Mas Bagus

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

It was not every day Admiral Silas Delving found himself being questioned like a prisoner.

It seemed he was approaching this from a wrong angle, but he couldn't really blame them. He expected this bunch of hirelings would just nod at his request and all would be done nicely. He, at one point, realized was wishful thinking, and would settle by telling one of them the truth about his circumstances. There was a speck of hope when the elf entered the stage but it all crumbling to dust when strong disagreement sparked in the group.

The elf looked at him, there was no emotion in her face, while at Matilda, he did not dare to look. After carefully considering his options, Silas took a deep breath and began.

"What I have been saying is nothing but truth and truth only."

There was a low growl, and the elf shook her head.

"But about my motive, I am ready to disclose it if you are willing to listen." The admiral Suddenly lowered himself and sit on the floor, dried vines and other small debris did not bother him somehow "My father tasked us to check the Baron in response to his letter this morning. The circumstances about your rescue attempt never arrived to him when I was there, not yet, I made some attempt to delay that. But I fear it would at some point."

"Why did you delay the information?" the elf asked.

"Because I never agreed to this."The Admiral shook his head lightly before continuing with unrestrained dejection. "Because I know this could lead... to my family's downfall. This enterprise is foolish! And any sane man could see that. Kidnapping a prince? And then what? Kill him? Selling him off to Meche? What good it could achieve?"

Silas straightened his posture, clearing his throat so he could continue with a low, yet clear volume. As if afraid Kirsten would hear, but knew all along it was useless.

"My intention was to go against my father's plan." he grimaced as he shook his head, as if the very confession pained him. "Had you not arrived, I would have demanded the Baron to release him, pay Asevor his money, and escort the prince back to the Capital. But now here we are, and I still have to clear my family's name somehow."

"By hitching on our effort when the job is done?" Jazdia chimed in, this time joining him by sitting against each other.

The Admiral smiled in misplaced pride. "Politician does not care about the details. My family and their cohorts have been embellishing facts for as long as I could remember. The clandestine nature of this operation makes it possible to do so. You will not be the one who appears in the printed bulletins. But any recognizable face would, and that will be our political leverage."

It was hard to guess the tone of his confession. It sounded disgustingly amoral, but Silas delivered it in a way that it was not something to gloat or be ashamed of, but rather a plain reality.

"I truly wish for his highness to arrive safely, I really do. If he was severely harmed or killed, or keep detained we can't maintain the status quo anymore, sooner or later.

The admiral looked away as he continued. he was still calm, but a stroke of emotion in his voice was apparent.

"It was something Father did not see. His personal ambition blinded him, and sadly we can't always deny his command. My brother Aaron was the first to take the brunt after fulfilling his will. I do not ask you to forgive or sympathize with him, but I hope it could give you a clearer picture of my motive."

"So why do you try to reach us?"

Silas was slightly taken aback when the elf tilted her head as if deliberately trying to dumb down her perceived logic. The orc next to them appeared to be uncared by the conversation, but he knew she was listening.

To that question, the admiral commanded his soldier to bring a square cage with two homing birds in it.

"My father tasked us to report immediately upon reaching Fanghorn. We began our journey this morning, meaning he is expecting one of our messages to arrive anytime around this hour, we sent none, and that would agitate him. My father was not a patient man, and there are a lot of ways for him to obtain information. We have our men stationed everywhere, and the raid at Pesti this morning was not exactly silent. The news might not reach him in the fastest way, but it certainly would."

"Yes, you are right, Ma'am. That means there could be several ambushes prepared for us. The ambushers might or might not know what they are signed for like the sorry mercenary band at Pesti, but it doesn't matter. His Usuals will take care of the dirtiest part. I was hoping, with us going with you those people would stand down. You see, I am not asking you to trust me; I have said it all, the bad, the good, and the ugly. Now you know my motive, and we both have a common goal. Let us work together."

