Chapter 5 “Private Meeting”

After I finished my investigation, I returned back to my workshop and found that my two assistants have done their job splendidly. With half of the order has already been made, the rest of the order needs some more ingredients. I have sent the two to separate place to find the remaining ingredients. Rago will go to the town’s warehouse to check for ready to be delivered ingredient and ask them to deliver it as soon as possible while Gire will check the marketplace for the ingredients. In the morning they will report their task to me and then I will decide the next action. If the ingredients from the town’s warehouse are enough, then I will not do anything but focus on getting the proper amount ready as soon as possible. If not, then I will buy them from the marketplace. Of course, the amount will not be as much since I will need to use the company’s money.

With my current task is done, my next task in hand is to report what I have in my mind regarding the news Lady Constie has brought not long ago. And with that in mind, I stood in front of the mansion of my direct supervisor.

“Halt!” A shout filled with hostility is thrown at me. “Beggars are not allowed here! Please leave!” It was the greeting I received the instant I arrived in the front gate.

Ah, beggar, is it? I guess I couldn’t really blame them as my appearance is probably similar. In fact, I think I might look exactly like that, not that I worry about it since this is my regular clothes. And just like Eryell said, my regular outfit combined with my appearance really gave me that beggar appearance. Well, if I could borrow her word, it will be a ‘Neat Beggar’, but beggar none the less. And because of that, I was denied of entry to the mansion even from the start. And that was a considerably troublesome obstacle for my current task.

“Ah, but I have a meeting with Lady Constie Reystone.” I tried to give them my reason.

“Huh? Preposterous!” And it was rejected right away. “There’s no way our lady has any business with the likes of you! Now go away and make us throw you out forcefully!”

Hmm, this is troublesome. I could ‘see’ the two guards were starting to get angry and irritated at me. Their heartbeats were pretty high and the feel they gave was hostile. They will probably throw me out rudely if I don’t do anything soon. I scratched the back of my head as I showed a wry smile.

“Geez, I hate using this.” I mumbled to myself as I put my hand into my pocket.

“What are you still doing here! I said–!” One of the guards that shouted to me stopped mid-sentence. The reason was that he saw the object I pulled from my pocket. “W-Wait!? T-That is!”

“I see that you know what this is, gentlemen.” I let out a smile. I don’t know what kind of smile I made that time. But I hope that it is not an evil looking one. To be honest, I have to confess that hearing them surprised like that really gave me a bit of satisfaction. So I slightly worried that my smile came out as an evil one instead of an honest one.

“W-Why did you have that emblem? Only a member of the militia could have one!” Sheesh, why the dumb question? The object that I have shown them is a small medallion that bears the symbol of the local militia, which are a sword and a shield on top of each other.

“Because I am a member of it, gentlemen.” I threw the emblem at them. “You can check it if it is a real one or not. If it is, tell them their Chief Apothecary will meet their lady by her request.” Ugh, I hate using that kind of tone. It made me remembered many uncomfortable memories.

“Y-Yes, sir!” And stop with the stuttering, would you? It’s getting irritating. I could hear the two of them immediately left the gate. Why do you have to leave the gate empty like that? Can just one of them get inside while the other stays on guard here? I really need to talk about this with Lady Constie about their amateurish guard.

After waiting for a few moments, I finally entered the mansion and the sound of quiet footsteps accompanied by fluttering sound of fabric came near me. I faced the source of the sound and found it was one of the residence maids and an acquaintance of mine, Lena.

“We’ve been expecting you, Master Nerva.” A soft and feminine voice entered my ear.

“Thank you. It’s been a while, Lena.” I gave a smile at her as I faced her.

“Please follow me.” She then turned around to face the other way, making her shoulder length hair produced a swishing sound. As she started to walk away, I followed her shortly.

While we were walking toward my supervisor’s study room, I decided that the silence between us is not pleasant for me. And because of that, I started the conversation with something simple.

“Are you well?”

“I am well, Master Nerva.” She gave a bow after saying that. “Thank you for asking.”

