Judicator jane 2 a litrp.., p.28
Judicator Jane 2: A LitRPG Adventure, page 28
She was finally coming to the point where contact with the elves was cut-off, when she was interrupted by yet another knock on the door. Looking up, she saw that it was a little past midday already.
“Yes? Come on in,” she called out.
Serous, her demonic advisor entered cordially. “I received your summons and came as soon as I was able. How can I help you, Mistress?”
That’s right, I did send for Serous last night… He would know more about what was going on with the Lords of Arcadia, and whether Dyle and his interpretation of events rang true. Jane stood up and stretched out. She closed the book, using the cloth bookmark string that had been sewn into it to keep her place.
“Okay, yeah– so can you tell me more about Lord Tygal? And Sir Dyle, if you know anything about him? Back in Grandia, someone known as Nieter Elontis attempted to abduct me.” Jane told him a bit more about the circumstances beyond that, then waited as Serous thought about it.
“Lord Tygal is one of the more cunning and dangerous Lords of Arcadia. He has designs on the throne, and will stop at little to pave his way there. An abduction is certainly within his powers. Though, there is truth to the disparity between him and his brother. I cannot say whether he would use his brother’s children as tools in this way,” he reported succinctly.
“And Dyle, what about him?” Jane asked curiously.
Serous shook his head. “I have had little interaction with Sir Dyle. He is a trusted member of Lord Tygal’s court. Aside from that, I have heard nothing of note about him.”
“Well, he has an Epic class. Something like Illusion Master or something along those lines,” Jane added.
Raising an eyebrow, Serous looked to be contemplating something. “Really… I wonder… Yes, yes… that makes more sense now.” He began pacing back and forth, making small motions with his hands.
“Well, come on, what’s that supposed to mean?” Jane interjected after a minute or two.
“Oh, I was just making a mental note of times where someone with the ability to generate or create illusions might have affected my previous plans. If Dyle has the ability to change or shift things, perhaps even himself, then that would explain many of the troubles and unexpected situations I had to deal with over the last year,” he said, still lost in thought.
“For example?” Jane asked impatiently.
“Ah, well, when the Sacred Oath was invoked, many of the Lords were hesitant to commit forces to the conflict. Lord Tygal was one of them. In order to force him to comply, I had his daughter, Myra, abducted. A few threats of torture and dismemberment were all it took to prod his armies along.”
Jane’s jaw slowly dropped, but Serous didn’t take any notice.
“However, before I had time to release the girl, she simply vanished. The compound I had her held in was heavily fortified, but only the guards at her door had been slain. It had been a mystery to me how she may have escaped. If an Epic class holder is under Lord Tygal’s employ, that would certainly explain it.”
Still in shock that Serous would have done such a thing, Jane sat down on the edge of the bed. All that, from her simple instruction long ago in Grandia, to reverse his previous course of actions with the King. She briefly considered reprimanding him, but what was the point? There were cultural differences between the demons and humans that Jane had only recently begun to understand. A lack of morality. No, not a lack of, just a different morality. I definitely need to get Serous out of Arcadia… Probably for the best if I keep my stay here to a minimum as well, she thought, heart racing. Did Lord Tygal know that Jane was tertiarily responsible for the abduction of his daughter? Now it seemed almost like she was the bad guy, while Dyle had been the hero.
“Mistress? Is there anything else?” Serous asked with concern.
Jane was still processing what she had learned, but she remembered the dinner she had planned later that night with the Lord of the South. “Right, yes. Lord Emir, what about him? I’m meeting him for dinner. Anything to know about him?”
“Lord Emir is a much simpler man. He respects strength and has been at war with the Sons of Unity for his entire life. That has left him little time to concern himself with the politics of Arcadia. When presented with the Sacred Oath, the threat of a war on two fronts was enough for him to send men to the Great Barrier. Aside from that, I had few reasons to deal with him,” Serous reported.
Standing up, she approached Serous. “Okay, thank you. That’s probably enough for now. We’re getting out of here soon. I have the information about the elves from the Great Library, so once this celebration Princess Jasmine is planning is over, we’re leaving. Are you ready?”
