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🕑 Added 2024-09-03 11:43:12 +0000 UTC< Previous | ToC | Next >
Theodore stood by the window, his eyes fixed on the fading remnants of the magical circle in the sky. The enormity of what he had just witnessed weighed heavily on his mind. Thus, he was lost in thoughts, until a knock at the door broke his reverie.
“Enter,” he called, turning from the window.
Roland stepped into the room, looking panicked. “My lord, I saw—”
“The sky, yes. I saw it too.”
Before Roland could respond, Jack burst into the room, slightly out of breath. “Lord Theodore! Did you see—”
“The magical circle? Indeed, I did,” Theodore said.
Moments later, Leto arrived, and oh boy—was he panicking. It took the three men a minute or two to calm him before Theodore gestured for them all to sit. “I’m glad you’re all here. We have much to discuss.”
Theodore paced the room, gathering his thoughts. “What we just witnessed was no ordinary phenomenon. It was a magic circle of immense scale and power.”
“But what does it mean, my lord?”
Theodore paused. “I do have a theory, but it’s quite far-fetched.”
“What is it, my lord?”
“I think the Night Whispers are trying to cause a dungeon incursion. For now, however, let’s focus on what we know and need to do. We should increase security measures immediately. Gather our men, ready them for battle. If this is as significant as I’m thinking it is, we need Holden protected. Jack, I need you to gather information—let your retinue of undead go wild. They’ll be an immense help in protecting the town.”
Theodore immediately claimed the five mana crystals he’d gotten as a reward for killing Malakai. Letting the other rewards remain as is, he threw two of the crystals to Jack, saying, “Here, should give you all the mana you need.”
Then, Theodore put the rest of the crystals on the table, for now, from where they’d be taken to the treasury later, ready to be used if necessary. “Roland needs to remain here in town,” he said, “Leto, you should contact Sir Alaric at once.” He turned back to the window, his brow furrowed in thought. “As for me, I need to talk to someone, leave at once. You’re all in charge—you’re free to do anything you deem fitting.”
Frankly, Theodore was not prepared for this. He was not taught how to be a lord, he didn’t know how to, either. He was clueless so as to what he should be doing, thus it was best to let his trusted men handle everything.
The silence that had befallen the room got broken by Roland.
“My lord,” Roland said quietly, “what of Baron Montague and Thomas? Should we attempt to contact them?”
“Yes. Thomas will arrive anyway, as for the baron… I honestly don’t know where he is. But we’ll have Sir Alaric anyway. For now, we must be cautious and vigilant. We need to be prepared for whatever comes next.”
With nods, Roland, Jack, and Leto rose to carry out their tasks, leaving Theodore alone with his thoughts.
“Miss Bodyguard,” he said, and she materialized behind him. She was sitting on the table, playing with one of the magic crystals, her face expressionless. He turned to face her fully, curious at her unusual behavior. “What do you intend to do in this situation?”
She looked up at him, and her eyes met his. For but a brief moment, however, before her attention returned to the crystal. “I’ll protect you, as always.”
Theodore nodded
That he’d expected as much would be an understatement, he knew that’d be her response. But a nagging feeling told him there had to be something he could get her to do.
“Isn’t there something else you can do?” he pressed. “I’m pretty sure Father would’ve given you some sort of contingency for emergencies.”
Miss Bodyguard remained silent. Her fingers still toyed with the crystal. It made him curious. He had never seen her be interested in anything, or do anything, really. For her to be interested in that, it made him curious. Or maybe, she did do stuff when she was invisible—only that he had no way of knowing.
“Come on,” he urged, “there must be something. What did father prepare?”
Miss Bodyguard finally spoke. “I have a way to contact Lady Karmichael.”
Huh.
In all that he’d expected to hear, this wasn’t it.
“You know my aunt?” he asked.
Miss Bodyguard fell silent again, her gaze fixed on the crystal. Theodore was about to repeat his question when she finally responded, “Yes. She taught me.”
Intrigued, Theodore leaned forward. “What did she teach you?”
“I am not allowed to say,” Miss Bodyguard replied.
Theodore sighed, realizing he wouldn’t get any more information on that front. He decided to focus on the more pressing matter at hand.
“Alright, then. Contact my aunt. She can portal people here, or out—for that matter—which could be incredibly useful in our current situation.”
To his surprise, Miss Bodyguard looked troubled. Her usual stoic demeanor seemed to waver for a moment.
“What’s wrong?” Theodore asked before he could stop himself. He was that surprised, after all. This was the first time he’d seen any expression on her face, it was another matter altogether, though, that she schooled her expression in a heartbeat.
Miss Bodyguard remained silent for a long moment. “Is this a good enough reason to summon her?” She asked.
