[LitF] 45. Ancient Secrets (Patreon)

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[A/N: Sorry I'm ridiculously late.

Releasing a book while writing LitF and MA caused an almost-minor-burnout breakdown, and I chose to rest. MA is back on track, but LitF will take another few days.

I'll release 1 chapter today and one tomorrow, making up for the delayed chapters. However, next Saturday's chapter will only come out on Monday.]

Tamara said, "The matter starts far in the past, master. As you know, elves live longer than any of the Fated Races. We always have. Maybe that's why we also learned to have a great appreciation for history. We record it better than anyone else, to the point that recordings of the Fated Day persisted to the day we entered the dungeon, and I have reason to believe they still do."

The prince hadn't expected her ancient secrets to be that ancient. That was huge. There were many myths surrounding the day Fate arrived. Some tales had even given birth to early forms of religion before Fate was adequately understood.

All this time, the elves had had recordings of it yet told no one!

She continued, "Contrary to what's taught, the seven sapient races weren't already extinct in the Fated Day, not completely. Back then, every individual with military or social power comparable to a king received a prophecy, no matter their race. Every race was internally much more united than you can imagine, and the three races that disregarded or misinterpreted the prophecy soon went extinct. Due to their nature, the beast people were divided into believers of the right thing, those who believed the wrong thing, and disbelievers, so they only partially survived."

Arthur frowned. "Prophecies again."

Tamara smiled awkwardly. "Yes, master, but I speak of prophecy unlike any an awakener can receive. Fate talked directly into people's minds using their own voice and language. Most thought they were going crazy."

"What did it say?"

"Fate said, and I quote, 'You stand at the precipice of eternal forgetfulness. Without assistance, your destiny is to perish. Henceforth, you're assisted; hereafter, your Fate is in your hands. Venture into the maws of your enemies and pilfer their power from their corrupt viscera. Your Fate shall be purified and protected, but your enemy shall still grow through blood and magic. Heed this warning, and the Day of Reckoning shall be delayed. Survive until the time of the Threefold Calamity, and hope your world wins. One way or another, that's the day that Fate ends.'"

Arthur didn't have to be a genius to interpret it. "Fate claimed we would all die without its help. We steal power by killing monsters, thus receiving awakening stones, extending stones, skill crystals, and level-ups. Those who misinterpreted it likely thought they should mingle with monsters and didn't live to tell the tale. The stolen power should corrupt us, but Fate protects us, only not entirely; dungeons grow stronger while awakeners are inside. One day, there will be a final battle, and..." He slowed down. "And Fate will stop helping us forever?" He took a deep breath. "And it's all connected to a Threefold Calamity," he whispered. "To me."

Entropomancers didn't receive predictions with words like those first people had. Instead, seers used their time magic to glimpse the future through visions and impressions, which they then interpreted and wrote down. Sometimes, their magic activated by itself, and they got a prophecy without seeking it, but even then, it worked the same way as with their skills. According to Charlotte's letter, that happened when Arthur was born.

Charlotte had revealed that the prophecy about him predicted he would either start or prevent a calamity. The exact word was a coincidence because it had been interpreted, but the meaning was too similar to be disregarded.

"Yes, master. I suspected the First Prophecy was related when you shared the content of Lady Graham's letter with me. However, I only became sure in the forest. There, you consumed the Ulion Themyr Qÿllil and became a Dan Pharyl Sha'vatör."

Arthur took a moment to understand the meaning of what she said.

Ulion Themyr Qÿllil was a very complex set of words in High Elvish. It roughly translated as "the ultimate secrets of the wheel of life and death hidden in the heart of nature." It was the enlightenment hidden in the forest.

Dan Pharyl Sha'vatör was even harder to make sense of. Dan was easy; it meant candidate. But the other words were much more complex—and uncannily fitting with what Charlotte had unveiled about the prophecy about him.

According to Tamara, by consuming the forest's secrets, Arthur had become the Fated Savior Candidate or the Fate Ender Candidate.

"Where do these titles come from?" he demanded.

The maid took a deep breath. "In the Fated Day, every elf was just that, an elf. Fate didn't recognize high elves as a different race."