“If it is just us two, you can leave the formality. I am, after all, just a commoner.” A small chuckle escaped my mouth. “To be called ‘Master’ is funny, don’t you think?”

“I wouldn’t even dare to do that, Master Nerva. You are an esteemed guest and the whole house of Reystone has seen your ability.” Her tone was filled with nothing but honesty. Or at least, it sounded like that to me. Either she was telling the truth or she was just being polite. At that, I decided to not pursue the matter further. It would be impolite of me to deny her goodwill. “I hope that you are doing well, Master Nerva. I haven’t been seeing you for quite some time. When was the last time you visited us?”

“Hmm, probably last Winter Festival if I’m not mistaken. Besides, I will be better for everyone if I didn’t show up too often.” I let out a chuckle after saying that.

“…Please don’t say that, Master Nerva.” Her tone, although it sounded like a calm one, I noticed a hint of sadness in it. Or is it disappointment? Those two emotions feel quite similar for me. “Some people will be saddened by that.”

“Saddened or not, it is the truth that no one, not even the head of House of Reystone, will be able to deny.” I said that with a firm tone as I know the true feeling of those around me.

While I have quite a lot of people that view me as a reliable and talented person, the general public can only see me as a weak blind man unable to do anything. That is a saddening fact that I have lived my whole life with. At first, it was very painful. But as time went on, I could even laugh at that fact without feeling a bit of sadness in me. Either I have gone stronger or my heart has become too numb by the amount of pain it received. Either way, I felt that it was for the best that I could endure that painful public opinion.

Although, for the people that has different view of me, they could still feel that pain. It was as if they took the pain for my sake, which is not what I really wanted. And it seems that what happened after I said to Lena. I could feel a bit more sadness coming from her compared to before. I need to watch my words more careful next time. Saying the truth just like that may bring others pain.

“Let’s forget about that, shall we? Now tell me, how has Lady Constie been?”

“…She has been rather busy.” Ah, she has done a good job covering her emotion. If only she could do the same with the aura she emitted. If I could see her face, she probably tries her best in covering her expression. But overall, I have to give her credit in trying to do it in the first place and feeling sympathy for someone like me. “She has locked herself in her study right ever since she got back.”

“Is that so?” It seems that Lady Constie is really worried about the royal family’s sudden visit. Her reaction, in my opinion, is a wise one since the reason behind their action is quite suspicious. And the fact that other higher office lack of suspicion is making it even more suspicious. It was as if they had predicted their action or deliberately want turn a blind eye at their movement. “Has anyone visited her yet since she got back here?”

“No, I don’t think so.” Hmm, so she probably had no information about our finding yet. I guess I will tell her.

“Is Lady Eryell here?”

“No, Master Nerva. She hasn’t got back.”

“I see. She has been pretty busy as in lately.” I let out a small smile.

“She is. Some of the maids are pretty concern about her well-being. It is not good to overwork one’s body even if the situation tells you so.”

“A wise word, Lena. But you don’t have to worry about it too much. She is a good and smart girl that knows her own limit.”

“I hope that Master Nerva will be there to assist her in her time of need. Also to tell her if she really does overwork herself.”

“It will be my pleasure to do so. Although, I doubt that she will need me to remind her. But I’ll keep an eye on her. Even if I don’t have any eyes to do it.” A small chuckle came out my mouth as I make that joke.

“…Please don’t make that kind of joke, Master Nerva.” Ah, she is not pleased with my joke. Well, it is rather dark. Not everyone can see its value. Oh, another one! But better not said it out. It will just worsen the mood even further. “But I feel grateful if you will really help Lady Eryell there.”

“As I said before, it will be my pleasure.” I smiled at her again. Hmm, that reminds me. “By the way, Lena, are the guards in front of the gate new?”

“The guards? I…thin they are. Probably from the last few months or so.”

“…No wonder they don’t recognize me.” Because if they came from that time, the will certainly find it hard to forget about my appearance.

Lena stopped her feet and then she knock on the door in front of her three times.

“Milady, Master Nerva is here to see you.” A few seconds later, a very familiar voice came from the other side of the door.

