The sounds of incessant chatter can be heard from all around me. I'm in the middle of a nice, large building, with people dressed in all sorts of fancy, fantasy clothing that makes me feel really out of place. Everyone around me is carrying themselves in a dignified manner, which just makes me feel out of place. I'm Amiel's invited guest, though, so no one has attempted to do anything like throw me out.
Aahhh, I'm already pretty nervous. I really hope I don't wind up regretting listening to April over Sierra. This short black dress I wore to fit in with the fanciness was cheap, but I can't just be throwing money out like this willy nilly. I actually kind of like it, and objectively it compares to some of the less fancy clothing the nobles are wearing, but I still feel out of place.
I tried to stick around some of the quieter parts of the building, and near the merchants so that none of the nobles would talk to me. They're all trying to understand why Amiel invited me, and the merchants mostly seem to understand it isn't worth bothering with something that Amiel's taken personal interest in whereas the nobles don't.
Whenever anybody did try to talk to me, I just said "Not good at talking" over and over again before they decided to chop it up to Amiel eccentricity and leave me alone. It was super embarrassing at first, but after a while everyone pretty much silently agreed talking with me was useless. I can still hear rumors being spread around about me, which puts me in a cold sweat, but other than that I'm pretty much fine.
Even if they're talking about me, if they're not talking to me I should be able to carry myself around them, at least for a little bit. Because of this, and my growing hunger, I had decided to head over to the noble buffet where all the food was free as long as you were invited. Courtesy of Royal Selection Candidate Amiel Leon, of course. Since I am his guest, I figure he won't mind if I eat a bit of his food.
Let's see, what should I sample first? Everything here looks incredibly expensive and delicious. There's no way I'm going to be able to sample everything, so I'm going to have to leave some stuff uneaten. That's really unfortunate.
Well, I'll try not to think about that too much, and begin my feast. I know I can't sample everything here, so I'll just have to sample as much as possible! This is food they serve nobles, I can't let it go to waste!
Lobster: Annoying to break into, but delicious nonetheless
Lemon water: No, disgusting
Weird fantasy fruit I don't have an earth analogue for: Delicious! Sweet and delicious!
Caviar: Weird taste, and gross texture. Since I know what it really is, I don't want to eat any more of that.
Some sort of weird assortment of foods, dribled with golden sauce: A flurry of delicious flavors hitting my tongue one by one!
Chocolate: It definitely isn't actually chocolate, but it tastes, looks, and feels similar enough.
Some huge steak that's apparently from a big bad monster: Tender! Juicy! Best steak of my life! Legitimately!
Delicious! Delicious! Delicious! More! I need more!
At some point I kind of forget that there are other people around me, and I kind of just end up walking around popping everything in my mouth with absolutely no regard for manners. This is good! This one isn't really. But oh! This is delicious! Some more of this, then we'll move onto the next table.
I pick up a rather big bite of some sort of white meat with my bare hands and start chewing on it. I look around for the next part of my meal as I munch down on it.
"Hey, leave some for the rest of us, little mage."
A sense of dread befalls me. That's Esobel's voice. Esobel is Amiel's knight, so he isn't going to be going too far from her. I turn around, and sure enough Amiel and Esobell are both watching me make a total mess of myself. Esobel is dressed the exact same way she was when I met her, but Amiel's clothes were now fancy purple noblemen's ware, and his long hair was tied up into a ponytail.
"It's always entertaining to watch a commoner try noble food for the first time, but that display is probably the best I've ever seen!" Amiel yells at me, with some insane smile on his face.
I eat the rest of the food in my hands and wash it down with the water I had.
"Sorry, but just to be clear, that's water, not alcohol, right?"
Great, now Amiel's assuming I'm a drunk. Me being far too drunk to actually make a deal with Amiel is of legitimate concern. This doesn't bode well for this deal at all.
"Water."
"Right, that's good. So, let's go somewhere a bit more private. I don't want anyone listening in."
Could you not phrase it that way? People will start to get the wrong idea…
"OK."
I follow Amiel and Esobel, expecting them to bring me to some sort of private room, but instead they both lead me outside to a balcony looking over the beach. Why is no one out here? And why did Amiel take me here?
Amiel walks over to the balcony and rests his arms on the banister.
"Pretty, isn't it, Azariah?"
I'm not really sure what to say so I make an mhm sound with my mouth. The view is quite pretty.
"This is facing north. Head straight that direction and you'll be sailing through ocean water for weeks. The water will gradually get colder and colder. Eventually just falling overboard means instant hypothermia. Sail further, and you'll hit a cliff of ice, and a snow white field that extends for miles. A glacier."
