NOVEL NEXT Chapter 253 Vanessa’s Wild Deduction
"You... don't stay here?" Vanessa questioned incredulously.
"Yes, is there a problem?" Felix retorted, leaving Vanessa stunned.
Vanessa, observing Felix and the white-haired girl burdened with an array of packages, surmised they were putting on a brave front.
Just as she was about to interrogate them, Garvit inexplicably stepped forward to assist Felix, taking all the packages from him.
"Lord, next time you go shopping, please let me carry your things," Garvit respectfully offered.
"It's not that serious, it looks like a lot, but it's not heavy," Felix brushed off Garvit's courteousness, leaving Vanessa flabbergasted.
— (L-Lord... Lord?)
— (Why would Garvit...?!)
Vanessa was dumbfounded. The series of events unfolding before her eyes were bizarrely dreamlike.
Why weren't Felix and his companion staying at the Red Leaf Inn?
Why was Garvit addressing Felix as 'Lord'?
And why was Garvit serving Felix in Vanessa's presence?
The questions were numerous and Vanessa was at a loss where to start.
.
"What are you doing, Garvit? Why are you calling him 'Lord'?" Vanessa called out, halting Garvit's departure.
"Miss Vanessa, as you can see, I am serving Lord Felix. As for why I address him as such, I'm afraid I can't disclose that to you." Garvit's response further mystified Vanessa.
Why was Garvit neglecting her, a distinguished guest of the Azure Lizard family, to serve a commoner like Felix?
Their familiarity suggested they had known each other for some time.
— (It's impossible... there's no reason!)
What infuriated Vanessa more was Felix's nonchalant departure without uttering a single word of departure, a basic courtesy. It was as if the roles were reversed, with Felix being the noble and Vanessa a mere commoner.
— (Felix... Felix... Felix!!)
Vanessa swiftly drew her silver flute. Her three doe spirits, sensing their mistress's wrath, prepared for battle.
In this world of Prison Star where status determined everything, a noble could kill a commoner without major repercussions, at most paying a symbolic compensation of a few silver coins.
Vanessa glared menacingly at the retreating figures of Felix and Garvit, contemplating her battle tactics. However, it was also these considerations that made her abandon her plans to start a fight.
The reason was simple, summed up in three words: she couldn't win.
.
Vanessa knew Captain Garvit's strength well.
His title of 'Silver Armored Knight' was not just for show. Even without his warhorse, he was not to be underestimated.
Besides Garvit, she would have to face Felix and the white-haired girl. She was uncertain of the girl's strength, but she had witnessed Felix's archery skills.
Vanessa's fighting style mainly revolved around manipulating and enhancing her three doe spirits. Her personal combat prowess was extremely limited, and archers like Felix posed a significant threat to her.
Therefore, Vanessa finally put down her silver flute and gave up her intentions to confront Felix.
If a noble instigated a fight with a commoner and lost, it would be a disastrous event from which they would never recover.
— (Felix... just who are you...?!)
.
Tyler, accompanied by Heloise and Garvit, returned to their lodgings with great equanimity.
After helping with the luggage, Garvit took his leave, stating that he would check out of the Red Leaf Inn and move to the same building as 'Lord Felix'.
Tyler did not refuse, but granted Garvit this arrangement.
After their encounter at the Quest Guild in the afternoon, Tyler had quietly informed Garvit of the precautions for the future.
Firstly, he should not address Banning as 'Lord Banning', but as 'Lord Felix'.
Secondly, he cannot let anyone know why he serves 'Lord Felix'; if asked, he should remain reticent.
Lastly, he should remain silent unless necessary, which aligns perfectly with the role of an attendant.
By all appearances, Garvit was performing admirably, allowing Tyler to seamlessly transition into his new persona.
Tyler had previously considered that the persona of 'Felix' would be different from 'Banning', and he planned to adopt some audacious measures to strive for greater benefits.
"Felix, with all these materials we've purchased, we should be able to concoct a lot of potions, right?" Once they were alone in the room, Heloise dutifully removed her top for Tyler to inspect her back.
"Yes, don't worry about the potions, just leave it to me," Tyler skillfully checked the infection status of the parasitic Blood Serpent. The results were promising, the infection was progressing at a steady rate.
Given the current pace, Heloise could last at least three more days.
This implied that Tyler could temporarily shift his attention to tomorrow's 'Death Trial'.
As for Vanessa, there was no urgency. Tyler's current strategy was to deliberately neglect her.
Vanessa was a typical young lady who was accustomed to having people revolving around her since childhood. Hence, if Tyler actively sought to please her, it would have little effect.
This was also why the 'future Tyler' failed - seeking help from Vanessa when he was cornered, especially when he had previously offended her, was virtually impossible.
'Present Tyler', on the other hand, had successfully turned his initial meeting with Vanessa into an advantageous situation.
He had been cautious when deciding his accommodations, which proved to be beneficial.
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However, what truly shocked Vanessa was Garvit's sudden shift of allegiance from her to Tyler. This way, Tyler's setup for Vanessa was essentially complete.
Vanessa would definitely speculate a lot about 'Felix's' identity, and she would imagine 'Felix' as someone from the upper echelons of society, who was hiding his true identity.
As for what kind of fantasies she would have, Tyler could easily find out with his mind-reading ability.
The rest was to perform according to Vanessa's imaginations and make her work for him.
.
Meanwhile, Vanessa was just standing by the window, watching how Garvit, carrying his luggage, left the Red Leaf Inn.
No matter how unbelievable it was for Vanessa, 'Felix' was moving further away from that of a 'commoner'.
After pondering for a good half an hour, Vanessa came up with a conclusion.
She believed that 'Felix' might be the illegitimate child of 'King Darmodar Das III of the Wester Kingdom'.