Rise of a Manor Lord: A Progression Fantasy Isekai, page 37
So if Sachi hadn’t sensed that patrol, and if Anna hadn’t been willing to create this recall spot with her own blood, they would all be very dead right now. And, Drake supposed, he also had to credit his own impossibly clever strategy. He had been so very clever.
Yet as exhausted as he felt, and as close as he had come to dying from poison, they didn’t have time for him to relax. They needed to get on the move, and they were now even further from Gloomwood Manor than they’d been in Skybreak Manor. But first... he needed to make sure everyone understood what they were up against.
Drake caught his battle maids up on everything that had happened since Sachi left. He explained about the mysterious enemy who had hired the Redbow mercenaries to ambush Valentia and Nicole, who next used Anna to abduct Drake, and how someone working for their enemy had a rarity that could create illusions that made people believe anything.
He also quietly explained the tithe Gloomwood Manor was going to offer Skybreak Manor. Anna was fast asleep, Jeremy seemed to be as well, and his battle maids were all people he trusted implicitly. No one would betray his confidence.
One by one, his people nodded. Not everyone looked happy about having Valentia remain guilty, but no one questioned if it was necessary. Lydia even looked suitably impressed by all the chicanery and negotiations he’d managed since he got teleported off to the boonies.
As for Anna and his disappearance from Gloomwood Manor, he assumed Sachi had explained all that as Lydia led the other battle maids out here to escort him home. Even so, he made sure to remind everyone that Anna was now planning to join the manor. She was an ally.
When he was done, Emily slugged Valentia in the shoulder. “I hate you.”
“Why?” Valentia asked in a way that suggested she wasn’t interested.
“You got to spend five days alone with Lord Gloomwood, and you’re now the most feared and hated warrior in all of Skybreak. You have all the luck!”
Valentia looked away. “Please do not try to cheer me up.”
Lydia slid a hand beneath his shoulder. “Ready to go, lord?”
He grimaced and rubbed his shoulder. “Not going to enjoy it, but I think we have to.”
Once he was on his feet, he managed to not quite stumble out of the cave. Outside, he was relieved to see Brownie, still alive despite days left to graze. He’d never owned a horse or felt attached to them before now, but he knew Jeremy liked this horse. As did Anna. Brownie was all right.
Another huge figure waited for him as well. Drake was surprised to see the huge red lizardman staring at him with a flat expression. Cresh had joined them as well, and he had a massive battle axe hanging across his scaled back.
The big lizardman stared at him irritably. “What?”
He glanced at Lydia. “He didn’t slow you down?”
“He got here about an hour before you did, lord.” She pointed up. “As did they.”
In the cliffs rising above the cave, Drake spotted multiple hulking shadows against the dark night. When one of them waved both hands and extended clawed thumbs, he recognized Xutag, the tongueless yellow zarovian. His orange buddy Korrag might be here as well.
He looked at her in surprise. “You brought the whole manor?”
The look Lydia gave him then was deadly serious. “If Lord Skybreak would not release you, we needed to be prepared.”
In other words, Lydia had been ready to march their zarovian army into Skybreak Manor to rescue him if necessary. He was glad it hadn’t come to that. He was also really glad Lydia had been willing to do it. Once again, his steward absolutely had his back... of her own volition.
He was finally going to get home. After five days of walking, killing, and bullshit, he was finally going to make it back to Gloomwood Manor and rest in his own bed. He just couldn’t see any way that anyone could stop him with a force this large.
And while it took a day and a half of travel where every waking moment assured him he was going to regret his relentless optimism, he arrived back in Gloomwood Manor unharmed.
With a new horse, an adorable little blond waif, and a nice man who couldn’t talk.
The second morning after he proved Valentia’s innocence and almost died inhaling poison gas, a familiar knock roused him from sleep in his very nice bedroom. He was already able to identify it as Emily. She always knocked like she was in a hurry but trying to be polite.
