Mas Bagus

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Jazdia waited. For whatever reason, the inquiry stayed unanswered until the time ran out. And how surprising! Matilda also shared the same concern.

"They're not listening to the scouts?" The orc could be heard grumbling something in a low voice, before stepping briskly to the stairway. "I'll get them. Keep an eye on the admiral."

Jazdia followed her from behind and nonchalantly walked past her before she opened the trapdoor leading to the cellar with a punchable smile. "After you, ma'am."

The knight captain suppressed a grimace, hopped in, and started walking.

"I thought I said keep an eye on the admiral," said Matilda when the two reached the cellar below. Jazdia activated her eyes, scanning the tunnel before giving her her reasoning.

"You did say that, but I think that should be the least of your concern. The Delvings are on the outer part of the town. Busy with helping distressed villagers, it seemed. Last time I saw anyway...' Jazdia pointed at the heavy wooden door at their west. "Would be a lot while for them to return to the fort. Anyway, the prince and our bear friend walked through that; it was a straight tunnel with no intersection. Hang on! They are still there. It seemed the exit was blocked."

Matilda immediately strode toward the door, ready to open it. Jazdia wanted to tell her that the door was sealed shut but was too occupied pondering what kind of escape tunnel that could be barred from the outside.

The orc seemed ready to hack the door open or beat it up herself. Considering the door was held shut by a mere sizable iron latch, it could work... if she didn't mind adding more bruises onto her already mushy internals, that was.

The elf followed beside Matilda. Her blade gleamed with a hot, purplish glow as she slid the edge into the door gap and cut down the pesky iron out of the way.

"Before we go, a suggestion if you will," the elf said as she sheathed her blade and enchanted her arrow to light up the gloomy path ahead.
"They are not alone, there were civilians with them, twenty or so, best not address your princeling as respectfully as you usually do."

Thankfully Matilda's armor was not government-issued. Civilians, Jazdia thought. Easy to rile up, especially at the most desperate times. Trap them with you in a dark and crampy corner, and you should expect a surprise. Sadly not many of them were good ones.

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Not the end, and certainly not their band. Jazdia muttered under her breath and then walked closer to the fireplace. The samurai's words rang in her ears like some sick proposal. Liked her? Well, congratulation! But how it developed into a deranged plan of snatching away someone else's sister for whatever reason, she could never discern. Not even for the sake of giving the prince a chance to escape.

"I'd strongly suggest you not do that. There is no need to provoke the Delvings. What for? Keeping him away from the prince? Well, you can always use the tunnel and follow Cedar. Delving has no other backup stationed, you said it yourself."

She then turned to Matilda without taking any step away from the fireplace. "Either way, we should not tarry long in this place. You heard what Baker said. You might not trust him too, but for me, his reading is the most trustable source of information I have now. --what's the VIP's status?"

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

The elf sighed, she could live with that. Let's agree to disagree, no one had to like anybody.

But she kept that thought to herself, she got what she needed already, thus arguing would be a waste of breath. After all, she was not the one who apologized.

Shaking off that petty thought, Jazdia secured the kompas in her satchel bag. There was still something about Silas' role that needs to be decided. "I agree. He will be in front if he wants to tag along. Easier for us to turn back in the event of an ambush or blockade. You should be with the prince then, do not let him out of your arm's reach until we arrived at the capital. No offense, but you are injured, so sit there and relax. You could have the Samurai with you or Lady Veronica if you wish so. They are the most trustful if considering their ties with your king."

Moments passed, yet Matilda seemed to be still in deep thought. Frowns and wrinkles on his face were all too visible to the keenest eyes. There was a reason why Silas dared to be so open about his circumstances, and it doesn't matter if he paint that under the pretense of utmost urgency, someone like Matilda would take that as a blatant disrespect to her superior. The most ridiculous part was she could not do anything about it, and it would keep grating her until she earned his superior's approval.

"I have been to many countries and took part in their politics. I have seen something like this many times, and could recognize one immediately---" Jazdia tapped Matilda's pauldron lightly and offered her a weak smile. "I know what you are thinking, but it would be best for you to not dwell on it too much."

Because you will never see the meaning of integrity and loyalty in the same way again.

That last part was probably the most important, but Jazdia decided to not say it.

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Picnic huh? The word was stranger than the foreign man himself. It sounded like an invitation, to stroll about together. Suddenly Kirsten realized that they have planned something together without her noticing.

Picnic. She repeated the word, sighing. Now it was not so strange anymore. Did this man ask her to go out? Well, she would like to... to be honest, and she could always slink away noticed like she did today.

