Stahlia 17 Years Old, Eighth Month of 949
“…Honestly, I thought I had really messed up, and that this demon was going to, at the very least, catnap Felicity. If not worse.”
Claire, speaking through Felicity, shivered. It was clear that the experience had been traumatic for her. It was also highly concerning. Especially Eris’s claim at being one of Leviathan’s original companions.
That probably means she’s one of the Original Sins, like Sitri was for lust.
Sitri had been strong. Incredibly strong. If there was a demon of that power level in Zesten… Well, it was a fight that I could win, but the cost would be extreme considering what I had to do in order to beat Sitri. But there was an orc in the room. Namely, the fact that Felicity was here in front of me, two tails and pointy ears fully intact. Somehow, she had gotten away.
“And your next words will be-”
I cut Claire off with a glare that was perhaps a bit more hostile than I had intended, “None of that. Just tell me how you got away.”
“Right, sorry.” Abashed, her ears flattened against her head, and the tails, which had been softly twirling about the air behind her head, stilled, “Well, Eris suddenly blanched white, then tried to grab Felicity. Something else grabbed her first, though, and pulled her back. Then, Eris ran. When Felicity looked behind her, there was a rather old-looking man wearing all black. He gave us a long look, then told us to ‘hurry back, and tell her to come find me.’ It didn’t take much to realize that he was referring to you.”
And the plot thickens. Felicity mentioned some disappearances that Emmanuel was hiding from me. Probably, Eris is responsible for those. This old man is hunting her then. And he knows about me, and that Felicity is connected to me, and also knows that I would be able to help? Or maybe he means to warn me to stay away.
Regardless, the old man could only be one person. Well, he could be any number of things, but he certainly wasn’t human. Most likely, he was a monster of some type, and knew about me through Aaron. Then, if he asked me to seek him out, I would need to visit the Zesten Adventurer’s Guild. Not a big deal since I had been planning to stop by anyway; even if Aaron could check on me through my damn mana crystal, it would be better to be an active ally instead of being passive toward him.
“All right, well, if anything else, I’m glad you’re both safe. Though, the fact that one of the Hell Kings is able to speak into Felicity’s dreams is rather concerning… Especially if I consider the possibility that Leviathan can track her, or worse, pull information from her mind.”
I had transitioned to speaking more or less to myself, but Claire interjected, “I don’t think that’s a real possibility, actually.”
Curious, but let’s hear what you have to say in your defense.
Even if I was happy that they were back safe, that didn’t mean that I wasn’t upset still. And, Claire bore far more blame for my ire than Felicity did. Even if I assumed that the story they told me was accurate, Claire should have known better.
But at the same time, I have been rather absent myself; it isn’t like I’m entirely blameless when it was me relying on Claire so heavily to begin with. …I want to keep Felicity and Rosial away from everything, but with their abilities…
No, that was not something I could ever allow myself to consider. That said, even if I was not going to make them full participants, it might be better to let them in. Once they were older. At the very least, Felicity had already demonstrated her own skill.
But, with their abilities, they could only ever be spies and assassins. Neither job is particularly safe. So, no. I’ll be preserving the status quo for the time being.
“Sorry, Claire. Why do you think there isn’t anything to worry about with Leviathan?”
She shrugged, “Well, think about it, who’s the biggest threat to the kings in the upcoming war? As far as I’m aware, it’s you, ‘nee-chan.’” I narrowed my eyes at her, but she ignored me, “If Felicity was a good spy, then why would Eris have been ordered to catnap her? I can see why Levichan would goad her into following you, but that second part doesn’t make sense to me.”
She had a point; if the goal was to keep tabs on my movements, then having Felicity along with me would suffice. Hell, it wasn’t exactly hard to keep tabs on my movements even without an embedded spy, not when my cohort was so large.
No, there’s also the fact that the hell kings act a bit irrationally. At least Count Francois was somewhat controlled by anger. This could be a case of Leviathan being envious of me; wanting to get Felicity for herself… but that’s a stretch.
“I see. You do make a good point, Claire. Sasha, please have someone fetch Lord Alriss for me; we will need to adjust tomorrow’s plans. Claire, against my better judgment, I am going to trust you to keep Felicity out of harm’s way while I get this figured out. Not that I have much of a choice in regard to that. That said, you need to check your attitude.”