“Let him in.”

“Please excuse me.” After saying that, Lena opened the wooden door and then stepped aside, letting me inside. I walked inside and I immediately noticed the smell of paper and book in the room, especially after I could feel the door is closed behind me.

I tapped my walking cane several time and the ‘view’ of the whole room came into my mind. It was…how should I say it? Very chaotic and very organized at the same time. I know that sounded rather strange, but that is the feeling I had when I could ‘see’ the condition of the room. And judging from the smell of dust that lingered on the air around me, she probably refused the maids that come into this room several times. As usual, my supervisor habit of overworking is still uncured.

Oh, is that why Lena mentioned about Eryell is overworking herself? Well, they do share that particular habit. I guess I also need to add my supervisor to my list of people to warn when they overwork. Although, it will be quite difficult since my supervisor has this tendency of going…violent and grumpy when being told off. I guess I still have to bear the risk. If those two overworked themselves to sick, the whole town will be affected. And that is not what everyone want now, do they?

“Take a chair and sit,” said my supervisor without stopping his hand that made scribbling noise. “I’ll be with you after this one last paper.”

“Understood, milady.” I took a chair near me and then placed it in front of her desk. After I sat myself down on the chair, I started to tap my walking cane softly to avoid disturbing her concentration. The more I tap, the clearer the view in my mind is. And the clearer the view, the more I sigh at the condition of the room. Why, you might ask? It seems that I have noticed a lot of books and scroll littered on the ground as well. At first, I only though that the books and scrolls were on the desk. But it seems that my supervisor has ran out of space and decided to use the vast and empty space on the room to its maximum potential. Sadly, I could sense that the book case behind her desk is in a relatively empty state. Chances are, she emptied the whole book case into the desk and floor. At that thought, I couldn’t help but shook my head with a rather wry smile on my face. I just hope she didn’t notice that.

“Okay, I’m done.” The sound of flapping paper could be heard as she placed the paper on the stack near her. “Let’s get straight to business. You have a possible reason for the royal family sudden action?”

“I have, milady.” I said with a nod at her. “But please allow me to give you some more information that your sister has investigated recently.”

“Eryell? Do you think there is a possible connection between the two?”

“I’m not really sure. But at this moment, we might as well consider every little information we have, don’t you think so, milady?”

“Hmm, very well. Explain it.” She then gave a nod.

As I explained the whole finding Eryell and I found in the forest not long ago, I couldn’t detect a change in her behavior. Lady Constie remained calm and composed throughout the whole session without a slight change in her heartbeats. It was as if she purposely hardened her heart and refused to react to anything that come out of my mouth. Maybe she will give her opinion after the explanation finished. A wise choice, if I may say so myself.

“Is that all?”

“Yes, milady.” I gave a nod. “At least that is all I know. I don’t know if any further investigation has been taken by the company or any informant have any further lead about the situation.”

“I see.” She then leaned her body forward. The sound of her elbows placed on the wooden desk entered my ears. “So tell me now, Nerva. How is that connected with our…situation?”

“The royal family that will visit us is strongly connected to the production of the kingdom’s Arcane Puppet. That is the first one.”

“The second one?”

“The second one is that their purpose of testing fire based Arcane Puppet. From my observation of the remains we found on the site, they were melted. The process of melting something is closely related to the fire attribute.”

“I see…” She tapped her desk a few times after she said that. “Is there anything else?”

“The third is the forest. They mentioned it specifically in the letter that the forest in our town is suitable for their experiment. That is a very suspicious thing to mention for me.”

“I agree at that since our forest have no particularly unique aspect whatsoever that could make them special.” She then leaned backward, making the chair produce a slight creaking sound. “Is that all?”

“That is all.” I nod at her. “That three reasons alone have made me able to make at least a few possibilities. Does milady want to hear it?”

“Go on.” She put her hand forward. “At this stage, I need to hear any possible reason for their action, no matter how strange and weird it is.”