She made a fitting pause for Arthur to absorb the shocking news. Yet, he needed to know more before letting his mind go wild with the implications.

He nodded, and she continued, "You have heard of the Last Whisperer before. I introduced him as the mastermind behind Lan'sh Qÿllil. That wasn't a lie, but he was so much more than that. He was the greatest seer to ever live, elf or otherwise. His divinations were more comprehensive and precise than any other. Much of the elven race's success is thanks to us following his recommendations. One day, he looked too far into the future and glimpsed something related to the Threefold Calamity. That day, every elf lost the ability to use time magic as if we had all experienced Fate's End through his vision."

Tamara made a longer pause this time, for good reason.

Divination was merely looking into the future with time magic. Yet, a spell or skill had backfired so much that elves could no longer be entropomancers? That was mindblowing.

Also, Arthur had never heard anything about elves not using time magic. They were hiding their cards well.

The maid resumed her tale moments later, "The Last Whisperer never shared the details of what he saw, but he revealed a few things to some, who later formed a group called the Keepers of Whispers. I'm part of it, which is why I know so much. He told the founders there was a negligible chance that one of his descendants would one day be involved in the Threefold Calamity. This improbable descendant had a tiny chance of, one day, requiring insights into life and death to escape a trap that might push them into a dark path—one of many pitfalls they would face.

"The Last Whisperer decided to do his best to ensure things went well if that future came to pass. He studied enchanting and the life and death elements. He developed the Lan'sh Qÿllil, the Elevation of Nature, just for that descendant; it was always meant to be consumed by someone like you. And any descendant of his who consumed the secrets within, the Ulion Themyr Qÿllil, should be considered a Dan Pharyl Sha'vatör. To ensure no random elf could pass as his descendant, he took in numerous wives, sired countless children, and bioengineered them into becoming a race Fate recognized as a different bloodline from the average elf. He developed an entire culture for high elves and paid a lot to heal the genetic defects caused by inbreeding at the beginning."

If Arthur had been shocked before, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. That was barbaric. No, that wasn't enough of a describer. It was monstrous.

How could someone have so much power and influence to do something like that?!

"High elves were created to be outstanding fighters with long memories. Their minds understand combat better than any other so that if their destined descendant must fight, they will be good at it. It's a trait the Last Whisperer found crucial for reasons only he was privy to. You were trained well, master, but part of your excellence comes from your high elven heritage.

"High elves are a race with a rigid culture and clear purpose: birth the one foretold to be involved in the events that will decide the world's Fate. Even their arrogance is in place and purposefully cultivated to ensure they don't let their culture and beliefs dwindle. They like to pretend they are better than elves in everything, but it's their superior innate battle ability that made them rise above common elves.

"When we entered the dungeon, two other Dan Pharyl Sha'vatör had drank from the Ulion Themyr Qÿllil throughout history. Both also had other prophecies surrounding them, like you do. We now know they weren't meant to be.

"But they were treated as the Pharyl Sha'vatör, not just a candidate. So will you, master, should you accept it when the Keepers come to invite you. You will be tested, and after a ritual, all high elves will be yours to command. If you refuse, you'll be left alone. The goal is to assist you as you see fit, if you see fit, not make decisions for you or control you."

That helped explain why Tamara was so rigid despite being only an elf, not a high elf. It hadn't been just because of her royal maid position. She was preserving high elven culture and beliefs—and ensuring Arthur would be ready to interact with high elves if it ever came to it.

The prince asked, "I take it's no coincidence a Keeper of Whisper like you are serving me?"

She at least had the decency to blush in shame. "I'm not a spy if that's what you're thinking, master. I have no obligations to the Keepers beyond what I'm doing right now, informing you that you have a choice to make. We're a group of elves and high elves who ensure everyone with high elven blood in the world is accounted for. We are always watching for the signs and ready to reveal the truth to a candidate when the time comes. I was offered as the next battle maid when your human grandfather married your high-elven grandmother. Your grandfather knew I was watching your father but never the full truth. Your father was informed by your grandfather. I would inform you of a redacted version when you got Lady Brimstone pregnant. If you choose to see my actions as a betrayal and execute me, I will accept the punishment. It's your right, master."

