[LitF] 44. City of Dreams (Patreon)

Previous Chapter - Table of Contents - Next Chapter

[A/N: Sorry for the delay. News at the end.]

‎ ‎

Arthur asked Sophie and Graham to stay behind as he approached the League awakeners with his maid. He still couldn't believe how strong and fast he felt.

He opened his stats window for a visual representation of his improvements, mentally comparing the current values to what they had been before his enlightenment. Where relevant, he also added how high any value had been when he left the dungeon to his analysis.

He started with his domains.

‎ ‎

「 Stats

Level: 100

Domains:

- Metal: 39 → 51 → 51%

- Life: 41 → 49 → 60%

- Death: 17 → 28 → 42%」

‎ ‎

His elemental comprehension had increased significantly. The improvements before getting to the forest showed how much just being in the outside world, as opposed to the dungeon, helped him understand everything better. Then, the massive jump during his latest enlightenment made it obvious how remarkable the Lan'sh Qÿllil had been.

‎ ‎

「 Stats

Available points: 0

Body:

* Strength: 366 → 1,116

* Agility: 400 → 1,116

* Vitality: 1,112 → 1,116

Mind:

- Perception: 1,000

- Intelligence: 3,000 → 6,170

- Wisdom: 6,214 → 9,950 → 10,000 — MAX

Mana:

- Absorption: 5,000

- Magnitude: 2,100

- Efflux: 4,100 」

‎ ‎

Something that had almost escaped him was that he had also disconnected his vitality. His body stats now all depended on him to improve.

There was something viscerally gratifying in seeing his stat numbers going up. Yet, it paled to just feeling the changes.

The jump in strength and agility was significant. Externally, his muscles were only slightly bigger. Internally, they were heavier and more condensed than living biological mass had any right to be, yet the added agility made them feel more flexible and lighter than ever.

As Arthur walked, he had a split instant of trouble controlling his body. Still, he quickly got used to it, thanks to his 10,000 points of wisdom. He had reached the maximum and couldn't express how incredible it felt.

The prince's mind was fast.

His perception felt extremely deficient now. When perceiving the world in slow motion, it lacked too many details. He felt tempted to disconnect it from Fate and improve it himself but knew better than to mess with any mind stat before his life comprehension increased a lot.

Speaking of his wisdom, he had a new trait to test.

The League's awakeners ahead reacted to his approach, turning to look at Arthur and Tamara. He focused on them, willing Fate to activate his Sage's Eye trait similarly to how he triggered his Wise Inspection, and marveled at what he saw.

For he saw everything.

The final wisdom trait was described as "you can see through any movement." That's exactly what happened. The prince could see every single detail involved in every movement made by every awakener in sight. It wasn't just limited to his vision, either; he knew what was happening even beyond what his swift mind should be able to process.

Every muscle, tendon, bone, cell, and calorie being used, be it in a pumping heart or a turning head, was laid bare to him. As if that wasn't enough, no skill, trait, stat point, or mana particle involved in the process could hide from his sight either. He knew their names, values, and exactly how they affected the ongoing movement.

To make things even more outlandish, he got even more than that from the single person he was more focused on. He knew the magic runes that Fate used in the skills and traits and was even told their general meaning!

The prince changed his focus from the awakener to the armor he wore and got the extra information, too. His Sage's Eyes worked on enchantments, spells, and likely any magic. In a way, magic was movement because mana was always moving to fuel magic.

Arthur was so overwhelmed by sheer awe that he froze in place with eyes wide open.

That was...

Fate, he had no words to describe it. He could see through any enchantment or ability! Through any element! Since he also knew precisely how much mana was being used better than his Mana Sight let him, some study and experience would let him pinpoint exactly how powerful any magic was mid-battle! It would also assist him if he ever got to dabbling in enchantment!

The implications! The possibilities! The wonder!

Honestly, he had felt it was a bit lackluster not to receive an achievement for getting his first stat to the max. Now, he understood there was no need for mere stat points when he got this instead.

"Master?" Tamara asked worriedly.

Arthur shook his head. "I'm fine," he assured her and resumed walking. "I just thought of something."

She nodded as if that was natural, but only because they were in public. He could feel her worry.

