Chapter 38 - A Game of Chess

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Author 

Vergil POV

I was sitting in the vehicle on our way to estate with May and the elf girl no one was talking, it was quite awkward for a while, Sunniva she was curiously looking outside the window it seemed it was her first time seeing the view 

I decide to take the lead in breaking the silence

"Umm… My name is Vergil Winchester the son of baron Winchester, the lord of this territory" I said as I introduced myself

"Yes I know, I am Sunniva" Sunniva said, still concise 

"Miss Sunniva, could you please tell me where you are?" I asked carefully about her origins

She looked at me 

"I am from Eldarian" she said 

I was really shocked

Eldarian, if I am not wrong, is the kingdom of Elves. It is located to the west of the Adrentia Empire 

It would seem she was smuggled here since our territory is also near the west border of the empire 

I looked solemn this had to be handled with care if not it can lead to a potential incident

Elves are notorious for protecting their kind

'I need to discuss with father' I thought 

"Miss Sunniva how did you end up here" I asked her 

" I was traveling home when we got attacked and then I was brought here" she said as if recounting someone's else story

"How long has it been since the attack" I inquired

"I am not sure, probably a week" she said as she tilted her head 

It would seem she was kidnapped and then sold as slave here 

How bold of these people, Truly ignorant are fearless

I did not asked any more and rest of the way was silent

At the Estate I disembarked with Sunniva and May

"May take Miss Sunniva to my mother, you can explain the situation" I said to May

I was going to father to report the situation 

May obliged as she took Sunniva to May but she just looked at me 

I was also helpless at her attachment as May was constantly giving me a weird look 

"Miss could you please follow May," I said gently, thinking she might be feeling insecure

She was silent for a while then nodded as she silently followed May

I sighed, than I made my way to my father's study 

Along the way I meet Sebas

"Welcome back young master" Sebas greeted

"Yeah, Sebas you should know about the situation" I asked him

"Yes Master I am aware

"Good there are some ladies coming to the estate, arrange for there accommodation also there will be some girls, they are… special just take extra care for them" I told Sebas

" Yes young master, also Master is waiting for you" Sebas said as he bowed

"Yeah… I am going" I sighed as I made my way to the study

I knocked on the door

"Enter" My father gave his permission 

"Good Evening Father" I greeted 

"Yes good evening" he said still working on the documents

"I have already got the general gist of the situation from Gareth, you did a good job this time" he said as he praised me 

"Thankfully I did not disgrace the family name" I said 

"Tell me about the situation " he asked for my view

I told him in detail about everything that transpired Also about the elf girl I encountered 

"Did you say her name is Sunniva ?" Father asked as he interrupted me

"That's what she said" I raised an eyebrow at my father's reaction 

"Ah this is going to be troublesome.." father muttered a he pinched his nose bridge 

"Is she someone important" I asked 

Father was quiet for a while as he thought about the situation

Than he said

"Few days ago the imperial family received the news of the abduction of the second princess of the Eldarian Royal family, Sunniva Von Eldaria" he told me the news

"Princess….." I exclaimed at the information 

Well this got very serious, very fast; an international scandal 

'The royal princess got kidnapped by slave traders and was found in the Winchester territory '

I could already picture the headlines for this situation

This changes the entirety of the situation, now the imperial families have been involved, if not handled properly we may very well incur the wrath of the elven kingdom

"Father our own nobles could very well be involved in this, also it could be a scheme against our family" I speculated the various possibilities 

"Well, luckily you found about the situation in time" father also sighed in relief at least the worse did not happened 

"I will inform the Imperial family about the situation, as for the slave traders…" he said seriously as a cold glint flashed through his eyes

"Father although the boss died but there second in command is alive, he could have the information regarding the people involved" I informed father 

"He has already been taken to prison, also the death of the leader was also quite odd, if I am not wrong he should be practicing a forbidden arts" father made his assumptions 

"Forbidden art?" I was confused as I haven't heard of it before

"Yes, very sinister technique it involves going against the natural way to obtain power quickly" he explained

"It would not be so simple" I said by certainty, there are no shortcuts to strength 

"Yes it takes away you sanity and also it makes people irrational, also these arts have very harsh requirements, and these keep on increasing as there strength increases, they lose their humanity driven only by one instinct power" he said solemnly 

There was silence in the room as I was trying to process what Father has said 

'how could he get his hands on such technique ... could it be he people behind him gave it' I was thinking

"Regarding the people you brought, what are you going to do with them?" Father asked me as he brought me out of my thoughts 

"About that….. they all pleaded me to take them in so let's just hire them as maid, as for the enslaved girls I haven't thought about it yet" I told father my thoughts 

"Well it's no problem to hire the ladies, they just need some basic training, I will call a special healer for treatment of the girls" he said

I nodded at his arrangements 

We talked about more after that I told him about the auction as I showed him the Herb and the Petroglyph 

"Well the Herb is quite rare, you could commission an alchemist to make you the potion, as for this glyph…." Father said as he observed the Petroglyph more closely 

"I can feel a different kind of energy from this glyph, Paracelsus has a very deep influence on alchemy so it should be quite valuable. On the same note I believe many people must have studied it , but could find nothing" Father told m his thoughts 

"Father I also brought some alchemy books from one of the bookstore, I plan to study it as well" I informed him

"Also father one more thing…." I told him about my unpleasant encounter with Marcus Addercrest 

"Haa… why do you get in trouble wherever you go" Father said as he helplessly sighed at me

"It's not my fault that trouble finds me" I said it shrugging my shoulders

'Maybe I am cursed' I joked to myself

"You can handle it yourself, there family won't meddle in some children's conflict" he said as he waived his hands

"Right now your priority is to look after Princess Sunniva, also I will increase the security around the manor." He said 

"Now go away… always giving me a headache" he said as he kicked me out 

I left the study leaving all the headache to father as I thought 

'What a day it has been, bought some books, went to an auction, annoyed a playboy, killed some slave traders, saved an elf princess...…. Well there goes my peacefully days'

I was really tired but, the slave trade really took me buy surprise. Honestly the idea of having your free will robbed feels so awfully to me 

How helpless the girls would have felt as they have no control over their own selves

Unknowingly I went to the training ground.

It was quiet, all the knights were doing there duties

Alone I stood in the ground, my emotions still riled up as the mere thought about the previous situation, rage bubbled with in me 

I took out my sword and released my prana as I kept swinging my sword trying to vent these feelings

Whenever I feel like I have made some progress, reality gave me a slap in the face reminding me of my pathetic weak self 

I am not angry at these slave traders, I know that darkness and light co exist 

What I feel angry about is that the people responsible for this whole of situation can easily escape these crimes without any severe repercussions. Even if it is reported to the imperial family they will only make some superficial punishment 

The involvement of the princess might make the situation a little more serious but in that case they will sacrifice some pawns and still remain unscathed 

They will probably lay low for a while, than resume these activities at a later date, these people will do anything in order to get benefit 

Looking at now, I am a chess piece following someone commands on this huge chessboard, so how am I any different than these slave's just I dont know who is pulling my strings 

In order to become one of the players in addition to strength I also need enough influence 

Eventually, I felt exhausted as I lay on the ground catching my breath and looking at dark yet bright night sky 

"It won't be long" I said to myself 

I maybe weak now but I will not remain weak for long. A gentleman's revenge is never late

I stood up and dragged my tired body to my room retiring for the day 

As I made my way to my room, I did not notice a pair of eyes observing me in a distance looking at me with gentle and worried eyes