66: Fateful Encounters (Patreon)

“Friend, I am happy to talk, but I run a business. Are you here to chat, or to buy? Time is money, as they say.”

Did Riyan send me here knowing the princess would be arriving soon? Knowing the man, it was a distinct possibility.

As much as Vir wanted all the details regarding the princess’ procession, he was here to sell an orb, after all. The bushy bearded man’s lips would only grow looser after they’d conducted the transaction, so he forced himself to be patient.

Vir ignored the man. “How much for those iron daggers over there?” he asked, pointing to the back wall.

“One hundred twenty-five coppers,” the man replied.

“I see. In fact, I’m not here to buy. I wish to sell some daggers. Five of them.”

The man’s attitude changed immediately. “May I see them?”

Vir set the rusty weapons on the wooden countertop, and the man’s expression told him this battle would be a tough one.

“Are these weapons? Or is this a pile of rust? These belong in a dump, not on my counter.”

“Yes, they’re rusty,” Vir admitted. “But rust can be removed. Look past the surface. These blades are iron, yes. But the quality is good. See for yourself!”

Vir knew that all bargaining started with a kernel of truth, and he spoke no lies. The iron was decent. Just that it’d been rusted beyond belief.

“Scrub off the rust, take the blade to a whetstone, and you’ll sell these for a killing.”

“A killing, is it?” the man replied. “Even new daggers would only fetch seventy coppers. With the labor I’d have to put into these to sell them, I’d barely break even, even if you gave them to me!”

“Didn’t you just say those daggers on the wall were a hundred twenty-five? Seems to me you’re low balling.”

Vir knew that was false—the merchant priced his items expecting to be haggled down. Seventy was likely the actual market value, but Vir could use that as a bargaining chip.

“W-well, prices are negotiable, you see?”

“Uh, huh. Sounds to me like you’re trying to scam me, ser,” Vir coolly replied.

“Look. I can give you five coppers each. Twenty-five total.”

Vir sighed. “I know the going rate for sharpening and repair work. Maybe things are more expensive here in Daha, but it can’t cost over forty coppers a blade. I’ll be generous and say you sell these daggers at a hundred each, instead of a hundred-twenty-five. You could buy these off of me for fifty and you’d still turn a profit. But look, I don’t wish to haggle. I’ll do forty apiece, and no lower.”

“You make some good points, but I’m sorry, labor is more expensive here than you guessed. The most I can do is twenty.”

“How about thirty, and I spread the word about the fine shop you have here? I’m friends with Param—of Param’s Pawn Peculiarities. I know he can do thirty.”

“Fine, fine. Thirty it is,” the man said. He’d clearly had enough of haggling over such a small denomination. The man likely dealt in dozens of silvers a day.

Vir nodded. An extra silver and fifty coppers in his pocket would go a long way to ease his money issues for the next two or three days.

As he waited for the shopkeeper to stow the daggers and produce his money, his eyes came to rest on the handful of orbs that sat under the counter. One was white, and of the same size as the one Tanya had left for him back in the woods. The broken one.

“What’s this orb here?” he asked. “How much does it go for?”

“Ah! An Asiyan C Grade Heal Skin spell. In good condition, too. Minimal usage. This one has plenty of life left in it.”

So orbs could wear out? That was new to him.

“Sorry, come again? Asien?” Vir asked.

“Asiyan. Crafted by the famous Altani thaumaturge Asiya,” the shopkeeper said, giving Vir a judging look. “They are quite common here, in the capital. Good quality. No major idiosyncrasies. Easy enough prana profile for even newly minted Mejai Sorcars to handle.”

“Right,” Vir said. “And? How much for one?”

“My price is ten silvers. Are you interested? Or just asking?”

“Just asking,” Vir replied, hiding his surprise. Tanya had said C grade orbs could go for twice that much. “Why so less?”

“Less? My prices are quite in line with everyone else’s. It’s a Life orb, after all.”

“It’s a Life orb,” Vir countered. “Not everyone has use of a combat orb, but injuries befall everyone. If precharged, this could even save a layman, could it not?”

The man nodded, stroking his mustache. “Yes, and that is precisely why they are manufactured in substantial quantities.”

He brought out a red chest and placed it on the counter, unlatching its brass hinges. Inside sat a dozen white orbs.

“You see? Over half of my orbs belong to the Life Affinity. Their production numbers make them less valuable than the others.”

“I-I see,” Vir replied, pocketing his silver and fifty coppers. He clearly had some learning to do. “So anyway, about the princess’ visit…”

“Yes, she is due to arrive this evening. Perhaps in an hour or two. It should be quite the sight! I encourage you to stick around. ‘Tis a rare occasion for princess Mina to show herself in public.”

“Oh? What’s the best spot, then?” Vir asked.

“In the plaza, right beside the road, but as you’ve seen, all the good spots have already been taken.”

“Shouldn’t be an issue for me.”

Leaving the musky shop, Vir slid into an empty alley and activated Dance of the Shadow Demon. From within the shadow realm, he picked an exit atop a flat, rectangular third story roof, at the very limit of the ability’s range. Having a Vimana parked on top of the city was working out well for him—shadows abounded everywhere.

