All in Charisma (A LitRPG/Isekai Adventure)

Within the hour, they reached the country roads north of Belmora, parting ways like conspirators fleeing a crime scene. They agreed not to breathe a word of what had transpired, though Justin harbored doubts about that promise. Short of binding them all with his Gentleman's Agreement under threat of violence, there wasn't much he could do to ensure their silence.

As they approached the bend before the Corrin estate, Myrelle brought her unicorn to a halt.

"It's best if we part ways here," she said, glancing toward her family's gates. "I suspect Marienne will never let me hear the end of this adventure."

Justin nodded, recognizing the wisdom. "Myrelle, I need to apologize. If I had known what the day would bring..."

She smiled. "Justin, this has been the most excitement I've experienced in months—perhaps years. This conspiracy we've uncovered is a real threat to the Queendom."

"You cannot speak of this to anyone, Myrelle. I'm serious."

"I'm not a fool, Justin," she replied, irritation flashing in her eyes. "Tennyson, on the other hand..."

Justin suppressed a sigh. Yes, Tennyson could be a problem. Celine might as well, despite her reserved nature.

"Theric was correct about one thing," Justin said. "We're entangled in this now, and it's beyond our capabilities to handle." He shook his head. "That was an undead dragon or something equally catastrophic. Without my new equipment, we would have been discovered and killed. Something tells me those blood crystals aren't easily created..."

Justin would need to research their purpose. What did the Cult intend with such materials? He would have taken all of them, except he was certain his pack wouldn't support the weight. At least his new gear might prove useful.

He had expected to find a few minor leads but uncovered what could only be described as a motherlode of evidence.

The question remained: would his companions reveal everything before he could make progress with the intelligence?

"All I'm saying," Myrelle continued, guiding Comet closer, her expression tender, "is that I'm here if you need support, Justin. I know I'm a spoiled aristocrat used to getting my way. But beneath all that..."

She hesitated, unwilling to risk vulnerability. Justin tried to ignore the meaning in her blue eyes. Becoming romantically involved with Myrelle was the last complication he needed, even if part of him wondered what a relationship might entail under different circumstances.

"We'll speak again soon," he said. "We've lingered long enough."

Myrelle nodded, pulling her mount back slightly. "You're right. As I said, I understand if you prefer not to involve me in whatever comes next..."

"Myrelle," Justin said, "I have no intention of pursuing this matter further."

"You don't?" she challenged. "Justin, we may be the only people positioned to take action."

"This is not your fight, my lady."

"My lady?" she repeated, offended by the formality. "After everything we experienced today? Do you consider me incompetent? Sheltered? Pampered?"

"None of those things, Myrelle."

"Then what is it?"

"You're a Corrin, Myrelle. Ancient nobility with influence. I'm a minor lord whose bloodline is so diluted I barely deserve the title."

"So you won't involve me to protect me? Justin, I'm already involved! I'm the woman who allowed herself to be captured while investigating the Aurelian situation. What if the Aurelians are connected to this conspiracy as well?"

Justin shook his head. "There's no evidence supporting that connection, Myrelle. Though I suppose anything is possible."

"I'm an adult, Justin. I understand you possess experiences and have witnessed dangers I cannot imagine. But I won't stand aside while you risk yourself. Meanwhile, Celine and Tennyson will undoubtedly pursue their own agenda and likely get caught in the Cult's web through their recklessness. You need someone to help manage that."

Justin sighed. She had a valid point. "Damage control will prove difficult."

Myrelle nodded. "Let me handle them, at least. I understand how to speak their language. We also need to ensure Theric keeps his silence."

"That shouldn't be a problem," Justin said. "But consider this: if Theric was imprisoned for well over a month and the Cult maintained constant communication with their vampire agent, they knew about his captivity."

"Ah," Myrelle said, her eyes widening. "I hadn't considered that angle. Do you think the Cult lured him to that mine deliberately?"

"Possibly," Justin replied. "Our vampire friend might have received assistance from the Cult. It would explain how Theric was overpowered. Maybe a core as powerful as Theric's was necessary for producing the crystals; I don't know. It seemed like Celine was used toward that end before we arrived. Regardless, questions remain. Theric will be under surveillance now, at minimum."

