Ch. 39 – Ethdellin (II) (Patreon)

Felix returned his attention to the situation at hand. Melanie led them into the hotel. It was a luxurious building with soft, velvety chairs and couches, a full bar and restaurant, and an ornate black marble desk at the far end of the entryway.

“You lead,” Melanie said, pulling her cloak as far forward as it could. “We have to keep my identity secret until I talk to some of the nobles.”

Felix walked forward to the counter and was greeted promptly by a mustachioed man with impeccable, shoulder-length hair and a finely tailored suit. “May I help you?” His voice was filled with pomp.

“I’m the Versewalker. I’m looking to get a room for myself and my companions.”

The man nodded, “Very good, sir. One night will be one hundred coins.”

That’s steep, Felix thought as he pulled out 300 VC and put it on the desk. “I assume that includes food and drink?”

The man nodded as he picked the coins up before neatly depositing them into a lockbox behind the counter, “That is correct. I will have an attendant show you to your room.” He snapped his fingers, and a young girl dressed in immaculate, Victorian-esque clothing. She curtsied and waved for the trio to follow her.

They went down a corridor. “One hundred coins only buys a first-floor room?” Tinuriel asked.

Melanie nodded, “Ethdellin is where only the richest or most privileged live. I’d wager the highest floor costs one thousand coins a night.”

They got to the room and the girl handed Felix the keys to the room, bowing before leaving them. The room was luxurious to the point of being ostentatious. More of a suite than a single hotel room. Black granite furniture flecked with gold inlay and white marble floors were in the entryway, alongside several couches. The doors on the sides opened to two bedrooms with adjoining bathrooms. Felix had seen shows where people stayed at luxury casinos in Las Vegas, and being here made him feel like he was living the high-roller life. He sat down on the bed and sank into the soft cushions and mattress.

Tinuriel sat down with him and looked to Melanie, “How long would you guess it will be until we have these nobles come calling?”

“Not long. Word of a Versewalker being in the Eternal City will spread quickly. Maybe two hours?” She went to the opposite bedroom, “I’m going to prepare myself for presentation. I’d advise you to ensure that you two are as presentable as possible. When you’ve made introductions to the various visiting nobles, I’ll come out, and we can present your evidence and my proof of claim.” She shut the door behind her.

Tinuriel laid back and rolled over to look at Felix, “We have two hours. I don’t need long to get ready.” She narrowed her eyes as a grin spread across her face. “Strip.”

Felix and Tinuriel made themselves presentable in their armor and equipment a few hours later. They sat on the couches in the main entryway, having poured themselves some drinks from a small bar, and a knock sounded at the door. Tinuriel got up and answered it before letting a middle-aged woman in a colorful outfit inside. She was also dressed in a pseudo-Victorian fashion and curtsied as Felix stood up. He bowed gently.

“You must be the Versewalker that I’ve heard so much about!” Her voice was perky and filled with a bubbly vibrance. “Ah, but where are my manners! I am Brianne Nevrenaux II.” She held out her hand, and Felix had seen enough media that he knew the proper manner was to take her offered hand and kiss it. So, he did. She giggled and sat down, “And well-mannered! I thought you’d be more unrefined given your travels.”

Tinuriel sat next to Felix and put her arm around his shoulders, “He is refined.”

Felix chuckled, “To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Miss Nevrenaux?” He struggled with sounding out the word; it was vaguely French-sounding, and he winced internally as the word left his mouth.

She giggled again, holding up a small fan to hide her face, “It’s all right. My name is difficult to pronounce. Please, just call me Brianne.” She lowered the fan, “Pour me a glass of that red wine, would you?”

Felix got up and did as he was asked, returning with the glass before sitting once more. “I assume this isn’t just a pleasant visit from the upper crust?”

Brianna took a sip and nodded, “You assume correctly!” She set the glass down and daintily crossed her legs, “I’m here to ask for a favor.”

“And what would that be?”

“Well…rumors have been going around that a Versewalker had solved a case that had stumped the Investigators on Mercantus.” She stared into Felix’s eyes as if scouring his soul to find her answer.

“We solved a lot of problems for them. You’ll have to be more specific,” He replied. Felix had read a decent amount of political intrigue in his many library visits. It wasn’t his favorite genre, but he knew that he had to be subtle with his wording and not outright own up to any particular action. Implications would speak louder than truth.