From here, he had a commanding view of the entire square, near the road through which the procession would travel. The only question was…

What do I want to get out of this?

The options seemed myriad… at first. He could merely spectate, but that would be a waste. To gain from this, he wanted to learn something more about the princess. And ideally even interact with her, though that was a long shot. No doubt she’d be protected by an entourage far stronger than he was.

Or… What if there’s an opening? Spoke a small voice in his head. Here he was, expecting to infiltrate the castle to get to Mina, to warn her, of course. But what if an opportunity presented itself? What if he got a chance to… kill her?

He could wrap things up immediately and return to Riyan. To Maiya.

Vir shook off the thought. It was foolish on so many levels. His chances of killing her were slim. It was far more likely he’d be killed instead.

And above all, Vir refused to be Riyan’s pawn in this. He would decide what to do. And he wouldn’t do anything until he could learn more about the princess. Was she someone who deserved death? Or had Riyan stretched the truth?

He didn’t have to wait long. As the sun descended, casting the capital in hues of oranges and reds, the thoroughfare abruptly turned empty. Guards and soldiers corralled spectators, while an advance group of Ash’va riders cleared the street of any traffic.

They had blocked the thoroughfare from some distance away to make way for the royal procession.

The rhythmic sound of hand drums soon dominated over the sound of the crowd, and Ash’va riders dressed in formal emerald and gold coats soon appeared, beating their drums.

Behind them came the flag bearers and knights—a dozen of each. All wore full plate armor, and the knights carried glimmering polearms. All pristine and beautiful.

Vir heard the main attraction before he saw it. A great trumpeting resonated through the air. A sound unique to the most massive prana beast in the Known World.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Each footstep shook windows and reverberated through walls. The roof shuddered under Vir’s feet.

Two enormous ivory tusks appeared from the alley, followed by the rest of the massive beast.

The elephant towered over its surroundings, easily reaching two and a half stories in height. The top of the domed palanquin that rode on its back almost reached Vir’s own vantage.

Gold ornaments decorated the elephant from hoof to trunk. The princess’ palanquin complemented the gilded theme, while the curtains that hid its occupants were Hiranyan emerald green.

What a show of opulence, Vir thought. He’d seen the Warrens and the slums within the city. To think royalty indulged like this while its citizens suffered… It showed where King Rayid’s priorities lay.

Then, as the beast approached the square, the curtains finally drew back, revealing the princess herself.

She was not alone.

Beside her sat an old, wrinkled man dressed in far too much gold. Gold earrings, gold necklaces and rings, a gold robe… and a gold headdress that could only mean one thing.

The Royal Priest.

The man at the top of the chain who’d caused the deaths of Apramor, Aliscia, and Rudvik. And he was just a few paces away.

Vir’s blood simmered.

The plaza roared, its previous silence broken. Hoots, cheers, whistles, and shouts sounded through the large space, crescendoing into a deafening cacophony. People threw flowers of all colors and even entire bouquets into the elephant’s path, which it trampled underfoot.

From his position, Vir couldn’t see the princess’ face well, but what he did see was her flowing black hair and the enormous amount of gold she wore, just like the priest beside her. Her long green dress matched the elephant, and with a small smile, she waved to the audience that stood with bated breath.

More than the princess, it was their reaction that surprised Vir. She’s really well loved.

While good to know, it wasn’t enough to satiate him. At this rate, the procession would pass by, his opportunity lost.

Prana Vision told him that—as he’d expected—each of her guards were strong, though he discovered something interesting. For some, the ability couldn’t pierce through their armor, and that included the chainmail the princess wore under her lavish robe.

Her armor swam blazed with prana, but it wasn’t her prana.

Magic armor, Vir realized. It’s blocking Prana Vision.

The ones wearing non-magical armor were interestingly the mejai themselves. Among them with two greater affinities, and while Vir couldn’t see through the interference, he guessed all her knights boasted either Shadow or Earth Affinity prana, making them Talent wielders.

It made sense that Talent wielders and strong mejai would comprise her personal guard, but it also meant that any hostile action on Vir’s part would be suicidal.

Thinking quickly, he dropped his rucksack onto the rooftop and rummaged around for his alternate clothing.

He changed into ripped rags and ditched his iron katar. The good one—the one Riyan gave him—he tucked under the rag.

Smearing his hands with some charcoal, he then plastered it over his makeup, using the small mirror in his travel kit. Now, he looked like an urchin. Perfect.

“Stay here, boy,” he said, petting Neel. “I’ll be right back, okay? Make sure no one steals my bag.”

Aroo!

Vir left his gear behind with Neel and activated Dance of the Shadow Demon, appearing in an alley nearby.

He sprinted into the square and dove into the throng, ducking and weaving his way through like a snake through reeds.

“H-hey! Grakking chal!” a lady shouted as Vir grabbed the bouquet out of her hands. He was gone faster than her eyes could track, blending back into the crowd.

Finally, he made it into the path of the procession. This was the trickiest part of the plan. He needed to make it look believable, but he also had to get close enough to the elephant for it to work.