Alright, this all seems really interesting, but I'm not sure what this has to do with anything.
"My domain has east facing beaches too. Head east from here, and you'll wind up sailing through the Thessa Gulf for a bit, before eventually winding up in Meccaria. They don't share a land border with Uclait, yet we both interact semi-regularly, not having to worry about conflict due to the huge body of water in the way."
OK, cool, really cool, but I'd rather be negotiating right now.
"West of here, and you'll eventually hit the frigid cold Emednes. Push past the cold, the monsters, and all the dangers associated with mountains, and you'll hit an even worse land. The Demon Lord's territory. It used to be a prosperous kingdom with many similarities to Uclait, but after its royal family died of disease, it collapsed and an evil man by the name of Louis wound up taking over in the ensuing power vacuum. An evil enough man to gain the moniker of "Demon Lord.""
I decide to just let Amiel keep talking.
"So, Azariah. If given the choice, which direction would you go?"
"Huh?" I get out, "What does this-"
"It's one of these again. Just go with it, he won't take no for an answer." Esobel tells me.
According to my information from Sierra, Esobel's known Amiel since he was 10. If she tells me there's no way out of this, she's probably right. Alright, so I probably need to think about my answer a bit then.
I mean, the obvious choice would be Meccaria wouldn't it? What can I even do on a glacier? And the Demon Lord's territory also doesn't sound like a valid option. One man taking over a power vacuum and being so evil he literally gets named "The Demon Lord?" No thanks. Meccaria sounds too easy though. What other answer could I possibly give though?
Alright… I think I have something that Amiel would like, and I'd be telling the truth. Here goes nothing.
"South." I say.
"And why would you go south?" Amiel asks, not being surprised at my answer at all.
"Because I don't know what's south."
"South of here is the Aflian Empire. Go further, and you'll hit an ensemble of different nations on infertile land, being in the interior of the continent, and having no rivers flowing through them. Head further, and you'll end up in a trio of closed off nations. The Obsidian Mountain State, the Holy Nation Lanaon, and the Elven nation of Kaashandi. Head further still, and you'll end up in the Lyong Empire. A nation that worships strength even more than Uclait does."
"What does this have to do with the deal?" I give up and ask.
"Think of this as a test you can't really fail. Azariah, tell me. Why did you come to Rose Harbor?"
"Uh, I…" I accidentally explain to Amiel exactly why I'm in Rose Harbor in the first place. Damn it, am I already losing the infowar?
"Hmm, so you think that Rose Harbor is a good option then? You certainly aren't wrong, but there are many other places you could go. The prosperous lands of Meccaria, the chaotic intermesh of cultures of Monster Country, the Obsidian Mountain State has all its population centers underground for crying out loud.
There's how the Osorana Region's culture is changing and redeveloping after Nilus came in and destroyed everything. There's the lost continent east of that, that no human has stepped back from in the past 350 years. There's all the great mysteries of the eastern edges of our own continent.
So why, Azariah? Why here? Why Uclait, even? Are you that unambitious, or is it some other reason?"
Oh no, I don't want to get on Amiel's bad side, that wouldn't be very good at all. How do I respond to this? I do want to go check all of those places out! I really do, but I can't! I can't tell him the reason though, either. That would definitely draw suspicion towards me. How could I explain having a slave crest on me? And a high quality one at that?
"Circumstances beyond my control." I say.
If he tries to pry, I'll dodge the question or change the subject to the best of my ability. We still have a deal to talk about. I can push him on that if he pries.
"Circumstances beyond your control, huh?" Amiel looks like he reaches out for the stars, but he doesn't turn around. I can't see his expression.
"And how does that make you feel, Azariah?"
"Me? Well, um…"
"There's a spell with Adad's connection that detects lies. Keep that in mind."
Huh?! There is?! Lucidna never mentioned that! No, of course she didn't. She had no reason to. I guess I better tell the truth here then?
"Angry… It makes me angry… So angry that it hurts… Angry enough to wish death on someone…" I feel the rage from back then slowly filling my body. "It feels suffocating… like I'm drowning in an ocean with a world of beauty just above the surface… Like I have to kill the one drowning me to get free. Like I wouldn't feel the slightest bit of remorse about that."
Oh, oh no! That was way too overboard! Amiel's going to get the wrong idea! I got too carried away! Huh? Amiel's… laughing? He turns around and looks me in the eyes. That's an expression I can't really tell. He's smiling, but that look in his eyes is… softer, somehow?
"That's a bit hypocritical of you, isn't it Azariah?" Amiel says, getting over his laughing fit.
"Huh?"