What the heck? She was usually confident in what she did, so what was this sudden display of uncertainty?
He decided it would be wise to not press her about the momentary lapse in her composure.
Instead, he addressed her concern directly.
“It’s okay,” he assured her, causing her to look at him. “Contact her. And if you’re worried about something, don’t be. I’ll talk to her and make sure she doesn’t do anything unnecessary. I know she can be… unpredictable.”
Miss Bodyguard nodded.
“That’s it then,” Theodore said with finality.
Without another word, Miss Bodyguard vanished, leaving Theodore alone in the room.
As the silence settled around him, Theodore found himself pondering the brief interaction. Miss Bodyguard’s uncharacteristic display of emotion and her apparent connection to his aunt had raised more questions than answers. But now wasn’t the time to dwell on mysteries. They had a potential crisis to deal with.
Theodore moved to the window. His gaze swept over the town of Holden. The streets were buzzing with activity, people hurrying about in panic. He could see soldiers calming them.
It was then, a commotion near the town hall caught his attention. Leto was there, surrounded by a group of anxious-looking townsfolk. Even from this distance, Theodore could see the young man’s animated gestures as he tried to calm the crowd.
Theodore’s thoughts were interrupted by a sudden shift in the air behind him.
As a [Mage], he could feel it. More specifically, though, his [Arcane Awareness] practically made his skin crawl. The skin blared so much that he got a level.
[Arcane Awareness] — Lvl 0 -> Lvl 1!
This skill, that hadn’t leveled up once… What had caused it to level up?
Quite simple.
He turned, half-expecting to see Miss Bodyguard, but instead found himself face to face with a woman in her early forties—it appeared so, at least. Her long, dark hair was streaked with silver, and her green eyes were glinting even through the black blindfold she wore. And she seemed to look right through him—
—until the glint vanished.
“Aunt Karmichael,” Theodore said. “That was... quick.”
Lady Karmichael’s lips curved into a small smile. “When one of my pupils calls, I answer promptly, nephew.” Her gaze swept around the room, stopping on the table where Theodore assumed Miss Bodyguard sat, before settling back on Theodore. “Now, tell me what’s happening that warranted such an urgent summons. I was in the middle of something.”
Theodore took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. “Father didn’t tell you?”
“Dear, you should know your father and I don’t get along very well.” She said, then sighed dramatically. “He only needs me when he wants me to do something. So sad.”
“There was a magical circle in the sky, Aunt. Enormous and incredibly powerful. I fear it might be the prelude to an incursion by the Night Whispers.”
Lady Karmichael’s expression darkened, and then her smile widened. “Show me,” she commanded.
Theodore led her to the window, pointing out the fading remnants of the circle that were still visible in the sky. As Lady Karmichael studied the phenomenon, her brow furrowed in concentration.
“This is indeed troubling,” she muttered, more to herself than to Theodore. “The magic involved... Your fears may not be unfounded, nephew. Though, this might be more worrying than a mere incursion.”
“What should we do?” he asked, feeling very much like the inexperienced young lord he was.
Lady Karmichael turned to face him, her eyes blazing green through the blind fold once more. “First, we prepare. Then, we fight.” She placed a hand on Theodore’s shoulder, her touch surprisingly gentle. “But before all that, you need to tell me everything. Every detail, no matter how small or insignificant it might seem.” She paused, the glint of her eyes through the blindfold vanishing. “Oh, there, pulled little Thomas for you.”
Convenient… I want that so bad…
For the next hour, Theodore recounted everything that had happened. He told her about his suspicions regarding the Night Whispers, the measures he’d put in place, and the roles he’d assigned to Roland, Jack, and Leto.
Lady Karmichael listened intently, occasionally asking for clarification or more details. When Theodore finished, she nodded approvingly.
“You’ve done well, Theodore,” she said. “Your father would be pleased with how much you’ve changed.”
“What’s our next move?”
“Aw, you’re no fun,” she whined, then her expression turned grim. “We need to fortify Holden’s magical defenses. And by we, I mean me, myself, and I.”
She moved to the center of the room. Sparks of magic danced at her fingertips as she spoke. “I’ll set up a more robust magical barrier around the town.”
The hell? Theodore watched in awe. Tendrils of mana spread from Lady Karmichael’s hands, seeping into the very walls of the room before disappearing. Then, a wave of mana exploded out of her.
[Arcane Awareness] — Lvl 1 -> Lvl 2!
What the hell!
“There,” Lady Karmichael said, lowering her hands. “That should hold for now.”
“Jack is already gathering intelligence. As for allies, I’ve sent word to Sir Alaric. He should be on his way.”
