nemorosus

Chapter 274: The Past Answers

Orion stepped in front of a large wooden house that was guarded by a great contingent of royal knights. For a few moments, they braced in anticipation of the big man that entered before them. Yet when recognition dawned, one stepped forth.

“Prince Orion?!” the man shouted, infinitely surprised. “You… you’ve returned?” The man took a deep breath, and duty came to the front of his mind. “The king informed us to send you to hi...

Chapter 273: Introspection

Elenore felt aimless both in the days preceding and succeeding Argrave’s coronation. Even now she sat in bed well past midnight, a stack of books beside her. She had been reading for days on end, educating herself on matters where she found her knowledge lacking. All the while, the veritable gears of this machine she’d built as the Bat spun ever onwards, advancing her interests. At this point, ‘her interests’ had become vague.

Sh...

Chapter 272: King of Vasquer

I think I'm going to follow Orion's advice and stop listening to the voices in my head.

I'm editing the decision around Elenore slightly. Instead of being a genuine parting, this is a ploy by Argrave to force her to self-reflect. You can read these edits right now, probably, but that summarizes all that was changed. This is what I had originally intended to do.

Honestly, I'd call it a botched attempt to subvert expectations. I let ...

Chapter 271: Realities of War

Argrave knocked on a solid wooden door, then put his hands behind his back. A woman opened it—Argrave recognized her. She often attended to Elenore. She cast a glance back, opened the door wider, and then stepped past Argrave. He walked inside the room.

Elenore sat on her bed. She was leaning down, turning the cranks on her prosthetic feet to tighten the clamps. Having donned much of the bronze jewelry, Argrave knew she saw him… or p...

Chapter 270: Uncrowned's Council

“What exactly do I call you now?” Argrave questioned Leopold, his tone somewhat lacking its typical vigor. He genuinely did not know. Relize never gained a leader in ‘Heroes of Berendar.’ This was a new development entirely divorced from what Argrave knew… just as Elenore’s actions were.

The two of them sat alone in the Dandalan patriarch’s study. Things had simply ended up this way. He was unused to being anywhere without ...

Chapter 269: Lesser

“The mantle will look splendid on you, prince Levin,” the male tailor complimented, both of them admiring his figure in the mirror.

Indeed, Levin agreed with the assessment. Rather than traditional Vasquer colors, he had elected to don new colors—a rich burgundy, accented by gray and golden buttons. Three days from now, he would form the Kingdom of Atrus, and take the name Levin of Atrus—his new house bore gray and burgundy as it...

Chapter 268: Acquisitions

“Come on, check it out,” implored Durran, gesturing towards Argrave.

“No, I won’t ‘check it out.’ Where the hell did you get a hand, anyway?” Argrave said incredulously, looking at his companion’s hands. All three of them, that is.

Durran waved the hand, its fingers stiff and floppy. “From the vampires. One of them lost it, and I kept it. Not like they need it anymore—they all burned up beneath the sun.”

Chapter 267: The City Life

With so much occupying all of their time, the week in Relize moved faster than time seemed able to.

Despite being disemboweled by Galamon, Melan seemed to bear no ill will in further discussion. The two of them quickly came to a consensus—that is to say, Argrave’s extortion was wholly successful. Once he’d confirmed the root of the problem—his nephew’s grandson’s cousin, or some such distant relative—the patrician that cont...

Chapter 266: Rich to Richer

The ring of keys in Kretthan’s hands jingled as he fit them into their slot. The cell door opened, and the aged patrician stepped beyond. The cell looked seldom-used. He walked to a spot just beside the bucket in the room for privy use and pushed at the wall. One brick sunk in, but nothing happened. He dug his fingers against the stone beside it and pulled. The wall turned, knocking aside the bucket and leaving two entrances.

“Durran...

Chapter 265: Return to Form

“Levin is going to be coronated soon,” Elenore informed Argrave. They were alone in a lounge, save Ansgar—Anneliese had not yet awoken. “Two weeks’ time, perhaps less. Your coronations may end up being at similar times, as things end up. I sincerely hope one ends better than the other.”

Argrave took a drink—it was quite potent. He swallowed it and winced, then looked to Ansgar.