Sasha nodded and stepped outside of the carriage, leaving Claire and me alone. The former bristled at my words. Considering our previous relationship, that reaction was somewhat reasonable. Only the fact that Claire had been in her current position for more than a year now. For me, it had been a decade; we were not the same people that used to be teacher and pupil.
I continued to speak over her upset reaction, “Your desire not to mire Felicity’s development is admirable, and I would wholly support it… If you would like me to find a way to kill you, then I will reluctantly begin to do so. But, that would probably make Felicity rather sad; short of your own death, you are an inseparable part of that girl; I do not believe there is a way to separate you two.”
Perhaps it was due to how dark my words were, but Claire shut her mouth without saying whatever retort she had been about to.
“So, please, don’t leave her all alone again… I don’t really know if its right or wrong, but having you present is probably better than not…” At this point, I was rambling. I was trying to express something to Claire with my words, but it wasn’t coming out correctly.
Still, she seemed to have figured it out, “…I understand what you mean, I think. Instead of trying to let Felicity live a normal life and keeping my own influence to a minimum, I should accept the fact that she never will and make the most of it. For both our sakes.”
That was, more or less, my point. But she wasn’t finished, “You need to do the same, you know. You can’t keep treating Felicity like a normal child. Rosial as well; neither of your sisters are normal.”
I glared at her. Claire was correct, and I had even been thinking something similar just a few seconds ago. But having it slammed into my face like this was just…
“No, I know that. But this and that are different.” I shut my eyes and tilted my head back before exhaling slowly, “I know that. I know that the two of you aren’t like other kids. But it doesn’t change anything. Everything I’ve done since leaving Ris was to get Rosial back and protect Felicity. I am not going to place either of you in a position where I might lose you.”
I opened my eyes and brought my head back; Claire looked like she was going to say something. Not wanting to hear it, I waved her off, “I’m not open to discussing this further. While I cannot force you not to follow me, I can make it much harder. I do not want to go down that path though, so please, do not force me to.”
The hidden option C. Use my Authority and seal Felicity’s Skills and Talents. Just thinking about it made me feel a bit ill; the pain I had experienced when shoved into Sitri’s head… it was something I would never willingly subject either of my sisters to. But Claire didn’t need to know that, all she needed to know was that I could.
“Wow. I see how it is then, noted.” Obviously, she wasn’t exactly pleased, but I did not particularly care about that as long as it kept her form doing anything stupid in the future.
With Claire, I need to be a lot harsher; she should have known better. With Felicity, I’ll try and be more conscious of her in the future; just up and leaving like I did was a mistake. I also need to be more approachable in the future, so that she’ll tell me about any more weird dreams she has.
Then, the door to my carriage opened again, and Sasha re-entered before announcing Lord Alriss.
“Then, what should I be doing, your majesty?” Claire’s rather dry retort earned her a confused stare from the newly entered knight, a tongue click from Sasha, and an unamused stare from me.
“I will not send you back to Ris, as long as you do not cause any further issues… Sasha, please prepare a place for her to sleep.”
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To my great relief, Sasha read the atmosphere, “Miss Felicity is rather small… I can fit a small bed in your partition if my lady does not mind sharing…?”
Still controlled by Claire, Felicity scowled but was quick to hide her expression behind a rather poor fake smile.
How did it end up like this…? Whatever. She’ll get over it eventually. The important thing is that they’re safe.
“Thank you, Sasha, that will do nicely. Now, Lord Alriss, in light of some new information, we will need to amend our plans for tomorrow’s visit.”
Claire sighed and slipped away through the partition into what was my bedroom. Of course, Sasha had not yet had an opportunity to set anything up, but it wouldn’t be a problem if she used my bed for now.
The next day found me and Lord Alriss in the city of Zesten proper. I was disguised, of course, wearing my original ring. As discussed with my ‘father’ the night before, we were presently making our way toward the Adventurer’s Guild. Instead of our last stop, it was now our first.
The two babysitters Emmanuel had given me presented a small problem, but if I really needed to, they could be dealt with easily enough. Though that was an absolute last resort, only to be employed if I truly needed to. As it was, it should be fairly easy to work around them, and they had so far proven to be surprisingly useful; one was even serving as something of a tour guide.
Though I need to remember not to take anything he says at face value.