Patiently, he waited until the knights passed by. Then the flag bearers. And only when the elephant was a mere five paces away did he help and dive out onto the street.

Directly into the massive beast’s path.

C’mon, you dumb elephant! Stop! Don’t crush me!

Of course, the chances of that happening were slim. If the animal showed no sign of stopping, Vir would just Dance away, but that would foil his plan.

Luckily, it noticed, rearing back on its hind legs, making its occupants cry out in panic. Vir lay sprawled out on the ground, right until knights swarmed him, grabbing him by his arms.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done, urchin?”

Vir feigned fear and opened his eyes wide. “I-I-I’m sorry, ser! Only jes wanted t-t-ta give dese f-flowers! Jes, someone pushed me! I swear! Please, ser knight! Please believe me!”

The knight questioning him shook his head and addressed the knights restraining Vir. “Throw him back. We’re holding up the entire procession. Kid, do not do this again if you know what’s good for you.”

Vir nodded vigorously, but kept one eye planted on the elephant. It took all he had to suppress a grin when a ladder dropped from the elephant, and the princess descended. Despite the awkwardness of using a rope ladder, the princess managed the feat with superhuman grace, almost floating to the ground.

Vir wondered whether it was magic, or just superb agility, but searching her prana signature yielded no results. Prana Vision couldn’t penetrate her magical armor, not even at this distance. The interference extended to areas not directly protected by the armor, blocking him from analyzing her affinities.

The royal priest descended clumsily behind her, and Vir did his best to ignore the man. He wasn’t sure he could hide his hatred.

The princess slowly approached his position, waving away the half dozen guards that pleaded with her to stay back.

“‘Tis of no concern. Please, allow me to help this young one up,” the princess said, kneeling in front of Vir, extending a hand.

Vir had planned to feign shock and awe upon seeing the princess. He didn’t need to; Princess Mina Hiranya was gorgeous.

His mouth opened and closed several times, and his eyes grew as large as orbs.

She was beautiful in an exotic way. Her blue and yellow heterochromatic eyes were the most mesmerizing eyes he’d ever seen, and her tanned, regal face just exuded refinement and supreme confidence.

It was only when the princess giggled that Vir finally broke out of his reverie. He could’ve sworn the entire plaza had gone mute—there wasn’t a single sound to be heard.

So soft, he thought, grasping her preferred hand. His mind conjured up images of Maiya, but he shook them off. Maiya was cute, yes, but the princess was in a whole other league altogether.

Should I tip her off about who I am?

Doing so would be risky, considering the number of guards who swarmed her. If he just said ‘Hi! You know Riyan? That guy you hate? Yeah, well he sent me to kill you!’ Well, Vir doubted he’d live very long. If he revealed his identity, it would need to be done carefully, in a controlled setting. Not out here in the middle of a parade.

Vir stood and offered the bouquet to her, which she gracefully accepted. It was as though she’d practiced every action to perfection, with each designed to show off just how incredible she was.

“Thank you,” she said with a delicate, lilting voice that sounded like musical notes.

Then the princess did something that defied his imagination.

She retrieved a luxurious robe from an attendant.

“And, for you,” she said, handing him the gorgeous silk robe, gently closing his fingers around it. There was so much intricate embroidery inside that Vir couldn’t even guess how much it cost; it was likely the most precious object Vir had ever held in his entire life.

“Princess!? Please!” the head priest said. “That is a priceless family heirloom. Please reconsider!”

“It is my wish,” Mina said with an angelic smile. “It is not right for those of us with means to take and never give back. If this robe brings joy to this boy’s life, I would be remiss to keep it for myself.”

She raised her voice just enough for the crowd to hear her, making her intentions obvious to Vir. But even if it was a calculated move, she had just given him an obscenely valuable piece of clothing.

By the time Vir broke his gaze away from the ornament, Mina had already ascended back to her elephant.

I didn’t even get to say a word… Vir belatedly realized. Perhaps it was for the best. One wrong word and his life would’ve been in danger.

Still, he’d accomplished his aim. He’d come face to face with the princess—only he was now even more confused than before. Was she a despot to be ousted? Or was she fair, kind, and noble?

Vir swore he’d find out.

— —

“Princess, your father will not approve of this!” Kamna, Mina Hiranya’s personal bodyguard, said from atop the elephant palanquin.

The princess continued to wave at the crowds as if nothing had happened.

“I concur,” Head Priest Harak echoed.

“Tell me, Kamna, how many urchins do you know that have mastered the art of disguise?”

“Sorry? Come again?”

“That boy,” Mina said, smiling serenely at the crowd, “wore face paint.”

“I beg your pardon? Makeup?” Kamna said, drawing her heavy brows together. “I did not notice.”

“And it is no wonder. The boy is nearly as skilled as I am in the arts of deception. No, I suspect that boy is no mere urchin. If I had to guess… Yes, this feels like that one. And now, he has finally come.”

Unseen by all, and only for a brief moment, the princess’ smile warped from angelic into something far more sinister.

“Kamna? Tail that boy. I wish to know where he is at all hours.”

“It shall be done, your highness,” her bodyguard replied.

What fun we shall have together! Oh, agent of my dearest general…