There was no regret in her, only resolution. She had been prepared for this day her whole life.

Arthur's mind was consumed by possibilities and implications.

That a bloodline could be engineered already filled him with ideas and theories he would like to research to improve his understanding of life. That an awakener who had lost his time magic could study enchantments, life, and death enough to develop the Lan'sh Qÿllil increased his desire to study magitech. Still, he didn't let it distract him from what mattered here.

Arthur started hating prophecies more than ever as he realized his father's actions might've been part of a self-fulfilling prophecy. The prince wouldn't be able to consume the insights in the forest and become a candidate if his father hadn't done what he did as a reaction to the divinations he got. And his father wouldn't have bought divinations without the prophecy people got when Arthur was born.

The prince now had evidence that Fate wasn't as silent and non-meddling as he had once believed. It wasn't just a cold, uncaring observer. He suspected that people like him might be crafted to be at the right place at the right time...

...or maybe he had just been affected by Graham's rekindled grief and hatred for Fate.

Whatever the case, Arthur was destined for something big. That was unquestionable. Yet, while he despised prophecies, he didn't care much about the role he had to play.

He was already going to destroy the dungeon that was breaking the world. That was momentous enough. Whatever else he did on top of that was only expected of an ascender like him.

And, Fate, that sounded arrogant; there was no denying his high elven blood.

He said, "I suppose the new Elven Command will belong to the Keepers of Whispers?"

"At least one Commander should be a Keeper, master."

Arthur nodded. "I see." He sighed. He knew what he had to say and do. He didn't want to, but there was no delaying the inevitable. "Tamara, everything you taught me tells me I should not believe a single word from your mouth. Not from the moment you admitted to following an agenda, even after calling me master. I regret to inform you that you trained me well. I don't trust you."

The words hurt her, but she accepted it. She knew of her transgressions. She had always expected these words if he was revealed to be a Dan Pharyl Sha'vatör.

The prince continued, "If you're telling the truth, a previous House Head allowed you to hide your identity from it. It's similar to the issue we had in the dungeon when you acted on my father's orders, but not quite." Speaking of which, after some time, he ended up forgiving her for that. She had just been following orders, as she should. "The moment I became the House Head and your master, you should have told me the truth, despite whatever other agreements you had with previous House Heads. You didn't. And you didn't just hide personal secrets from me. You hid that you work for a group and observed me with a hidden goal. That is a betrayal, Tamara. You betrayed me. You."

Arthur closed his eyes in emotional pain. Even speaking those words left him feeling drained. For all his supposed wisdom, he hadn't seen that coming.

Sophie touched his leg, and he opened his eyes. He was driving. He could feel every car nearby, but she didn't know that.

The prince firmed his resolve. "I cannot trust you. You claim not to serve another master, but who's to say that's not a lie? You already betrayed me. In fact, what you taught me tells me I should execute you."

Arthur felt like he was talking in circles. That's how much the reveal shocked him.

How much it hurt him.

Tamara nodded gravely. She was feeling bad but understood his words, maybe even better than Arthur. She was a big advocate for propriety, after all.

He wasn't done. "Yet, for all my father did to the world, he seems to have cared a lot about me—and he told me to trust you. That makes me wonder: why didn't he tell me about your secret identity in his letters or the documents he left me? I can only assume he never felt it was a threat. More importantly, you served me well. You faced ten years of isolation and the loss of hundreds of years with me. I can't fault you for anything except this betrayal.

"That's not enough to let me forgive you. I can't. This is too significant. But I want to forgive you. I really do. And there's a way for you to restore my trust in you and show penitence.

"I give you two options, Tamara. One, make a soul vow never to lie or hide anything from me on purpose ever again. Two, let me alter your memories of me and Sophie, then be expelled from my service."

Arthur didn't like the decision he had come to. He was forcing her to pick from two terrible alternatives. But it was necessary.

His lie-detecting techniques were enough for most cases but not for her. She had taught him most of what he knew about it. What if she had only taught him methods she knew how to bypass? Not even his life domain gave him an advantage over her any longer. She should suspect he had mystical sensory abilities after he used magic on her without an intent string.