As it were, the most egregious thing he had done was subtly guide me around a particular part of the city. By the few glimpses I had gotten down the avoided streets, that part of the city could have been better compared to the route we were taking. The people had been less well dressed, more clutter along the edges of the road, and a faint smell of refuse. In contrast, conditions along our sanctioned route were much better. The air was clean, the roads tidy, and the people were all comparable to the wealthiest of Drakan commoners. Some of them looked about as well off as a knight or baron’s family.
Well, Barons, other than my real father, he’s a special case.
Ideally, I would be able to name-drop myself to get an audience with the local guild master. From there, locating Franklin using the Adventurer’s Guild information network should be fairly straightforward. After that, I would inquire after Felicity’s savior and find out what Aaron wanted from me. Though our standing arrangement did not require me to help him, if it wasn’t going incredibly out of my way I would do so in the interest of building up rapport.
A favor for a favor and all that; he helps me find Franklin, I help out with the local demon infestation… As long as there’s only one, I should be able to deal with an Original Sin… As long as I keep the fight short.
That was the precise moment that my ears perked up at the sound of a familiar name, “… Franklin, I told her I would protect her.”
My head whipped around, down one of the off-route streets, and there he was. My memory was foggy, but there was no doubt in my mind; Franklin was standing there, wearing some extremely cheap armor and with a shitty sword talking to some adventurer woman. Without paying me any mind, the pair began to walk away from my party, heading down the street toward the edge of the city. There were only a few moments for me to act before they were out of sight; was it better to meet him now, or to continue with my plan as it was and meet him later?
It will save time to go and do it now. Plus, I won’t owe Aaron any favors.
“F-!” I arrested my shout before I made a huge mistake; there was no reason for me actually to know his name. While I could decline to give Lord Alriss or my two knights an answer, with my two babysitters here, I could not make such a blunder, “Stop him!”
Idiot!
Giving such a vague order was never going to go well in this situation, and all at once, things spiraled out of control. Two of my knights adopted a defensive stance around me and Lord Alriss, while the other two took off toward Franklin and his companion. Surprisingly, my babysitters joined the away team, and Franklin soon found himself surrounded.
Damnit! Why did it end up like this!?
Seeing Franklin again really shouldn’t have caused me to make mistakes like these; I had more than enough experience with operating on the fly and under pressure. Probably, it was a combination of the suddenness, unrealized stress at the idea of meeting someone else from my past, and realized stress from Claire and Felicity. Whatever the cause, I needed to fix things as soon as possible, and there was a quick and dirty way to do that: to make Lord Alriss do it.
After all, he is currently playing the role of my dear father; a noble girl should not act out in public.
“Ahem. Father, I believe that man may be the one Felicity spoke of….” Allowing my voice to trail off, I caught his eye, and very slightly frowned before resetting my expression.
Of course, he was not as well-versed as me, so did not react perfectly to the sudden call. However, any observer would only believe that his brief look of surprise and delayed response were due to his daughter suddenly calling out and sending their knights at some commoner.
“I see. Men, fall off and give the lad some space. My apologies for my… daughter’s… actions.”
His eventual response was passable, though only just. The knights and babysitters fell back immediately, though in a way that naturally pulled Franklin and the woman closer to myself and Lord Alriss. As they came closer, I made a mental note of how the woman was moving; she definitely had some skill. and was on guard toward not the knights or Lord Alriss, but toward myself.
So she’s practiced enough to subconsciously pick up on various things, or she’s just uneasy, given my earlier shout. Whatever, she’s only as important as her connection to Franklin. I don’t think she’s aware she’s focusing her stance on me.
“Think nothing of it; you are far from home, being a bit ill at ease is to be expected, and I was not hurt at all. That aside, is there something I can help you with?” Franklin’s words made me choke back a laugh; he sounded nothing like my vague recollections. Far too stiff, he was completely out of his depth when it came to verbal warfare.
Pff! I could probably pick up on his openings and exploit them even before getting lessons from Lady Lester. Asking a noble if you can help them is akin to offering to help.
It would be rude of me to reject such a generous offer, especially since it answered the question of how to get him to come with us. Lord Alriss was waiting for a cue from me before he proceeded, but there wasn’t any easy way to convey what I wanted. Nodding briefly, I decided to do it myself while keeping the interaction brief, “Actually, to apologize, might I hire you? We are trying to find the local adventurer’s guild, and could use a guide.”
Franklin’s expression betrayed his thoughts; he really didn’t want to, and was trying to figure out a way to refuse. After a few moments he gave up and bowed his head, “Aye, I can show you the way there, though please excuse my companion; we have our own business, though she can take care of herself.”
