Chapter 27 - A Diplomatic Favor

The next two days pass without incident. The day is spent in the carriages, the night is spent watching the jester. By now I'm exhausted, and desperately looking forward to a bath and some sleep. Also, it takes three days before the minion Status fades, it seems.

We arrive at the capital of Parshura: B'dur. After a brief identity check (thank you Brother Crym for your help with that.), we go to the castle. The captive Aurellium members are taken away to their cells, and I'm relieved of my duties. "Ah, but you should stay until the trials are over. You might be called in as a witness." One of the guards tell me before I leave.

Ugh, I have to stay? I really regret doing it this way now... I sigh to myself as I open the doors to the Guild Hall. I change my Gold into Silver, and my Silver into Copper so as to have an easier time paying for things I might need. I also pay the ten Copper to rent a room at the Hall for a day.

I take a long, warm bath before bed. Securely locking the door to my room, I arrange the bedding onto the floor before returning to my true form and going to sleep.

I end up oversleeping by a lot. It's after noon before I wake up. Getting dressed and ready, I decide to leave my bag of Draugr in my room. As long as I lock the door, no-one should come in here. At least I hope so.

As I descend the stairs to the first floor, a man with hair that shifts between various shades of orange, dressed in a suit not unlike what a butler might wear, approaches me. That reminds me, I never did learn the name of the Fire people.

*Pyrean. The other species of humanoid are: Human, Beastfolk, Accan, Ayvin, Minars and Photian.*

So Pyrean are fire, Humans are life, Beastfolk are Earth, Accan are Water, Ayvin are Air, Minars are Dark and Photian are Light.

*Correct.*

"Your Excellence, the King requests an audience with you. If you accept, please follow me." His tone clashes a bit with his looks. He looks like some tamed down delinquent with his crazy hair and shark-like teeth, yet he is soft spoken and well dressed. "Ah, yes, please show the way." I follow him, trying to ignore the stares that began when he addressed me as "Excellence".

He guides me to the same waiting room that I waited in the first time I was here. I'm a lot more anxious this time around. Maybe because I'm alone. I wait around for maybe a few minutes before some official looking guy exits the throne-room. He looks me up and down before huffing and leaving. I guess I didn't impress him?

"Millibelle, you may enter. Please keep proper distance to his Highness unless he approaches you." Actvi, Valena's older brother, and the Kings Royal Protector, lets me into the throne-room. He keeps a close eye on my every movement. I guess he still doesn't trust me. Or he's just really diligent at his job.

The room seems to be the same as the last time I was here, save for a new pedestal next to the throne, housing a rainbow-shimmering gem with a brilliant cut. (~it basically looks like your standard cut diamond~) I feel a sense of familiarity when observing the colors swirl within it.

I make a curtsy to King Dervix who sits upon his throne. "Millibelle, it's been a while." He seems cheerful. "And in that while you've been a tremendous help to me. Capturing spies, ridding the town of Hu'ul of the Morke that was terrorizing it, and now you've captured over thirty members of one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in the world!" He gestures dramatically.

"Ah, well, most of that was just because I happened to be there." I try to explain away. He pauses for a moment. It seems as if he wants to ask something, but drops it. "Anyway, I wanted to let you know that the criminals you brought in are all being sentenced to prison. Since they all confessed and plead guilty to the crimes they had committed, they dodged the death penalty."

"Besides, it's not as if we could actually execute those you apprehended for trying to spring their comrades, since you Dueled for their fate." He shrugs. "What do you mean?" I ask him. "I forget that you're unfamiliar with the workings of the World, at least the workings that only apply to humanoids." He walks over to a group of recliners, probably meant for longer talks with diplomats?

I follow him and sit down opposite of him. "Let me explain." He starts. "Normally, monsters can not participate in a Duel, as they are unable to consent. But it seems you are a special case." He pours himself a glass of some sort of juice, it smells fruity. "Duels used to be more common before, but that was when there wasn't really any laws or rules in place to guide the people."

He takes a sip before offering me a glass as well. I accept, sniffing at the drink. "Nowadays its used as a last resort if an agreement can't be reached through normal means. It's also widely used in criminal organizations to settle internal squabbles." That explains the jesters words... sort of?

"In addition to this, there's the clauses regarding the proper use of Dueling." I try the drink, it's not unlike apple juice, but with a spicy sting to it. "Senselessly calling for a Duel, unfair Stakes for a Duel, impossible odds for the challenged party regardless of win condition or the death of entities affected by the Stakes without their death being a part of the Stakes all summon the Divine Wrath."

"The last one, what does that entail exactly?" I ask him. "Let's take the example of your captives. The Stakes for your Duel with the Index Admin was that either you let your captives go, or their party of bandits would surrender to the authorities. Sentencing them to death would violate the clause since they would be forced to face prosecution by following the Stakes. If the Stakes had been: Either the Aurellium kills your captives, or you kill the Aurellium members calling the Duel, there wouldn't be an issue with any of them dying." He takes a big sip of his glass and refills it.

