Here goes nothing.
They have such an imposing door when you think they might try and kill you.
"Welcome back sir, should I tell the madam you are here to discuss the quest?"
"That would be very kind of you."
"Please wait here, I will return to bring you to her in short order."
Now that I get a better look at this place, this house is very distinct. Most noble estates in Zanzu would have their seal on everything they possibly could. But not this place. The only seal I've seen is the one on the lady's door. They don't even have much gold or other precious material worked into the stones or wood. This noble estate feels more like a humble merchant's mansion. Not a farmhouse by a long way, but this is about the least 'impressive' noble estate I've ever seen.
"The madam will see you now sir."
"Thank you."
In stark contrast to what I've seen so far of this place though… The madam has an extensive collection of grimoires, rare alchemical ingredients, and trinkets, even a few items so rare as to be thought myth. What exactly is going on here.
"So I assume this means you've completed your quest?"
"Yes, we have. Your son will not be marrying today."
"And does he yet live?"
"Daniel lives, but your son does not. He has left your house."
"What sort of trickery is this?"
"I've arranged your son to be honored by Lyness, the dragon in the local forest. She has adopted him, forcefully."
"You've given my step-son to a beast?!"
"No, I've given your step-son to a dragon, a noble creature that is leagues better than most in this country and allowed him to marry the love of his life."
"This wasn't part of our deal!"
"You said to stop your son from marrying his love at any cost. So I stopped your son from marrying the dragon by making it so you didn't have a son, but probably not in the way you'd hoped."
"You treacherous worm! Did you really expect me to pay you when you've stabbed my back?"
"Yes."
I hate doing this. Emitting any sort of aura always draws flies, whether they're gods or something else. Oh? She is a mage, or at least she can produce a barrier on the level of a professional. This could get dicey. Well, since it's going towards a fight anyway, might as well take a risk. Off goes the aura.
"You aren't a noble, are you?"
"What?"
"You aren't a noble. This house isn't really nobility. The kid downstairs, he is a noble son, and he seemed freaked out last time we were here, hiding almost. This house doesn't feel like a noble estate either. I had put it up to general humility, I thought you humble beyond most nobles. But this room, this room isn't humble. Collections of rare items and books, expensive décor for a private study. Not to mention, you are obviously a capable mage, more so than most lower nobles ever bother to become. You'd be in service with that much magic at your age. You are head of your house, without a spouse. You aren't bearing children, and you aren't too old to be in the military… Daniel isn't your son, he probably isn't even a noble… But then why would you need him dead or gone?"
"You're brighter than you let on. You're right so far. I'm not a noble, and Daniel isn't either. Do you want to keep going or do you want to sit and listen? There isn't any point hiding it anymore."
"Your sudden generosity worries me, but I'm already in your lair. If you meant me harm it'd be too late for me to get out of it anyhow."
I really hope Kayla got my signal.
"Well, since you know your situation, I'm capturing heirs to perform a ritual. I can't have Vivia wed. Daniel was just in the way, but Vivia is key. With her wed I can't exploit her as I planned. She would see through it. Now that you've caused me so much trouble, I need to eliminate Daniel in less discrete ways. But before that, you are in the way. I'd rather not have a shade haunt me when you are gone, or even worse a revenant, so sate your curiosity. Call it pity for a dying man."
She really didn't explain what she was doing at all did she. But the good news is that I am curious. Besides, I need to stall, might as well enjoy it.
"So you are performing a ritual. What kind?"
"Simple question, complex answer. I'm performing a ritual to summon our eldritch gods!"
Of course. Why would I be allowed to enjoy the story. It just had to be eldritch. She's just a standard cultist that has a bit more oomph than the rest.
"I don't need to know which specifically, or how you were enlightened one night in your dreams, or how when he gets here, he would give everyone eternal life, or maybe with you it was endless wealth, who cares. Let me guess, this one was Derek, or as he probably called himself to you [Da-her-ra-ka]. Always makes the mortals say his name weird."
"How did you know the savior? Have you been enlightened?"
"No, it's just not my first time seeing him try this. This is what, the fourth time I've stopped it."
"Fifth."
"Sire!"
"And now he's here, why not, maybe we can call up your dad too! Get a good little eldritch party going on. How's your cult? Oh right, I walked into the last one and talked them out of killing the poor girl you had there."
"As infuriating as ever I see, Gregory."
"I'm getting a lot of very unwelcome visits today, so can we skip the monologue to the part where you leave?"
"*Tsk*. No patience. But today is different Gregory. Today I don't mean to let you go. Today you die."
"Ooh, you think you found a way to kill me?"
"Of course. I am the king of delusion after all. That includes your delusions of grandeur."
"Firstly, no, it doesn't, you wish it did. Secondly, how does that help anyway?"
"I can become what you wish you were, I can become the person you could never be!"
"Ah. Good luck then. I'm gonna head out, say hi to the S rank that comes by for me."
"What!?"
"Oh did I forget to mention? I sent a signal to my friend outside, by now she should have gotten to the guild. And she knows me well enough to know that if I can't handle it, they need to send the S rank. I talked with the guild master about it too. Oh, and not the adventurer's guild either, in case you thought you knew what was coming for you."
"Why do you always warn me Gregory?"
"You sure you want that answered in front of your devout follower there?"
"It doesn't matter, she won't follow me anymore when I take this office back. If being outsmarted by you wasn't bad enough to break her aspirations."
"Fair enough. I enjoy your childish plans, Derek. They really are fun compared to the schemes the gods usually come up with. Plus if you died your dad would raise a stink. Take it where you can, cut your losses and get back home. Tell your dad I said hi."
"I will never understand you, Greg."
"Hope you never do. As for you, I recommend surrender. They won't go easy if you put up a fight. With that I must be on my way. I can't keep the pup waiting too long."
"Curse you, you can't speak to him that way."
"Let him go. You are more trustworthy than I thought. Have you ever been a secretary?"
Well, maybe she can make Derek a little more caring about life, who knows? Why is nothing ever simple. At least the bluff worked though. As if I could convince the guild to send an S rank, I'm only a D. They'd send a party of C's, at the most. With that over, time to go tell Kayla to put down the nuclear option.