"So...?"

The question was, why?

Between their awkward exchanges, Kirsten had been observing the other group with a shabby expression. They were still talking, but the tone seemed too direly gloomy. This time it was the tall knight lady who spoke, and Kirsten almost jumped from her seat upon witnessing her sharp attitude.

Her flamberge, which she had secured against the table prior, skidded down and dropped to the floor with a thud. Kirsten kneeled to pick it up. The Chonan did so as well. "Are you..."

"...Fine" The maid answered, looking away as she strapped the sword on her back. She dared herself to guess that the man was offering a friendship. It was wonderful, and it merely started with her being friendly to him. She would like to say yes to the invitation and would be eager to see where it leads. But between the little foreign guy and the series of hectoring against her brother, she could not think clearly, she feared the possibility.

The timing could not be any better. Silas was walking toward the exit and stopped to give Kirsten a signal to leave. She ignored him, intending to finish the goodbye.

"I..." She forced herself to look at him and curl her lips into a smile. "I can't promise anything, but I know we will meet again. Until Next time, Chonan."

Finally, both Delvings made their way to the exit, and when they were no longer there, confusion, relief, and disappointment flooded the room.

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

"You are great! T-thank for experiencing this new kind of bread."

"You like it? Really?" the praise itself was awkward as if coming from someone who never properly express gratitude in a casual way. Yet it felt sincere somehow, a rare expression that made Kirsten eyes twinkle with joy.

"I should try out to make one, too!" the man said, skipping a breath. "Also, I would like to make a rice ball for you if we meet again."

"Eh... oh, you will? But we don't grow rice here. I am a frequent shopper at the local market you know, and foreign condiments are rarely in stock. But they often have importd herbs like cinnamons, cloves, and nutmeg from Dwipawarna every August--- ahem, pardon me, but surely you have your way, so go ahead, surprise me!"

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Jazdia stood up, yeah that made a lot of sense. Then she heard Solomon's commentary and mused.

If they can get away with it, then as Baker had figured, Fredricus' influence is not as strong as he might think anymore. She turned to Silas. "Awfully a lot to take in your confession, Sir Delving, and I am sure you are confident, even if we record your speech and present it to the king himself, your family could still get away with it, right?"

The elf smiled. She has been holding the brass Kompas this whole time and her fingers itched to press that rewind button, but then decided against so. Another piece of evidence had been secured, no need to push the man further.

The admiral stood as well, his expression feigned resolution and disagreement, but whatever resistance dwelled in his heart, he sure hid it completely. He spared a glance one last time at the three agents before speaking.

"I have said everything that needs to be said. I will leave it to your judgment. I shall wait outside."

The Admiral finally let go of his nerve-wracking attention on the group and walked away, stopping briefly to look at the maid. The woman seemed to not paid him any heed but eventually rose from her sitting and followed anyway, the Admiral's aides guarded her from behind.

"There was something I wanted to tell you," she said, half whispering after taking a step closer to Matilda. "I am not giving the admiral a chance based only on my pure instinct alone." Jazdia slipped a hand between her hair and her ears and detached a circular item that looked like bold, knitted-together piece of black wires. She squeezed the item, channeling magic into it before offering it to the orc

"Put it on your ears."

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

It was not every day Admiral Silas Delving found himself being questioned like a prisoner.

It seemed he was approaching this from a wrong angle, but he couldn't really blame them. He expected this bunch of hirelings would just nod at his request and all would be done nicely. He, at one point, realized was wishful thinking, and would settle by telling one of them the truth about his circumstances. There was a speck of hope when the elf entered the stage but it all crumbling to dust when strong disagreement sparked in the group.

The elf looked at him, there was no emotion in her face, while at Matilda, he did not dare to look. After carefully considering his options, Silas took a deep breath and began.

"What I have been saying is nothing but truth and truth only."

There was a low growl, and the elf shook her head.

"But about my motive, I am ready to disclose it if you are willing to listen." The admiral Suddenly lowered himself and sit on the floor, dried vines and other small debris did not bother him somehow "My father tasked us to check the Baron in response to his letter this morning. The circumstances about your rescue attempt never arrived to him when I was there, not yet, I made some attempt to delay that. But I fear it would at some point."

"Why did you delay the information?" the elf asked.

"Because I never agreed to this."The Admiral shook his head lightly before continuing with unrestrained dejection. "Because I know this could lead... to my family's downfall. This enterprise is foolish! And any sane man could see that. Kidnapping a prince? And then what? Kill him? Selling him off to Meche? What good it could achieve?"