“Very well.” I took a breath before giving my first possible scenario. “First is, just as they stated in the letter, they are just here to carry out an experiment. No string attached, milady. If that is the case, then we only have to look for a few magic users that can use any element except fire. The water mage can use their magic to douse the fire. The earth mage can raise soil to cover the fire. And, lastly, the wind mage can control the air flow so that the fire will be controlled enough to avoid burning more area.”

“Hmm, that is one of the best possibilities. As much as I would like that to happen, I think we really need to get that out of our mind at the moment.”

“I agree, milady.” Another nod came from me. “Then the next one is this. There is a chance that their intention is connected with our recent encounter with the smuggler. For what way they are connected, it is far too many to list, milady. They could be looking for some slave or they might even be the one that funded the whole operation.”

“Or they might be trying to cover their dealing with the military grade Arcane Puppet.”

“That is also a possibility, milady.” I agree with her opinion. “And to add more to the matter, there might be remnant of those smugglers. If it is true, then more reason popped out more than we can count.”

“Do you think the slave smuggling is just a cover for their main operation?” Hmm, that is possible. I didn’t thought of that at first. “They might try to deliver something illegal and cover them with something…less illegal. That is such a strange way of doing things.” I could hear her letting out a sigh after saying that.

“Unfortunately that is a still possible reason, milady, no matter how strange and crazy it might sound.”

“Ugh, it is as if the trouble is not enough at the moment.” She shook her head as she said that. I could feel the stress emanates from her more and more each time the conversation progress. “Got any more predictions?”

“I do have one more…but it is somehow–“

“Excuse me.” My words were stopped as a voice came from the other side of the door.

“What is it? I’m busy.” Lady Constie said that with a rather irritated tone. That is very understandable since it disrupted the whole conversation flow. But it seemed that the other party, probably Lena, decided to ignore that and continue.

“Apology, milady, but it is your sister.”

“Huh?” Before an answer could be given from the other side, the door to the room opened. A thumping sound from the wooden floor filled the room. It was a familiar sound that came from none other than the boot of the company famous captain.

“Excuse me for barging in, sister.” It was none other than Eryell. She closed the door and then walked toward us. “But I have urgent request and report.”

“Urgent request and report?” My supervisor parroted her last part of the sentence with a confused tone. “What do you mean?”

“I need to request for some additional funding for our informant. I believe that Nerva here has already explained it to you, right?”

“Informant? Is it so urgent that you need to ask it now, my dear Eryell?” Although it was delivered in a calm manner, I could feel the irritation in her words. I could support her request, but I think I will wait for her to explain it further.

“Then I guess the report first then. We have several of our informants found out that…the information brokers has been…” Few seconds passed as she stopped her sentence, which made me questioned her finding more and more. “Silenced.”

“Silenced? As in–“

“Killed?” I said the word that my supervisor wanted to say. That earned me a slightly annoyed glare that I could feel quite intensely. Eryell nodded at my question. “All of them?”

“Fortunately, some still remains. And they asked quite a high amount of money for their information and also for their safety before they will open their mouths.”

“This is…an unexpected turn of event.” It seems that the situation has worsened without our knowledge. “Are our informants still roaming the street?”

“They are.”

“Any casualty from our side?” This time the question came from Lady Constie. Eryell shook her head, which is a good sign. “That’s good, for now.”

“Most of our sentry and rangers didn’t found any strange movement outside the wall. Either there really is no danger outside the town or it might already have entered the town completely undetected.” The last part of her report was given with a grim tone. “If it is the later one, we are in deep trouble.”

“Ugh, more and more trouble as if it is not enough.” I could ‘see’ Lady Constie massaged her temple with a very bad expression on her face. I don’t want to bring more bad news into the table, but it seems it is a necessary move at the moment. So I opened my mouth and deliver the bad news.

“Forgive me for this, milady, but I have much more bad possibility at hand after hearing Eryell’s report.” At that moment, I could hear the two’s heartbeats risen, a sign of them being more anxious than before. Ugh, I hate to do it, but it is much better to be prepared for the worst at this time.

