Conviction, page 3
In some ways the details of how everything was being handled made Xeal think of the historical witch trials, as all those in custody were treated as guilty and had little in the way of rights. Thankfully, the world of ED had better ways of discerning if those accused were guilty, complicit, or innocent. In this case they would only be considered innocent if they had been making a concerted effort to stop the distribution of demonic weapons. Otherwise, they were either guilty of aiding it, or guilty of being complicit of not fighting the enemy of all. While the former queen, Lorelai, would survive even if seen as complicit, due to her actions in surrendering, the same could not be said of most those of the royal court. It was this situation that saw Xeal sitting across from the former queen and Lorena on day 21, as both had all but begged for an audience with him after the first few weeks of interrogations.
“Duke Bluefire, you assured me that my surrender with my family not fleeing would lead to the best results and yet all of us save for Lorena and I are under threat of execution!”
“I am sorry, but you need to let the process play out,” replied Xeal. “I know that King Victor will honor my word and limit the number to actually be executed, so long as they weren’t involved with the demonic weapons. However, he has to show the world that he isn’t going to allow such weapons to be used without those in power being held accountable for it. The main issue is that none of those in your family ever publicly denounced those who used the weapons and instead caved to the pressure to see them as men willing to sacrifice their lives for your kingdom. I get it, they were bringing a slight bit of hope to what seemed like a hopeless situation as my forces marched ever closer to your capital, but that will not be how history sees it. As such, only the end results matter and after what happened in the final battle, the world will see your kingdom attempting to open a gateway for demons to use through human sacrifice. Tell me, what would be a lenient option that the world could accept?”
“Suicide, or at least apparent suicide before exile,” replied Lady Lorelai. “There are many places that you could put my family and none would ever know that they even still lived.”
“Alright, what has you so concerned that you are ready to suggest the hidden exile route already?”
At Xeal’s direct question, he could see Lorena looking nervous and Lady Lorelai pursed her lips for a long moment before deciding to speak.
“The investigation seems to be revealing nothing. While this should clear up the suspicion that any in the royal family or court had anything to do with the demonic weapons, it is being seen as the opposite.”
“What my mother is trying to say is that there are methods for getting around any spell that can be cast to seek out the truth of things. In this case, what is suspected is that the culprit had their very memories altered to not be caught, as the notion that the entire royal court had no knowledge of anything is laughable. The only way such a thing would be possible is if each of those who used the demonic weapons were approached by an outside entity shortly before they used them and told no one about it. Though in the case of the final battle, any who knew were silenced rather efficiently, as I can promise you that my father didn’t know about them, else he wouldn’t have accepted your deal.”
“So, what, you are hoping that I will convince Victor that is the reality of the situation and that he should show mercy by offering poison to all who wish to avoid beheading, at least from the public’s viewpoint. Then simply relocate all of them to a remote island as they would be noticed in Cielo city?”
“Do you have a better plan?” asked Lorena, looking annoyed. “Look, I don’t really care if I see any of them ever again, but I would like to feel like I am not the last of the Paidhia royal line, even if our kingdom is no more.”
“Would you trade ever having a chance to become my wife or bear my child for their lives?”
“If that is the cost I must pay, though Bianca might kill me for it.”
“So, Lady Lorelai, are you willing to let Lorena pay that price?”
“I would prefer that you make me pay the price for my family’s lives, but I feel as if I have nothing to pay with.”
“That may not be entirely true, though all I will ask is that you accept anything that you find yourself asked to bear for me to make something work.”
“If I can bear the cost for whatever must happen to save my family, I will, even if it is my very life.”
“Alright, I will speak with King Victor, though for now you can just expect that it will be a stay of execution until after Habia is conquered.”
“Even just buying us that time would be enough for me to pay a large price for,” replied Lady Lorelai.
“I get it, no need to make it awkward. Now, Lorena, regardless of anything else, you are in my care and I can’t have you being seen as reconnecting with your family until they have been cleared of all suspicion. So, you are to go no contact with them until things have run their course, even if things seem like they are going very wrong.”
“Xeal-”
“Do you understand!?”
“Yes, but-”
“No buts. Often times things have to get worse before they can get better. Right now all that you putting yourself in the middle of it will accomplish is forcing me to remove you as steward and much more. Is that understood?”
“Yes, I just thought meeting with my mother was permitted as she has been all but cleared thanks to her aid in surrendering the capital.”
“That will only save her life, not absolve her of the guilt through association that will fall on her shoulders. You being in my care for the past several years is all that is shielding you from the same issues and that can be undone relatively quickly at this point.”
“Will I ever get to see my mother again?”
“I can’t answer that, so if there is anything you need to say to her, now would be a good time and I will leave you two alone as I leave.”
“Thank you.”
