Memoirs 186 - Ducal discussions (Patreon)

Scarlett observed Dame Leandra as the knight circled the armchair she’d been standing guard behind and settled into the seat where the crown prince had previously sat. She placed her sword’s sheath against the chair with a casual yet unmistakably focused movement, and her brilliant white armor allowed a surprising range of movement while producing barely any noise.

The woman rested her helmet on the table between them, crowned by a miniature golden dragon. She met Scarlett’s gaze briefly before glancing back at the door. “You and Dame Iyana seemed to know each other. Are you acquainted from before?”

Scarlett arched an eyebrow. They were starting with that? “I met her during the Tyndall Ball in Windgrove. We had the opportunity to become familiar with each other at that time, though I will not claim to be especially close to her.”

A hint of surprise flickered across the knight’s expression. “Dame Iyana attracts plenty of attention as a Royal Guard member. Can’t say I’ve ever seen her bother to greet them like that while on duty, though. Seems you’ve left an impression.”

“Perhaps. In my opinion, she left a greater impression, but perhaps that is to be expected from one of the empire’s most skilled swordswomen.”

Dame Leandra returned her focus to Scarlett, studying her with keen eyes for a few seconds. “If you say so.”

“Shall we proceed to the matter at hand?” Scarlett asked.

The knight’s demeanor shifted slightly, growing more serious as she nodded. “His Highness has already briefed you on the critical details. Her Highness Princess Regina is missing, and I have been entrusted with overseeing the efforts to find her. I need the location of these ruins you spoke of, so that I can determine whether Her Highness has been there or not.”

“And if she has?” Scarlett folded her hands in her lap. “What do you intend to do from there? As I mentioned, it is unlikely that Her Highness still remains there, so ascertaining her presence there will not necessarily aid your efforts.”

“It is the best lead we have. Whether it’s likely to yield results or not is secondary. From what I’ve heard, Zuverian ruins often harbor undead and other dangers, so if the princess has been to that location, there will be traces of that.”

“…Do you believe the princess would have been capable of overcoming such obstacles alone?”

“I don’t know. If she tried and got hurt, that’s even more reason for me to reach the ruins quickly.”

“And what if she was not alone?”

The knight simply met her gaze, her expression calm.

“If the Princess was accompanied by someone else, you would presumably be able to glean some information about their identity from the traces they left behind,” Scarlett said.

“Probably.”

They eyed each other for a while.

Scarlett really wanted to request being kept up to date with the woman’s investigation, despite knowing it would likely be denied. Nevertheless, she couldn’t simply let this situation slip from her grasp. The princess’ disappearance marked the first player-related event from the game that she had observed, which she herself wasn’t immediately involved in.

She had to know what that meant.

“You mentioned that Her Highness vanished after visiting an acquaintance in Kilsfell, correct?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Might I inquire as to who this acquaintance was?”

“You can, but I’m not telling you.”

“It would be pertinent for me to know if the person was someone who has ties to Zuverian research or who could be connected to her disappearance.”

“They were not.” Dame Leandra’s response was firm.

Scarlett drew her lips together. “Very well. But could you at the very least enlighten me about the circumstances surrounding her escape? Since you regularly escort the princess, it stands to reason that you would be aware if she had contact with anyone who might aid her in such an endeavour, or why she chose this moment to act.”

“There were no signs of any of that,” the knight said.

“None?”

“None at all.”

Scarlett furrowed her brows.

In the game, the player’s first encounter with the princess could happen in various locations, but almost every instance involved the young woman assuming the role of a disguised merchant or rich commoner seeking assistance with some minor request or other. In her duties within the Imperial Family, she frequently traveled around the empire. Scarlett was familiar enough with her backstory to know that the woman often seized any opportunity she could to engage in her own personal activities during those outings.

But even in the game, Leandra had almost always been present in some capacity as an escort for the undercover princess. The knight should be aware if Princess Regina encountered any particularly notable individuals who she formed connections with.

So, was Leandra lying, or was there really nothing of the sort?

The frustrating thing was that Scarlett couldn’t exactly question the woman about these matters without risking arousing suspicion about where she had learned of them.

“How did she disappear?” she asked. “You are renowned for your swiftness and remarkable perception, Dame Leandra. I find it difficult to believe that you would not notice if someone entered Her Highness’ chambers or if she herself left them.”

A hint of irritation surfaced on the knight’s features as her forehead subtly creased. “I don’t know.”

“Truly? Then could she have employed an artifact of some kind?”

“It’s a possibility, but none that I’m aware of.”