Maybe she had never directly lied to him. Perhaps he could see through her. There was no way to be sure except through a soul vow.

Tamara nodded. "Thank you for your lenience, master. I'm more than willing to make a soul vow. I must remind you that it would prevent me from some actions I'm expected to take as your battle maid, but I can train someone else of your trust."

Tamara hadn't made any soul vow precisely because she might need to perform some unsavory duties as a battle maid. For instance, she had spied on Graham's letter in the dungeon. She hadn't done it on the king's direct orders, only out of personal suspicion and her understanding of what she should do in her position. If something went wrong, she could end herself, and any investigation would be less likely to point back at the ignorant king. Even if her spy-like identity were revealed, the king would be only partially at fault, not as much as if he had issued a direct command.

Arthur had never cared much for that part of her functions but understood he would do whatever was necessary to protect his family. It was the dark side of every House, yet still accepted as long as one didn't use it aggressively. There was a difference between using spies or even assassins for protection in crucial moments versus using them to advance any other goal.

The prince could do without that part of Tamara's functions for a time. Also, she was powerful enough that she should be able to do whatever she wanted without getting caught in this weakened world. Even if she weren't, he could deal with the fallback.

He nodded gratefully. That was a big decision. The speed with which she agreed evidenced her good intentions.

Arthur said, "The vow must be carefully worded. It should centered around my expectations first. You knew me well, and you must share anything you believe I would want to know. But it must also consider the circumstances. What if I'm in a crucial private meeting, and you rush to inform me of something unrelated, thus offending the other party? Of course, a time limit must exist, even if it might cause issues. The importance of information and time limit must be based on a general information urgency tier list."

Tamara nodded, and they discussed it for a while before ending with the final wording. It also accounted for the possibility of her needing to lie to him in some settings and other circumstances.

"I swear to Fate that I shall never lie to Arthur Willoughby Naerith-Tracey Boria III when we're alone with reasonable expectations of privacy—not unless he orders me otherwise. When not alone or not in a private setting, I can lie to him only if I wholeheartedly believe he would want me to. Even if I so believe, I'll not lie to him if he commands it of me. Any order to lie or not will be effective for precisely one second unless he also states another time limit, which can be no longer than ten minutes at a time. If he mentions a more extended period, it will be capped at ten minutes. Any other constraint will be ignored, like sincerely answering a set number of questions.

"I shall also never hide anything I believe he would like me to reveal to him when we're alone with reasonable expectations of privacy—not unless he orders me otherwise. I'll share such things with him as soon as possible..."

She kept talking for a while. The soul vow was long and filled with conditions and details. The goal was for Tamara to reveal everything Arthur might consider even slightly interesting unless there was good reason not to. Even if there were such a reason, she would still do her best to inform him as soon as possible, up to a time limit.

When she finished talking, mana left her body, surrounded the car, and then entered her soul, where it set.

She was now bound to it.

Graham and Sophie looked curiously at Arthur and Tamara but said nothing.

Tamara immediately stated, "Master, you're too soft on Lady Brimstone. She means it when she asks for more during your intimate moments. She's an awakener; she can take it. Fulfill her sexual needs, or she'll find someone who does."

The issue with the vow was that there was no way to keep Tamara's personal opinions from it without risking giving her a loophole to exploit. She had to share even the views she would rather discuss in a different setting, like during their mental health sessions—if at all. Some things weren't meant to be said.

Arthur frowned. The subject of betrayal was still fresh, and he would rather have avoided it. "Sophie won't cheat on me," he declared. He felt her love and devotion. She had never looked at other people with interest.

"Maybe not today, master. But you two have a long life ahead of yourselves. You don't have to enjoy everything she does or vice-versa." She used a modern expression based on an old human language he had never learned. "But you have to apply yourself when you agree to do something. As Lady Brimstone would say, try harder."

The prince sighed. "I regret your vow already. And I thought servants were supposed to deafen themselves to their masters' bedroom."

"Not if the servant is a battle maid worrying that something might go wrong, master. Lady Brimstone is half-vampire, and with all due respect, you're a love-struck fool. I must be ready to interfere if she tries something, and you refuse to stop her."