She smiled gently, “So you know how the game is played.” She leaned back and took another sip of her wine. “Well, let’s just say that I was friends with the former monarch of the Eternal City. His death sent reverberations throughout the Tier.” Her face shifted to a frown, “And a shame that his daughter was killed by assassins.”

Felix nodded, “It is a shame that he was killed.” Now I show a little of my hand, to lure out a bit of her own. “I did do some Investigating in that manner, and I found some interesting information that could point to the person who set it all up.”

Brianna’s eyes narrowed, “Intriguing. I’ve also heard that those assassin-killing daughter rumors were untrue. That she is alive, somewhere…that she was traveling the Tiers with a Versewalker. At least, as far as Invictus.”

“Hypothetically, if his daughter were alive, would you support her claim?”

“Of course! The Nevrenaux family has always supported the Parslia Ventorus Remarda line.”

Felix squeezed Tinuriel’s thigh – the signal for her to get Melanie – and she got up to open the door to Melanie’s bedroom. The princess came into the room and curtsied, “Miss Nevrenaux II.”

Brianna put her glass down and stood up, curtsying in response before stepping forward and giving Melanie a big hug. “You are alive!” She started to tear up and quickly pulled herself away, pulling out a kerchief and wiping away her tears before fanning herself once more, and taking deep breaths. “I had a gut feeling you weren’t dead.”

Melanie smiled, “I’m more than well. Felix and Tinuriel here saved me, along with another ally.” She looked at Felix, “This is one of my family’s old friends. She’s been alive for two hundred years and was my history tutor.”

Brianna curtsied once more, “It’s a privilege to serve the royal family.”

Felix pulled out the evidence binder and laid it all out on the table. “We have plenty of evidence that connects the dots from William VIII to the murder of Melanie’s father. Before confronting him, we want to ensure we have allies.”

Brianna sat down and perused the documents. Melanie sat next to her – as this was the first time she had seen the full report – and after finishing reading it, Brianna sat back with a heavy sigh. “This…you have made a solid case. I’ve worked with Investigators before when I had some jewelry stolen – Mercantus has the best folks for detective work. But not this thorough. You have diagrams, interview notes…” She looked at Melanie, “I’ll quietly spread the word amongst the minor nobility. Get them here.” She looked up to Felix and Tinuriel, “Do the routine just like you did with me.” She smirked, “You know something of politics.”

Felix chuckled, “I’m not proficient at it.”

“But you gave me just enough of a lead to bite onto. Keep doing that.” Brianna stood up and looked at Melanie. “Expect more visitors today and tomorrow. We’ll get you back on the throne as soon as possible.” Her voice seemed sincere, but there was a hidden desire under it.

Tinuriel picked up on that too, and stood up, “What do you want out of this?”

“Smart woman. I heard the elves were silent, smart, and strong.” She turned to Melanie, “I would appreciate being given a position at court once you regain power.”

Melanie nodded, “You have my word as a Parslia Ventorus Remarda.”

The next few hours passed in a very similar manner. Felix and Tinuriel would greet the various nobles that arrived, and Felix would prod them with the same type of questions as the first visit with Miss Nevrenaux. After giving a little information, and getting a bit of intent back, Tinuriel would let Melanie in. She would explain the situation, show them the evidence, and they swore to back her claim.

The day ended and the group decided to retire. But Felix was cautious. He insisted on opening the VBV and having Melanie sleep inside. He knew that if one of these nobles decided to try and sell her out to curry favor with the current monarch, that assassins would probably be sent. Melanie didn’t complain, and she went in. Felix and Tinuriel both slept in their armor – which wasn’t very comfortable – and had weapons at hand. Thankfully, Tinuriel only needed two hours of sleep, so once she had her power nap, Felix closed his eyes.

He was awoken by Tinuriel shaking him. His vision instantly went to Lucifer’s red sight. “Someone’s here,” she whispered, standing up and grabbing her sword.

Felix pulled out his knives and activated Ghostwalk and Undetectable Step, vanishing as he crept throughout the suite, searching for any traces of people getting inside.

He stood in front of a window as it opened, and two cloaked figures made their way inside. Wordlessly, he slit their throats as they collapsed to the ground, the blood splashing before sucking back up into them as the wounds closed. That (P) Killing Intent Talent is handy. No clue how it works though.

The System is weird. Best not to quest- oh, there’s one more.

