Vincha, Kingdom of Divinium, Eastern region of Rohana Federation, 2051 S.C., 173rd day

  Richard sat on the edge of his bunk bed while Alessia leaned against the opposite wall with her arms crossed.

  “So, I’ve spoken with your father,” Richard broke the silence. “You’re causing me a lot of trouble, you know that?”

  “You could have just let me go,” Alessia muttered, her shoulders slumping.

  “We’ve discussed this already. You have been followed before you made it past the city gates,” Richard sighed. “Your father, however, has decided to play the fool. He claims they were worried sick and convinced themselves that your maid organized a kidnapping.”

  Alessia’s eyes widened. “So, Sheila is…”

  “No, she’s alive. They have her locked up,” Richard said, with his voice dropping an octave. “She is likely being used as a bargaining pawn to ensure your submission.”

  “Thank the Creators,” Alessia exhaled, a hand going to her chest in relief. “I will think of something to set her free.”

  “Getting married would probably do the trick,” Richard snarked, as a wry grin formed at the corner of his mouth.

  “You do know you are annoying,” Alessia shot back, pushing off the wall to pace the small room. “You can be all snarky and preachy now, but the other day I saw how you handle the pressure. You started to panic as soon as you got hit with the unexpected.”

  Richard’s grin faded. “I can adapt to the situation when it is monsters we slay. But handling the noble monsters? That is my weakness. There is a reason I went off to be an adventurer. And look at you lecturing me. You did the same thing. Let’s just bury the hatchet and admit neither of us is cut out for noble schemes.”

  “I can agree to that,” Alessia offered a tired smile. “So, what did my father actually say?”

  “Well, a lot of things,” Richard said. “Primarily, he wants you to travel with us all the way to Gaya.”

  “Huh? What?”

  “Yeah, I thought the same. But it seems the punishment for your retainers was a transfer to assist the new management in Gaya. I’m guessing your future husband is also stationed there.”

  “Has the situation with the Navians been resolved, then?”

  “It seems so,” Richard nodded. “Once the main forces arrived, the Navians fled. The border is now secure, and new management has taken over the city, according to him.”

  Alessia breathed out, “Well, at least the trip will be uneventful.”

  “About that,” Richard grimaced. “He also instructed me to give you some ‘light quests’. He phrased it as a test. You need to either prove your independence by strength or choose the arranged marriage.”

  “Gah!” Alessia slammed her fist against the wooden frame of the bunk. “That old man. He says this, but he will force me to marry anyway. This is just to punish me.”

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  “Could be,” Richard agreed. “And since there will be an emissary to oversee this, we can’t fake it. So, be honest—how is your combat?”

  “Rusty. I haven’t done proper training for three cycles,” she admitted, looking at her hands. “For the longest time, I thought it wasn’t worth fighting my father. But with everything happening now... I just wanted to get away.”

  “Believe me, I understand. My grandfather seems bent on using me for his own gains. I wouldn’t be surprised if the old fox got wind of things and colluded with your father.”

  “What would he gain out of this?”

  “An ally. I don’t know what the old man is planning these days, but he has been strangely supportive of my current mission. I tried to find out more, but every trail ends at the church’s doorstep. I don’t know how important Heron is to them, but his father, on the other hand... he is of interest to multiple branches.”

  Alessia frowned. “Who is his father?”

  “Well, I don’t know if you’ve heard the name Haran Bratti, but he was a very interesting individual a few cycles back. Publicly, the situation surrounding him has died down, but when it comes to work behind the scenes, I think they are still on the lookout.”

  “Why is he so important?”

  “I wish I knew,” Richard mused. “I know he conducted some experiments. Maybe he found out something the church is very interested in.”

  “Well, I can’t say I’ve heard anything. I’ve been sheltered from anything relating to the church, and my father tends to avoid dealing with them entirely. Though now that my brother is the King, I suppose it is inevitable.”

  “Yes. Hopefully, he’ll manage to dig something up.”

  “What did you have my father do?” Alessia asked, with evident displeasure in her voice.

  “Don’t worry, I didn’t ask over the voicebox. I wouldn’t want the operators eavesdropping. I’ll send a letter via secure channels. And I won’t ask for anything that puts him at risk. I just want him to pass along any useful information regarding Haran, should he happen to be in a position to acquire it.”

  Richard grinned mischievously. “I did, however, ask for a sizable donation for my current quest.”

  “Of course you did,” Alessia groaned. “What is your current mission, anyway?”

  “I guess it won’t hurt to tell you. We are to escort the boy, Heron, to Tiwaz. Though there are some complications regarding how we’ll achieve that.”

  “I’ve been wondering about that boy. He is from Scallia, correct?”

  “Yes. But his father was on the run and entrusted the boy to the villagers of Haugstad to raise him.”

  “Wasn’t that one of the villages that was destroyed?”

  “Indeed. As I said, Haran has been of interest to multiple factions. Navians included.”

  “I see…” She resumed pacing around the room. “Richard, I am afraid you’re getting involved in something far worse than nobility with that boy.”

  “I am aware of the risks. But considering there haven’t been any further attacks, the boy is safe, at least for now. Still, people can’t know about him. So, you must not speak of this to anyone.”

  “Don’t worry. It is not my battle,” she assured him. “Thank you for telling me. I think I understand him a bit better now. But he is an idiot, isn't he?”

  “Oh, absolutely. The Creators gave him the worst possible trait. I guess he wants to help those who seem helpless. It must stem from his trauma.”

  “Well, if he were a citizen, I think he could be a good asset to our police or military.”

  “Perhaps. But right now, he is bent on finding his father. He seems desperate to do it.”

  “Just take care of the boy. I listened to Lucia earlier. Even if she was angry, she seemed to really like you, so I imagine you are a good leader to your party.”

  “I’m doing my best. Though it pains me to keep things from them.”

  “Then why don’t you just come clean? It seems to me they would follow you to the depths of the Abyss.”

  “I’m sure some of them would. But it isn't about trust. It is about protection. If they knew all the intel I possess, they would become targets.”

  “And how would anyone know that they don’t know anything?”

  “It is more for the eventuality of capture. We do have truth serums. If I were to do something reckless, they couldn't lie, as they have nothing to do with my schemes. Their ignorance ensures they aren't complicit.”

  “Richard, what exactly are you scheming?” Alessia looked worried.

  “Nothing. But you never know. As you said, times are changing, and we might need to change with them.”