“But of course. I will prepare horses and traveling supplies.” He gave Jane a slight bow and then departed. Jane breathed a sigh of relief. Serous was like a rattlesnake in a chicken coop. The sooner she got him out of Dawnskeep, the better. It didn’t feel like she had any definitive answers about Lord Tygal yet, but Dyle at least seemed honorable, if he was rescuing people. She would take his advice and meet the Lord at the upcoming celebration where there was little risk of him trying anything sneaky.
Jane grabbed her book and jumped into bed. There was some time left before she would need to leave for the dinner, so she hoped to learn what had happened to the elves, where they had gone, or maybe even why. Opening up to where she had left off, the years between trade envoys had started growing farther and farther apart. There were two entries that caught her eye in particular.
Therwin believes I’ve made a grave mistake, but I’m determined to be the first to uncover the home of the fabled elves! It’s been over fifty years since they sent an envoy to Dawnskeep; I cannot let this opportunity slip. Now, they return home, and I’ve trailed them northward beyond Gulfort, right to the brink of the Great Woods. I have one edge that previous explorers lacked: the Traveler class. It’s my fate to unearth and understand the unknown! I’ve journeyed across all of Arcadia, and this marks the beginning of my adventures into the mysteries of the greater world. Upon my return, it will serve as the inaugural tale in the ‘Chronicles of Bombir Halwick’.
Reading the optimistic note, Jane had a sneaking suspicion that the Chronicles of Bombir Halwick were nowhere to be found. Certainly, there was no mention of him past this point in the book the Great Library had provided. But, at the very least it gave her a rough point of entrance into the Great Woods. Gulfort sounds like a town, or a city. If she could find it, hopefully just going north into the woods and relying on her high Luck would be enough. The final entry about the elves was from a monarch.
This is the recounting of my sole encounter with the elves from over nine decades ago. Their presence in the realm of humans has since become a rarity, so much so that almost a century has passed without a sighting. My heart is heavy with the possibility that their visits might forever be tales of bygone times. If this stands true, then it is imperative that history retains a firsthand account of these elusive beings. The Great War claimed countless lives, including those of the noble elves. That sacrifice should not be forgotten. To the best of my knowledge, save for Belgoth, I am the last living soul to have laid eyes upon an elf. Yet, considering that the wizard has long disappeared from the lands of Arcadia, it might very well be that I alone hold this distinction.
With age weighing heavily upon my hands, I will strive for brevity in this account. A mere child of ten years. That was my age when the elves graced Dawnskeep with their presence. Their caravan was unlike any other, each member enveloped in magnificent robes as they gracefully paraded the city’s streets. The entourage was absent of any horses or beasts of burden. Instead, they carried with them, by hand, a large platform filled with pelts and bones of the arcane beasts from their mysterious forests.
The meeting between my venerable grandfather, High King Toric, and the elves was nothing short of historic. With the elven folk becoming akin to legends, much like the tales of the revered Augustus the Lightbringer, their arrival drew spectators from every corner of the realm.
The moment their leader unveiled his head from beneath his hood remains etched firmly in my memory. His skin was an ethereal shade of white, nearly transparent. Despite the vast assembly in the grand chamber of the King, he exuded an aura of unshakeable calm. With a dignified bow, he thus inquired, “We have fulfilled our promise, bringing with us the goods as agreed upon in days past. In exchange, we seek petroleum, a viscous black liquid concealed beneath the ground. Are you familiar with it?”
Jane took a deep breath as she heard the familiar word. Petroleum? Isn’t that like oil, or gas or something? What could the elves want with that? She continued reading the account of the long-dead king.
My grandfather, after conferring with his council, regretfully acknowledged that none were familiar with this substance. He vowed to search for it, yet the elves, displaying no inclination to linger, promptly made their way to the Dirthian Bankers Guild. The events that transpired within remain unknown to me, but they emerged shortly after and departed from our city in silent haste.
Our interactions with the elves since the Great War have mostly been fleeting, akin to this one. Some may dismiss them as mere historical footnotes. Yet, their existence signifies a weighty narrative. An entire race, distinct from humans, residing on the very borders of Arcadia. If that encounter marks our final glimpse of them, I take solace in the belief that I have borne witness for posterity.