Sleep. He wanted just one day to sleep, but he couldn’t seem to justify it when he was the lord of a whole household and someone wanted to kill him and burn it to the ground. He’d spent all yesterday, his first day back, simply finding somewhere to put Jeremy (stables), somewhere to put Anna (with the scullery maids), and then catching up with all the small but important matters that had piled up while he was away.
He finally knew how to add people to his blood pact, and it really was shockingly simple. They cut their palm, he cut his, they touched palms and exchanged blood, and then the person agreed to join his blood pact. Drake had finally inducted his first blood thrall: Jeremy.
Fortunately, Lydia had easily been able to heal his palm after.
By the time that was all done, it had been time for dinner, and after that, it had been time to lounge in his absolutely phenomenal bath. After all that, sleep had beckoned, and so now he was again awake with yet another day of lordly duties ahead.
It still beat waking up in a one-bedroom apartment and greeting the roaches by name. He felt a great deal of pride at all he’d accomplished so far. He should be dead so many times over, but he wasn’t, and he now knew his powerful rarity. More proof he could handle this job.
With great reluctance, Drake got out of bed once more, padded across the room on bare feet in some comfy sleep clothes Lydia had found for him, and eased the door open.
Emily’s whole head would have come right in if Drake hadn’t been cautious enough to only crack the door open. “You have another visitor, lord!”
“Please tell me it’s not another little girl whose father only I can save.”
She grinned through the slit in the door. “It’s a Skybreak ranger! He says he knows you. His name’s Karth.”
“I do know him.” This visit was not a surprise. “Where is he?”
“I’ve left him in the front lobby under guard of the zarovians.”
Drake yawned, idly rubbed one arm that was a bit sore, and nodded. “Figured someone from Skybreak would show up eventually, given how we left. You did good. I’ll go handle it.”
“Oli awaits you there, lord! I’ll be right outside when you’re all nice and dressed.”
Of course Emily wouldn’t trust him to go anywhere without at least two battle maids to watch over him. Given how many times in past days he’d almost been murdered, he appreciated his people looking out for him. Even right in the middle of his own manor.
Lord Skybreak had probably sent Karth off to Gloomwood Manor the morning someone checked her guest house and found it empty and full of poison. Which, given all the windows were barred and the door had been barred from the outside, would make Drake seem like Houdini. His disappearance must have been a head scratcher, but fortunately, he’d been free to leave the manor after they agreed to the tithe deal. No lies had occurred.
As Drake moved to close the door again, Emily stopped it with an outstretched hand. “Does your arm hurt, lord?”
He released his annoyed muscle. “It’s fine.”
“I can massage you, lord. If you ever need a massage! I have very strong fingers.”
“I don’t need a massage, Emily.” He was almost certain she was just being helpful, but it was always best to err on the side of caution with her.
“Ooh, fine. Be sore. But I do want to know about this ranger, lord. Is he your friend? Do you trust him?”
“I don’t trust anyone right now except you folks. But he seemed like an okay guy.”
“That’s good to hear. I’d hate to have to chop your guest!”
They stared at each other a moment, and he, in particular, stared at her palm, which was still propping his door open. “You can close the door now.”
“Of course, lord.” She stepped back. “But I’ll keep a close eye on you!”
Because she could literally see his soul through walls. He hoped that soul was just some floaty bit of light and not anything more... detailed. Finally, he got the door closed.
And then he locked it.
52
SO GOOD JOB, LORD
This morning, it didn’t take Drake long to dress. Lydia had organized several silverweave outfits for him to choose from, and they all looked pretty slick. He picked a black one today along with some loose but comfortable black leggings. It felt like a day for black clothing. The Lord of Gloomwood Manor should rock a little black.
Apparently, Lord Dickcheese—or Lord Crow, as Drake had grudgingly taken to mentally calling the man—hadn’t cared for a wardrobe during the years he served as Lord of Gloomwood. The old psychopath had worn his ratty-ass monk robes every day, only changing them out every week or so. And he only owned two pairs of robes, so the laundry staff was constantly cleaning one or the other. The smell must have been rank.
