Slayers - Volume 10 - Chapter 2

2: Not a Fan of the Cloak and Dagger Stuff, Y’know?

“Welcome, Lina Inverse. Do forgive the wait.” The redhead’s words snapped me and Gourry out of our shock. He stood up and beckoned for us to join him. “By all means, come sit. Make yourselves comfortable.”

“Oh... sure. Th-Thank you for inviting us,” I responded, still a little stiff as I stepped into the room.

“The pleasure is mine, truly. I’m delighted to finally meet the famous Lina Inverse.”

“Famous, huh?” I whispered as we took our seats. I was hoping that whatever he’d heard about me hadn’t come from the nasty rumor mill.

Once we sat down, the regent took his seat again. “Let us begin with introductions,” he began. “I am Lavas Nexalia Langmeier, current regent of Welgis Castle. I’ve taken up the duties of my father, Lord Klein, who has been laid up ill for some time.”

Gourry’s attention remained on Mileena and Luke, who stood behind Lord Lavas. Luke, perhaps also curious, kept shooting looks our way, while Mileena was as expressionless as she’d been the first time we’d met her.

Lord Lavas, whether he noticed the exchanged glances or not, continued talking. “You might not think it to look at me, but I’m quite an aficionado of the magical arts... More specifically, of tales regarding them.” A server came out of the door behind the regent, placed some potage in front of us, and left again. “There are many accounts out there, of course, but the ones I’ve found most intriguing of late are the stories of Lina Inverse.”

“But aren’t most of those stories really bad?” Gourry interrupted.

Hey! Why is that the only thing you pay attention to?! If we weren’t in such a fancy-pants place, I would’ve smacked him one.

The regent winced at Gourry’s words. “It’s true that some of them are what I’d call... unsavory. But the more accomplished one becomes, the greater their renown—and the more gossipmongering arises to tarnish that renown. I personally believe that negative rumors are only ever half the story,” he said.

He then looked at me and continued, “I hope you won’t take offense when I say that I’ve collected quite the array of rumors about you. I’ve heard you were deeply involved with the power struggles of both the Atlas City sorcerers’ council and the royal family of Saillune. There was also the elimination of an evil cult in Kalmaart, and the defeat of the mighty assassin Zuma. It’s even said that you were party to the razing of the capital of Dils and Sairaag City. All events whose involvement would call for nothing less than a peerless sorcerer.”

Oho... I let out an internal noise of appreciation. Someone’s done their research!

“But hearsay is just that—hearsay. So while we eat, I was hoping that you might regale me with some of your accomplishments firsthand. But I suppose I have prattled on, haven’t I? Do enjoy your soup before it gets cold,” Lord Lavas said as he picked up his own spoon.

After dinner, Gourry and I left the castle. We were currently on our way back to the inn.

“Wow, what a meal,” he remarked in satisfaction as we walked the night road together.

“I can’t believe you stuffed your face like that.”

“Well, it was all just so good... Nobles really have it made, you know? But you didn’t seem too hungry yourself. What gives? Did you sneak in three or four meals beforehand ’cause you couldn’t hold out for dinner?”

“Hahh...” I let out an exhausted sigh. “Listen, this isn’t a matter of appetite. Did you completely forget that Lord Lavas might be out to get us?”

“Of course I didn’t. Pretty surprising how he didn’t make a move on us, huh?”

Ughhh...

“Well, what I mean to say is that I was worried the food might be poisoned.”

“What?!” Gourry stopped cold in his tracks like that had only just dawned on him. “Th-The food... was poisoned?!”

“It could’ve been, although I’m guessing it wasn’t since you don’t seem any worse for wear after cramming it down your gullet the way you did.”

“That’s what you’re going by?! You could’ve said something before we started eating!”

“As if! We don’t know for sure that Lord Lavas is a bad guy yet, and you wanted me to cheerily sit down at his table and say, ‘Careful there, big guy, the food might be poisoned’?!”

Why hadn’t I warned Gourry prior to arriving at the castle, you ask? If I’m being honest here... it had kinda slipped my mind at the time. But shh! Don’t tell him that!