“A tea suited for dispelling the morni...

Chapter 264: Reform

The double doors to the council chamber opened, and a grand room beckoned Argrave in with a deafening silence. There must have been three hundred people in Leopold’s council room. It was certainly a place built to accommodate banquets and councils. The Dandalan patrician stood just beside the door, gesturing for him to enter in the reigning quietude.

Looking around, Argrave felt he was in some sort of Roman senate. Four marble pillars ...

Chapter 263: Skirmishes

“And how would backing you benefit Relize?” an old man with a clean shave asked Argrave, sitting across from him on the couch. His name was Victor. Ansgar poured them both a cup of wine. “The king has ever had little bearing on our city. We members of the council dictate all.”

“That’s true. Most kings think it’s beneath them to consort with the merchant class. But as this city is testament… money makes the world move,” ...

Chapter 262: Logistics of a Protracted Battle

“Not much has changed,” Argrave said as he read down the list. Anneliese rested her head on his shoulder, reading with him. With their alliance secured, Leopold accommodatingly allowed them to move their agents and things into the mansion. Though many of the people had come, many remained outside for the sake of caution. “All of these families were pretty prominent. It’s no surprise they’re on the Grand Council.”

“You think...

Chapter 261: Vying for Primacy

Orion laid his gaze upon towering gray walls. He was no stranger to such sights—be they in Mateth or in Dirracha, he had seen walls standing near hundreds of feet tall, enclosing all that within and protecting it in the same turn. But this was not Vasquer, and yet these gray walls stood like giants in this endless black desert, nestled at the bottom of a crater. He had always been proud of his people’s feats. He did not expect to see their...

Chapter 260: Family Patriarch

Multiple servants pushed aside two gargantuan marble doors that marked the entrance to a vast estate. The place did not have a grandiose garden or a walkway that housed statues. Indeed, it was quite compact, fitting in alongside several other markedly unique yet similarly ostentatious mansions. Innumerable patricians made their home along the riverside, and the Dandalan family was no different. To make one’s home beside the river was a matte...

Chapter 259: Establishing Contact

“What, precisely, do you experience when you use the bronze jewelry? I have heard you use the word ‘see.’ Is it similar to sight, or wholly different?” Anneliese asked Elenore.

Elenore observed the simply dressed snow elf across from her. Anneliese, just as Argrave, wore exotic, hardy gray leathers with protective enchantments along all its length—duster, pants, and shirt all. They had another black set of lighter make designed...

Chapter 258: Siblings in the City

“So… would you want to rebuild a world like the one you lived in once you’re king? One of peace, personal freedom, great luxury for all—post-scarcity, as you called it?” Elenore asked Argrave.

They were all once again on the grain cart, though having entered Relize itself, the smooth roads made for a nice ride. Argrave looked at his sister, thinking over her words in detail.

Argrave rubbed his eyes. “Anneliese asked me ...

Chapter 257: I Decide

Argrave had been to cities in Vasquer like Mateth, Dirracha, Jast, or Parbon. They had awed him, but nothing could really be compared to Relize. Mateth, for instance, was one of the largest trading ports in the kingdom, and probably the largest city in the southern reaches. Even still, its population could not be more than forty thousand. Dirracha was probably near the same number. Jast and Parbon both had difficulties in terms of agriculture,...

Chapter 256: Profligacy and Corruption

Orion wandered through this unending black desert, lost once again. Though he had known he wanted to come here, now that he was here… he was once again adrift, utterly lost to his next direction. All he did was walk towards the distant white palace he saw, half-thinking it a mirage.

The prince had come to the south to speak with the Margrave of Parbon, Reinhardt. Once he arrived, Orion realized things would not be so dreamy and simple....

Chapter 255: Loss + One Year of This Thing of Ours

Levin walked a bridge from the Dragon Palace, heading to a lone tower with a cone roof. Two royal guards stood in front of it. They were large men, just short of Levin’s height, and their golden helmets swiveled as they followed the prince’s approach.

The prince paused just before the door. “She’s awake?” he questioned.

“Yes, prince,” the rightward knight nodded.

Levin nodded curtly and shot his cuffs. He fixed ...