"I said that's rather hypocritical of you. I recognize that inclination in your voice. You hate someone, because they're keeping you here. Hate them enough you'd kill them. Esobel and I understand that feeling all too well."
I remember their backstories. Amiel's a noble who ran away from home, and Esobel was supposed to be a maid who destroyed everything just to get out of that job. They both understand being tied down, and they both appear to hate it. Enough to kill someone, though?
"Azariah, I'm assuming that the person you hate enough to kill isn't your boyfriend, right?"
"What? No, of course not. Don't you dare compare Kiaran to him." I say, accidentally letting a murderous glint in my voice. I'm getting too emotional.
"Woah, woah. I understand where you're coming from, but tone down the hostility a bit. Esobel is a whole lot quicker to attack than I am. I can't guarantee that you'll be in one piece if you gain her ire too much."
Glancing over at Esobel, she has one hand on her ax. She's staring at me like a hawk. Beira, your stupid follower nearly got herself killed, and she most definitely would have deserved it for such a stupid mistake. Please, make a cooling mist around me. Make it freezing. Make sure neither of them can feel it, I don't want Esobel misinterpreting it as an attack.
"The reason I ask all this, is because Esobel here is extremely good at knowing what kind of person someone is just by getting a good look at them. How strong, what they're into, their general life path etcetera. It's a skill she's had since childhood."
That's a lie. That isn't her skill, that's whatever spell she used when we first met. It doesn't appear that they know I figured that out though. I'll have to avoid mentioning Mana Detection then. I'll put it on Esobel again just in case though. If she uses it again, I want a better idea of what it does.
"When she saw you, she told me that you were an extremely free spirit, who only felt rage towards those who tied her down. She said you'd go on a life of constant discovery and self improvement, and to be honest, I was quite enamored by that. But I was confused. Why would someone like that who could fly around the country in mere days stay here in Rose Harbor?
It didn't make sense. I wanted to know why, but the more information I got from you the less and less it made sense. I still have no idea what's up with you. So please, if you'll forgive me for asking you so directly, why do you care about this boyfriend of yours so much? Enough to tie yourself down in one spot?"
Eh? Talk about a personal question! He means so much to me because I love him. I can't say why I love him, but… but he has his own set of issues that I want to help him with! Because he helped me with mine!
How do I relay that information to Amiel, though? What is he really getting at, asking about my relationship like this?
"I owe him. He made me happy, so I want him to be happy. I'm looking for somewhere I can make him happy."
"Hm… I can understand that, but you're going about this all the wrong way,"
"Huh?"
"It isn't my job to pry, but based on what little information I got from Esobel… staying put doesn't suit you at all, Azariah. I suggest you and your boyfriend reevaluate your relationship. If he is insisting on settling down, and you're going along with his whims, it will only make both of you miserable."
"Huh?"
"That's enough of my little test. We'll head somewhere more private while we discuss our deal. Now come on."
This time I am actually led into a private room. It's a small room that seems extremely claustrophobic. There's no sort of paint, designs or decorations anywhere in the room. Just a table, and three chairs. Two chairs facing the one entrance & exit, and the other facing the back wall. There's only enough space in the room for that much, and a bit of space to stand to the side.
In one of the seats facing the entrance is a rather small woman, dressed in noble attire similar to Amiel's, but with one minor difference… It's incredibly revealing! Her thighs, her shoulders, her… chest (her boobs aren't big enough to show any cleavage), even her stomach?! How is that even allowed in here?!
I realize that I'm actually staring right at all the exposed parts of her body. I pull my eyes away from her dangerously seductive body and outfit- huh?! Her expression… she's looking at me right in the eyes, and her expression is absolutely radiating smugness. Even an idiot like me could tell that.
Oh no! Did Amiel somehow find out my weakness and put this homewrecker into the room with us?! Is this Esobel's spell at work?! No! I have to stay faithful to Kiaran! And focus on this deal!
"Azariah, this is Lila. She's a highly valued advisor of mine, who will be helping me navigate through this, I hope you don't mind."
Amiel takes a seat on the chair beside Lila. Esobel closes the door behind her, and steps over to the side. I realize now that not only is Lily ridiculously sexy, but incredibly pretty as well! Pale skin, without so much as a single blemish, flowing, silky pink hair, eyes that see into your soul, and slim arms and fingers. Put simply, she's gorgeous.
Ahhhh! There's no way Amiel didn't put this lady in here without knowing my weakness! Damn it, but asking her to leave would only be confirming that, so he could act on it in the future. I have to pretend I'm completely unbothered.
"It's fine." I say,
"That's good. Lila, say hello."
Lila simply proceeds to hold her hand up to me and wave it once. I don't know what that's supposed to mean.