At Lorena’s reply, Xeal stood and left the mother and daughter as he thought over the steps that he could take and he made a request to meet with King Victor, which was scheduled for the afternoon of day 23. Before then he had Kate look over everything that she had access to, as FAE was heading up the investigation with Lucida’s aid. While it was not perfect, her ability to detect demonic energy was exceptional as it most closely aligned with the power of the shadow phoenix, Brangwen. At the very least Xeal knew that none of them had come in close contact with the demonic weapons recently. Though, that had done little to clear any suspicions as that had been a long shot from the start. So it was that Xeal found several hours of his time devoted to a situation he had hoped to stay out of as he prepared for the meeting, up until it was time for it to start.
“Xeal, I thought you were staying out of this, yet it seems that you care for Lorena more than you would have me believe,” commented King Victor in a mix of frustration and humor.
“You essentially forced me to have her under me as a steward of a territory that one of my children will inherit. What choice do I have but to care for her?”
“Fine, so what would you have me do if nothing can be found? I can’t simply allow them all to escape without anyone being held responsible.”
“We have been easy on Lady Lorelai. I think that for a first step we shift narratives and pose the possibility that she essentially sacrificed her family for safety.”
“That will go over well. She claims that she did what she did in hopes that her family could reestablish themselves one day and we declare that she is the one who was colluding with demons. Then what, we kill her and spare her family, save her husband and the crown prince?”
“No, we press her and make it seem that we are holding little back in doing so, and hold off any final judgments until after the war with Habia is over.”
“Xeal, what would we gain by doing that?”
“Time. History will already remember King Tybalt as letting demons infiltrate his kingdom. That alone is enough for him and many others to lose their heads. However, rather than rushing to judgment, they can all be imprisoned in Cielo city as the investigation spreads and connections are made. Perhaps with a little luck we can expose the true perpetrator and avoid the uncertainty that comes with simply killing all those who could be involved.”
“Xeal, do you intend to marry Lorena and Bianca at some point?”
“Kate seems to believe that if they both succeed in being stewards and rise to gain my respect, that is what will happen. As for my intent, well, Kate knows me better than I know myself at times and I don’t hate either of them.”
“Fine. I will play along with this request, but only if you are able to bring the war to a close before the next Foundering Day. It is then that I will need to install both as stewards for the best results. You may even want to mention that when you meet with King Ulfert. He has agreed to allow you and his daughter to visit, on the condition that I sign a treaty that Chemona Umbra be released and something that was stolen returned. Now tell me, is that a treaty that I should sign, as I have no knowledge of any of that.”
“That would be the necromancer that my guild captured and is currently in the custody of Cielo city. You should reply that you have no way to comply with that request as Nium is not in possession of her, or her phylactery. Make it clear that as I had no way to hold her, she was turned over to the dragonoids and they will not allow her to escape their control.”
“Why have they not simply destroyed her?”
“Taya, Arnhylde and Lucida are doing similar experiments on her as to what they did with the vampires, to see if they can accomplish something similar. Really, the three of them seemed determined to fully understand how all sentient undead function and if the process that make each can be reversed.”
“You are prepping for when you run into groups of your own kind who have decided to embrace such dark methods.”
“Yes, especially as many of my kind have already done just that and if left to their own devices, well it will not be good for some areas of the world. That said, it isn’t time to show our hand yet as we only have a cure for vampirism, and while that is the easiest and most common selection that any of them make, it is also the least troublesome. If we can reverse the process of becoming a lich, well it would allow us to actually solve the issue as most non-vampire options are taken simply to lead into becoming a lich.”
“Alright, I will send that reply, but is there anything that you could offer to perhaps placate him?”
“Tell him that you will agree to not use any of the tier-8s that were captured from Paidhia in the war. That should be worth more than one tier-8 returned, even one with the power to raise whole armies after each battle.”
“You are aware that is exactly what they were likely planning to counter us and it would have created massive issues for our advance. Far more than having a few extra tier-8s would be able to counter.”
“Yes, but with their help, I wouldn’t need to send a whole army in to attack. I could kill him and his son simply by infiltrating his home. He must know that we can reach him without him knowing from our procurement of the phylactery, so he should realize that while his guard allowed him and his family to avoid death that time, the same is not guaranteed now.”
King Victor shook his head at Xeal’s words before sighing and responded.
“You are playing a dangerous game. I will leave most of that unsaid in the message that I will send, but just how do you intend to travel to Habia’s capital if he agrees?”
“By griffin.”
Xeal just smiled and with his response the meeting shifted to other topics surrounding the readiness of every front and the forces that would be pushing forward. While Xeal had wanted to focus on just one path into Habia, King Victor had overruled him as he wished to secure all of Habia before taking the capital, like they had done with Paidhia. While Xeal had pushed back on this, King Victor had won out as it was necessary to give every noble the option to surrender before conquering all of Habia. If they left any unchallenged before the war was over, it would essentially allow them to reap the rewards of the treaty without providing any benefit to Nium during the war.
