Death March — Fixed

“Tek here, whenever I hear jealousy, the first thing that comes to mind is whether this word is describing a male or female. Because females tend to feel jealousy over love, while a lot of males are very jealous of people with greater success than them.”

 

“I’m going back to the mansion, since something seems to have come up. Leriril, sorry, but could you please clean up the workshop?”

 

“Yes, I understand, Tek!”

 

Huh?

 

Leriril seems strange. Far from calling me ‘brat’, she even sounded respectful. Come to think of it, she had become quiet after I completed the Artificial Skin.

 

I wave at Leriril, who saw me off with sparkly eyes, and before teleporting--I remembered to check out the situation. When I checked with the map, I see that 10 soldiers and 2 higher-level knights have come to the mansion, and they’re all the Viceroy’s subordinates.

 

Oh?

 

I wonder what they want.

 

After quickly checking the basement with Clairvoyance, I return, using Teleport.

 

Ignoring the knocking on the basement door, I take out a pen, some ink and several sheets of paper. I put them on the desk and light a candle, and put it on the desk with a seal ring--the preparation is complete--I hope I don’t have to use them.

 

I raise the bolt, open the door and shout up to the one who’s knocking on the door, “You’re noisy, I can’t concentrate. What’s going on?”

 

“I-I’m sorry. Chevalier, you’re suspected of using Fiend Drug. Please come to the Viceroy’s office.”

“Me, using Fiend Drug?”

 

I follow them up to the ground floor, while we talk.

 

Apparently, they think that we’re using Fiend Drug since our levels are abnormally high for people our age.

 

Ludicrous.

 

The risk is too great, and if I really wanted to level them up, I could probably get the girls to level 80 - 90 in 10 days, without much effort.

 

“Master.”Miteruna approached me with a worried expression.

“It’s alright. I have some business with the Marchioness anyway, so I will quickly sort this out and then visit the Marchioness.”

 

I wonder who instigated this?

 

The Marquis thinks of me as a source of revenue, and Baronet Dyukeli now owes me a debt because I saved his daughter. If it follows the normal pattern with nobles, one of his subordinates are feeling threatened.

 

When I asked Miteruna to watch over the mansion, she gave me some advice, “Master, I heard the rumour that the Inquisitor, Baron Vilas, he uses his Fathom Skill to get hold of merchant’s weaknesses. Please be careful.”

 

I see, so he would start off asking about Fiend Drug, and then use the Skill ‘Fathom’ to force me to answer truthfully--before changing the subject to my deepest secrets or something--so I need to object as soon as he tries. I don’t know if the Skill will work on me, I may get a Resistance, or I may have to kill him if he asks too much.

 

I will also use the Negotiation and Tact Skills, which should help.

 

While thanking Miteruna for her advice, I use Magic Hand and Clairvoyance to open the basement and write a letter--with instructions. And another asking for ‘rescue’, which I seal with wax and stamp with my ring. Then store the candle and ring.

 

I didn’t give her the letter before, so the ‘mastermind’ couldn’t anticipate it.

 

“Right, Miteruna, I forgot to close the ink bottle in the basement, could you close it before the ink dries.”

“Certainly, master.”

 

With that request to Mireruna, I head towards the carriage that the Viceroy’s office supplied. I also alerted Arisa and the girls, instructing them to stay in the Labyrinth.

 

***

I bring Lulu with me to the Viceroy’s office, the three-story building made from marble that stands right beside the Eastern Gate.

 

“Sir Felspar, the Inquisitor will be coming in a short while, so please wait in this room.” A high-class bureaucrat lead us to a splendid room, one which seemed to be for state guests.

 

“Lulu, relax and sit down. It’s quite comfortable.” I smile up at the nervous girl.

 

“Yes, Master.” She sat down where I indicated, on the cushion next to me.

 

I embrace Lulu and tell her that everything will be fine, she leans into my embrace, and blushes when the maid standing in the corner made a quiet noise.

 

“I know, Master--with you here, nothing could go wrong.”

 

The Inquisitor finally arrived, and he also brought six armed knights, possibly to intimidate us. They seem to be pretty skilled, between levels 50 and 60.

 

“Nice to meet you, Sir Felspar. I am Baron Vilas, the Inquisitor. Ah, you can keep sitting, the Inquiry will be over soon.”