The prince could also feel the sweet call of research. Sage's Eyes would work wonders to help him understand metal, life, and even death. Perhaps especially death because the trait was about analyzing movement, and death was both the instant of change and a state.

But now wasn't the time to get caught up in his pursuit of knowledge. Talking to the League came first. Destroy the Dungeon came second. Proposing to Sophie was the immediate third. Then Arthur could deal with other matters. Growing strong was only to be done in between those three priorities.

Thinking of power pulled his mind in another direction. Arthur had felt a bit regretful for investing in intelligence instead of his mana stats. He would love more mana, intent strings, or greater reach. He could become incredibly overpowered with more "juice" in that area, as people would say nowadays. But he needed the intelligence, or he would not be able to keep growing.

To be fair, his extra comprehension percentage already improved his magic in other ways. He could use a lot less mana to do more things now. His domains' ranges also increased, and, more important, his death comprehension had improved enough for him to gain a new authority chain.

Yes, now, he could directly affect the death around him with his domain alone.

Arthur still needed to test its practical applications, but he was sure of at least one thing: he could effortlessly will any unawakened to death. He just needed to grip the death happening to their cells and push it to their heart or mind, and they would perish.

The prince could already kill unawakened using only his life authority, but the ability to do it with death felt different. More sinister. Less... proper.

Wrong.

The issue wasn't with death being evil or anything; it was with himself. He was alive and thus instinctively rejected death. Wielding it felt worse the more he understood either life or death.

Countless other considerations went through his mind as he kept approaching the League's awakeners, like how he could create armies of people with over 1,000 stat points on every stat. How he might be able to mix metal and life in his own body in the future. How Fate was connected to the afterlife—if at all.

Then, Arthur finally reached the only level 15 awakener among the ones deployed on either side of the road.

The prince had to stop focusing on his Sage's Eyes or risk getting distracted by everything going on in that woman's body. She had more skills than everyone else. Instead, he looked at her much less important external appearance.

The mid-twenties blond had a beauty to rival Sophie despite her much lower level. Her long hair cascaded behind her, and her big light brown eyes were filled with wonder and intelligence. Body stats made one more symmetrical, and Sophie's half-vampire heritage also improved her looks considerably, but some people had won the beauty lottery at birth. While Sophie's looks were almost ethereal, akin to elves and their mystical perfection, the woman had an unexplainable rawness and organicness exclusive to naturally breathtaking humans.

"High Lord Boria," she said with a melodic voice as he approached, bowing her head. She then turned to Tamara, to whom she spoke henceforth, "Maid Lauquenbur. I'm Human Herald Eleonor Dawson, though we call it Human Public Relations Representative nowadays. It's my greatest pleasure to meet you."

Tamara nodded appreciatively. Dawson had been educated. "Likewise, Herald Dawson. What news do you herald for us?"

The woman bowed her head again, a little lower and more apologetically. "I was sent yesterday to inform you that Joint Command wouldn't be ready for a meeting at your requested time. The three Elven Commanders unanimously resigned when they received news of what happened in this forest. New elven representatives are coming but won't arrive until tomorrow morning. Would a meeting over lunch be acceptable to High House Boria?"

Arthur and Tamara frowned.

While the news was somewhat fortunate, as the prince wouldn't need to apologize for his delay, the motive was troubling. It meant there were deep undercurrents he knew nothing about affecting the League and how it would interact with him.

Tamara asked, "What exactly happened in this forest, Herald?"

The maid controlled her emotions and mannerism better than Dawson, but Arthur knew Tamara. He could tell she was fishing for information about what the League knew of the recent event. Tamara was already aware of what had happened.

The Human Herald replied, "I'm in no position to answer that, Maid Lauquenbur. I was told Joint Command will entertain all your questions at the meeting tomorrow."

"Can you at least tell us if there will be any negative repercussions to the... change in the forest?"

Arthur smiled. Describing a forest instantly combusting into ashes as "change" was a way of putting it.

Dawson nodded. "I'm sure you'll receive no trouble from Human Command. Vallesh is a majoritarian human city, and the elven forest prevented it from expanding in this direction. The local leaders anticipated the planned deforestation set for fifty years from now."

"What about the elves and dwarves?"