Drake pulled on the first pair of boots he could pair with his pants and walked to the mirror, then vainly tried to adjust his unusually stubborn bedhead. His long hair seemed all the more determined to stick out in all directions, and not in the “look at me, I’m a dark edgy rock musician” way. It was more in the “hello, I’m actually a homeless man” style.
And it did sort of look like a bird’s nest.
Dammit, Val. He scrubbed a hand through his dark, stubborn hair once more and headed to the door. Given every single one of his battle maids had extremely well-kept hair, there had to be a barber in his manor. He’d see to getting his hair trimmed between murder attempts.
Once he was prepared, he exited his room. Emily eagerly fell into step beside him. He knew the way to his lobby now. He was getting to know his manor rather well, at least the rooms he frequently used and how to get to them from his master bedroom.
He even knew how to get to the bathhouse. The bathhouse was the best.
Not long after, Drake arrived along the second-floor hallway and checked out the scene below. Karth stood lounging against his front doors, arms crossed, while the zarovians on either side of him glowered with visible annoyance. That amused Drake in a number of ways.
Karth also lacked both his bow and quiver, as well as any other visible weapons. Giving those up must have sucked for him, but Drake was glad his people were being so cautious. The longer some random prick was trying to murder him, the more paranoid he might become.
Olivia, who had already been standing at attention watching Karth, snapped to even more attention at his arrival. She fell in beside him on the side not currently being possessively guarded by Emily. Then, Drake strode down the stairs of Gloomwood Manor dressed in lordly black clothes, and as he did so, two very intense-looking battle maids walked at his side.
Drake felt like a legitimate badass. After all the bullshit he’d been through in the past week—rescuing Anna, wrecking those mercs, and thwarting a plot against his manor—he finally felt he’d earned the title of Lord Gloomwood. This was his manor, these were his people, and they were stronger now than they’d ever been. He was going to keep pushing forward.
Karth casually eased himself off the doors without a glance at the zarovians and sauntered forward. The man certainly had swagger. He also had a friendly smile on his face, which was far preferable to his glare when his men were all aiming arrows at him.
Once he’d reached the bottom of the stairs, Drake raised a palm. “That’s close enough.”
Karth paused in the middle of the lobby, far enough away he’d have to take at least ten running steps to stab Drake with anything. “Some reason you don’t trust me, lord?”
“I trust you enough. I just don’t want my battle maids to kill you.” He vaguely motioned to them with his head. “We’re all a little on edge after all the attempted murder.”
“I understand. I came to assure you we were not involved in the attempt on your life, and we’ve thoroughly investigated since your... exit... a few nights ago. Lord Skybreak asked me to assure you she will ensure nothing like that ever happens again.”
“That makes me feel so much better, Karth. Now, did you find anything I can use?”
“If we did, no one has told me, lord. That was all the information my lord asked me to give you. Though... I am curious how you managed to escape. Given what little I know about how they attempted to kill you, I’m impressed you managed to slip away.”
“I would be impressed with me too.” Drake smiled calmly. “But you’ve come a long way to give me just that.”
“Good instincts, lord. I’m also here to receive your tithe.”
Lydia had promised to take care of that for him. They were going to give Skybreak Manor some petty cash as their so-called payment for Valentia’s “murder” of Steward Rodney. All part of the game they continued to play.
Emily leaned close. “There’s six more rangers and a wagon out beyond the gates. Cresh and some others have them surrounded. Karth claimed to be their leader, so he is the only one we’ve allowed in.” She looked at him. “After a thorough search.”
Drake watched Karth calmly. “I’ll let my steward know you’re ready to take delivery of the tithe we agreed to and have it sent to the gates. Anything else?”