“If I eat carefully enough, I can at least tell if a dish is empoisoned. But not if I just glut myself.”

“Huh... So that’s why you ate so slow?”

“Exactly.”

“How’d you learn to identify the taste of poison?”

“Eh, no biggie. Just a skill my sister back home made sure I learned back in the day.”

At this, Gourry fell silent for a moment. “I’ve been wondering this for a while,” he finally said, “but what kind of person is your sister?”

“Don’t ask. Please. Just let it be.”

“O-Okay... I won’t pry.” Gourry must have noticed the terror deep in my eyes, because he fell silent again with a shiver.

“Anyhoo, I’m left wondering what that dinner invitation was really all about.” I returned to the subject at hand, hoping to clear the air.

“I dunno. We did all that speculating about what he might be plotting on the way there, but all he wanted was to hear your war stories.”

“Yup. Maybe hearing about me from his bodyguards, Luke and Mileena, piqued his curiosity... Although the timing seems a little too convenient for that, yeah?”

“Yeah. And speaking of, Lina, what’re they doing there? The regent wouldn’t hire those two if he was working with the men in black, would he?”

“Hmm...” I pensively furrowed my brow. Dude had a point. We’d teamed up with Luke and Mileena to fight the men in black over a sword back in Bezeld. Said sword was gone now, but even with the object at odds out of the picture, I was sincerely doubtful that the black cloaks would be so quick to hire former foes for protection. “Either way, our priority right now is dealing with you-know-who.”

“Fair point.”

Gourry and I exchanged a look as we continued to walk along. Ever since leaving the castle, we’d felt a presence tailing us. If it was a friend, they would have called out to us, so the fact that they hadn’t suggested... trouble.

“Should we make the first move?” Gourry asked.

“Good question. All I know is we’d better not lead ’em back to where we’re staying,” I responded, coming to a stop.

There were no residences or bars nearby. It was only shortly after nightfall, but the streets were already empty of all but darkness and silence. Perhaps realizing we’d halted, the presence behind us seemed to hesitate momentarily before making its next move—coming straight for us!

Light burst forth from the black of night, riding a wave of hostile intent. The light took the form of a magical spear, but it was easily avoidable at this distance. Gourry and I leaped in opposite directions to evade it. But then—

“Huh?!”

Sensing a new wave of danger, I half-reflexively put a hand on my sword. A figure leaped out of the darkness right before my eyes! Hey! 

Ching! I used the hilt of my half-drawn shortsword to block an incoming horizontal slash by a hair’s breadth.

Wow, that was close! If I’d been a second slower, my opponent’s blade would’ve buried itself in my side—or at least liberated me of a finger grasping my hilt. The attack had come way too fast for it to be the same guy who’d launched the spell, though. Were there two assailants?!

“Lina!” As I leaped back, Gourry interposed himself between me and my attacker, his sword drawn.

Clash! The man in black blocked a slash from Gourry with his own blade—one the color of darkness. From the same position, he then launched a spell at the big lug in retaliation! When had he chanted that?!

It should’ve been a surefire hit at close range, but Gourry managed to twist away and channel his momentum into a follow-up slash. This time, the man in black jumped back to dodge instead of parrying. He took some distance from Gourry, then suddenly turned and bolted.

“Is he running away?!” Gourry shouted.

“No!” I said, giving chase. “He wants us to follow him! He’s luring us somewhere!”

“And we’re just gonna play along?!” he whined as he ran to catch up.

“Of course! It’s an obvious trap, so we’re gonna spring it, bust through, and find our next step!”

“Gotcha!”

Gourry and I darted down the night-cloaked street in pursuit of the fleeing figure. I’d assumed there were two of them, but there was no sign now of a second. Maybe my mind was playing tricks on me... or maybe that was part of the trap. Whatever the case, chasing down this guy would get me my answer sooner or later.

We raced along, turning corner after corner. After a whole lot of running, the man in black finally passed through a certain gate.

“Hey, this is...”