Felix looked up to see a figure turn to run down the boulevard. He hopped out of the window, ran behind them, and slit their throat as well – rendering them unconscious as the blood sucked back into them, the wound closing. He dragged them back to the window, clambered up and inside, and shut the window behind him. “In here, Tinuriel.”

She walked in and looked at the trio with a frown, “I was hoping to fight a bit tonight.”

“Sorry to take that from you.” He dropped his stealth Skills and tied up the trio with some rope Tinuriel had acquired earlier in the day. “You get to do the interrogation part.” Felix sat down, pulled out a pen and paper, and prepared to take notes.

[Experience Awarded = 10]

[Congratulations! You have reached the Experience threshold to level up! Speak with your Versewalker Core when you are ready to Choose your next Class.]

Let’s save that. Just in case.

Alright, holding onto the level up.

Tinuriel grinned and slapped one of the cloaked figures, waking them up. The man stirred before looking up at the massive, armored, elven woman. “You’ve been captured. Tell us what you know, and I won’t break every bone in your body.” She pulled back the person’s hood to reveal a young man’s face. He kept his mouth shut, and Tinuriel just grinned in response. She put her foot on his ankle and put her full weight on it, grinding the bone into the floor. He screamed, but she leaned down and put her hand across his mouth. “Scream, and I’ll make it worse. Now, when I lift my foot, you’re going to stop that noise, and tell me who sent you.”

The man nodded as Tinuriel lifted her foot off and pulled her hand away. “We were hired by Dean Dromitus to kill the Versewalker.”

Tinuriel glanced over at Felix, and he paused writing down the man’s words. “Come again?”

“You heard me.”

Wow. He must really hold a grudge. Felix shook his head, “Well, regardless, we now have a bit of an issue. I can’t have you lot trying to kill me. So, here’s the deal. You go back and tell your employer the job is done. Get paid, then run off to somewhere.”

The man gulped and nodded, “Yeah-yeah, okay.”

Felix stood up and Tinuriel backed off. He loosened the ropes and helped the assassin stand. “These two are with you?” The assassin nodded, and Felix loosened their ropes before opening the window and unceremoniously tossing them out, their bodies thudding into the ground as they came to from the sudden blunt trauma. He pointed outside, “Tell your friends about the deal. And get out of here.”

The assassin nodded and left quickly. Felix shut the window behind them. Tinuriel shook her head. “Should’ve just killed them.”

“That would’ve been messy,” Felix replied. “We’re not on some battlefield. This is a city with guards on every corner.”

“Could’ve taken them into the VBV and held them there or given them to Roy to put to work on Dirge.”

Felix shrugged and went back to their bedroom, “I’d rather that Dean think I’m dead and not keep sending people after us. We’re going to lay low for the next few days anyway. With how close Tier 2 is to Tier 1, if they were gone for long, then he’d probably assume they failed and send more.” He laid down and closed his eyes. “Wake me up if we get more intruders.”

Morning came swiftly, and Felix opened the VBV. Even more nobles visited that day, and Felix felt the tedium turn to pure boredom. That night, he and Tinuriel went into the VBV with Melanie.

The two of them went into the Recreation Room, and Felix found – to his surprise and delight – several televisions and game consoles. Tinuriel had an idea of what they were thanks to his VBV Function enabling knowledge of whatever was inside the VBV, but she was inexperienced.

That is, for a few minutes. Felix had booted up one of his favorite fighting games from when he used to go to arcades with his grandfather on his birthday. And the first few rounds, he was winning.

But Tinuriel’s battle prowess enabled her to adapt to the controls of the game with ease. Pretty soon, she was pulling off endless combos that Felix couldn’t do anything about – and she absolutely dominated him.

It was a good evening.

“Last day of nobles,” Melanie muttered as they exited the VBV into the hotel suite. She rubbed her temples, “I hate dealing with people this much.”

“Could have fooled me,” Tinuriel replied as she checked the suite for anyone lurking inside of it.

“I’m an introvert! I hate talking to people. I like books and music.” Melanie took a seat on the couch in the entrance hall and Felix sat opposite her.

“What happens after this last round of nobles?” Felix asked.

“We go to the Nevrenaux estate tomorrow. Brianne is going to gather loyalists who will back my claim to the throne.”

Tinuriel walked into the hall and leaned against the wall, “Then to the palace, where we present the evidence. And when the king denies it, we kill him.”

Melanie’s face became inscrutable, and she curtly nodded, “If he won’t step down and accept punishment…yes, he must die.”

Next Chapter >