"And depending on how this attack was orchestrated," Myrelle continued, "he might not realize the danger he faces."

"Possible." Justin shook his head. "I apologize for involving you and the others. I only wanted to cultivate relationships with other young nobles from court. Not this..."

Myrelle smiled. "Justin, don't apologize. Perhaps the gods ordained these events for a reason."

Justin resisted the urge to express his skepticism about divine intervention. For better or worse, Myrelle would remain involved. Their role now was damage control.

"Focus on managing Tennyson and Celine," he said finally. "I must return to the city, but there's a good chance I'll be in touch soon."

"Of course," she agreed. "If I discover anything new, I'll contact you through the charm."

"Likewise. Something tells me these forces are more dangerous than we can comprehend. If a man like Theric Wren can be manipulated so thoroughly, for whatever purpose..."

She nodded. "I understand, Justin. You be careful as well."

They separated, and Justin urged Atlas onward after replenishing the construct's aether supply. He chose a longer route home, considering the possibility that the dragon might be tracking them. He doubted the creature's master would make surveillance obvious, but caution seemed prudent.

It was about ten o'clock when he returned to Summon & Supply. He had to admit, the sight of his business headquarters felt welcoming.

When Justin entered the shop, an unusual silence greeted him. He checked the workshop first and then ventured upstairs to the common area, finding neither Alistair nor Lila in their usual spots.

Instead, he discovered Rinna sitting on the sofa, absorbed in a book.

"Welcome back," she said without looking up. "Alistair and Lila are in the office with an old friend of yours."

"An old friend?" Justin's pulse quickened. "Would his name happen to be Eldrin?"

"Yes, that's the one."

Justin immediately pivoted toward the office. "Thank you, Rinna."

As he approached the closed office door, he knocked once before entering.

The office felt cramped with four occupants. Eldrin Thornwood sat in one of the two chairs, while Lila was at the desk and Alistair leaned against the wall. Their expressions were somber, as if they had received devastating news.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

It was a lot to process at once. Justin took in Eldrin's weathered appearance, noting that his goatee had grown grayer than he remembered. He wore leather armor and a color-shifting cloak characteristic of the Ranger class, though Justin's interface revealed something unexpected.

The man was no longer a Ranger. His class designation now read Level 20 Field Synthesist—what appeared to be a hybrid of Ranger and Alchemist, unless Justin missed his guess.

Eldrin still carried familiar equipment: the Sunsting longsword at his belt, which he had claimed from the temple in Atelinar, and his Eclipse Weaver bow, propped against the office wall. However, the tension radiating from everyone in the small space made Justin abandon any thought of pleasantries.

"Close the door behind you," Alistair said quietly. "We have much to discuss."

Justin complied. The office's enchanted privacy would ensure their conversation remained secure.

"Did something happen?" he asked without preamble.

Alistair cleared his throat. "Eldrin has brought some sobering intelligence."

"About Valdrik?" Justin guessed.

Eldrin nodded grimly. "He commands a drake now, Justin."

Justin felt his stomach drop. "He commands a what?"

"Vorthyrn, to be specific," Eldrin said. "I don't know how he managed it, but he's resurrected the drake's corpse."

Justin nodded, pieces falling into place. "Of course."

Lila frowned. "Wait, you already knew this?"

He shook his head. "No, but the timing is strange. Tell me what you discovered first."

Eldrin settled back in his chair. "After Mont Elea, I returned home to the Thornwood. There were family matters I had postponed too long. It took about a week to resolve those obligations, and then I traveled north toward Silverton."

He continued his account, describing how he had risked reconnaissance to assess Valdrik's resources, navigating the Umber Range south of Valdrik's stronghold. His mission had been to locate underground chambers where the Count of Silverton might be amassing undead forces—evidence to present to the Templars, a task he had undertaken at High Priest Kaive's request.