“Indeed, lord,” Karth said. “Lord Skybreak also sent several gifts for you. After all the unpleasantness a few days ago, she said she wanted to ease any rough feelings.”
Drake was surprised to hear that. Maybe he’d impressed Sky at their negotiation more than he believed. He hoped so. Relative levels of manor lord hotness aside, he did need allies in this new world. Sky Skybreak seemed like she’d be a dependable and powerful ally.
“Your gifts are still back in the wagon,” Karth added. “Your zarovians wouldn’t allow me to bring anything inside. I feel lucky they let me keep my clothes.”
Emily once again whispered in Drake’s ear. “I voted he shouldn’t.”
“What are these gifts?” Drake asked.
“The first is three casks of our Moonberry mead. I’m sure the lord believed you’d appreciate the variety.”
That mead was delicious. “Please thank her when you return. And the rest?”
“Just one more gift, lord. It’s in a magic lockbox about the size of my arm.”
“And... what’s in it?”
“I wasn’t made aware of that information. I was instructed to tell you not to have anyone attempt to open it. It will only open when a specific word is said aloud by you.”
A locked magic box that recognized a secret word sounded extremely cool and extremely dangerous. “What word might that be?”
Karth shrugged. “I don’t know that either, lord. Lord Skybreak simply instructed me to tell you to speak to the box about home.”
That was more reassurance this gift had actually come from Sky. “And to be clear, she said all these things to you directly? Face to face?”
“She did. It was nice to speak to her in person. She also said to compliment you if you asked that exact question, and to make sure to tell her if you did. So good job, lord.”
Sky continued to test how closely he was paying attention. He appreciated that. This box was intriguing enough he definitely wanted to check it out, and since Karth couldn’t lie, and Sky couldn’t lie to Karth, he was fairly confident the box wasn’t going to unleash some curse.
But he was still going to have Zuri make a good long inspection before he opened it.
“Thanks for making the trip, Karth.”
“Thanks for receiving me with my clothes still on, lord.”
Drake couldn’t help but chuckle. “Anything else you need me to handle?”
“I’ve done all I came for. If it’s all right with you, I’ll head back out to my people now.”
“Not interested in staying the night?”
“Don’t have the liberty, lord. But thank you for the offer.”
He glanced at Emily. “Is anyone going to kill him if he tries to leave?”
“No, lord.” She looked visibly disappointed. “I did not give that order this time.”
He looked to Karth again. “You’re good. Safe trip.” He looked at Olivia. “Could you go get some zarovians to bring in those casks of mead? You can just stack them in the garden for now. I’m sure Meryl can find a place to put them later. As for the magic lockbox, could you run that over to Zuri? Tell her to look it over but not try to open it until I arrive.”
Olivia nodded eagerly and dashed off. He had no doubt she would complete the errands he’d given her in a precise and efficient order, likely while sprinting as fast as she could. It was good to see her so bright-eyed and determined. Samuel was still regenerating, but from what Drake had been told, the guy had two full eyeballs now. He was even working on a face.
As for Nicole, his fifth and final battle maid, she was almost recovered from her injuries. Raylan had informed him he expected to be able to wake Nicole this afternoon. Drake was looking forward to meeting her. He wanted to know everything she remembered from the ambush.
The doors to his manor creaked open. His zarovians had opened them as Karth approached. The zarovians posted as honorary door guards changed every day, and Drake still didn’t have all of their names down. He wasn’t sure he ever would.
Karth strode out without another word, swagger entirely intact. As he turned away, Drake found himself curious about Sky’s mystery box. But first, he remembered, he had an appointment this morning. One he’d intended to honor around lunch anyway.
It was time to meet Goktul, the zarovian armorer who made all the manor’s weapons.
“Would you like a tea break, lord?” Emily asked. “You’ve been working so hard.”
He rolled his eyes. “I talked to one dude for five minutes. I’m fine. But you can escort me to go see Goktul.”
“Ooh, that’s even better!” She perked up. “He always has the best weapons!”