 

He is a bald man with thin eyebrows, who has a Magic Being similar to Raka, which is the one with the Fathom Skill. From what the books say, Fathom is one of the very few Spells belonging to Mind Magic that is legal--but only if a noble has it, and only if it is registered with the King.

 

“Then, answer my questions Truthfully.”

 

I felt a strange touch against my mind when he said that word, but other than that, nothing happened--though I had to pretend that it affected me.

 

“Have you used Fiend Drug?

“No.”

“Have you ever administered Fiend Drug to anyone else?”

“No.”

“Do you know the recipe for Fiend Drug?”

 

Now I have to pretend to be under the compulsion, well, I would have had to, if not for.

 

***

“Sir Vilas! What do you think you’re doing? Sir Felspar rescued my son, the state guest which is a Princess, among other noble’s children, from Lost Thieves. So, he is virtually the benefactor of Selbira. He wouldn’t have allowed them to come to the surface if he had anything to do with the Lost Thieves or Fiend Drug.”

 

The one who entered the room, while speaking an overly long protest, was the Marchioness. The Marquis followed along behind her like the hen-pecked husband he seemed to be.

 

“My wife is right. Who instructed you to haul Sir Felspar away?”

 

“I-It’s because the story about the disparity between the strength of Sir Felspar and his retainers and their ages was the talk of the salon--”

“In other words, you bought into the gossip in the salon, and made him undergo the Inquisition?”

“Marquis, i-it’s a misunderstanding--”

 

So it’s not a noble worried about his position, but people gossiping because of seeing my rather strange group. I was worried for nothing, I didn’t have some enemy in the shadows, trying to undermine me--just idiots gossiping.

 

Apparently, the Marquis will be discharging the Baron, as this isn’t the first time the Baron fell for rumours, but this is one time too many.

 

I report to Arisa that the problem has been solved and that they shouldn’t worry--to which, she replied ‘I was more worried about you killing the nobility of Labyrinth City…’ with a giggle.

 

It was also because of Miteruna fulfilling her orders quickly and efficiently. She had went to the Marquis’ mansion to deliver the letter with my seal, as instructed. Normally, the letter from a lower noble would have been postponed for a few weeks, but it was from me.

 

I’ll thank them later.

 

Since Miteruna had come along with the carriage, I praised her for a job well done, and then lifted Lulu in; and sent them back to the mansion ahead of me. The Marchioness had invited me to her mansion for dinner.

 

During the rather nice dinner, the Princess pestered me to tell stories about the Labyrinth, and I did as she asked--though I made sure to censor some of them, so as to not disturb the attendants.

 

I was also careful to make sure that it wouldn’t encourage her and the fat boy to try again.

 

***

I thank the coachman of the Marquis’ Houses’ carriage for sending me back to the mansion. Miteruna had come out and gave a basket to me, to give to coachman, to give to the Marchioness--such a complex plan. Judging by the sweet smell, it’s some of Lulu’s pastries.

 

While relaxing on the sofa, I check the map. It looks like Sir Sokel has been arrested, he’s currently being confined in one of the rooms of the Viceroy’s office. Shockingly though, Besso is still running away; but one of his friends has been apprehended by the Adventurer’s Guild and is being held in the dungeon of the West Guild.

 

By the time I have finished with the map, Arisa and the girls have returned, and surrounded me.

 

“It looks like it was terrible.” Arisa spoke with a grin.

 

“Yeah, it’s going to be a sleepless night tonight.” I gently bop her on the head.

 

“Ooh, a ‘I’m not going to let you girls get a wink of sleep tonight’ kind of thing?”

 

“That will have to be another night, unfortunately--I would much prefer it to what I have to do…Since the Lost Thieves are more trouble than I first thought, I may have to get serious.” I roll my eyes.

 

Arisa steps back, her face going slightly pale, “Please make sure that Labyrinth City is still standing tomorrow…and that the Labyrinth is still there?”

 

I can’t help but laugh as I stroke her hair, “Don’t worry, I won’t drag in too much collateral. Anyway, there are some baggage carriers and slaves who the Lost Thieves captured and made work for them, so I’d also like to rescue and shelter them.”

 

The girls only nod to my words, it feels a little weird that Arisa doesn’t retort--maybe they notice that I am a little irritated at the bother.