Gourry and I briefly came to a halt, for we were right outside one of the mysterious off-limits facilities we’d scoped out before. It looked a little like a library or museum, but it was walled off and swarming with guards the last we saw... Yet there was no sign of guards near it now, and the gate stood wide open.

“Hey... Lina!” Gourry called.

There, I looked toward the building itself. The man in black we’d been chasing was standing at the front door, staring back at us.

“Got it. The old ‘come and get me’ routine...” I muttered.

“Are we... gonna go and get him?”

“You betcha!” I responded with a wink.

We then renewed the chase. Once the man in black was sure we were coming after him again, he disappeared through the door.

“This guy’s really set on making sure we keep up!” Gourry remarked.

“A sign he’s confident in his own abilities. Or in whatever trap he’s set. Or... maybe both.”

We were soon upon the entrance for ourselves. A faint beam of light shone through the crack in the door, but there was no immediate sign of anyone inside. Of course, we knew someone had to be. They were probably just concealing their presence.

I recited a spell under my breath and signaled Gourry with my eyes. Then—Bam!—he kicked the door in, sword in hand! But...

“Nobody home,” he whispered, looking around.

I took a moment and then peeked inside too. A large, circular entry hall opened up before us. At the end was a corridor, and on either side was a staircase leading up to the second floor. Candlesticks lining the walls cast the room in faint magical light. There genuinely didn’t seem to be anyone around. Except...

The opening to the corridor in the back was flanked by two griffon statues, the rightmost of which was shifted slightly from its original position. Below it was a hole in the floor leading into the basement.

“Another obvious trap, I’d say,” Gourry observed.

“Guess we better fall for it, huh?” I responded. “They’ve gone to this much trouble, after all.”

We steeled ourselves as we strode across the room and sallied down the stairs to a hallway below. The ceiling itself seemed to have been enchanted with some kind of magical light, which cast a cold, inorganic glow over the austere, empty corridor.

After we walked a ways, the hallway culminated in a door that just screamed, “Hello there! I’m a trap!” Still, we couldn’t exactly turn back now.

We made it to the door, reached for the knob, and... Clack. A chill air washed over us from the room beyond. On the other side of the door was... blackness. The light trailing in from the hall only revealed silhouettes lined along either wall.

“Lighting!” I incanted to brighten the place up. And then... “What is all this?” I found myself whispering.

The room was flanked with crystal tubes as high as the ceiling. Inside of them floated living things, seemingly asleep... Curious creatures that could be called neither human nor monster.

“Say, Lina, what is this place?”

“A chimera factory... and a big one, at that.”

The rows of tubes extended beyond the light of my spell. There had to be a hundred or more.

“Chances the guy in black is farther in?” Gourry asked hesitantly.

“No contest, man.”

The crystal tubes were set into the wall. It would be impossible for someone to hide behind them. Our guy probably intended to lead us deeper in, then release the chimeras from the tubes to surround us. But if that was the game, I had a little plan of my own.

I began to walk the narrow hall between the tubes, chanting under my breath. And before long...

“We meet again,” came a voice as I felt a presence spring up behind us.

I quickly turned to see a figure standing at the door we’d come through, haloed by the light. No prizes for guessing it was a man in black. Of course, given the dress code, I technically had no way of knowing whether it was the same man in black...

“Do you remember my voice? It’s me... Zain.”

“Zain?!” I cried out, abandoning my chant.

“Who?” Gourry asked.

“From the whole Bezeld thing! You know, the black cloak who disappeared on us at the very end?!” I shouted. This guy wasn’t a bad fighter, but we could beat him so long as we didn’t let our guard down.

“I heard you infiltrated another of our facilities yesterday,” he said. “I was rather surprised when my comrades mentioned your names.”

“So this city is your home base after all, huh?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“Aw, really? You always took the bait before. Kids grow up so fast!”

“Say what you like,” Zain spat indifferently.

Huh, and he used to be so easy to manipulate too... There was definitely something different about him now.

“Either way, you need to die,” he hissed, killing intent now flooding out of him.

I quickly chanted a spell, when just then...