"But what I discovered exceeded expectations," Eldrin continued. "Evading detection proved challenging, and if I had ventured closer, escape would have been impossible. However, my risk was rewarded when the drake emerged from the mountainside behind Silverton under moonlight." He paused. "Despite the darkness, I recognized her immediately, and my Eagle Eye skill revealed the rider. Valdrik. I fled the valley and headed for Mont Elea. When I received your message, Justin, I diverted here since it wasn't far out of my way."

"How is this possible?" Justin asked. "Vorthyrn was a Level 36 drake—equal to Valdrik in power. Is he truly capable of commanding her?"

"It shouldn't be possible under normal circumstances," Alistair said. "While I'm well-versed in darker magical arts due to my profession, I have two theories. The primary one suggests Valdrik possesses a rare skill or artifact granting him such capability. I find this unlikely because it would mean he's long had access to binding creatures of Vorthyrn's magnitude."

"And your second theory?"

"Some sort of Ascended Casting skill," Alistair said. "An incantation that consumes the power of a core and channels it toward a reanimation spell. This could provide the power and authority to enthrall a creature as formidable as Vorthyrn."

"A core?" Justin asked. "You mean a class core?"

"No," Alistair replied. "A living core. The essence every being on Eyrth is born with—their Life Force."

Justin suppressed a shudder. "So he had to sacrifice someone to accomplish this. One of his companions."

Alistair nodded. "Yes, I believe this is the likely explanation. The core powers the thralldom and maintains the drake's animation and limited sentience, though she remains bound to Valdrik's will. She's likely nowhere near as powerful as she was in life but now possesses different capabilities—Death Magic and perhaps remnants of her ice magic. With such a weapon, his threat level has escalated beyond what the Templars anticipated. That said, we believe he's using Vorthyrn for rapid transportation rather than direct combat."

Lila cleared her throat. "Assuming he flew Vorthyrn straight to his estate after the Vault of the Sapphire Star, you would have been there around the same time, Alistair. Do you really remember nothing from that time?"

Alistair shook his head. "All my memories from that period are gone. Even if that weren't the case, Valdrik wouldn't have risked me seeing such a weapon."

Justin's heart sank. It wasn't just the drake; if they had chosen to go south across the Frostplain instead of pursuing the World Gate, they almost certainly would have been caught.

"Kargan and Ryak might be dead," Justin said. "It's hard to imagine them not being accosted by Valdrik."

Lila nodded. "He likely did find them. After extracting information, he might have given up the chase, at least temporarily. As for what happened to them..." She shook her head. "Only the gods know."

A long silence followed this realization. Would Valdrik have left them both alive to spread the news about the drake? Or had they come to some sort of understanding? Or worse?

It was impossible to know.

"This isn't everything," Justin said. "Wait until you hear what happened today."

Justin recounted the day's events: gathering the noble party, discovering the Vault, defeating the vampire impersonating Theric, rescuing the real legend, and witnessing the undead dragon's arrival.

After Justin finished, Lila laughed in disbelief. "How can everything align so precisely? Theric Wren? Seriously?"

"Divine providence," Alistair said. "It can be nothing else."

Justin didn't share Alistair's faith, but he understood the sentiment.

Alistair's gaze fixed on Justin. "You retrieved the blood crystals?"

Justin opened his pack and produced one of the glowing, crimson-veined specimens. "There are more where this came from."

Everyone's eyes widened at the sight of the malevolent crystal, its surface pulsing with dark crimson energy.

"Please, put that away," Alistair urged. "Death Mages can sense their proximity from considerable distances. Your enchanted pack should mask their magical signature."

Justin quickly returned the crystal to his pack. "What does this mean? How were they creating these? What do they plan to do with them?"

"Nothing beneficial, I assure you," Alistair replied. "Blood crystals serve as conduits to the Nether. They enable Death- or Chaos-based enchantments. The crucial question is: what exactly are they enchanting? Unfortunately, we cannot determine their precise plans, but blood crystals can only be created through two methods—either by sacrificing Life Cores directly or by siphoning Life Force over time. Vampires, like the creature you destroyed, are capable of producing them, as are necromancers, liches, and other Chaos- or Death-based mages."

"What was Theric's role in this?" Lila asked.