That was the most recent mention of the elves. The book held a few other second-hand accounts, or scholars making their own analysis for the reasons of the elves’ disappearances, but Jane had read enough for the day. There had been no mention of the System itself in the history of the elves. All she had to go on was Lord Melkit’s comment and the odd items the elves had been seeking. Was it enough to dedicate her time to? Or should she go to the Dirthian Bankers Guild and begin the long trek underground to their capital. Again, Jane shuddered at the thought of being confined for so long. Even the brief times she had been in the bank had been uncomfortable.
No, the elves were theoretically closer, and a huge open forest sounded a lot better than the tight spaces of whatever tunnel system the dwarves had built. The idea of being so far from her demons, for months and months was also unpleasant to think about. She still considered herself responsible for them.
Closing the book, she stood up and checked the clock. The time for the dinner with Lord Emir had arrived.
FORTY
LORD OF THE SOUTH
Lord Emir watched as his wife frantically directed servants this way and that. Having arrived just the previous day, the quick response to his request to meet had been unexpected. Straight to business, nothing wrong with that, he thought to himself.
“Would you quit all that fussing, woman?” he roared out to his wife. “We’ll have the usual fare, and nothing more.” His wife whipped about and pointed a firm finger at him.
“This is your fault for not setting a date and time! How am I supposed to host a proper introduction on such short notice? Do you mean to make a fool of me, Emir Nadantis? And is she bringing these… demons… with her? What do they eat? Not… Humans I hope… Do we have enough of our soldiers present?” She threw her hands up and marched off into the kitchen to begin hounding the chefs in earnest.
The estate they had in Dawnskeep may not be as elaborate as some of the other Lords, but it was defensible, and spacious. The great hall here was usually used for hosting his captains and other larger groups of soldiers, and he just hoped it was big enough to accommodate whatever forces she was bringing. Lord Emir was accompanied by twenty-five of his best men, which he hoped would be a suitable display of strength.
Shaking his head, he thought back to what he knew of this newly crowned Demon Lord. Some traveler from across the Dying Desert if the rumors were true. The firsthand accounts of his most trusted captains had put this Jane King at the center of the unexpected resolution of the age-old conflict between Alur and the demonkind. News had also reached him that she had somehow formed an alliance with the Melkit dynasty, and now ostensibly controlled Grandia, the vital choke point between Arcadia and the wastelands. She’s strategic. And that idiot King can’t see what’s unfolding right below his nose…
The doors to the main hall opened and the steward entered.
“My Lord, Jane King has arrived. Shall I show her in?” he asked respectfully.
“Well, how many others has she brought with her? Do we have enough space in the dining hall to hold them all, or do we need to set the courtyard up as well?”
The steward gulped, then responded, “It’s only her, my Lord. She has come alone.”
“Alone?!” The mere idea of visiting any of the other Lords without a full company of his own men was foolhardy to the extreme. Hurriedly, he motioned for the troop of his soldiers to leave. “Quickly, move! If she doesn’t have anyone with her, certainly I can’t be seen with all of you!” After everyone had departed he gestured to the steward. “Go on then, send her in.” Then he bellowed out to his wife, “Sholeen, she’s here!” He heard a loud ruckus ensue from the backroom, followed by his wife smoothing out her dress as she emerged.
“It’s just the girl, no one else,” he remarked, ignoring the look of shock that flew across her face.
“You son of a—“ she began, but was interrupted as a diminutive girl dressed in a simple white blouse and billowy gray pants hesitantly entered. She looked around the grand hall, and then slowly began approaching the two of them. Lord Emir used his General Identification skill to confirm it was really her.
Jane King (Level 22)
Human
Human, at least there is that. And she’s higher level than what Dantus reported. He opened his arms welcomingly. “Jane King. I’ve heard so much about you. Thank you for accepting my invitation.” She didn’t respond immediately, taking her time to inspect them in turn no doubt.