Krrrik-ak-ak-ak! The crystal tubes that lined the hall between us and Zain audibly began to crack! Crash! So-called “water of life”—a culture fluid used for making chimeras—gushed forth, momentarily hiding Zain from sight.

The next instant... a hostile presence appeared behind us.

“What?!”

Gourry whipped around. Swords flashed. Clang! He skillfully managed to block the man in black’s blade.

I knew it! There were two guys! That meant my job was to pin down Zain, who was still in front of us. But just as I settled on that strategy...

“As usual, not bad,” whispered the man behind us—in Zain’s voice!

What?! I looked back to the door ahead to see that the silhouetted figure was gone. It can’t be! Even if he had a secret passageway or something, he shouldn’t have been able to get behind us that quickly!

Nevertheless, we didn’t have time to sort that out right now. The sealed chimeras were now starting to flood the hallway from their broken tubes.

I unleashed the spell I’d chanted on the nearest one: “Freeze Bullid!”

As its name suggested, Freeze Bullid fired a frigid projectile meant to quick-freeze an opponent. The corridor was pretty narrow, so if I iced the one in the lead, it should hold off the others behind it. Yet...

Crash! My spell hit the head chimera, but rather than freezing solid... the creature just shook it off.

It didn’t work?! Did this particular chimera have a little demon in it?!

I didn’t have time to cook up another spell with the monsters barreling toward me. Instead, I swiftly drew my shortsword and prepared to meet them. I’m not bad with a blade skill-wise, mind you, but I can’t deny that I’m lacking in the brawn department. If Chimera No. 1 was a fusion of human and demon, I’d be hard pressed to fell it in one blow. That being the case...

The approaching chimera roared, raised its right hand high, and...

Whoosh! In that instant, I leaped close, keeping low in a crouch so that it might look to the chimera like I had disappeared. I then straightened up, thrusting my sword straight above me!

Krrkkh! The tip of my blade pierced the chimera’s jaw from below! It let out a howl curdled by bloody foam, lashing out as it struggled in agony.

I quickly let go of my sword, drew back, and released the spell I’d been working on. “Blast Ash!”

Whoom! The flailing chimera and the one behind it took the spell head-on and turned to ash. See, this little black magic number would cremate anything with life or will—meaning it left my sword and the walls around us unscathed. I scooped up my weapon as it clattered to the floor and readied myself to face the next round of chimeras.

About a dozen were still crowding the hallway. I could beat a couple more the same way, but it would be slow and dangerous going. If only I had access to my good ol’ Gaav Flare, which would both affect demons and penetrate multiple opponents... Too bad circumstances had conspired, let’s say, to deny me that spell.

If Gourry got a free moment, I could order him to take point while I watched on from the sidelines. But, while I didn’t have any time to spare him a glance, I could still hear the clashing of swords behind me. That meant the boys were still busy, so I was gonna have to do something about these chimeras myself! If I could just stymie the one at the head of the pack...

That’s it! I quietly began chanting. I held the cautious chimeras at bay with my sword, and then...

Whoosh! The beast in the lead finally decided to charge.

But by then, I’d already finished my spell! “Dynast Breath!”

Shing! This time, the vanguard chimera froze entirely in place.

This spell summoned magical ice capable of freezing even demons, meaning it overpowered any magic resistance the chimeras might have. It usually froze an opponent and then shattered them into little shards... But I’d adjusted the incantation slightly for all freeze, no break. If you truly understood a spell’s chant, such modifications were pretty easy to make.

Okay! The other chimeras won’t be able to get by the frozen one at the head of the parade, which means I can help Gourry out with Zain now!

I turned around, chanting a new spell.

Clink! Clank! Clang! Their battle was still going strong, as I’d expected. Gourry wasn’t taking it easy on the guy either. Zain’s slashes seemed to be coming harder and faster than they had the last time we’d tangled with him.

What the heck? How’d he get so much better so fast? Regardless, taking on me and Gourry at the same time would be his downfall!

I got around behind the big lug and unleashed my spell: “Flare Arrow!”

A dozen arrows of flame appeared in the air—right between Gourry and Zain!