Scarlett’s brows furrowed even further. Exactly how the princess made her escape in the game wasn’t explored much, so she didn’t know the details there. She felt like if the woman had possessed an ability or artifact that would let her elude Leandra’s watchful gaze so effortlessly, it would have come up at some point.

Several aspects of this whole situation were strange, but what was the reason behind it all?

A knock sounded from the door, and a pair of servants entered, carrying an assortment of maps and papers in their arms that they placed on the table between Scarlett and Dame Leandra before exiting. The knight glance at Scarlett before selecting several maps and laying them out. “Let’s not waste time. You seem busy enough, and I have to find the princess. Show me where I might find those ruins you talked about.”

Scarlett watched the woman for a moment longer before leaning forward in her seat and picking up one of the writing implements that had been provided, studying the map. It seemed she wouldn’t be getting an answer to this mystery anytime soon, but she would have to keep her ears peeled.

Scarlett spent some time with Dame Leandra, discussing the locations to search for the Zuverian ruins and the steps she might have to perform to unlock the entrance. Scarlett had to sprinkle in some lies and half-truths to make it seem like her research had actually informed her of this, but the knight didn’t question her beyond commenting on her surprise at Scarlett’s level of insight. She even mentioned that Princess Regina had expressed interest in Scarlett’s exploits more than once recently, and that the young woman seemed to respect her expertise.

Inside, Scarlett couldn’t help but cringe slightly at that, even though it felt gratifying to know that a member of the imperial family held her in such regard. She just wished it could have been anyone else.

Once their discussion concluded, Leandra left to start preparing for the search, leaving Scarlett waiting in the parlour as one of the servants delivered some refreshments for her.

Eventually, Duke Valentino returned from whatever business he’d been on and sat down in the armchair opposite her. “It appears your conversation with Dame Leandra has concluded. I presume it went well.”

“About as well as one might expect, considering the circumstances,” Scarlett replied. “I regret my limited ability to aid in the search for Her Highness, but I hope the information I did provide will prove helpful.”

“Time will tell.” The duke shifted his rather large frame in his seat, resting one hand on his cane as a small scowl appeared on his face as he moved his injured leg. “I have done my part to assist His Highness in the matter, and that is that. What I want to discuss with you, however, is entirely unrelated.”

“I suspected as much,” Scarlett said, eyeing him. “Although I have yet to surmise what it could be about.”

The man finally settled into his seat, his gaze fixed on Scarlett. “I don’t want to waste either of our time, Baroness. So I will be frank. Your name has been circulated in numerous contexts lately, far more than any other minor noble in the empire, and much of it has not been favorable. Nevertheless, there is a recent event in which you were involved that has captured my attention, and that is what I would like to discuss today.”

“And what might that be?”

“News has spread of a deceased dragon appearing at your estate in Freybrook.”

“…Is that so?” Scarlett watched him closely. “I was not the one who defeated it, in case you are under that impression.”

“I did not even entertain that notion for a minute,” the man said with a huff. “But from your response, I gather the rumors are true, though presumably heavily embellished as all tales related to dragons tend to be. Could you provide a detailed account of what occurred?”

“Is there a reason I should, Your Grace? While I do not mean to be impolite, these matters concern my household alone. I fail to see their relevance to you or your lands.”

His slightly plump forehead knitted together in a frown. “You forget your place, Baroness Hartford. Then again, such behaviour is hardly surprising from you.” While he seemed irritated by her reluctance to elaborate, he didn’t say anything beyond that for a minute, maintaining the silence as he ran his thumb over the top of his cane. Eventually, he spoke again. “I ask because I have been facing issues related to a dragon within my fief.”

“I was not aware of this.”

Scarlett felt like she would have heard if there were any major dragon issues occurring in the empire right now. The Empyreal Chronicle had covered some minor dragon run-ins in the Steepmond area a couple of months back—which had been an event in the game as well—and Leon had supposedly dealt with a dragon near Chillburg last year, but that was all.

That said, it wasn’t as if she wasn’t aware of some dragon-related quests in this region from the game. If he was referring to what she thought…

“That is because I have not publicized the matter,” the man said. “The dragon rarely shows itself, remaining hidden like the foul lizard it is. Neither the Shields Guild nor any of the knight orders can act without knowledge of its whereabouts. One of the few instances it was sighted was when it ambushed me and my son, causing me this injury and confining my son to bed.” Venom laced his words as he gestured to his leg with his cane and shook his head. “My son still has not fully recovered, and Ittar knows how much longer it will take until he does. You may have heard rumors of his absence, but I’ve chosen to keep the news under wraps, and I expect you to do the same.”