Chapter 254: Rats in Grain

A man pulled free a wooden hatch, tossing it to the side. He offered his hand to help up someone down below, but a big, gauntleted hand grabbed onto the wood. Galamon pulled himself up, then reached down and grabbed Argrave, hauling him second. Thirdly, Durran offered up Elenore, and he lifted her gently and set her aside. She winced when her prosthetic feet met the ground, and blood dripped down them slowly.

“Gods. Never seen the prin...

Chapter 253: Poisoned Bait

Vasquer watched Felipe the second she spotted him on the distant steep stairway leading to her prison of centuries. Though Elenore had questioned how Vasquer had managed to remain sane here, bound and tortured by vampires over centuries to extract value from her blood and scales, she was not truly imprisoned.

So long as her mind was alive, she could wander where she pleased. Such was the ability of her kin, the Gilderwatchers.

And ...

Chapter 252: Kingfish Lured

Felipe stood at the mouth of his Dragon Palace, looking over his city. A multitude of golden-armored knights gathered around him, like gilding to his own black armor. His long, black hair flowed down his back like a cloak, a patch of gray atop his head. His beard showed yet more gray hair… yet his stony eyes were alert, sharp, unburdened by the ravages of age.

Myriad voices bubbled around him. People pushed past his knights, offering l...

Chapter 251: Orderly Chaos Before a Coming Blow

Ruleo stalked up to Argrave. Though he had some plans for how he might handle confronting Ruleo, he felt it was best to see how things would play out. Given the situation, it was difficult to predict.

“Nice eyes, masked man.” Ruleo turned his head to Elenore. “Seen them before plenty of times in Order of the Rose ruins. Some of my little friends have them, too.” He shook his head. “Rumors started spreading that Induen’s corps...

Chapter 250: Weight of the Crown

Argrave gazed up at the pitch-black regalia. The set was enchanting enough to make him forget what Galamon had done not moments ago. The fact that a stand had been made to accommodate all its pieces hinted at the true value of it all. There was a spot for a scepter, bracelets, gloves, a ring, a ceremonial sword… much of that was gone, however, having been sold off centuries ago to sustain Rancor in times of poor management. The primary piece...

Chapter 249: Relic Regalia

Argrave and Galamon emerged from the thinning beige smoke. Judging by the reactions they received by Elenore’s gathered men, they struck quite a harrowing pair. He saw Elenore beside his companions—the princess crossed her arms in uncertainty, for she could not perceive things a long distance away. Argrave walked confidently forward.

“Mages! Gather,” Argrave commanded. “The pump of poison in the air has stopped. The vampires ar...

Chapter 248: Siege of Smoke

Note: calling it 'gas' last chapter was incorrect, and will henceforth be referred to as smoke.
#####
Galamon pressed forward a fair bit ahead of Argrave, his metal boots impacting with the cold stone impressively quietly. Their strategy for the advance was quite simple—these vampires would rely on their senses to search out living things. Galamon, being a vampire, would have a better chance at surprising his foes. Argrave would serve ...

Chapter 247: Unwanted Wanderer

Orion wandered for a long, long while, much of it aimless. As a prince—now crown prince, he reflected—of Vasquer, his lone outage was something largely intolerable. His presence was noted and reported everywhere he wandered. Though he could wander as he pleased, he could not do so alone… or so his father decreed.

But Orion ignored that. He ignored them, avoided his pursuers at every turn, and simply wandered. He drank water conjure...

Chapter 246: Intent

Argrave and Anneliese sat at a table. Argrave had his head held in his hands, his gaze looking off into another dimension. Anneliese waited for him to speak patiently, her hands placed before her almost politely.

“I feel lost about this development for the first time in a while,” Argrave told her plainly, waving his hands about to support his vocalization. “I had a general route of how I wanted to grow stronger, prepare for fights�...

Chapter 245: Behind the Veil

Tentatively, as though he would be sparked by electricity if he touched it, Argrave raised his hand up to the golden scales of Vasquer. His fingers met her scales, which felt like the same gold as the enchanted ring around his finger. He could practically feel her presence rushing into his hand like water running through a hose after the nozzle was turned.

One aspect of why Argrave did not like interacting with Vasquer was because it fel...