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Jazdia's glanced back at the orc expressionlessly. That smile faded and that playful demeanor diminished. The play ended now, and it was about time.

Her eyes darted around Silas and his men, then through the wall. Since Asevor's demise, the tower had lost much of its magical barrier, allowing her to see in and out clearer than before. Every civilian, and every man and woman walking in her line of sight she scanned them all. Nothing out of the ordinary, and back to Silas, no magical signal being sent out.

That damn Baker, was he for real?

What really matters now Cedar was taking a VIP away from them, for an unknown reason. That made him even more suspicious than the Delving duo, and that made her want to laugh in the face of that irony.

It was ten seconds passed, and Silas Delving looked as if the information troubled him. He wanted to speak, but Matilda stole the chance

"So it seems that Cedar have more tact than you. I would call it surprising, but that would be a lie. What are you playing at? Out with it. Fucking subterfuge..."

The crassness of the demand stunned her, But Jazdia quickly shook it off.

"Easy, Mattie. I don't think I am obliged to answer that. Also, I am not your subordinate, remember?" Jazdia walked toward Cedar's damp robes and tossed the Kompass toward Matilda. "We have a more pressing matter at hand now; I will take the other way, you follow Cedar. I will guide you with my power. Sounds good?"

---

At that moment Matilda's hand balled into a fist, her bicep and neck hardening as a rock, yet Jazdia remained undaunted, she advanced forward, eyes shifted between the tunnel bellow and the disgruntled orc in front of her.

"No?"

A dangerous glint flashed in the Knight-Captain's eyes, very much dissatisfied with how this elf conduct herself. Internal conflict, this close to the end? Or was she intentionally doing so, in some deranged scheme to hedge her bet with Silas Delving present? Matilda was not having this. She caught the communication device and tossed it back to the elf, the refusal plain enough even without any words.

"Then be on your way. Accompany the admiral, since you like him so much. Doctor Solomon, have your scout signal Cedar to turn around. We are leaving from the front door." Since Silas was so graciously informed, there's no more point to playing dumb.

"As for you, Admiral Delving. I do not trust you. Get out and keep your distance, or I shall take this as an obstruction of his majesty's will. If you truly worry about the baron's land you are welcome to return after we depart."

----

Jazdia caught the brass locket with one hand, exchanging a brief glance with the impatient orc before turning to Solomon. "Well, please do so, Doctor Solomon."

There was a pause. Considering that Matilda was not interested in finding the prince, Jazdia decided to not give up on Silas. The orc's repudiation? It means nothing to her.

"Okay, let's drop the act. Admiral Silas, We all suspect your family to be the mastermind of the entire scheming. No, save your breath, you understand what we are capable of. Do me a favor and don't deny until I am finished, or I will say nothing more.

Okay, one fact had been established. Now, to Matilda. It didn't really matter if the knight captain refuses to hear. The information could be beneficial regardless.

But she did hope that Matidal would be willing to listen.

"Knight-Captain. If Admiral was as dangerous as you suspected him to be, and sought to end us, don't you feel it was strange for him to come to us with three Soldiers and a bodyguard? Why would he bother? He doesn't have any sentry stationed outside. Why didn't he just prepare an ambush on the road and claim the VIP for himself? To lower our guard? Please, he doesn't have to do that. There are too many witnesses here, and too many risks involved."

Jazdia turned to Silas again, measuring the man, securing the motive before the man proclaim his own. The prediction didn't have many flaws in its logic, but she was still taking a bet, calculated probability still beared uncertainty.

"That doesn't exclude the possibility that there will be dangers waiting for us, but why give up the element of surprise? Showing your nose here is enough to alert us all. You still have something to hide Admiral, and I know it will be your next bargaining chip. You are not stupid enough to prepare this dangerous meeting for something we do not want to hear. So, I decided to risk it.

The elf paused to catch her breath.