With everything in place, the plan was for the invasion to commence once the next dragonoid slot event had concluded and Xeal had taken care of his part in the event. It would also be during that time that Paidhia’s royal court would be transferred to Cielo city, along with the rest of the prisoners that were more trouble than it was worth to house. Part of Xeal had thought about sending them to the prison in the Ivurith Empire, but with the chaos that was currently surrounding them due to the wars, Xeal feared they might use the prisoners as soldiers. While not unheard of in times of war, it would be different if those who were too powerful to be contained in normal prisons for long were freed haphazardly. Plus, none of those in custody would remain so forever as they would either be released after swearing a binding oath to King Victor, or killed to prevent issues. Either way, the only place that was capable of holding them was somewhere that even the strongest would feel weak and only Cielo city fit that bill.
With plans made and things in motion, Xeal returned to focusing on his grinding, reaching level 245 on day 46. With day 47 being planned for travel and day 48 being the day of Xeal’s meeting with King Ulfert Uladzimir. Xeal was happy to hear that the counter-offer King Victor had sent had been agreed to and he was relatively sure that everything would go smoothly as he met up with Princess Bianca to depart.
“Will it really just be the two of us for this trip?” asked Princess Bianca, sounding cautiously optimistic.
“As far as us traveling it will be, though I wouldn’t be surprised if Zylah has already infiltrated your father’s palace ahead of us. Why, would you like for another to be with us?”
“No, I just am a bit nervous and am not sure how I am to ride on the back of your griffin.”
“Seated right behind me in the saddle that has been affixed to her for comfort.”
“So, what, I just hold tight to you the whole way there? That sounds like it will lead to a little more than a simple misunderstanding when we land. Not that I would mind getting to enjoy such an arrangement.”
“It is a three-person saddle, with each position having its own points to secure a rider in such that they can still cast magic. It is designed for battle and the only reason you would find yourself holding onto me for the duration of the trip is if you wished to be rather uncomfortable as it is not designed for that.”
As Xeal finished speaking, he didn’t miss the look of slight disappointment that crossed Princess Bianca’s face at his response. Sighing and knowing he would regret it later, Xeal continued speaking.
“That said, if you are wanting to get to spend a day clinging to my back, I can sit all the way forward in my seat and there would be just enough room for you to fit directly behind me. However, I will only agree to that on the way back, but only if you play your part as discussed when we meet with your father.”
“Ugh, you know that I don’t want to go along with that plan if things go poorly.”
“Hence why I am giving you an incentive. I will even ignore where your hands go so long as they remain above my waist.”
“What if I wanted to be in front and have you holding onto me on the way back?”
“My griffin won’t let you guide it.”
“Then I will let you hold the reins and just enjoy sitting in your lap the whole way back.”
“What happened to you being whatever others wished you to be?”
“You wished for me to be who I wished to be and then you forced me to survive hell. Also, I want the right for Lorena and I to each pick one person from the other’s family to serve as our personal maid once we are stewards.”
Xeal paused as he looked at Princess Bianca as she acted like a spoiled princess for once and just smiled as he replied.
“Perhaps I should have left you in your maid attire until we were much closer to our destination. That said, I see no issue with that so long as the individual has survived the purge that is to come.”
“Yes, well, I would like for us to pick who we want and for their sentence to be living as a personal maid regardless of any level of guilt.”
“Sorry, but not going to convince King Victor to commute a death sentence to a life as a maid. Now let’s be off.”
With that Xeal summoned his griffin for the first time in a while, and smiled as he greeted it and slipped it a vial of the waters of youth. At the sight of the water the griffin went from looking slightly annoyed to eager and Xeal knew that it wouldn’t give him any issues for at least the current trip. The fact was that he rarely used his mount due to him having access to his lightning form and that it was already the same level as him, meaning that unlike his wyvern, it didn’t need to be leveled. This had caused it to have little attachment to Xeal and therefore little regard for him as its master. Thus, even with the compulsion that came with him subduing it and establishing dominance, it was still slightly resistant to him and could ignore his orders at times. Still, it was just as fast as an airship and seemed happy enough to get to spread its wings and truly soar for once. Though it would need to rest a few times along the way and so it would still take all day to travel all the way to Habia’s capital.
After Princess Bianca was safely secured, Xeal positioned himself in the saddle as well and summoned his wyvern to fly alongside them for added protection. While the path that they were traveling wouldn’t go over any areas that should have tier-7 monsters in their skies, you could never be sure of what you would encounter in the air, as such monsters could roam. Especially as more and more players started to reach tier-7 and the system started to relax the restrictions it had in place on all monsters’ habitats. It was this that had seen many areas that had been considered safe for new players, become overrun as stronger monsters flooded them and more than one village was lost due to these events. Just like how players could clear an area to build in, monsters could reclaim any areas that people controlled if given the opportunity to do so.
