Chapter 38: Convincing
"Excuse me?" Claude got stunned by his words and soon noticed that the Half-elf's voice appeared familiar.
Meanwhile, Abium smiled widely, leaned forward while placing his elbows on the table, and whispered.
"I'm Abium."
On the other hand, Claude froze and soon widened his eyes.
"Abium? Impossible!" He instantly shook his head and refused to believe his words.
"He is a human kid, not an elf. You may have a similar voice, but you aren't Abium."
'Here comes the challenging part.' Abium sighed heavily and spoke.
"I became an Apprentice Mage not too long ago, Uncle. Even though I don't know how that caused a change in my bloodline, I'm the same person you know of. Somehow, my appearance changed into a Half-elf after drinking a potion." He added some lies to make the story more believable.
Meanwhile, Claude looked at him suspiciously and spoke.
"Hmm, you indeed have his voice, but what you are saying is hard to accept, young man. Prove it."
"I can. First, I asked you to bring Spirit Berries and Rose Petals from Roseglen City's outskirts to create a potion. Then, during the Goblins' ambush incident, I gave you the Wisdom Tear potion and helped you Rank-up to the next tier." Abium paused, told him about the cultivation scrolls, and even told Claude about how he defeated the Hobgoblin.
"Are you really 'him'? What did you encounter? How did you change this much in such a short amount of time?" Claude was stunned inside and asked multiple questions.
On the other hand, Abium showed a forced smile and gave him a fake story of a lucky encounter in the woods.
Meanwhile, Claude also realized that he wasn't lying and asked more questions.
After chatting for a while, Abium turned his face solemnly and asked.
"Did the guards from Roseglen City come here and search for you?"
"Yes. But thanks to the local guards' and Baron's elite soldiers' help, we managed to fool them. Also, I made a deal with Baron Auguinare and promised to help the town citizens in the cause of any emergency." Claude spoke in a grave tone.
'What? Baron already knew of the upcoming assassination?' A flash of surprise appeared on Abium's face. As he analyzed the current situation, he realized that Baron must have sensed something odd was happening in the town.
At that moment, Claude suddenly thought of something and spoke.
"I came here to warn the half-elf, but-" He paused for a second and soon shook his head.
"I heard from some thieves that someone is after your head, kid."
'Someone is after my head? Watson? But we aren't that much worth, though.' Although Abium had almost killed him and even gave him a humiliating defeat, he knew that it couldn't have angered Viscount to such an extent.
'Something is not right.' He pondered for a moment and soon sighed.
'It doesn't matter. With my current strength, I can kill Watson without much difficulty.' He muttered inwardly and waved his hand.
"You don't have to worry about it, Uncle. I'm a lot stronger than the last time."
On the other hand, Claude wasn't much surprised by his response and nodded.
"I did expect that answer from you. So, what is our next plan? How are we going to rescue our family members from Roseglen City? Most of the soldiers are anxious about their family members."
Meanwhile, Abium remained silent for a few seconds and finally spoke.
"Now is not the right time, Uncle Claude. We should lay low for the next five months and wait for the opportunity. Although I have the strength to kill Watson, I'm not strong enough to fight against the Viscount yet. So, if we storm into Viscount's territory, almost half of us will die. Moreover, we aren't conducting a suicide mission but a rescue one. A single mistake might lead to the death of young children, women, and elders. I don't want to take such a risk."
"You are right. But how do you plan on rescuing our family members without sacrificing anyone?" Claude showed a curious look on his face and asked.
"Royal Family will invite all the nobles for a gathering in the next six months, Uncle. To attend that banquet, Viscount Gauvian, Watson, his family members, and even most of his elite knights will go to the Royal Capital. That will be the best time for you guys to strike. Also, don't forget to rescue Uncle Alfred. As for me, I will have some business to attend." Abium spoke in a grim tone.
"Oh? If what you said is true, we won't miss such an opportunity. Also, don't worry about your Uncle Alfred. I'll personally go there and bring him from the mansion. But where should we go next? If we bring our family members to this town, that Viscount might use it as an excuse to give some trouble for Lord Baron." Claude said, pondering deeply.
Abium shook his head and said.
"That won't be a problem, Uncle. Once you rescue everyone, take them to this town and let them stay here for some time. Meanwhile, I'll do something about the relocation process and money. As for the problem with Viscount, I'll talk to Baron Auguinare later." He suddenly paused as he thought of something and soon shifted his gaze towards Helena.
"Uncle, I do need your help with something. Can you and some elite soldiers accompany this girl and help her complete a search mission? She took this job from an employer without knowing the difficulty."
Meanwhile, Claude raised his eyebrows and asked.
"What are we going to search in this mission? Can you give me more detail about this mission?"
"Sure. Helena's employer seems to be searching for a cursed artifact called 'Emerald Pendant.' There is a rumor going on about a certain artifact. It seems a Fallen Baron also owned a similar Cursed Pendant, and he sealed it inside a golden treasure chest before killing himself and becoming its guardian-"
Before he could finish his words, Claude suddenly squinted his eyes and asked.
"Are you talking about the story behind the 'Farm of Whispers' ruin? But I heard that Fallen Baron died of some love, though."
Meanwhile, Abium showed a stiff smile and shook his head.
"That might be a made-up story to cover the truth. Also, Helena's employer is an Official Mage." He added a few extra bits.
On the other hand, Claude got entirely convinced by his words and nodded.
"If the reward is good, there is no harm in taking this mission-"
Before Claude could finish his words, Helena suddenly caught up with the fake story and spoke.
"100 white gold coins. The employer promised me 200 gold coins, but I can only give you half."
Only then did Claude shift his gaze from Abium and look at her.
"Are you new to this adventurer job, Young Miss? You shouldn't give away this much amount in one go. Also, 100 white gold coins are too much for any small mission. We'll take 20 white gold coins after completing the job. As for the rest, you can keep them yourself. Too much money in our pocket might harm us." He spoke coldly and then added.
"Tell the date and time for this mission. I'll come here with my friends."
Meanwhile, Helena showed a stunned look on her face and soon nodded.
"It's next Monday then. It's better to start the journey around 8 A.M."
Claude also nodded in approval and spoke.
"I'll be on my way then." He stood up from his seat, shifted his gaze towards Abium, and spoke.
"Don't underestimate the Viscount, lad. He really might send some assassins after your head."
Before Abium could open his mouth, Claude turned around, started walking towards the exit, and soon disappeared from his sight.