"The milady has asked, it was mistakenly directed to me, but we know I have nothing to hide. So it should be you; What are you playing at? Out with it."

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

'A Help huh?"

Matilda glared at Jazdia, and the latter did the same as well. However, the elf was the first to break free. She was smiling, and the energetic demeanor she displayed would be very unnerving even to people who barely know her.

"Why the hell not?! There is no harm in having an esteemed Admiral escorting you, Right Mattie? Especially not when... an unidentifiable menace like Mechean Terrorist could be lurking about, and you are uncertain about your current capability to defend yourself and those who are dear to you."

It was a jab for both Silas and Matilda, but it was more on Matilda, to be honest. If you want to be tough, back it up. Fake it if needed, and measure yourself. It was ridiculous to bare your fangs while you had to limp about just to show it closer to your enemy.

"Speaking about the prince..." Jazdia turned to Solomon. Again, tactfully scanned the floor beneath them as she transferred her attention to the lanky old man. "One of your sentries was with Cedar, was it not? I'm surprised you don't say anything."

She turned to Matilda again, there was no sense of alertness when she relayed the information. "I think you should know. The prince is no longer in this building. The bear is dragging him away as we speak."

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

"He had you tied up to him so tight, he'd drag you down to the deep end with his ambition. For your own sake, darling, get away."

Oh, she had heard similar words over and over. And the mounting exasperation she felt for how things were was all too often being underestimated by those who only know her from the outside. Like many others, she too longed for freedom, and she had tried to get one for herself once. But it eventually ended on her own undoing. She was not prepared for it. The world outside was full of uncertainty and peril, and admittedly it was his father's power and influence that granted her a safe and comfortable life

"Blood ties ain't everything, yeah? Duke Rosenving can probably attest to that." Said Yvonne again, smiling proudly. Her story of being independent and standing up on her own feet could be very awe-inspiring, but as a Delving, Kirsten had been dazzled and disappointed by many stories and hope she now preferred to approach one with a healthy amount of pessimism.

"I will consider it,"
she said to Yvonne. "But I need to do it at my own pace.

Kirsten was baiting for small talk, but what she got was the story about the man's entire life. A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.

"Well, Master Chonan, the Prince of a distant land. If you are saying you are recovering your muscle, then why stand there? You should come here and rest, I will lend you my lap for you to lay down. Better that way, don't you think?" the maid enthusiastically showed a small woven basket and presented it like it was something to flex. "And, I have bread. Made them this morning-- sort of, anyway, I hope you like pirozhki!"

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

"I... I believe what happened between Head Constable Aaron and His Highness' agent was nothing but a mere understanding. A terrible and regrettable one at that. But I shall not pry on that. Aaron has been relieved from his position and waiting for his trial.

There was a pause. A deviant fire flickered in his eyes when he continued.

"I don't know what terrible seditious scheme Baron Von Kruber was planning, but if it was as you said, that will be another blow to my father. However, I must correct you. Please do not speak ill about the deceased until the investigation has been concluded. We both know how the law works. Rest assured we Delving family will be cooperative during the process."

He already heard chattering, and lousy banter being flexed. Being easy to please she was, Kirsten joined the fray, however, the commentary shifted to a more personal matter, and the commentary about his father started to make ears feel pricked.

"Oh, I am sure you will," The voice came from an elven woman who jumped down the broken staircase to join them immediately. Her disregard for the Baron's dead body made Silas heave a breath.

He counted there was Matilda and the Ronsenving scion. Fred's secret bodyguard was also there, standing religiously yet seemingly too focused on watching his sister's girly talk. The Druid could be the pale old man, and the legendary doctor could be the other male in the team.

So, this must be Baker's former boss. Silas immediately recalled an occasion when he saw a similar blonde elf attending Fredricus' banquet many years ago. She was beautiful and elegant. Was that the very same elf who was now in front of him? Looking at her unmodest appearance... no, this couldn't be her.