“Good,” Lady Karmichael approved. “Alaric, eh, he should be able to handle things. We should also consider reaching out to the other noble houses. And by we, I mean your [Necromancer] friend. I’m not in the mood to portal around for some nobles.”
“So what’s the strategy?” He asked.
“Oh, I’m the strategy,” She said.
“What?”
“Relax~ I’ll handle it,” she said.
“Oh,” Theodore said, confused. “Okay?”
“Yes.”
A moment later, something struck him. “Ah, yeah, Aunt Karmichael,” he began hesitantly, “Miss Bodyguard mentioned that you taught her. What exactly did you teach her? And why?”
“Miss Bodyguard? Heh. That’s what you call her?” She chuckled, and then her expression became unreadable. “Regardless. That, my dear nephew, is a conversation for another time. For now, let’s focus on the task at hand.”
Theodore wanted to press further, but the look in his aunt’s eyes told him it would be futile.
“Anyway,” Lady Karmichael’s eyes suddenly lit up through the blindfold. Without warning, she flickered to the table where Miss Bodyguard sat invisibly. In a flash, she grabbed the unseen woman and enveloped her in a tight hug from the side.
“Oh, my darling pupil!” Lady Karmichael squealed, pressing her cheek against Miss Bodyguard’s now visible one. “How I’ve missed you so much!”
Miss Bodyguard materialized, her usually stoic face now wearing an expression of pure unadulterated annoyance. Her eyes were half-lidded, resignation clear in her features as Lady Karmichael squeezed her tighter.
“Look at how you’ve grown!” Lady Karmichael cooed, swaying Miss Bodyguard from side to side. “Still as quiet as ever, I see. Oh, the memories we share!”
Theodore stood frozen. How… interesting.
The usually expressionless woman now looked like she was barely restraining herself from rolling her eyes.
“Remember when I taught you how to disarm a man using only a teacup?” Lady Karmichael reminisced dramatically. “Or that time we infiltrated that tavern? Secretly? To level up your stealth? Such adventures we had!”
Miss Bodyguard’s eye twitched slightly.
Ah, so that’s why... he mused internally. Now he understood Miss Bodyguard’s hesitation to call Lady Karmichael. If this was how his aunt usually behaved around her, it was no wonder she’d been reluctant.
“And look at you now, protecting my dear nephew!” Lady Karmichael continued, oblivious to Miss Bodyguard’s discomfort. Either intentionally or unintentionally. “I knew you’d be perfect for the job. No one gets past my star pupil!”
Finally, Miss Bodyguard spoke, her voice strained. “Lady Karmichael, please... we have urgent matters to discuss.”
“Oh, pish posh!” Lady Karmichael waved her free hand dismissively. “There’s always time for a reunion between teacher and student!”
Theodore cleared his throat. “Uh, Aunt?”
Lady Karmichael sighed dramatically, reluctantly releasing Miss Bodyguard from her grip. “Very well, very well. You youngsters are all business these days.” She patted Miss Bodyguard’s head affectionately. “We’ll catch up properly later, my dear.”
As Lady Karmichael turned back to Theodore, Miss Bodyguard’s face immediately returned to its usual blank expression. But Theodore caught a fleeting look of relief in her eyes before she vanished once more.
Theodore shook his head, still processing what he’d just witnessed. It seemed there was much more to both his aunt and his bodyguard than he’d ever imagined.
Before they could talk about anything, there was a knock at the door. Roland entered, his face etched with concern.
“My lord,” he said, bowing slightly. Then, noticing Lady Karmichael, he added, “My lady. I hope I’m not interrupting.”
He didn’t appear shocked by her appearance, interestingly.
“Not at all, Roland,” Theodore assured him. “What news do you bring?”
Roland straightened, his voice steady as he reported. “The town guard is on high alert, my lord. We’ve doubled the patrols and set up checkpoints at all major entrances to Holden. Jack’s... associates have also been spotted moving throughout the town. As for Leto, he’s managed to calm most of the townsfolk, but there’s still an undercurrent of fear.”
Lady Karmichael nodded approvingly. “Well done. Have you received any word from Sir Alaric?”
“Not yet, my lady,” Roland replied. “But given the urgency of the situation, I expect we’ll hear from him soon. He was out on a monster subjugation nearby, given that Lord Montague ordered them to stay in Holden.”
Lady Karmichael sighed, her eyes glinting through the fabric in her eyes once more. “Make an old lady do all the work, would you?” She said, “there, the monster’s killed. Alaric portal’d near town.” She turned to Roland. “Have him brought here immediately. We need to brief him on the situation.”
Theodore wondered why she didn’t move him in there with them.
“It’s the ward,” she said as if reading his mind. “I don’t want to disrupt it. It’s annoying to cast again and again.”
“Oh,” Theodore managed, as Roland walked out to find Alaric.
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