“…Just tell me what you think, Nerva.” My supervisor let me continued. Her voice is filled with fatigue and frustration. It seemed that the stress of the situation has caught up with her with the addition of Eryell’s latest report.

“Very well, milady. At first, I think it is much too farfetched to be considered a possible reason. But after hearing the report…it sounded much more plausible.”

“Is this about the royal family reason for their sudden visit?” Ah, I forgot to tell Eryell that this is about that. I nod at her to give her answer. “Okay, go on. I’ll ask the other reasons later.”

“Understood. The letter might be some sort of…hidden instruction. For who it was directed to, I don’t know. For what, I also don’t know.”

“That is…do you suggest that the remains that we find in the forest is a result of that instruction?” My face soured up at Eryell’s question. I nodded at her.

“The smuggling accident might also be another thing that is instructed by the letter. The possibility is endless. And if this prediction is the correct one, then the level of danger we face is far too much than we can handle since it means that we are dealing with one of the royal family directly.”

The atmosphere in the room darkened after I said that. It was the worse possibility among the other possibilities. In the end of the day, we are just a frontier town equipped with a local militia. Furthermore, a few of the officer in the local militia are closely connected with the royal family due to the importance of the town. No matter how strong the house of Reystone grip on the city and the militia, it is incomparable to the influence the royal family has in their hand.

“At the moment, I have only a few suggestions.” I tried to break the tense atmosphere.

“…What is it?” Eryell’s voice lacked her usual vigor.

“First, we should order the informant to keep lower profile than before. They risked losing their life if trying to find too much information at this stage. And also abandon the idea of asking the information brokers. The information they yield will not only be costly, but also might endanger ourselves. The moment the other side knows that we have information leading to them, no matter how small it is, they will start to hunt us. The last thing we want to achieve is increasing the danger on our town.”

“…Next suggestion?”

“Secondly, try to increase the patrol in the inner circle. Concentrate the force in the weakest part of our defense. We have already lost the momentum to avoid letting them inside our town. We need to at least hold them up from getting out too easily. Prepare for some losses for our men that are stationed there. As sad as it might sound, the possibility of it is too high.”

“…I actually hate that suggestion, but I can’t give any argument about it at the moment.” My supervisor voiced her opinion with a tired voice. “Any more suggestion?”

“Yes. This is a personal one. Take some rest, both of you. Even without seeing you, I could feel that you two have been pushing yourself too much.”

“Huh? No we’re not!” As usual, the hot blooded Eryell was the first to voice her objection. “At least I’m not!”

“Eryell dear, are you suggesting that I have?” And it seems that my supervisor didn’t take that objection kindly. The two heartbeats had risen to show their anger. Before the two start to argue, I continued.

“If it is not the case, then it is good. But words of advice from this blind man. The two of you hold the responsibility of leading many men and women to protect this city. At the moment, there are no substitutes for the two of you. And remember, I’m not the only one that is worried about you. The maids felt the same way as I did. And I’m sure the others also felt the same.” I then stood up. “That is all I can say at the moment. Is there anything else, milady?” The two didn’t give any immediate answer. Although their heartbeats had calmed down, it seemed that their emotion is still not. I’ve said what I need to say. It is their decision to follow it or not.

“…Not that I can think of. I’ll send someone to get you if it urgent.”

“Very well then. Please excuse me, milady, Eryell.” I bowed to each of them and then opened the door. I stopped before I exited the room. “Please take care of yourselves. And please don’t forget, don’t carry that burden all by yourselves. You have the whole town ready to assist you.”

“You don’t need to tell me that, Chief Apothecary.” Her tone seemed to be dripping with irritation. But it dissipated in a matter of seconds as a new emotion filled her next words. “Thank you.” It was pure gratitude. I could also feel the same emotion from Eryell who still stood near her. At that, I turned back and smiled at them.

“It is my pleasure to do so.” I exited the room and closed the door, leaving the two sisters alone.

Author Note:

Please give me comment and opinion for this story, or even critique so that I can improve my writing. Do tell me if you find something strange or wrong with the chapter.

Thank you and I hope to see you again in the future!