"I don't know we have an Admiral in our party," she said to Matilda, then shifted to Silas. "Don't bother explaining yourself. We all know you are here for that person. The question is, we have him, what you are going to do about it?"

"He will be on his way," grunted Matilda.

"Really?" the elf lifted her stare at the Knight captain.

"One way or another." she rubbed her fist.

Maybe cornered or wanting to preserve a status quo, Silas pleaded. "Please, there is no need to get drastic."

There was an awkward pause. The elf smiled at him, and by then Silas realized her eyes were glowing with a violet hue.
His hand was ready to reach his sword, but the stare was never to bewitch. It was to read, it was like she was determining if he was lying or not. Silas felt the elf woman in front of him had seen through his deceit, but decided to play along with it, for some enigmatic reason.

"Yeah, no drastic move. My question is still unanswered though."

"No more questions. No more answers."

"Come now, Matilda. Let the man speak for himself..."

Silas opened his mouth but no words came out yet. What he was going to do about it? The question was laced with subtle suspicion, that kind of accusation that would strip his motive bare if he denied it. Now he felt surrounded not only by a wounded yet determined fanged beast but also by a serpent that would retaliate with vicious retribution should he dare to attack.

A card played, and the name was retreating.

"What Milady Matidla said is right. I have no jurisdiction here. However, please do not misunderstand, I am as glad as you are knowing the prince is safe and sound." he placed his hand on his chest, while his golden eyes looked at Matilda, seeking approval.

"I assure you I am not here to disturb your mission for my own personal gain, or to seek any kind of fame. Please resume your plan as you see fit, all I ask is for us to be with you until we reached the capital. You may choose any route you prefer and share not your thoughts with us, that is fine with me."

***

Meanwhile, Yvonne should have known that flexing was never a good idea. And Kirsten being the klutz she was, reached for Yvonne's arm and grabbed it closer. It was fortunate that both girls were equally strong, else the other would be flung like a rag doll.

"That looks terrible! I am glad he is gone. I feel pity for the people outside you know, and Mister Baron... no matter the cause, this was not right."

It took some time for Kirsten to realize she might have spilled something she shouldn't. His father never let her be involved in his scheming, yet he should know better that it was impossible to hide everything from your own blood.

"Pretend you don't hear that from me."

Kirsten was well aware and understood the magnitude of this whole operation, but she was powerless to stop it. She-- no, they had been conditioned to be like that from an early age; if their father said go, they go, come, they come, and do, they do. She just went with the flow, and if the flow was so toxic, her option was to swim away and distance herself, but never truly escape from the very same flow.

It was awkward for a while until Yvonne broke the silence again. Feisty as ever, she never knew when to stop.

"How are you doing these days? Daddy dearest still being a prick? You should consider snapping off his leash, ditch him off! Heck, I'd show you the ropes. It'll be fun!"

"No, you silly! He's still my dad. And no, he never put a leash on me!" The banter ended with Kirsten punching Yvonne's other shoulder and having another giggle followed. Even being trapped in such circumstances, Kirsten knew there was still merit in all of this. For instance, she didn't have to worry about getting burns.

Though she knew the fire could be closer than she ever imagine.

"Anyway, who's the guy? He is just standing there like a statue." it was obvious that Kirsten was referring to the lonely foreign swordmaster standing next to the table. "Is he even breathing...?"

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Silas' handsome face slightly contorted in disgust upon hearing the name, but he managed to keep his cool. The man in front of him began to explain the circumstances. About the damage, incident, and harm, all attributed to the mage Asevor. Sounded cold and distant he was, like something ancient and truthful, yet Silas detected deception in his words. Which part and why, he could not tell.

Cautiousness prevented him to look at the man's masked visage until he told him Asevor is dead.

The Admiral looked as if a mélange of confusion, disbelief, and relief washed him. The Mage was known to be extremely paranoid regarding his own safety. He was powerful, but his ability to escape from a fickle was his defining trait that made his father keep repeatedly hiring Asevor to do his dirty work.