"The dwarves have been... apathetic in past years. I'd rather not entertain the matter. The elves..." Dawson sighed. "I might as well tell you, as it's the talk of the town. The elves insisted on creating this forest here fifty years ago because of a prophecy an Elven Commander from a previous generation received, but some powerful elven Houses disagreed with it. Those Elven Commanders came to an agreement that required them to resign to ensure the forest would be planted and continue to exist for a hundred years. The recent, repeated change in Elven Command stirs from that agreement. I'm unaware of further details."

Eleonor Dawson wasn't lying, but she was acting. She was a biomancer and controlled her emotions and reactions well. Not enough not to be noticeable, but enough for Arthur not to be sure of her genuine feelings.

This was the propriety Tamara liked, the accountability Arthur had mentioned to Hill. Dawson displayed the emotions and reactions someone in her position was expected to. Whether she was being genuine didn't matter; that's what the League was showing and should be judged for.

Unlike Healer Jodie Haynes, Human Herald Dawson was also effective in not appearing shifty. For one, she wasn't trying to spy on him. She wasn't over the top and knew just how much to push. It made her better at social manipulation, but she played like someone who understood and accepted the rules, inspiring more confidence.

Awakeners always knew each other were powerful and capable; the issue was behaving aggressively or wildly. Stability, predictability, and respecting boundaries were crucial. You always wanted to know who would fight beside you against the monsters that threatened the world.

The information about elven internal politics was intriguing. It might be related to the ancient secrets Tamara had mentioned. The prince would talk to her about it when he had the chance.

Tamara asked, "Why has the League surrounded us?"

Dawson shook her head. "I was ordered to give you privacy and space if you were found standing in the middle of the road. I'm afraid I wasn't told why it was necessary."

If everything Arthur had heard until now wasn't enough, the Herald's words confirmed the elves had planned for someone to trigger the hidden effect of that piece of Lan'sh Qÿllil when they framed it. They also expected the one to do it to stay put.

He hated that his life was once more enveloped by prophecy.

Tamara insisted, "Make a guess about why you came here."

Dawson smiled as if telling Tamara she knew the maid had used that tactic against the border guard. "I would rather not."

Tamara nodded and looked at Arthur to see if he wanted to say anything.

He did. "I refuse your offer. I have lost enough time as it is. I'll skip Vallesh and head straight to the Institute. Joint Command can meet me there if they want. I'll wait until nine AM. If they are not there by then, I'll head into the dungeon."

The Herald showed unfiltered, genuine emotion for the first time. She was upset at his arrogance. Even so, her eyebrows only slightly twitched before she nodded. "I'll deliver your answer, High Lord Boria. If I might be so bold as to share some potential trouble that might arise from this decision?"

"You might not. Make way."

Arthur had no reason to doubt Dawson's claims but couldn't ignore facts and logic. It was a fact that a faction within the League wanted him not to destroy the dungeon, and the elves' actions delayed his meeting with Joint Command—an arrangement that, in itself, delayed his getting to the dungeon. Who knew what else might happen? What other "unexpected" circumstances would arise after the current one was solved?

More importantly, who knew what divination the elves had gotten or whether they had used it for his benefit?

The prince had to be firm now or risk being led on like cattle. It was also a good way of saying he didn't fear the League, despite the border guard claiming in a roundabout way that they believed they could kill Graham.

He wouldn't be kept from his goal no matter how strong the League thought it was or what tricks it tried to play.

Dawson didn't bother to hide her vexation. "I feel compelled to remind you that I speak as the Human Herald, High Lord Boria, and you stand on League territory."

"I know, which is why I ask: are you representing only the Human race or the entire League as you refuse to comply with my request to step aside?"

A Herald had little authority over any awakener beyond what was given to them from their race's Command. Dawson could place him under arrest as almost any League official but not hinder his progress without official cause, not even in League territory. She was a high-echelon messenger, nothing more—yet, while delivering messages, she represented the League. Whatever she did now would have consequences.

She took a few moments to realize it, and Arthur knew she wasn't faking it because her brain had been working in overdrive. Heralds weren't diplomats. They didn't negotiate. This should be the first time anyone even cared to answer her one way or the other because it was easier to call her superior, even if they wanted to tell her to sod off.

