Chapter XXV: Request at Lutetia Palace
During the beta, the only time I had been in the palace was the dungeon quest. At that time, a special path had been constructed that let players go through the palace straight to the dungeon, without letting them explore. According to game lore, Lord Alphonse refused to risk his safety, so he created a corridor that wouldn't allow a hero to wander.
I assumed Stardust Studios didn't want to render the rest of the palace. I heard that the people who unlocked the palace the first didn't get to see it. They were led to a small room where they met Lord Alphonse.
Maybe they didn't have the palace complete during the beta or maybe they wanted to save it for the official opening, but either way, it looked fantastic. Versailles was one of my mom's favorite places to visit and we went to the palace a couple of times every year.
Lord Alphonse's palace was modeled after Versailles, with a healthy brush of fantasy coating painted on. Knights and guards roamed the grounds, cloaked in armor that would be impractical in the real world.
So standard fantasy armor.
The palace looked new. Like it had just been constructed. Runes and wards were carved into the stone and wood, something that didn't exist in the real Palace of Versailles. It was about the size of the real palace, but this wasn't some tourist destination. This was a true palace, the heart and nerve of a feudal society.
If you removed the fantasy elements, I could picture the Palace of Versailles looking something like this when the Kings of France lived there.
"Do not wonder!" the knight escorting us snapped. "If you leave, we will assume you are agents of Darkness and execute you as such."
"We're heroes," Amos said, a little indignantly. "We're summoned to this world to destroy the darkness."
"We have heard tales of champions being corrupted by the Darkness. It is an attractive force and not even the grand champions are not immune to its effects. The Darkness wants my lord's life. If you leave my sight, I will know that you have been corrupted.
"Once a person, or even a champion, has become corrupted, that is the end for them. There is no returning to what they once were. As long as they are allowed to thrive, they will be agents of the Darkness, a plague upon this world. Those agents will be shown no mercy." To emphasize his point, the knight grabbed his sword.
"Got it," Amos said quickly. "No wandering off."
Kanade rolled her eyes. Euphie giggled. "Don't make sir knight too angry, Sage."
"I am not angry," the knight answered. He was a little more talkative than a usual NPC. He seemed to be on Mireille's level. Was he an NPC or an actor? "The machinations of champions cannot anger me."
"Do you hear that, Sage? You should be more careful," Euphie said. She fell back a step and wrapped one of her arms around mine. "Right, boss?"
"Boss?" Since when was I the boss? And why was she so close?... Not that I minded. This wasn't the real world after all.
"If you were any closer to him, you'd be wearing Chevalier Phénix."
I didn't think she was that close...
"Is someone jealous?"
Jealous? Over me? My avatar was exceptionally handsome. He looked like an angel. A buff, raggedly handsome angel. I guess I could see someone being jealous of him, but that was everyone's avatar. If you had a randomly generated avatar, it was going to be insanely good-looking. The only avatars that weren't were the customized ones.
I didn't see any point in being jealous of Chevalier Phénix, but Kanade's avatar reddened a little bit. Was that a blush? "I am not!"
She humphed and then quickly walked to stand next to Amos.
"I must have hit a nerve," Euphie said, tightening her grip around my arm. I was just a little bit uncomfortable... Okay, not really. As a guy who didn't get any female attention in thirty-six years of life, I liked it.
"So, do you have a girl-"
"Enough talking!" the knight said loudly, cutting Euphie off. We stopped at the end of a long hallway, in front of a handsome wooden door. It wasn't as large as the gate, but the doors were still tall enough for a small giant to fit through. "We will soon be in the presence of Lord Alphonse Beauvale, Marquis of Lutetia and future king of Aquitaine! You will address his Lordship with the respect due to his titles! If you show any disrespect, I will cut you down!"
"Ops," Euphie whispered with a chuckle.
The knight pushed the door open revealing a golden throne room. When I said golden room, I meant golden room. The vaulted ceiling was golden, the only other color was in the stained glass portraits of people and battlefields. The walls were gold, with multi-colored tapestry covering parts of the wall. The pillars that stretched from the floor to the ceiling were also gold, inscribed with runes and wards. The floor was just as gold, reflecting the flight from the torches. Even the steps up to the throne were made of gold, though they were covered with a thick red carpet.
The throne itself was gold, encrusted with gems and precious metals in between runes and wards. If left in incapable hands, the throne and the room would have been overdone, but the designers did a good job and made the room work.
The man sitting on the throne had a regal air about him. From the way he sat comfortably on the throne, to the way he wore the silver crown on his head, everything spoke to him being a ruler.
Not just any kind of ruler, but one who led from the front. He would not sit back and command his armies from an office half a world away. He would not send out his generals to do all the fighting while he remained seated in his lap of luxury.