It said that capturing him was much harder than fighting the man himself. If these people managed to do that, it was obvious that he had to change his strategy.

"The damage he did to Fanghorn will not go unreported. Rest assured that I will be there to aid you should His Majesty require any of you to testify."

Clearing his throat, Admiral Silas realized that two pairs of keen eyes had been staring at him thoroughly since his unplanned entry. Unlike the man, they were more impatient, and speak almost in unison.

"Admiral Delving! A long way from the sea, ain't ya?"

First, It was from their former acquaintance. The girl from the bankrupted Rosenving clan. Silas' inner self soured, not because of the unplanned reunion, but by a sheer realization that she was also one of the agents who clashed with his brother and won.

He could only offer a weak smile. Thankfully her attention seemed to be diverted to his half-sister.

"And Kirsten, pretty as always. Pardon the sorry welcome, we've had a mage problem recently. It's been dealt with."

"Hello, Yonnie! Good to see you. How are you these days?" said Kirsten, with her usual cheerfulness.

Then, there was Matilda...

"I'll be blunt with you, admiral, the timing of your arrival could not be any more suspicious." The knight-captain growled, not even displaying the slightest bit of courtesy. "Spill. What business do you have here, where seditious influence had taken root?"

"I shall not deny that milady, and I shall fulfill your request if you are willing to lend me your ears, for my words will be the truth and truth only."

he decided to pick the half-truth card instead.

"Very early this morning my father received a letter from the late Baron Von Kruber, concerning the great peril that he was sure approaching his keep. He did not specify anything else but the matter is so important that Highness might want to skip his sleep to hear it."

"If so, why didn't he send it to His Majesty instead?" interrupted Matilda. A sheer impatience glinted in her eyes like a fanged beast ready to pounce, but considering her condition, Silas knew it was just an empty threat.

To be honest, he and Kirsten might be able to take them all down, but it would serve no purpose to him. Right now knew patience was the key... to mend things up. To deescalate, to deceive. It was like surfing in the waves, all he had to do was to adapt with its ups and downs.

His posture was straight, yet it did not radiate elegance, nor an ounce of nobility. Silas was just the man he was. Trying to tell what he knew and be true to his word. He actually struggled to find the right word for it, but he sure knew when to act like it.

"That I do not know. But if I may be so bold to postulate, the unconditional trust between my Father and Baron Von Kruber could be the reason." The word was said in pride, though a pang in his heart said it was misplaced, fake, and ironic.

Naturally, my father did not immediately share the level of grievance the Baron expressed in his letter, yet he stayed awake and dispatched his men. Waiting for any news. And it was indeed news that came to him in that witching hour. Our people from Pesti mentioned the Prince in distress, and we immediately linked it with the announcement from the King earlier.

"I am here because my father concluded that the Prince's Convoy is in trouble, and I am here to help."

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

"Gods! That's harrowing news." Silas' fair visage turned gloomy as he entered the room, and abruptly stopped in the middle. His eyes briefly focused on the mutilated body of a fat Baron who lay flat in the antechamber.

"He was my father's closest partner," he continued, his voice vibrating with sincere grief. "And a long-time friend. What happened to him?"

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

"Silas Delving huh?" mused the elf, the information strangely didn't sound like news to her, but she bothered to ask anyway. "How many soldiers he brings with him?"

Only himself and five other people.

"Can't say he was brave or reckless or misinformed. I do expect a number of responders, but color me surprised, it's really him."

Jazdia tossed the papers back onto the desk. and faced the Samurai with an aloof expression. Their last dance with a Delving was troublesome, to say the least, and this one could possibly make things even more complicated.

Being complicated didn't always mean being hostile.

"Go downstairs and join with the others. Your order is first and foremost to ensure the prince's safety, you know what to do. I will be with you all shortly."