“What?!” Zain shouted in surprise as the fiery bolts rained down on him.

Fa-fwoom, fwoom, fwoom!

Conjured Flare Arrows ordinarily manifested in front of the caster, but I’d made a little modification to this spell too. Okay! Now let’s bust up those chimeras and... I turned around, only to see...

“Bwuh?!” Gourry cried out in shock. The din of clashing swords followed. As for who’d attacked him, it was none other than...

“Sorry, little girl, but that won’t work on me!”

“Zain?!”

For a moment, I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears. His black clothing was clearly covered in scorch marks, but there was no sign of damage to the man therein. Had he anticipated my attack and cast a fire protection spell?! Or...

“Oh, damn!” Zain abruptly called out in fright before I could finish my thought.

Even as he continued to trade blows with Gourry, his eyes moved to me... No, behind me! I turned back, still wary of any sudden movement from Zain, and saw the vanguard chimera still frozen in place. I couldn’t see anything amiss, but...

Oh, of course! The chimeras that had been crowding around behind the frozen one were nowhere to be seen, meaning... Wait, had they just up and left?! Was our buddy in black not in control of them?!

Realizing that the sound of swordplay had ceased, I looked back toward the boys in time to see Zain leap away. He put a wide berth between him and Gourry, then whipped around and dashed off into the darkness.

“Luring us again?” Gourry whispered.

“Doubtful!” I shouted back in response. “I think the chimeras got out, and all hell’s about to break loose in the city!”

“Whaaat?!”

I quickly cast a spell. “Dynast Breath!”

Shing! This unaltered version pulverized the frozen baddie, and beyond it... just as I feared, there was nothing but an empty corridor. The chimeras that had been swarming behind it were long gone.

“What should we do, Lina?!”

“What else? If the monsters really have escaped topside, we can’t just hang around here! We’ve gotta get back up there and see what’s happening!”

I took off without waiting for a response from Gourry, who obediently followed behind. We ran back through the corridor, made a beeline for the top of the stairs, and found ourselves in the entrance hall once more.

“There!” I cried when I spotted a chimera standing up ahead. It noticed us and let out an intimidating roar, but before I could chant a spell...

Vwoosh! Gourry dashed out in front of me and slashed through the beast.

Gourry, you rock! If only you weren’t as dumb as one!

“Was that the chimera you were talking about?”

“Yeah, but he’s got buddies too.”

“How many in all?”

“I can’t say for sure... There should be about ten more, I think.” I couldn’t see any others nearby. There might have been some wandering around elsewhere in the building, but if any had gotten outside, they had to be our top priority. “So let’s get out there!”

“Right!”

Gourry and I burst out the front door, and...

“Geh!” I stopped with a groan. The fight had already spilled beyond the compound walls, out into the city streets.

“I just don’t get it,” I commented to Gourry, who was waiting at our table, as I returned to the inn.

Last night, we’d managed to defeat all the chimeras running rampant in the city, make it back to the inn (acting as if nothing had happened), and get some shut-eye. But after breakfast this morning, I’d gotten curious about the status quo, so I’d headed out into town to run some recon.

“You don’t get what? You mean nobody’s talking about what happened last night?”

“Well, of course people are talking. There was an official statement and everything. Said it was the handiwork of a rogue sorcerer on the run, but that the culprit in question had already been apprehended.”

“What’s that mean?” Gourry asked, scowling.

“It means that the black cloak faction has suppressed the truth.”

They probably wanted to keep things on the down-low here in their headquarters city. They even seemed to have lent a hand last night, as Gourry and I had stumbled across a few already-slain chimeras during our rounds. I mean, no surprise the black cloaks didn’t wanna publicly admit the real cause of the chaos, but...

“But still, they easily could’ve blamed all the trouble on you and me. They control the authorities and the flow of information, after all. But they didn’t—that’s what I don’t get.”

“Hmm...” Gourry scratched his head, puzzled.

“Want me to explain it to ya?” came a new voice.

“Huh?” I looked over to see a familiar face. “Luke?!”