“I have no reason to do otherwise,” Scarlett replied. She recalled Evelyne once mentioning that Duke Valentino’s son hadn’t been seen for some time and was believed to be ill, but she had never paid much attention to it herself. That they had been attacked by a dragon, though, was a surprise. “So, the reason you wished to speak with me is that you suspect a link between the dragon at my estate and the one that attacked you and your son? Or because you believe I might possess knowledge about dragons that could be of worth to you?”

“The latter,” the duke spoke in a grim voice. “That dragon is a plague upon my lands. Each day that it still breathes is another day for it to inflict harm, just as it did to my son and me. I intend to end its wretched existence before it can do so.”

“As I mentioned, I did not slay the dragon in Freybrook. I will not be able to assist in dispatching this dragon, either.”

“I am not expecting you to do so personally. I have my own people for that task. What I seek from you is simply the information on how you located and captured that dragon, and whether the method is replicable. If it is, I am prepared to offer substantial compensation.”

Scarlett stayed quiet for a while as she regarded the man.

When she received his invitation earlier this morning, various thoughts had crossed her mind regarding his reasons for wanting to see her. She had also considered what she might gain from him if a scenario occurred where she could ask things from the man. One potential course she had considered was if she could get his help in removing one of the dangers currently threatening Rosa in the bard’s current endeavour. If Scarlett shared the right information with the duke, telling him what she knew about Crowcairn, he was almost certain to take action.

However, ultimately, she had decided against doing that. Not only was the outcome not guaranteed to end up as she wanted, it would be needlessly cruel in more ways than one. While Scarlett wasn’t sure if she would truly regret the consequences that choice would have brought, she was confident Rosa would thank her for it if she learned of her involvement.

Yet, the duke’s request just now offered a new avenue for her. One she hadn’t even considered as an option before. It wouldn’t eliminate the same threat in Rosa’s path, but it would remove another equally—if not more—dangerous obstacle for the bard.

It was the perfect way for Scarlett to intervene without necessarily violating her pact with Anguish. She had already been aware of the ‘dragon’ in this area, but she would never have tried going after it herself. It was simply too dangerous, and without an unrelated motive for pursuing it, she was pretty sure it would have been challenging to do so under the pact.

“I might possess a means to locate the dragon for you,” she eventually said.

The duke looked at her. “How?”

“While I cannot divulge the exact method, I can offer you the assistance you require. In exchange, I want the dragon’s remains.”

His eyes narrowed, and he let out a scoff. “You already possess the body of one dragon, do you not? You know how valuable it is, yet you ask for that much simply in return for helping me locate it?”

“I am, yes.” It was precisely because she was aware of the value of a dragon’s body that she was making this request. From the estimations Warley Godwin had given her, the Ashenwraith Dragon that Empress had slain and left at her doorstep would have been worth several million solars if all of its parts—core included—were harvested and sold off.

Scarlett had chosen to keep some of those materials for herself, and it would take time to sell the rest, but her barony was still poised to have over one million solars entering its coffers in the coming months. This was a sum that almost rivaled what she had earned from all her other activities since arriving in this world, and a truly obscene amount to most minor nobles.

“That’s preposterous,” the duke said.

“You wish to eliminate the dragon, do you not? For the time being, it would seem you are incapable of accomplishing that without my assistance. If you are so dedicated to this endeavour, what does the cost matter?”

“I acknowledge the value of the ‘assistance’ you claim to offer, and that I am the one requesting your help. Nonetheless, your demand, Baroness, is excessive. I am not so blinded by my desire for revenge that I have lost all my acumen. While I am prepared to compensate you generously if you can reliably locate the dragon, that requires your demand to be reasonable.”

Scarlett suppressed the smile that wanted to surface on her lips. It would have been great if he had been that blinded by revenge, but she supposed she couldn’t always be that lucky. Her asking for that much had been more of a shot in the dark than anything, while also serving the purpose of helping her negotiate for what she truly wanted.

“In that case, I will only ask for one part of the dragon. However, the specific part must be of my choosing.”

The duke’s scowl deepened. “Then you will simply ask for the most prized part.”

“I will,” she said. “To be precise, I will request the part that holds the most value for me in my current circumstances.”

“Which are?”

“None of your concern.”

That made the man’s scowl even worse, but he remained silent for several moments before eventually nodding slowly. “Very well.”

This time, Scarlett allowed the small smile to appear on her face. “I am glad that you see reason, Your Grace. Then, shall we discuss the strategy for how we will slay this dragon?”