don't want just your Gift, we want to know more about Helios' judgment and discretion."
I reflexively glance at Hana and her posture straightens even further. Through [Bind], I feel it when she bites her tongue a little painfully.
"You don't have to literally do it," I say in her mind.
"Helps me not forget," she answers.
"Speaking of tests, how many times have you tested us? Our first stay here wasn't that pleasant due to all the staring," Alissa asks.
"We did all sorts of tests. Gifts can be very peculiar, so we had to come up with ways to narrow down what it might be," Lua answers.
"My powers are very peculiar, indeed, so I need a better idea of what you want to do with it, exactly," I say.
Confiel becomes very serious, and the feeling of "danger" comes back. "If we tell you about our plans, we won't allow you to leave until the situation is resolved or you agree to help us. We cannot afford the risk of this plan leaking."
So it might really be something related to killing Lord Este.
"Then we still have more to discuss. There are a few minimum assurances that I need before we continue on to talking about your plans," I say.
Confiel nods. "List them."
"First. How did you find out about my Gift?"
The three Lords smile gently and Confiel starts speaking, "One day, we came across some information in Goldcross about a request to 'subdue' a fellowship called Helios. This request almost instantly went wrong, very, very wrong. The poor girl that witnessed the fight was traumatized, but fortunately, she entered the temple and stopped using opioids because of that."
The girl saw us! She saw the Symbol of Darkness defend the girls from the thugs!
I sigh internally.
There was no reasonable way for us to find that girl… It's lucky for us that Confiel was the one who did.
"A day after that happened, we got information that Katasko's headquarters was leveled in the middle of the night. An astounding attack to their pride that left no witness and no victims. A remarkable feat."
Lua nods in agreement, Luz smirks, and Confiel smiles, but we only feel a little shame about their "praise."
"Then, two day-cycles later, Katasko seems to have found some 'evidence' that Helios was responsible for the attack. I managed to take a look at the 'evidence' provided, and let's just say that it's 'flimsy.'"
"Putting it that way, anyone would make the connection to us," Roxanne says.
"Only if they had the first bit of information. Otherwise, it would be more correct to assume that Katasko merely wants to throw the blame at someone to recover some of their pride," Luz says.
That seems to be all they have to say about that for now, so I ask something else, "How is Katasko seen by the nobility? We don't know much about them, after all."
Lua wrinkles her nose for a moment and says, "A disease. Imperial nobility trying to hoard power and influence for themselves and infringe upon our right of self-governance."
"With the way that the Western High Forest is right now, we lack the unity to block their advances," Confiel says, becoming more serious.
"Katasko tried to recruit us, but after we refused, they immediately turned hostile, so I assume they're trying to aggressively gain power?" I ask.
Confiel nods gently. "Indeed. Their method of operation is the same at all levels."
"We don't seem to need help with the trial against Katasko, but a letter of commendation from you would be a nice guarantee in case things go wrong."
Confiel doesn't hesitate to answer. "That will cost us very little, so I'll allow you to use our [Eternal Gate] network to go to Goldcross for the trial at any time."
I smile and bow shortly. "That is appreciated, but we will also require more."
Confiel leans forward and interlaces his fingers over the table. Luz seems a little amused and Lua remains neutral.
I become serious again and continue, "We have a certain crafty and resourceful enemy that wants us dead. His name is Darean and he's a former member of the fellowship Great Destiny that operates out of Rabanara. We have reason to believe that he's the one that guided Dawn of Fire to attack Este Escort Company's caravan."
Luz and Lua open their eyes wide and hum in unison. "Ooh…"
Confiel sighs and says, "It really was too reckless for Dawn of Fire to do such a thing without outside influence."
"We require assistance in finding Darean so that we can kill him once and for all," I add.
Confiel relaxes a little and says, "That should be simple. Dawn of Fire assured us that the 'agitator' responsible for their 'mistake' is inside Escanso. Even Crown Lord Este seems to show some willingness to help hunt him down. I'm assuming that this Darean and the person that Dawn of Fire is hunting are one and the same."
A collective sigh resounds inside my soul space. Darean is a problem that was becoming too big for us, so it's very reassuring to know that he's finally finished even without our help.
Feeling a little more sure about this deal, I continue, "In addition to that, I'd like access to your spy network, or whatever you might call it. We are tired of being in the dark about our enemies, so we'd like to receive information about matters that pertain to us."
Now Lua seems to be the one more amused while Confiel and Luz are pensive.
"I can arrange this for you," Lua says, then both Lords turn to Lua and look at her questioningly. "I'll censor sensitive information about us, but you can be sure that it's in our mutual interest to keep you informed."
I'll just have to trust that they'll really never lie about or omit anything relevant to us.
Confiel and Luz seem satisfied and say nothing, then return to looking at us, so I continue, "There's also the need to define the length of time that we'll work with you. We have plans to leave the High Forest at some point, so we won't swear to become your knights."
Confiel answers, "We also do not want that kind of relationship. After our plans are complete, there will be a time of instability in the High Forest, so we want you to stay for a few months, at least."
I nod. "That's acceptable, but if we are going to behave like knights, then we'd like to be paid as such."
Lua's mouth twitches and her stare intensifies, then she says, "You won't be official knights, so you'll have your pay reduced by thirty percent. It's still more than the average fellowship is paid for this sort of job."
"That is fair," I say and bow shortly again. "Now, lastly, I want you to swear to the Gods that you will not try to kill us."
The three Lords freeze and even Conan, the barbarian, reacts with mild surprise. Both Luz and Lua let a small smirk form, but Confiel remains impassive.
"I can't promise you that, not with those exact words, at least," Confiel says and finally drinks some of the cold tea to wet his throat. "Such a simple promise to someone of your potential would be irresponsible of me. What I can promise though, is that if our paths ever bring us against one another, then I'll make sure to warn you of that and give you ample time to change your ways. If you continue on your path despite that warning, then I'll kill you."
We spend a few seconds processing his words, but we don't find any fault in them.
"That'll be enough," I say with a nod.
"You ask for a lot," Confiel says.
I smile with confidence. "You know that our price is worth it."
Confiel readjusts himself in his seat, and we all unconsciously stiffen our postures in expectancy. "Very well… I'm going to tell you our plan, so after this, you're not allowed to leave if you reject it." I nod in agreement, and he clears his throat. "We request that you use your Gift, that we assume might be [Monster Summoning], to break the Shell around Escanso's castle, so that we can invade and execute Crown Lord Mavel Este and his wives."
We assumed that he probably wanted something like that, but we didn't know exactly what.
We've already discussed this, so there's no hesitation in my words as I bow and say, "We accept your request."
The three Lords get up, and their faces turn stern. "Then we depart. Immediately," Confiel says.
"W-what? Immediately?" I ask.
"Immediately," he repeats with a nod.