Chapter 97: Chapter 97 – Floor 9: Part 18

Chapter 97 – Floor 9: Part 18

“You just don’t know when to quit, do you?” Mathew called out over the wall of fire. The intensity of the heat made him wary of approaching it, and even with his command over the Blessing ‘Control Flames,’ he couldn’t smother it easily.

Algrond stood on the other side, wearily leaning on his two-handed sword for support. Beside him were two other Lords and a Lady of the Lineage.

The last time Mathew faced Algrond, it had just been him and another ally. Evidently, he was expanding his efforts to drive Mathew out of Reesh or kill him.

But, the same as his last attempt, Mathew prevailed. It hadn’t been that hard; these were minor figures in the ranks of the Lineage. Even ganging up on him wasn’t enough to defeat Mathew, although it had been time-consuming and destructive to the environment.

They were just to the north of Reesh, close to where they had fought before. The crackling wall of flames that divided Mathew from his opponents hadn’t been his creation; rather, it was an opportunity for a respite and to cover the retreat of Algrond and the others.

Yule was safely sheltered a distance away, carefully observing and taking notes.

“There will be no abandoning our holy mission, Demon. Even if it takes a thousand years, we will never stop. And if I should fall, my Lineage will carry on until you are driven from these lands.” Algrond responded.

Mathew chuckled at the reply, shaking his head ruefully at the prideful statement.

“Good luck with that. I think you have other things to worry about than me. If I were you, I would focus your efforts on one of the higher-ranked Demon Lords. Or maybe you’re too scared to act against them? I heard they have been causing a lot of trouble lately. If you ask nicely, I might be persuaded to give you some tips on how to fight them.” Mathew said truthfully.

His allies, the Upper Ranks of Demon Lords, had been consolidating their territory and slowly building their reputation as per their objectives. But the Lower Ranks were wreaking Havoc across this Floor to the point where he was almost rooting for the Lords and Ladies if he didn’t know that they weren’t any better.

Mathew wished both sides would just wipe each other out and leave him and the people on this floor in peace.

“I won’t fall for your lies, Demon.” Algrond responded. He caught his breath and sheathed the large sword onto his back.

“Fair enough. I’m happy to have a scuffle anytime, Algrond. Bring as many friends as you want; just means there will be more of an audience when I beat you. Until next time!” Mathew replied, waving merrily to the Lord and grinning widely.

Algrond and the others left, and the wall of fire faded when they could no longer be seen on the horizon. While he waited for Yule to rejoin him, Mathew checked his objectives.

Reputation: 350/5000

“What do I have to do to fill this thing?” Mathew grumbled. He had been on this floor for over a year and only gained 350 points of reputation. He didn’t want to be here for decades, twiddling his thumbs and waiting for the local Lords to attack him.

Although he had to admit, he had fun adventuring. Clearing the mines, bandit camps, and ruins brought him a steady supply of points and Aether. Plus, it broke up the monotony of ruling over Reesh. Thank the gods that he had Mayor Goodwin to handle things. He didn’t want to be stuck in that mansion, listening to petitions all day.

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Instead, Mathew could do pretty much whatever he wanted. Occasionally, he would tour the town and let out a blast of ‘Fear,’ just as a reminder if someone stepped out of line. But those times were few and far between. Mostly, he just let his underlings do the work while he sat back and watched.

“Did you get everything you wanted?” Mathew asked Yule when she finally reached him. The young woman nodded while she put her notebook back in her satchel.

“Good. Who were the three people with Algrond? They never introduced themselves.” Mathew asked.

When Algrond and the others approached, they attacked immediately, and Mathew hadn’t had much of an opportunity to speak with them.

“Lord Rothferd, Lord Alswyn and Lady Rosyln. Their territories are to the west of Lord Algrond’s.” Yule paused and bit her lip before continuing.

“They are very minor in the ranks of the Lineage. I believe they owe bonds of allegiance through certain…dalliances by Algrond's father.” Yule finished, and Mathew looked at her with confusion. It took her a moment to understand that Mathew was clueless regarding her meaning.

“Algrond’s father was a known philanderer.” Yule clarified, and Mathew’s eyes widened.

“Oh! So they are all related.” Mathew stated, and Yule shrugged.

“If you believe the rumours. The Chronicles are…vague in that regard.”

“Too bad. It would have made for better reading. Make sure you include all the juicy tidbits in your section. I can’t have people being bored when they read about me. Feel free to embellish if you want. Dozens of concubines, mountains of skulls and a throne of gold. That sort of thing.” Mathew said, waving his hand vaguely.

“I won’t lie, even for you.” Yule rebuked him, and Mathew let out a laugh.

“Embellish! There’s a difference. Maybe there were a dozen Lords and Ladies here today, and I fought them off with one hand. Just spice it up a bit; I’m giving you full creative licence.” Mathew said as the pair walked back toward Reesh.

“The god of Accumulated Knowledge is not interested in ‘spicy’ stories, Lord Mathew. I am a seeker of truth.” Yule responded.

“Fine, but don’t blame me when people complain about your chronicle. It will be full of, ‘and then Demon Lord Mathew watched as workers extended the road through Reesh and built a barn.’ Or ‘Demon Lord Mathew fought off Algrond and his cronies for an hour and then went to have a bath.’” Mathew pitched his voice higher to imitate Yule.

Page Break

“The bastard will pay for this humiliation!” Algrond cursed as he slammed his gauntleted fist into the stone wall of his castle. He left an indentation on the stone as evidence of his prodigious strength. Everyone in the room, including the other Lords and Ladies, watched in concern as he vented his anger.

“Time and again, he taunts me! How is he this strong!? Even against four of our Lineage, he bests us.” Algrond shouted, the thumps of his fist accompanying his words.

“It is said that he is constantly training. The villagers report that he is gone from Reesh for days, even weeks, at a time. And when he returns, he often brings treasures or news of his accomplishments. He had opened new fields by driving the undead out of the south and the spiders from the silver mines.” Natisha spoke up as her grandfather finally grew silent.

The others in the room were too afraid of the Lord to speak, but Natisha, as her grandfather’s favourite, had no fear of his anger.

“Training. You call these acts ‘training,’ but I see it for what it is. A Demon Lord thirsting for violence and blood. He knows that killing in Reesh will draw more attention from the other Lineages, so he goes out of his way to hide his ‘tastes.’” Nathaniel countered.

The comment set off a series of muttering and whispers in the room. But it was the silent Algrond that everyone watched.

“Perhaps you are correct. For too long, we have coasted on the power of our bloodline. Idle and indolent. No more.” Algrond muttered. He had been living in his father’s shadow for his entire life. Too many women, too much wine. He was soft.

His fights against this Demon Lord proved it. His father would have killed Mathew, accomplishing what his son failed to do on multiple occasions.

There had never been a need for him to focus, to deny himself the privileges that his station afforded him.

Never again would he suffer a humiliation like this. And neither would his lineage. They would be better. He would be better.

A change came over the Aeolian Lineage after that day. No longer were there dark whispers about their habits and behaviours. They were united in a singular purpose, and nothing would distract them from it.