"He was likely lured there through some deception," Alistair explained. "While you can kill to power blood crystals, this method is less efficient. It's better to use a classed individual as a source—the higher their level, the more potent their core becomes for harvesting. What would kill an ordinary person would merely weaken someone of Theric's caliber."

"So he was livestock," Justin said with disgust. "Part of their production process."

"Precisely. Now that he understands what transpired, he represents a loose end. However, I doubt he would allow himself to be ensnared again. As long as he stays vigilant, there's limited action others can take against him—especially now that he's aware of the threat. A prepared Level 35 is no joke."

"Is there a chance he'll reveal what happened?"

"Unlikely," Alistair replied. "Though it's possible he might seek vengeance."

"A potential ally, then," Justin mused.

"Which means the conspiracy to use him required premeditation," Alistair continued. "Few entities can successfully target a Level 35 Dungeon Delver. Either we or the Templars must follow up with him directly. If Theric were wise, he would disappear. We must hurry in case he plans to do that."

"The question now," Eldrin said, "is determining our next course of action."

"Templar Tiffany needs this intelligence as soon as possible," Alistair said. "Which means visiting her tonight. She'll likely use the Belmoran gate to reach the High Priest within hours of our report."

"Belmoran gate?" Justin asked. "So there is one here."

"Yes. Its location remains classified, but given your resources, Justin, you would eventually discover it. It's not within the city—rather, fifty miles east in the Aether Hills."

"I must not have been close enough to trigger the Sapphire Star's detection," Justin mused. "Either that, or I wasn't paying attention."

"Regardless," Alistair continued, "that's likely how events will unfold. Given our intelligence, the probability that Kaive decides to accelerate operations is high. Clear evidence of the drake changes everything. It's verifiable, and if we act swiftly, we might eliminate one of Morvath's primary agents in the realm."

"Even at the risk of giving up the larger conspiracy?" Justin asked.

"Perhaps," Alistair admitted. "I cannot predict Kaive's thinking. The Cult of Morvath maintains a strict hierarchy. The key is severing the leadership's head wherever possible. I question whether it's feasible to target every major leader at the same time before they become aware of our actions." He shook his head. "I don't question orders, but if this decision were mine, I would eliminate Valdrik and consider it a win. It would set back the Cult, and the deaths around Silverton have long raised concerns. One can only attribute so many fatalities to mining accidents before people grow suspicious."

"So something is finally going to be done?" Justin asked.

"It's likely. If Valdrik commands an undead drake, that alters our calculations. If he's willing to take such risks, either he's miscalculated or some power play approaches."

"My money's on the latter," Lila said. "We can't delay any longer. We have to stay ahead of this."

"When do we inform Templar Tiffany?" Justin asked. "Tonight?"

Alistair nodded. "Yes. If her reaction matches mine, she'll want to alert Kaive immediately and push for action."

"What are the chances Valdrik or other conspirators realize something is happening?"

"That depends entirely on Justin's companions," Alistair said. "The Cult knows their mining operation has been compromised. Whether they believe it was a coordinated enemy strike or merely a fortunate adventuring party remains to be seen. They will certainly be searching for those crystals."

Justin felt sick as the implications sank in. Myrelle, Tennyson, and Celine each possessed a quarter of the supply. While Myrelle was astute enough to keep hers concealed, Tennyson might boast to his friends about his "trophies," and Celine might present hers to her father out of curiosity—unaware of the true danger.

From the others' grave expressions, it was clear they shared his concern.

"I'm worried about two of them," Justin admitted. "Myrelle promised to manage Tennyson and Celine, but anything is possible."

"Unfortunate," Alistair said. "We must move quickly. The safe house isn't far."

"Are all four of us going?" Justin asked.

Alistair shook his head. "There's no need for the entire group. Lila and Eldrin should remain here to maintain our cover and secure the premises. Templar Tiffany will want your report."

"What about Eldrin's intelligence?"

"I can relay it myself without raising questions. I don't want to leave the shop unguarded—not with blood crystals scattered and the Cult searching."

Justin nodded. "Understood."

Within moments, they slipped through the back alley, leaving the safety of Summon & Supply.