Yea, she definitely can, and better than you most likely. That was surprisingly well done though.
The way he had prepared a way for the woman to make her departure was exceptionally well executed in stark contrast to his earlier display of verbal incompetence. In other words, it was a fortunate accident on his part. Though her leaving was also to my benefit, so there were no objections from my side. Therefore, when the girl chimed in to say farewell, I made no moves to stop her.
“…I suppose I can handle it myself; Dylan and I’ll wait for you at the inn.”
After receiving a short nod from me, Lord Alriss once again took charge of the situation and thanked Franklin, “That will be most helpful. You have my thanks, Sir…?”
“Just Franklin, if it pleases your lordship; I have no title nor lands.”
“Pff!” This time I could not fully suppress my laugh at how funny he sounded. It reminded me of myself when I first learned polite speech from my mother many years ago. Hearing it out of the mouth of an adult, and one with whom I had a past, was something else entirely. We began to walk, with Franklin now leading us, and fell into step perhaps a bit closer than was proper; there was an underlying current of excitement but also unease. It was causing me to outwardly hover, while internally, things were beginning to come apart.
For one, where the hell do I even begin…? Meeting him as Stahlia von Drakas und zu Ris would have been one thing, but now the first time I meet him is as Stahlia von Alriss. I’m disguised as a twelve-year-old girl. “Hey Franklin, it’s me; I’m George!” Shit, he’d have a field day with that if I looked like my usual self. But with the knowledge that I can do this…?
At least my status means he won’t be able to crack any jokes or tease me, but I know what he’ll be thinking… Ugh. Maybe I should have just waited to meet him until I could do it as myself.
Lord Alriss and Franklin were conversing about something, but it wasn’t until I heard my name that I started paying attention, “… Stahlia… von Alriss.”
It was rather fortunate that I had perked up since, based on Lord Alriss’s current demeanor, that had been an introduction. Pausing in the middle of the walkway, I gave a very brief curtsy to Franklin, “As my father said, I am Stahlia von R, Alriss.”
Way to go; I even managed to mess up my own name. Spymaster, my ass; I should be able to do at least this much.
We continued to walk, while I ran through a half dozen possible outcomes to revealing my identity to Franklin. Though now I was keeping one ear open and monitoring the progressing conversation between Franklin and Lord Alriss, lest my participation become necessary again.
“Ha, no. We have our own methods for that. No, my daughter has something of a soft spot for adventurers and requested to visit a foreign guild branch while we were here. Oh, to be young and with a head full of fancy again, eh?” Though I had missed the triggering question, Lord Alriss’s answer went a bit too far. It seemed that he was becoming quite close to Franklin, even to the point where he was close to overstepping.
Right…
“At least I still have my entire future ahead of me, father.” At my sudden interjection, the wayward count stiffened and swallowed before furrowing his brow in mild confusion.
Exactly. You would not normally have made a mistake like that.
I looked at the back of Franklin’s head; he was doing something, though it was doubtful that he knew he was.
It’s a long shot, but…
My attempt to appraise him using my divine eyes failed; unlike Felicity, we didn’t have any special connection. That meant that the only way to check his status would be to use Blood Magic, which would require physical contact, which would break my illusion. There was also the minor issue: I would probably accidentally kill him if I did that without first putting my other ring on.
For now, it’s probably better to be more active and see if I can’t figure out what’s happening. I can decide when, where, and how to reveal myself later.
To that end, “Actually, perhaps you might be able to answer my questions… I am rather curious about the disappearances that have been occurring and intended to inquire about them with the guild.”
Franklin’s smile cracked, “…I am afraid that I know very little about that, Lady Stahlia; the guild is not officially looking into the matter.”
Well, that’s something. So the rank and file aren’t in the know about anything. Not that I would have expected anything different.
“Ah, but they are investigating, just not ‘officially…’ No, not the guild, it’s you who is investigating, and that woman you were with. I see.”
Franklin realized his mistake in word choice and stopped short of saying anything else. That was fine; one of my babysitters indicated that we were almost at the guild building. It was rather well-kept compared to the Drakan ones, a sign of how they were held with higher regard in this country.
“Oh? Now, this is interesting; the building is quite well-maintained for an adventurer’s guild. At least when compared to the ones in Drakas….” I trailed off, and once Franklin opened the door for me, I stepped inside.