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Meanwhile, on the Road to Pesti, four hours prior

When the Delvings arrived at the first barrier, it was clear that the Sergeant was not exaggerating.

Thorns and vines, and roots and more prickly barbs that made words plant and violence didn't sound very unrelated at all. Even the most lighthearted of them all recoiled when she tried to test the jutting pricker with her fingers.

"Ouw!"

"I said, stand back! Why are you not listening?!" Barked Silas, facepalming before turning to one of his lieutenants who just returned from a light recon duty. "What you've got?

"Whoever planted these things was sure meticulous," answered the lieutenant. "The wall stretched far into the woods, and I couldn't see the edge of it without risking an hour or two to observe further. Sir, suggesting to take a detour perhaps?"

Silas looked up to the sky. The wind was picking up and the storm he saw earlier is still raging in the distance. He had been a seaman for years, and reading the weather was something he had mastered. He knew how and when a hurricane would form, down to the exact location and hour. But this one was different; it was too erratic and formed in a place where it had no business to appear. It looked...very unnatural and the forming was all too instantaneous, like something conjured by a man.

The question was, who did that?

"We are running out of time, Lieutenant. But I will consider it.'

The word was calm, masking the swelling anxiety that was building inside him. It was surprisingly easier compared to finding the answer to his immediate problem; The thick hedge that seemed sturdier than any city wall he ever encountered.

A slash to an overreaching vine severed it clean, but his saber barely make any overall damage to the wall when a new branch sprouted down from the severed stalk and refortify it.

He slashed again, this time with his power imbued to his blade, it cut as cleanly as before and this time the sprouting halted. But to imagine how many swings needed to get through, Silas had to rethink for a better solution.

Should they really use tallows and burn their swords red?

A sound of metal swinging in the air alerted him, and to the extent, his subordinates as well, but they found no enemy. It was just Kirsten who stood in a steady stance, facing the ever-growing thicket with her large blade drawn. It was easy to dismiss her charade as immature things someone did when bored, but when the golden glow illuminated her zweihander, everyone suddenly remembered that she was still a Delving.

The first swing cut a swathe of thorny vines like wet noodles. The maid advanced forward, swinging the second strike as she entered deeper into the wall, more swings followed in rhythmical but powerful onslaughts. Embers ignited and died out in every stem she severed, but the plant shriveled and died soon after. When she nearly reached the end of the wall, pieces of dried thorns could be seen sticking into her maid uniform, but her long, leather boots provided ample protection to keep her footwork remain undisturbed until she completely waltzed through.

The maid barely broke any sweat when she greeted her brother and smiled triumphantly.

"I win this one!"

***

With Kirsten in the frontline, the second barrier of thorns proved to be a trivial obstacle for them to reach Fanghorn. Silas remembered how menacing it looked compared to the one that blocked the road to Pesti, but Kirsten mowed down everything on her path with no problem.

It was a simple trick, he told to himself, part of it served as a consolation. The same power Kirsten used was also the power he had been mastering for years, the difference was, he didn't have the endurance and stamina to reliably swing that slab of steel Kirsten had been lugging every day for the last ten years. Really, his father didn't give her enough credit. How on earth she was a maid?

It was raining hard after they passed the second thorns, but then it stopped not long after. All quiet when they reached the Fanghorn outskirts, and it was strange. The province might be underdeveloped, but its people had to make a living one way or another. Yet here they were riding through an empty road. The field was deserted as well, and every house closed its door and windows. Not even a single livestock could be seen loitering around.

Riding closer to the walled city of Fanghorn, the place looked like it just survived a siege. The destroyed bridge could be seen before they entered the gate, and Silas' heart raced when he noticed charred stains on almost everything, and the chilling aura despite the sun shining through the cloudless sky from the western horizon.

The damage to the peak of the tower was apparent as if it had been stricken by dozens of thunder. From up here, Silas saw a man hunkering on its ruined rampart, watching carefully as the party rode slowly toward the gate.