Well, that wasn't easier for Arthur. She would have to act as his messenger, too.

As if recalling something, Dawson glanced at the car where Graham was and started growing afraid for the first time. Her backing had given her confidence, but it now shattered in the face of the harsh reality that if the grand knight attacked, her backing would be useless to save her. Regardless of whether she was avenged later, she would be too dead to benefit from it.

"I'll deliver your answer to Joint Command, High Lord Boria."

"That doesn't answer my question, Herald. Who am I to blame for you still not clearing the way? Who is declaring war on High House Boria?"

Her fear spiked before she prehended herself to control her emotions. She stepped to the side while raising her hand and making a rotating gesture. The visibly furious awakeners nearby begrudgingly started picking the cones and taking them out of the way.

Arthur said or did nothing else as he returned to the Bello with Tamara in tow.

"Can I drive, Soph?" he asked when he approached the still-tense but less stressed-out girl. "You should remain armored for now, just in case."

She nodded, never taking her eyes off the awakeners ahead, and moved to the passenger seat. She had to remove her armored skirt to get in without destroying anything.

A few moments later, Arthur drove ahead, ignoring the angry looks he received from the League's awakeners.

‎ ‎

* - * - *

‎ ‎

There was a considerable lull between the forest and Vallesh that offered some privacy, but everyone remained silent for now. They would talk after leaving the city, which the road forced them to go through.

Arthur would rather make the car fly, but he felt the skies would be more dangerous than the ground. It was better to be surrounded by people in a city with countless barriers than become an easy target from all directions. Also, if magic failed him or his people for any reason, he would rather they didn't fall from a great height, no matter how high their stats were.

At first, he was glad for his decision, for Vallesh turned out to be a city of dreams.

The first building Arthur saw was an enormous library, and there was no doubt what it housed. The five-story round wooden structure had tall yellow arched windows, and hundreds of enchanted books flew like birds around it. Each story was ten times as high as what he would expect from an unawakened's building.

A spiral of creativity ran along the outer walls from the ground to the highest floor. It started with sculptures of worlds that seemed embedded on the walls and morphed into plants or mythical creatures, depicting a marvelous pathway of imagination that could be found inside. The images were surrounded by sentences, quotes in all languages, running along the pathway to form the unmistakable imagery of knowledge elevating one's wisdom to greater heights. Giant cozy-looking red velvet armchairs crowned the building, and the very peak was shaped like wooden logs in a fire heart. The illusion of a red flame basked the chairs into an inviting light.

The second building Arthur saw was also a library. It was shaped and painted like a bookcase filled with books. It was as tall as the first one but vastly thinner.

Then came a hospital. It was round and small compared to the libraries, shaped like a red fruit wrapped by a green leaf, depicting life and care. The red fruit pulsated slightly and slowly, speaking of perseverance and healing. But, well, what made it really obvious that it was a hospital instead of a produce market was the big red cross on top.

As the Bello continued, it became evident that the utilitarian architecture from Noth Lake that the prince had once belittled wouldn't be found in this place. This was what he had expected to see after a thousand years of peace and progress. The entire city was a work of art to rival the elven forest. Every building had been clearly built to awe and with its final purpose in mind.

Not every structure depicted objects. Some were similar to the concert hall he had visited, only bigger and more. More detailed, more beautiful, and more caring of what it represented. Architectural styles of different ages were found in grand buildings that aimed to touch one's heart through what any living being would recognize as a form of art.

The prince got so lost in wonder that he almost forgot he might need to battle in this place and potentially destroy everything in sight.

"I hate it," Sophie growled a few minutes later.

Arthur looked at her in surprise. "What?! Why?"

"Look at these people, Archie. The arrogance. The sense of superiority. They think they are better than everyone else because they live in this place. I never met even a powerful awakener that looked down on the world like this."

The prince had been too enthralled by the architecture to look at the people. Now, he searched for what Sophie had mentioned and found the populace even more lacking than she had said.

Almost every car in sight was the latest, most expensive model. The ones that weren't, belonged to unawakened tourists. All locals, including unawakened, looked down on outsiders. It wasn't a matter of an old car evidencing a lack of money; at least that issue wasn't present here.