"So... Even if I'd lost the Duel, the people that would have been slain by the Aurellium for being indebted would have lived." I think it makes sense now why they called for that Duel. The jester would have benefited from either result. "Correct. Even the Aurellium fears the Nemesis." When he says that name, a base, instinctual fear rises within me. My entire body gets covered in goosebumps.

"Seems even the great Monarch fears that name." He seems amused, but I can see he has goosebumps up his neck. "What is it?" I ask. "It is the Divine Wrath. An entity whose only purpose for being is to punish those who break the Clauses of Dueling. From what we have been able to figure out about it, it is imperceptible, immortal, and capable of felling even Heroes in one strike."

I guess the safest thing would be to only ever answer calls to Duels then, if messing up means facing something like that. "So, now that I have explained to you why you should be careful with challenging people to Duels, I wanted to ask a favor of you." He sets down his glass and gets a business-like look to him.

"Go on" I tell him, finishing off my juice and also setting down my glass. "Two days from now, I'll be hosting a diplomatic meeting. Emissaries from every nearby country and kingdom will be there." I can see where this is going... "I want you to attend; as your true self, of course."

"I'm guessing it is to show the emissaries what I look like, and how nice I am, so they'll leave my Lair alone?" I ask him, knowing full well that isn't the case. "I guess you could look at it that way... The main thing I want you to do is pretend that you obey me." Being honest, how nice of him. "It will of course be an act, but it will make the others more hesitant to be aggressive against Parshura, knowing I truly have the Monarch on my side."

"I know from before you're on bad terms with Harmek, who else?" I inquire, Dervix guffaws before explaining "Well, bad terms would be to put it lightly. The Queen of Harmek, or well, Her Council, believes that my kingdom is built on their land. But other than them, there's the countries of Yo'ud and Eyslef. There will be representatives of all three, in addition to representatives from some of the larger factions within Eyslef." Dervix gets back up and walks over to the table with the maps on them.

He points to the kingdom of Parshura on the map. "Here we are." He begins as I join him at the table. "To the south-east is the Illomen Forest, beyond that is another kingdom, Feyloche, but no-one would willingly travel through that forest, and as such relations to them are practically non-existent." He points to a larger piece of land beyond the large green blob that marks the Illomen Forest.

"To the south, bordering the Illomen and stretching all the way to the coast is the Suchwallow Marshes. Further south, beyond the borders of Feyloche lies the domain of Verdanta, the Elder Dragon of Plant. Humanoids don't go there, so the terrain is largely unexplored." He points to a blank piece of the map south-west of the kingdom of Feyloche marked with a dragon.

"To the west is the ocean of Maretung, it is currently unknown if there's other continents beyond this sea. Anyone that has tried to cross it has never returned. Fishing operations are kept within sight of the shoreline for this reason." The blue portion of the map fades into more blank parchment, marked with a question mark.

"Those are the borders that are the least concern if one is talking risk of invasion." He explains. "Now, to the east is the kingdom of Harmek, led by Queen Typhona. Or well, Her Council." He gives an almost tired chuckle. "Over here's your Lair." He points to a relatively small green speck on the map, quite close to the border. "Oh I see." I remark. That's why they were investigating my Lair, its super close to that section of border.

"Then, to the north-east is Yo'ud, led by Prime Minister Kalim. And finally, the country of Eyslef. Due to political tensions there, they don't have a main leader, it's more the leader of the faction in charge at the time who leads." He sighs. "And the faction in charge can change from week to week." That sounds rough.

He takes a deep breath before smiling. "So, do you agree to our little charade?" I consider for a moment. "I'll accept, on the condition that you give me information regarding the whereabouts of a monster, a Forest King." He tilts his head, seemingly thinking it over. "You don't give me much choice, huh. And I suppose it's fair. I don't know how long it will take to gather the information, high Star monsters such as those are usually in hard to reach areas."

"If it takes a while, I don't mind, as long as you at least look for it." He smiles at this, before reaching out his hand to me. "It's settled then, I'll give the Guild the heads up to tell me of any sightings. In the meanwhile, I look forward to having you at the diplomatic meeting." I accept his hand and we shake on it.

"Now, I'll have Bunsen instruct you on etiquette. You won't be expected to observe these rules, of course, but it's good for you to know them, just in case..." As if by magic, the Pyrean man that showed me to the castle enters and shows me to another room. I spend most of the day being taught.

When Bunsen is finally done with his tutoring, I head back to the Guild Hall. Both Dervix and I agree that it is best to keep Millibelle the Monarch and Millibelle Voidreiser as separate entities for now, at least in the public's eye. I pay for three more days of renting my room before having supper and going to bed for the night.