Silas straightened his posture, clearing his throat so he could continue with a low, yet clear volume. As if afraid Kirsten would hear, but knew all along it was useless.

"My intention was to go against my father's plan." he grimaced as he shook his head, as if the very confession pained him. "Had you not arrived, I would have demanded the Baron to release him, pay Asevor his money, and escort the prince back to the Capital. But now here we are, and I still have to clear my family's name somehow."

"By hitching on our effort when the job is done?" Jazdia chimed in, this time joining him by sitting against each other.

The Admiral smiled in misplaced pride. "Politician does not care about the details. My family and their cohorts have been embellishing facts for as long as I could remember. The clandestine nature of this operation makes it possible to do so. You will not be the one who appears in the printed bulletins. But any recognizable face would, and that will be our political leverage."

It was hard to guess the tone of his confession. It sounded disgustingly amoral, but Silas delivered it in a way that it was not something to gloat or be ashamed of, but rather a plain reality.

"I truly wish for his highness to arrive safely, I really do. If he was severely harmed or killed, or keep detained we can't maintain the status quo anymore, sooner or later.

The admiral looked away as he continued. he was still calm, but a stroke of emotion in his voice was apparent.

"It was something Father did not see. His personal ambition blinded him, and sadly we can't always deny his command. My brother Aaron was the first to take the brunt after fulfilling his will. I do not ask you to forgive or sympathize with him, but I hope it could give you a clearer picture of my motive."

"So why do you try to reach us?"

Silas was slightly taken aback when the elf tilted her head as if deliberately trying to dumb down her perceived logic. The orc next to them appeared to be uncared by the conversation, but he knew she was listening.

To that question, the admiral commanded his soldier to bring a square cage with two homing birds in it.

"My father tasked us to report immediately upon reaching Fanghorn. We began our journey this morning, meaning he is expecting one of our messages to arrive anytime around this hour, we sent none, and that would agitate him. My father was not a patient man, and there are a lot of ways for him to obtain information. We have our men stationed everywhere, and the raid at Pesti this morning was not exactly silent. The news might not reach him in the fastest way, but it certainly would."

"Yes, you are right, Ma'am. That means there could be several ambushes prepared for us. The ambushers might or might not know what they are signed for like the sorry mercenary band at Pesti, but it doesn't matter. His Usuals will take care of the dirtiest part. I was hoping, with us going with you those people would stand down. You see, I am not asking you to trust me; I have said it all, the bad, the good, and the ugly. Now you know my motive, and we both have a common goal. Let us work together."

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Jazdia's glanced back at the orc expressionlessly. That smile faded and that playful demeanor diminished. The play ended now, and it was about time.

Her eyes darted around Silas and his men, then through the wall. Since Asevor's demise, the tower had lost much of its magical barrier, allowing her to see in and out clearer than before. Every civilian, and every man and woman walking in her line of sight she scanned them all. Nothing out of the ordinary, and back to Silas, no magical signal being sent out.

That damn Baker, was he for real?

What really matters now Cedar was taking a VIP away from them, for an unknown reason. That made him even more suspicious than the Delving duo, and that made her want to laugh in the face of that irony.

It was ten seconds passed, and Silas Delving looked as if the information troubled him. He wanted to speak, but Matilda stole the chance

"So it seems that Cedar have more tact than you. I would call it surprising, but that would be a lie. What are you playing at? Out with it. Fucking subterfuge..."

The crassness of the demand stunned her, But Jazdia quickly shook it off.

"Easy, Mattie. I don't think I am obliged to answer that. Also, I am not your subordinate, remember?" Jazdia walked toward Cedar's damp robes and tossed the Kompass toward Matilda. "We have a more pressing matter at hand now; I will take the other way, you follow Cedar. I will guide you with my power. Sounds good?"

---

At that moment Matilda's hand balled into a fist, her bicep and neck hardening as a rock, yet Jazdia remained undaunted, she advanced forward, eyes shifted between the tunnel bellow and the disgruntled orc in front of her.

"No?"

A dangerous glint flashed in the Knight-Captain's eyes, very much dissatisfied with how this elf conduct herself. Internal conflict, this close to the end? Or was she intentionally doing so, in some deranged scheme to hedge her bet with Silas Delving present? Matilda was not having this. She caught the communication device and tossed it back to the elf, the refusal plain enough even without any words.