He looked like the kind of man who would ride into battle. He would be the first into battle on his horse, swinging his sword and rallying the men behind him. He was the kind of man who would charge straight into the thick of things. And his people loved him for that.
I had read the lore regarding Alphonse Beauvale, and that's what it said. Even if I hadn't, just from one look I could tell he wasn't a sitting ruler, but a warring one. The European server for Dynasty was based on medieval Europe, where feudal lords went to battle.
When Alphonse Beauvale looked down at us from his throne, he did not regard us as beneath his notice. He was not like other lords and officials I had seen in the beta, those who looked at everyone like they were servants. If Alphonse Beauvale was a real person in history, I had no doubt he would have carved his name into Europe.
"Bow before his lordship!" the knight commanded.
A screen appeared in front of me, asking if I would bow. I sure as hell didn't want to offend the guy, so I clicked the O. For a moment, the system took control of my avatar and bowed for me. It was an elaborate bow melting into a kneel in front of the lord's throne.
It was a good thing the system did it for me because I had no way to know that was how we were supposed to bow. Thankfully none of my friends appeared to be stupid enough not to kneel.
Alphonse Beauvale continued to regard us. "You are summoned champions, are you not?"
My friends looked at me. I guess I was going to do the talking again. "Yes, Your Lordship. We are."
"What are your names?"
"I am Chevalier Phénix. My companions are Sage, Namizake, and Ghost Lantern."
"Such fanciful names befitting of the summoned champions." Alphonse Beauvale turned to look at the knight. "Tell me, why have they been brought here? Have I not ordered the palace to be closed?"
The knight somehow stood up straighter. "Forgive me, Your Lordship! I was the one who gave the order to let them inside. I shoulder all responsibility."
Alphonse Beauvale nodded. "So you do. You will tell me why you have allowed them here and if your answer does not satisfy me, punishment will be given."
"They came with a note from your brother, Lordship."
"From Alfred? It is only because he urged me to that I have closed the palace. He insisted that I see no one. What has changed?"
"I do not know, Lordship. I only know that this seal is indeed your brother's and the magic belongs to him as well. This scroll is authentic."
Alphonse Beauvale nodded. "Very well, Sir Beaumont. Bring my brother's missive to me."
The knight brought him the letter and Alphonse broke the seal. The designers of this game did a good job, I could see his eyes moving as he read down the letter. That was attention to detail.
"It seems that my brother suggests that I allow the champions to destroy this dungeon. Even if it means opening my palace to them. Perhaps I shall, though measures will need to be taken. We cannot be sure which champions have been infected by the darkness that surrounds the world."
"Your Lordship, it is dangerous-"
Alphonse held up his hand. "It is, yet we cannot allow this dungeon to fester under my throne. I trust my brother, sir knight. As my faithful, you will arrange suitable passage for the champions to the dungeon. I trust that you can do so without putting my safety in jeopardy."
"Yes, Your Lordship."
"Then go forth now and prepare. Yet there is still something I need from these champions in front of me."
"That sounds interesting," I admitted. "What can I do for you, Your Lordship?"
"Before I open my palace and allow the champions to channel this dungeon, there is something I need you to retrieve for me. A creature appeared from that dungeon and stole an important treasure from my family. If you wish for me to open my gates to your fellows, then you will take my treasure back.
"It will be easy. The dungeon under my palace has been sealed. It is only opened when the monster guarding it allows the servants of darkness to pour from its gates. To enter the dungeon, that creature must be slain. If you destroy it, then you will return my treasure."
A quest box appeared:
LORD ALPHONSE'S REQUEST
A Beauvale Family Treasure has been stolen by the Mini Boss guarding the Dungeon Gate. Destroy the boss and return his treasure. Do you accept?
(O) (X)
I clicked O.
"I will grant you a weak to destroy it, champions. We will need time to arrange passage through my palace. Until then, you and your companions are the only ones who may come and go."
On the way back outside the palace, Euphie took her spot on my right. Kanade, seeing that, choice to walk on my left side.
"So why are we leaving?" Euphie asked, pointedly ignoring the other girl. "You accepted the quest, right? Shouldn't we get the treasure back?"
"And we will, but a Wild Boss is guarding the gate. We barely beat Sir Calares and that Wild Boss is bound to have higher stats than him. The NPC gave us a week, so we're going to use it."
"Use it how?"
"We're going to grind until we're sick of this game! How else?"
Euphie appeared a lot less enthusiastic now. "That sounds... Awesome."
I looked at the time. "Well, we do have a few hours until you need to go, Ghost Lantern. We can get some grinding in now and then we'll pick up where we left off tomorrow."
I was going to keep grinding when I got home.
***
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