What Arthur found in its place was much worse.

At least half the people the prince felt with his life domain suffered from narcissism.

The worship of beauty in that place shaped its inhabitants. They looked derisively at anyone that wasn't at least as beautiful as a low-level awakener who had invested in body stats. Most bodies had been modified by magic and medicine to look better without being too obvious about it. Sophie likely hadn't noticed it simply because she was frankly too beautiful and used to looking at herself in the mirror.

Almost no awakener within Arthur's life domain had invested in mind or magic stats. Those who did kept it to a minimum, never exceeding a few hundred points. Their skills, now that Arthur looked at them with his Sage's Eyes and analyzed the runes for a general understanding, also seemed to be picked based on how flashy or captivating they were, not their ability to kill monsters.

Vallesh was an isolated world of appearances, a mask of perfection that shaped all inhabitants to its image.

None of the awakeners he saw understood the importance of their existence. None pursued any form of personal progress besides in their image. None cared about using their high stats to bring forth tangible improvements to the world. They lived exclusively for the selfish pursuit of self-gratification by looking more beautiful.

The prince had absolutely nothing against beauty or its appreciation. Quite the contrary. Sophie was proof of that. But here, visual perfection became more than mere appreciation. It was effectively a cult that twisted one's perception of reality. These people lived in their own make-believe world. They refused the danger of dungeons and monsters.

It was no coincidence Vallesh was the first city in the League coming from the Southeast. It was on purpose that libraries and a hospital were the first things he saw. This place offered solace for desperate souls. Whatever way they might choose to escape the dread of their insignificance, they would find it here, and it would look better than anywhere else.

Here, they could ignore the upcoming war. Here, they could just live without a care in the world. It was a place designed to tempt and assimilate any visitor.

Fate, this was horrible.

These people were no different from the many unawakened Arthur had felt using recreational drugs. It felt just so wrong. Twisted. Evil.

And yet...

...could the prince honestly blame them?

He had the power to change things. He could destroy a level 95 dungeon and change the world. If he did nothing, he would be to blame for forgoing his responsibilities as a powerful awakener.

But what could these people do? What were their choices in life? The world was a mess. To try to change it, they would need to participate in the ongoing political struggle, but it would be for naught. Any who supported the League was bound to lose sooner or later. And any who acted against it would only hasten the end of this false utopia.

Why even try one way or another?

It was much better to simply give up and make the most of what time remained for them.

The locals were as much a fruit of their circumstances as Arthur himself. However, his treacherous father had loved him and spent enough resources on him to turn him into someone who held the reins of his own Fate—at the cost of the world. In a way, the prince's privilege was paid by these people. His growth had cost them everything, even their hope.

There were detractors here and there, of course. Their surroundings made them either angry or depressed. Or both. Even as Arthur rode the city, he felt a fifteen-year-old place his head on a rope—

He made the boy faint, gently placed him on the ground with his domain, exploded a metal pipe to attract people's attention to his room....

...and found sudden enlightenment of a different type than in the forest.

As dreadful as the situation was, it served as a warning light for the prince. Here, you either fitted the false dream or found yourself lacking. His inexperience had prevented him from noticing it until now, but he had already started hating himself. He had started thinking he was lesser. His circumstances were vastly different from that unawakened boy, but he was still affected.

Although it was a fact that his father had broken the world for Arthur, the prince wasn't to blame for it. It was sometimes hard to remember it, but he was a victim. A laureated victim but a victim nonetheless.

The prince would use his power to make as many amendments as possible because it was the right thing to do, but he should never allow himself to be a slave to his father's sins.

A moment later, his eyes widened in even greater realization.

That suicidal boy had been at the very edge of his life domain, almost beyond his senses. His range had only increased recently because his life comprehension had significantly improved thanks to the Lan'sh Qÿllil. Without that...

What would have happened to his beliefs and himself without that timely wake-up call?

Arthur didn't believe it would've changed him too much, not permanently. He would get back to himself in time. But without the forest, he would've talked to Joint Command while affected by Vallesh. He would be more amenable to guilty traps.

He doubted Joint Command had picked the city just because it was the first from where he had come.