“No problem,” she responded warily as she looked at the hall full of tables set for almost fifty people. “You got a big place here; you expecting others to join us?”
Sholeen cut in, her previous shock replaced entirely by that of a welcoming host, “Well, we just wanted to be prepared. In case you were bringing any of your entourage, or… demons.”
Jane looked around. “Oh, yeah. I get it. Nope, it’s just me. Hope that’s okay.”
“It’s fine, dear, we’ll simply have some extras for the servants,” Sholeen reassured her, shooting a menacing glance his way. “If you will excuse me, I must have the chef make the necessary adjustments. Please, make yourself at home.” With a slight nod, she spun and left for the kitchens.
Lord Emir walked towards Jane, and motioned to a few chairs near a table. When they were sitting there was less of a size disparity. He addressed her skeptically, “So, you control the demons in the wastes I’ve been told. Is that true?”
Jane crossed her arms. “Yeah. That’s right. And you’re the Lord of the South, the guy fighting the Sons of Unity all the time. Right?”
Pausing a moment, he then broke out in a hearty laugh. “Yes, that would be one way of putting it.” Opening his arms wide, he then asked, “Well, where are these demons of yours now? Back at the palace, keeping the pressure on that boy king, are they?” He noted that she wasn’t wearing any jewelry, except for a plain-looking silver band around her wrist. If it weren’t for her confident demeanor he would have just placed her as another moderately well-off commoner from the city.
“Oh, I left them back in the wastelands. Didn’t want to cause a panic by bringing them into Arcadia.”
A brief silence ensued as Lord Emir processed the implications. “You… left them in the wastelands?” he asked haltingly. Had he grossly miscalculated who this girl was? Was it just the ignorance of youth? Or was she also an idiot like that useless King on the throne?
“Right. Didn’t want to cause a panic. Good idea.” A servant approached and brought over a bottle of wine with a few chalices. Lord Emir took the bottle and filled up both cups, pushing one towards Jane. “So, what brings you to Dawnskeep? I assumed you were squeezing some concessions out of High King Jeric, now that you’ve gained control of Grandia. Or are you just here for the… celebration?” The words tasted bitter on his tongue. The grand event that the Princess had planned was just a masquerade for more politicking in Arcadia, and it was something that he had no taste for.
Jane tilted her head. “Uh, no. I have my own reasons for coming. I’m from a… faraway land and had heard much about the Great Library here. And I guess I also wanted to learn more about Arcadia.”
Lord Emir rubbed his beard. “Intelligence gathering, are you? Not a bad first move, I suppose. Take some advice from an old dog who’s seen more than his fair share of conflict? Never leave your strength behind. You should have marched straight to Dawnskeep with a contingent of your finest demon warriors, panic be damned. Now you’re sitting defenseless in the castle of your former enemy. What if I were to abduct you right now?”
Jane gave him a steely gaze. “I wouldn’t try it.” She still hadn’t taken a drink from what he’d offered earlier.
Meeting her eyes for a moment, he then broke it off. “What, not thirsty?” Appraising her common appearance once more, he added, “We’ve got ale as well, if that’s more to your liking.”
“I’ll have water,” she responded bluntly.
Shrugging, he shouted out, “Sholeen, get us some water out here, the Lady is thirsty!”
Jane flinched at the sudden outburst, but collected herself, asking, “And what about you? Why are you fighting the Sons of Unity, and who are they anyway?”
Finishing off the last dregs from his cup, Lord Emir responded, “Bunch of blasted fools is what they are.” He unsheathed a dagger from his side and jammed it into the tabletop. “Don’t know when to leave well enough alone. I can’t go one month without hearing about this or that sortie pushing into our lands and attempting to take a foothold.” He laughed. “It’s a good thing that the High Auger of theirs is such a coward and never leaves their capital. The common lot of their soldiers are decent enough in battle, I’ll give them that.” He shrugged. “Not as epic of a tale as yours, I’m sure. My family has been a bastion against the Providencia for ages. Not that we get any thanks for it.” Looking annoyed, he called out again, “Sholeen! By the Maker if you don’t send someone out with that water, you’re going to regret it!”