"Oh right, and Lila here is mute. She's also rather inexpressive! So please don't bother trying to pry any information from her. Just ignore her, and you'll be fine."
She can't talk?! What's the point in an advisor that can't talk?! Also, inexpressive?! That smug glare from earlier begs to differ! Is… is she actively switching her expression to match my tastes so that I'm even more off guard?! Get this succubus away from me!
"Azariah, take a seat will you?"
"Yes, right…" I say as I sit down in my chair. I try my best to look Amiel in the eye, and pretend Lila isn't there, as he told me to. That's the advice to follow in this situation, I think.
"So, starting off with the biggest issue, you don't know how to make the scrolls that I want yet. I'm going to need a timeline on how fast you're going to be able to start to produce the product. How fast would you say that you learn?"
"Quickly. I have a bad habit of getting so focused on one thing, I forget all others. It shouldn't take long." I tell Amiel the whole truth.
"Well if that's the case. I do have a few books I can lend to you for free. If you were willing to shut yourself from all outside influence, it should be easy to get it figured in a week or two. I don't want to rush such an important product, so I think that we can agree on a two week deadline?"
I nod. Honestly, I don't know how difficult it will really be, but even if I can't wrap my head around it, I can always ask Lucidna or Ctothis. It should really only take me five or so days at the very most, but I don't want Amiel to know that. It will be best if he keeps underestimating me, so I get a more lenient deal.
"Alright, now as for payment, we have to cover how much you'll be getting reimbursed for each scroll. For that, I'll pay more for each of the main qualities separately. For example, if you were to produce a scroll that could teleport a whole wearhouse, I'd pay a gold coin, but if it could only be used once, I'd pay a silver on top of that. Such a scroll would be more valuable than that, but you understand, yes?"
I nod. So it will be more beneficial for me to ramp up both aspects of their qualities. No, I need to wait to get actual prices to know that much. I need to slow down. I can't be too careful with Amiel…
"As for actual price tags… Lila, I do believe I gave them to you?"
Huh? Lila has them? She has another smug grin on her face, that doesn't bode well… She reaches into her shirt, gropes herself, and takes a piece of paper out and puts it in front of me. That's definitely the price sheet, but… I'm only just realizing that Lila clearly doesn't have a bra on. This was just pressed up against her-
She puts her hand down her pants and in between her legs, and pulls out a writing utensil. She hands it to me, and I slowly grab it. She definitely pulled her pants up to take this out. I don't think I noticed her wearing any panties… Is she? Was this? Ahaheehuhhh…
"Azariah? Are the prices to your liking? Just sign here."
Amiel points to a line on the paper which I sign because I'm too busy thinking about where what I'm writing with just was. Ahhhhhhhhh! What the hell did I just do?! I didn't even read any of that! What the hell is wrong with me?!
Lila's giving me that smug look again. Looking over to Esobel, she's glaring down at me like I'm some deviant. Amiel seems completely indifferent to the whole thing. Poker face, right?
This just confirms it. There's no woman on the planet who acts like Lila's acting completely unprompted. They know about my weakness, and got Lila in here to play to my tastes. I don't know how they know, but they do, and the damage is already done…
I'm never doing this again, and if I have to, I'll make Kiaran do it. No, but what if he falls for Lila's seduction? That sounds kind of hot, actually… I really wouldn't mind if he did, it isn't like he'd leave me for her. No, I also have to consider how Kiaran would be hurt because he failed to stay loyal to his girlfriend (even if the girlfriend really doesn't mind.)
Alright, make sure to remember: Never let Kiaran meet Lila! For Kiaran's sake!
"I'll have a contract written by the end of the party tonight. Make sure to read it this time. If you'd like, I'd make sure that Lila isn't involved next time." He says, taking the price sheet from me.
An admission! An admission of guilt! He knew exactly what he was doing, and it went all according to plan!
"Well, I do believe that we're done here. Feel free to enjoy the party for the rest of-"
Lila interrupts Amiel by gently caressing his arm. Amiel looks her right in the eyes, somehow completely immune to Lilla's charms. Is it possible he's actually gay? There's no other explanation I can think of, to not be looking all over Lila's body when she's in such a position.
She makes some sort of sequence of hand signs that Amiel appears to be able to understand. Yeah, that makes sense, she is mute, and she is an advisor. They'd need some way to communicate.
"Alright, I see. Azariah, Lila here has appeared to take a bit of a liking to you. Since you'll be working with us in the future, she wants to introduce you to other members of my camp."
Huuuuuuhhh?! Lila, stop giving me that smug grin! This meeting is already over, you can stop teasing me now! Please, seriously, stop, I don't know how much more my heart can take…