Had the prophecy something to do with it? If so... He still hated divinations but could appreciate this one. And he could appreciate that the elves had done this for him, even if they probably wanted something in return. Investigating the matter became paramount, only below destroying the dungeon in importance.

It was even more critical than proposing to Sophie. He had to know if the elves were allies or enemies to inform her what she was getting into. While their premarital indulgence was almost as official as a formal proposal, she could still step back if the terms of their union changed drastically, like suddenly finding an entire race demanded him to obey them—or that he had declared war on them by refusing it.

The League's attempt at manipulation infuriated him. It was a hair's breadth away from making him decide to replace Joint Command or utterly crush the League.

The only reason he didn't make that call now was the forest.

Without it, he would have eventually noticed how loaded the meeting had been. He would've hunted down every culprit and killed them for it. But the forest was there. The elves were telling him he had allies and that the League wasn't his enemy. They were asking him to let them sort most of their mess by themselves unless the League ever crossed the line for real—until its internal workings weren't enough to prevent them from misusing their power.

Arthur would give it to them. Without his comprehension gains, he would've taken all this for some sort of convoluted plot to gain his trust. But he had gained a lot from the forest and had no reason to distrust the elves. Not yet. He would wait and see.

All that quickly went through his mind, and he replied to Sophie, "You're right; this place is horrible." He sighed. "In fact, we should talk about what it makes us feel as we go through it. I was almost tricked into loathing myself, and I'd hate any of us to fall for it. You can also help me check if some hidden poison remains in my heart."

It was Sophie's time to get surprised. She turned to him. "What?!"

He smiled sadly. "Let me bare my soul to you, O suitress of mine. Let me share the true ugliness of this city of beauty and how it makes me fell. You'll go second, Tamara third, and Graham fourth. And yes, grand knight of mine, it's an order. I won't have any of us fall for this very unexpected trap."

Tamara asked, "Master, should we discuss such matters in the open?"

"Yes. Let any eavesdropper know we saw through this guise and are not happy about it."

Arthur started talking.

‎ ‎

* - * - *

‎ ‎

Sophie hated the city even more after Arthur shared his thoughts but wasn't as affected by it as Arthur. She didn't feel guilty about what his father had done to the world in a personal way like him. He was delighted about that.

Tamara only felt guilty about not noticing the king's plans in the past. She assured Arthur that he was right; he wasn't to blame for the state of the world. She didn't consider the prince a victim because of her views on absolute monarchy, but he had just followed his king's orders while blind to the truth. There had been no signs that he had been part of a crime or any way of questioning his orders. He had had no choice in the matter and had been manipulated. He could've done nothing differently.

Then came Graham.

It turned out that the grand knight had been completely enthralled by Vallesh. The city was new but built on top of a village he had lived in with Charlotte for one year. The emotional memory, his barely controllable cravings from almost tripling his vitality, gaining so much lifespan after his wife was long dead, his continued mourning, and vising a "known" place for the first time only to see the past erased, all mixed together into a terrible form of grief and self-loathing.

Tamara took the lead on dealing with that while Arthur and Sophie deafened themselves to their conversation. Still, it became evident that Tamara and Graham would have to talk much about it before the grand knight came to terms with everything he was going through.

The prince was overjoyed he had chosen to speak to his people about their emotions.

‎ ‎

* - * - *

‎ ‎

Grasslands and farms filled the scenery after Vallesh, then a vast desert. Very few vehicles braved the night, no matter how well-illuminated the floating light orbs made the road.

Arthur was driving relatively slowly. The Institute was only two hundred kilometers from Vallesh. He had more than enough time to get there, find a hotel, and get some sleep before the incoming eventful day.

The four awakeners had been out of the city for half an hour when Tamara touched Arthur's shoulder and told him her conversation with Graham was over. The prince let the low roar of the engine and the wind on the car be the only sound they heard for a while, then decided it was time to talk.

"Tamara, would you be willing to share your secrets with Sophie and Graham, or are they for my ears only?"

He expected her to be secretive and had asked just to be sure. He was surprised when she replied, "Lady Brimstone will join High House Boria soon, master. I accept her as your rightful partner."