Arthur frowned again. "You couldn't stop me if something went wrong."

"Killing me might be enough of a wake-up call, master."

That answer was as absurd as its straightforward delivery. The prince would never kill Tamara. He would just make her unconscious.

Yet, he couldn't deny that he might act that stupidly with Sophie. The worry was reasonable, and the method might work. Just being interrupted might make Arthur or Sophie think better instead of doing something stupid.

"I'll let Sophie know," he said. "We'll see how she feels about it."

Arthur had grown much less embarrassed about sex after doing it so many times for Sophie—and sometimes being very loud while at it. He knew Graham and Tamara had to listen to some parts and had already gotten to terms with it.

Still, knowing Tamara was hearing everything was something else.

It was also not something that he wanted to discuss now. He had more important things to worry about. Well, not as important as him making Sophie so sexually frustrated that she might consider finding a better partner. It seemed he couldn't make up for some of his shortcomings with magic, as he had been doing.

Anyway, some matters took precedence at this exact moment.

"Have you lied to me ever since we left the dungeon?" he asked.

"No, master."

"Then prioritize telling me the interesting things you hid that are related to the League, the dungeon, the elves, Sophie, Graham, my family, or the world's state of affairs. In that order. Also, the more urgent information should come first."

He was curious about the Lan'sh Qÿllil and the Keepers of Whispers, but the former would just give him research ideas, while the latter would only be relevant in the meeting the following day. He found it better to check if there was anything that might be important to know on his very next stop.

Tamara nodded. "Your will is my command, master.

"The League. I think you're being too harsh on them. You're holding them to your standards, but you were trained to become the best king ever born. You're hiding your level on purpose to see how they'll react to someone they believe to be only slightly stronger than them, like Grand Knight Graham. From my point of view, it shows a streak of sadism. Stop making them guess how they should react to you. Even if they bow out of fear instead of respect for your ethics and morals, you're level 100 and will outlive most of them. It's better to teach morality to the next generation.

"The dungeon. I still can't fully believe you didn't destroy the level 95 dungeon when you reached level 100. I blame it on me and Grand Knight Graham. I emphasized honor too much to you out of a desire to cleanse myself of some of my past actions. Grand Knight Graham was too worried about not appearing rebellious, so he was too shallow on some topics that might've set you against your father. You should never have left the decision of whether to destroy the dungeon to your king. A king that let a dungeon reach level 95, even if apparently under control, is not fit to make decisions about it. You should've known that and acted accordingly.

"The elves. You should accept the Keepers' test, even if only to demand they train you and Lady Brimstone in everything they can. Lady Brimstone, especially, can learn a lot even if she never levels up again.

"Speaking of which, Lady Brimstone. You don't seem to understand how lucky you are to have what you have with her. I've never seen such love, such... surrender. If you cared to look, you would notice she rarely asks for anything that would only benefit her. When she does, you should do everything possible to make it the best experience possible for her. She deserves it.

"Grand Knight Graham. He'll betray you if Lady Brimstone ever asks it of him. She looks too much like the late Lady Graham. Grand Knight Graham sees Lady Brimstone as the daughter he never had, even if he refuses to acknowledge it or do anything about it. Keep her away from her as much as possible."

Well, Tamara certainly knew what he would find interesting. The vow worked. But that was a lot.

Arthur sighed and went through every revelation. And then some, as the maid kept talking. Tamara had a lot more opinions and impressions on matters than he could've imagined. Behind her mostly stoic maid face was a woman with a surprisingly strong personality and sometimes very improper views.

Ever since leaving the dungeon, the prince had become more and more enlightened to the miserable truth that the world and its people were imperfect. He could do something about some stuff but not change everything. Sometimes, there was no correct answer; he could only do what he believed was right according to his morals.

So, while Tamara's betrayal had hurt, it wasn't as bad as when he found out about her being a battle maid in the dungeon. Likewise, finding Graham would betray him if Sophie asked was just... regrettable.