Only after entering the city, Silas began to see some activity from the local populace. Naturally far from rejoicing at his arrival, they were lamenting, either for their injured or deceased loved ones or damaged dwelling to the lost belongings. He couldn't help but shake his head, though his concern was more on the political aftermath rather than an empty as a human being.

"What... what happened?"

That question brought a pang like never before. Indeed, this was too much, this was not something he agreed to help. Would his father condone this unnecessary damage? Who would be responsible for this?

"I don't know. Let's keep moving."

He didn't know, yet knew at the same time. It could be the work of the Wizard his father hired. No matter how sagacious they presented themselves to be, the mage's intelligence lies in the tomes they read and nothing else. They were as witless as peasants next door when it comes to political savviness and this... this was what he was talking about. A foolish endeavor, so excessive, and could bring forth a political calamity.

Then, there was the second cause. The more their horses trotted, the more he thought about it, and the more Silas felt his heart sink deeper into his stomach.

Baker's words suddenly echoed in his mind, and the wailings of the villagers sounded eerily clearer in his ears.

This could be a glimpse of what a King can do when he felt betrayed.

A picture of his siblings, his family, and his home appeared before him.

When a powerful man got desperate, his anger would burn indiscriminately.

Then that very image faded in a smoky haze.

Save your family from this madness!

Shaking his head off from that terrible thought and back to reality, the Admiral realized that the tower was ahead of them now, all they need to do now was to dismount and climb the grassy hills through a muddy path.

"He is still up there," said Kirsten, trying to keep up the pace. "I wonder who is he..."

Again the Admiral offered no answer. The sentry was likely to be the King's Agent, and it was apparent now that what he feared was real. However, the Admiral refrained from saying anything that would color this enterprise with a more depressing tone.

"Don't look at him. Keep your wits about you and just follow my instruction. Let me do the talking. Trust me, this mission calls for deliberate and appropriate actions, our family's status is at stake here."

And without elaborating further, the eldest of the Delving siblings took the final steps toward the courtyard of the tower. The place no longer had a door fitted, but he did not forget his mannerism; stopping right on the threshold, he called politely.

"Well-met, fellow Kingsmen." Looking at Mitalda, Silas lowered his head in a slight bow. "And, Milady Matilda."

There was nothing for a while but a cold wind howling into the room. Silas observed the people in front of him; some of them he recognized; Beside Matilda, there was Yvonne from the Rosenving clan and The King's Secret Bodyguard whose name he did not know. The unrecognized rest were an unconscious man that seemed too ordinary, a white-haired young man with a perpetual wolfish grin, and a tall, yet slightly hunched gentleman wearing a very pronounced attire.

"I believe our meetings were not a mere happenstance. Can I speak to the Baron of the House? May I enter?"

As far as Silas was concerned, he had chosen his words carefully.

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Jazdia stared back at him for a while before bursting into a laugh.

"Wealth he says!"

More laughs followed.

"Oh, God... my sides..." she heaved, one hand on the face while the other rubbing the side of her bare midriff. Seeing the boy's confused look made her want to laugh some more, but as she reached to ruffle the boy's hair, she stifled her laugh.

"The name is Jazdia Crystalspark," she said, offering an enigmatic smile before continuing in a deceivingly playful tone. "It would be a lie to say that meeting you is an honor. Nah, you are too young for that."

Lifting her hand before the boy could show some resistance, Jazdia corrected her posture and smiled again."We will have a chance to talk again later. Now I have something else to attend to. You should... get something to eat, and have some rest. I'm sure you know the way back to the capital will take hours. Don't worry about your captors, they are dead now, if that's any consolation for you."

"Keep an eye on the box," she said to Kaito. "We might need all the items inside later."

Retreating back to the antechamber, Jazdia hopped up and climbed to the second floor. There, she immediately barged into the Baron's office, seeking any written record.