The "rightful" word was used as an official term. Battle maids were often gorgeous and close to their masters or mistresses. Whenever said masters married, the partner was also entitled to learn everything there was to know about the maid to avoid jealousy—and any trouble that might arise from that feeling.

Tamara continued, "Grand Knight Graham can hear if he vows not to share it with anyone."

In the Golden Kingdom, no awakener had been allowed to demand another to make a soul vow except under certain circumstances, and any vow was carefully worded. For instance, Graham had vowed to obey Arthur. A personal knight was a position of great trust, so it was acceptable to demand a vow of him. Even then, his obedience was tied to Graham's ethics and conscience. It even allowed Graham to betray the prince depending on some factors.

The social norms were laxer when it came to personal matters. Demanding a vow in exchange for a personal secret was frowned upon but understandable if it was something critical to one party and the other party didn't truly need to know.

Yet, this situation was more subtle than that. Instead of frowning upon Tamara but understanding the request, Arthur was impressed at her openness.

Soul vows weren't absolute in the sense that they ensured something would or wouldn't happen. They could be broken. Going against a vow severely injured one's soul, making one lose many levels and allocated stats. The stronger the awakener, the worse it was. Yet, while vows from strong people could be lethal, that wasn't guaranteed even for a level 68 awakener.

Tamara had said the secret pertained to ancient elven matters, and the battle maid had hidden it even for her master until now. It should be so important that she herself would likely pay the price if Graham spilled the beans.

She was giving Graham a vote of confidence, which was even more weighted by the fact that he was going through emotional troubles. She was clearly stating she didn't think less of him for his situation and trusted it wouldn't affect his judgment when it came to his relationships.

The grand knight exploded into gratitude that overflowed into tears that he believed were hidden by his helmet. He nodded to her and repaid her confidence with respect.

"I appreciate the gesture, Head Maid Lauquenbur, and would rather not know anything that might endanger you."

Sophie followed suit. "Just let Archie tell me if he thinks I should know about it."

Arthur nodded. "Very well. I'll talk to Tamara before I properly apologize to Sophie and Graham. Tamara, ensure our privacy."

The maid complied, taking a dull black glass orb with silver runes from her spatial ring. She activated it by pushing some mana into it, and a globe made of silver runes appeared around her. She was sitting behind Arthur and got closer to his seat, then pushed more mana into the artifact until the globe only enveloped little more than their heads.

Arthur could still hear everything outside, but the transparent barrier would stop any internal sound from leaving.

"So?" Arthur asked. "Ancient secrets?"

‎ ‎

[A/N: This chapter got delayed because I was... Well, publishing a book!

I have another pen name, Edward Castle. I previously published three books in a series called Unbound Deathlord. Years ago, I started writing another series, Immortal Conqueror, which is LitRPG/cultivation, which used to be available on RoyalRoad. I also started preparing to publish it.

But then my life became a roller coaster, and I never ended up releasing the novel in a book format.

The Immortal Conqueror novel is no longer available for reading on RoyalRoad, but I'll release the written material as books and then write more until the series is finished.

I'm planning to publish about 5 to 7 books in that series. Relatively short books, too; the first one is 90k words. According to Amazon, that's 434 pages. For perspective, Harry Potter 1 has 77k words, and Harry Potter 2 has 85k.

Anyway, the first book in the Immortal Conqueror series, New World, will come out on the 12th and is available for pre-order at Amazon if you're interested. It'll also be available on Kindle Unlimited.

The link: https://mybook.to/ImmortalConqueror

The blurb is too long to copy-paste here (check it on Amazon!), but the gist of it is that the strongest cultivator in the universe is called to help another. Traveling to a new dimension means losing his power and starting over. He's bored and wants a challenge, so he does it.

The other universe is a LitRPG/GameLit, so stat screens and stuff. Also classes, magic beasts, gods, conspiracies, and a medieval society.

At first, Aaron (that's his name) tries to blend in, but as the story progresses, it becomes evident that the only path forward is to do things the way he knows best: killing his enemies and conquering everything they have.

Expect an OP MC with a martial mentality who is very sure of himself. Adventure and action.

Immortal Conqueror is very different from Lost in the Future, but who knows, you might like it! =)]

Previous Chapter - Table of Contents - Next Chapter