Should he banish Graham for the possibility? No. Instead, he would use the knowledge for good. If it ever came to a point where Sophie had to be protected while the prince was away, Graham would be the perfect man to do it. Until then, he would do as Tamara suggested and keep the two apart.

Arthur felt a little dirty for thinking like that, but that was just how things were. He had to accept some things and just deal with them as they were. So had everyone else, including Graham.

Tamara was also right about Sophie. His suitress deserved better.

Arthur swore to himself that he would give her the night of her life when they reached the Institute.

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"Increase the orb's range," Arthur said a couple of hours later, once Tamara was done talking. She complied, and the soundproof magic surrounded all four people. He informed Sophie and Graham, "The forest was supposed to enlighten someone with knowledge of certain elements. I wasn't expecting it. During enlightenment, I lost control and pursued knowledge without any filters. I'm sorry I forced your stats to increase. And thank you for letting me do it when you thought continued refusal would harm me."

Sophie's tense face relaxed a little as she chuckled. "You don't need to thank me for making me stronger, Archie."

"No, I do. The means matter as much as the ends. We're talking about your bodies, your stats. You should decide, not me, especially not when I'm using you as test subjects. I messed up. Badly."

Even as king, he would've had no authority to force people to go through what he had done to the three.

"Archie, I'm yours. And you're mine. What was it that Maid Lauquenbur said about marriage? No-no-go-go. 'Respect a no, and unconscious is a no-go, otherwise presume you can go.'"

Arthur smiled and replied, "And, 'you can always wake your lover to make love.'" Tamara claimed to have added that part because some young couples seemed to forget it. "But this is different. It's about your stats."

"Archie, let me repeat: I'm yours. Wholly. Entirely. In the dungeon, you almost killed Maid Lauquenbur and Grand Knight Graham, but you stopped for me. You'll never injure me, even unconscious. I trust you."

That was actually a good argument. "I see. Thank you, Soph."

On the other hand, that argument made his actions toward Tamara and Graham worse. He had injured them before when he lost it. What if this had been the same?

"Lady Brimstone," Tamara said, "I'll share a few details with you later. That said, master, I'm also yours. I'm part of the elves who'll follow you if you let them. Use me however you see fit. I'm yours to command to further whatever goal you might have."

That was a disconcerting part of Tamara's report on the Keepers. They and all the high elves didn't much care about what role Arthur would play in the Threefold Calamity. They just wanted to be on the winning side and were willing to do whatever it took to obtain that victory.

Really, it made the prince almost scared about the "Three" in the Threefold Calamity. The League had three Fated Races, though they ignored the beast people, and the world was on the brink of war. The link was evident.

Arthur also wasn't blind to the fact that he had three followers, though that connection seemed flimsy, to say the least.

Sophie became uncomfortable with Tamara's declaration but didn't let it show. Instead, she made a joke. "Maid Lauquenbur! Stop stealing my lines!"

"My apologies, Lady Brimstone."

Only Graham was left. Arthur didn't say anything more. The grand knight could decide whether to forgive his liege by himself. In fact, the prince's actions were grounds for Graham to ask to be released from service.

In the end, the man only said, "Sir, you changed my Fate. I was ready to die. I wanted to die. You had the right to forbid me from seeking rest; I'm your sworn grand knight for life. But you couldn't have done it the way you did. Not there, in that city. Not now. I'm not ready to decide what to do about it. I ask for the right of dutiful defiance."

The right of dutiful defiance was exactly what its name implied. Graham would fulfill his duties to protect Arthur, but the prince shouldn't expect anything more than that. Not only that, Arthur should think twice before even asking for anything.

That right was very rarely invoked or provided. It was meant for situations where the liege messed up badly, and the sworn warrior couldn't immediately decide what to do about it.

"Very well," Arthur acceded. "You have one week." That was the limit allowed by Golden Kingdom law, which Arthur still followed. "Now, Soph, if you level up, don't use your stat points unless I'm nearby. I changed your vitality, and you're half-vampire. What if that interferes with your stat distribution in some weird way? I want to be close to help if something goes wrong."

She nodded. "Alright."

There wasn't much more conversation after that. The air felt heavy, and they were still alert and ready to fight.

At around midnight, they finally reached the Institute.

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