"Then be on your way. Accompany the admiral, since you like him so much. Doctor Solomon, have your scout signal Cedar to turn around. We are leaving from the front door." Since Silas was so graciously informed, there's no more point to playing dumb.

"As for you, Admiral Delving. I do not trust you. Get out and keep your distance, or I shall take this as an obstruction of his majesty's will. If you truly worry about the baron's land you are welcome to return after we depart."

----

Jazdia caught the brass locket with one hand, exchanging a brief glance with the impatient orc before turning to Solomon. "Well, please do so, Doctor Solomon."

There was a pause. Considering that Matilda was not interested in finding the prince, Jazdia decided to not give up on Silas. The orc's repudiation? It means nothing to her.

"Okay, let's drop the act. Admiral Silas, We all suspect your family to be the mastermind of the entire scheming. No, save your breath, you understand what we are capable of. Do me a favor and don't deny until I am finished, or I will say nothing more.

Okay, one fact had been established. Now, to Matilda. It didn't really matter if the knight captain refuses to hear. The information could be beneficial regardless.

But she did hope that Matidal would be willing to listen.

"Knight-Captain. If Admiral was as dangerous as you suspected him to be, and sought to end us, don't you feel it was strange for him to come to us with three Soldiers and a bodyguard? Why would he bother? He doesn't have any sentry stationed outside. Why didn't he just prepare an ambush on the road and claim the VIP for himself? To lower our guard? Please, he doesn't have to do that. There are too many witnesses here, and too many risks involved."

Jazdia turned to Silas again, measuring the man, securing the motive before the man proclaim his own. The prediction didn't have many flaws in its logic, but she was still taking a bet, calculated probability still beared uncertainty.

"That doesn't exclude the possibility that there will be dangers waiting for us, but why give up the element of surprise? Showing your nose here is enough to alert us all. You still have something to hide Admiral, and I know it will be your next bargaining chip. You are not stupid enough to prepare this dangerous meeting for something we do not want to hear. So, I decided to risk it.

The elf paused to catch her breath.

"The milady has asked, it was mistakenly directed to me, but we know I have nothing to hide. So it should be you; What are you playing at? Out with it."

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

'A Help huh?"

Matilda glared at Jazdia, and the latter did the same as well. However, the elf was the first to break free. She was smiling, and the energetic demeanor she displayed would be very unnerving even to people who barely know her.

"Why the hell not?! There is no harm in having an esteemed Admiral escorting you, Right Mattie? Especially not when... an unidentifiable menace like Mechean Terrorist could be lurking about, and you are uncertain about your current capability to defend yourself and those who are dear to you."

It was a jab for both Silas and Matilda, but it was more on Matilda, to be honest. If you want to be tough, back it up. Fake it if needed, and measure yourself. It was ridiculous to bare your fangs while you had to limp about just to show it closer to your enemy.

"Speaking about the prince..." Jazdia turned to Solomon. Again, tactfully scanned the floor beneath them as she transferred her attention to the lanky old man. "One of your sentries was with Cedar, was it not? I'm surprised you don't say anything."

She turned to Matilda again, there was no sense of alertness when she relayed the information. "I think you should know. The prince is no longer in this building. The bear is dragging him away as we speak."

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

"He had you tied up to him so tight, he'd drag you down to the deep end with his ambition. For your own sake, darling, get away."

Oh, she had heard similar words over and over. And the mounting exasperation she felt for how things were was all too often being underestimated by those who only know her from the outside. Like many others, she too longed for freedom, and she had tried to get one for herself once. But it eventually ended on her own undoing. She was not prepared for it. The world outside was full of uncertainty and peril, and admittedly it was his father's power and influence that granted her a safe and comfortable life

"Blood ties ain't everything, yeah? Duke Rosenving can probably attest to that." Said Yvonne again, smiling proudly. Her story of being independent and standing up on her own feet could be very awe-inspiring, but as a Delving, Kirsten had been dazzled and disappointed by many stories and hope she now preferred to approach one with a healthy amount of pessimism.

"I will consider it,"
she said to Yvonne. "But I need to do it at my own pace.

Kirsten was baiting for small talk, but what she got was the story about the man's entire life. A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.

"Well, Master Chonan, the Prince of a distant land. If you are saying you are recovering your muscle, then why stand there? You should come here and rest, I will lend you my lap for you to lay down. Better that way, don't you think?" the maid enthusiastically showed a small woven basket and presented it like it was something to flex. "And, I have bread. Made them this morning-- sort of, anyway, I hope you like pirozhki!"