Indeed, it was Luke, the black-haired warrior with the sour face. He’d appeared at our table at some point, sans Mileena for once.

“Hey,” he said bluntly, taking an empty seat. He was scratching his head awkwardly. “I ain’t a fan of this messenger boy crap, but ya can’t say no to a client... This is why I hate hired gigs.”

“That’s a lot of griping from a guy who approached us. And what kind of mercenary hates hired gigs?”

“Who’re you callin’ a mercenary?! Me an’ Mileena are treasure hunters!”

“Really?”

“Yeah!”

As the title suggested, treasure hunters sought out ruins and the like for loot to sell at a profit. Most folks would say that’s not much different from what Gourry and I did, mind you... But whatever floats your boat as far as labels are concerned, I guess.

“Come to think of it,” I said, “you guys got involved in the whole Bezeld drama because you were after a sword, right?”

“That’s right! We hunt down storied treasures, surmount trials to find ’em, and then seize ’em for ourselves! A real life of adventure! I ain’t no mercenary waggin’ my tail for some bored rich jerk.”

“But you’re wagging your tail for Lord Lavas right now.”

“Waaaaah,” Luke suddenly bawled, sobbing in response to my comment. “L-Look... I ain’t workin’ for that guy ’cause I wanna be! I just...”

“You just... ran out of money?”

“No way! I just... Mileena took the job without even askin’ me!”

“You could have turned her down, y’know.”

“You stupid or somethin’? I could never turn my sweet Mileena down!”

“For all your big talk about adventure, you’re pretty gutless when it comes to her...”

“Hmph. I’m a slave to my love!”

Or you’re a slave, period...

“A slave to love? Come on, man...” Gourry said with a wince. “I think she’s just got you whipped, is all. It’s sad to see a man fall so low.”

“As if you got a leg to stand on,” Luke said, glaring at me and then at Gourry.

“Hang on, it’s not like that. Lina doesn’t have me whipped at all. It just looks that way because I don’t like thinking for myself.”

Sheesh... How you live your life is up to you, granted, but this is... It’s just pathetic, both of you...

“So, anyway...” Realizing this train of thought was only going to get more depressing, I cast a glance at Luke. “Back to the subject at hand, what are you doing here? You made it sound like you’ve got some insider knowledge.”

“Oh, right, yeah.” He snapped back to himself at last, glanced around cautiously, then whispered, “You know the chimeras that were all over town last night?”

“We’ve heard rumors.”

“Don’t play dumb. The regent thinks you were involved. He’s the one who covered it up.”

“Oh?” I asked, keeping my own voice hushed.

“Yeah. He wants your help.”

“Hmm.” I thought for a minute. “This wouldn’t happen to be... some kind of familial power struggle, would it?”

“Heh. Good call,” Luke responded with a grin.

Not that it was especially hard to figure out. If there were two parties in conflict and one was a regent, it was reasonable to assume that the other was of comparable standing. A blood relative was the most likely candidate.

“So get this,” Luke began. “Lord Lavas’s got an older brother named Veisam. He’s pretty ambitious, and he ain’t satisfied with bein’ in charge of one measly territory. So he starts plottin’ all kinds of rotten stuff. An’ now that their old man’s fallen ill, he’s left runnin’ things to his little brother while he takes advantage of the money and power.”

“Brothers, huh?”

“Yeah. But if what the older one is doin’ gets out and the king hears about it, he’ll strip ’em both of their rank an’ titles. They could even end up with their heads on pikes. So Lavas’s doin’ what he can to stop his brother as quietly as possible. That’s why he needs strong people on his side. One of the spies he sent to keep tabs on his brother reported that you guys were in town, so he wants to hire you.”

“I see...” I remarked. It certainly added up.

“But that’d all be down the drain if you got arrested over the chimera business, so Lavas cooked up a story to feed the public and sent me to fill you in. Now, here’s where I ask: you wanna help the regent out?”

“Hmm...” I scratched at the back of my head thoughtfully. “If you don’t mind my asking, Luke, have you ever met this Veisam guy yourself?”

“Nah, no way. They say he ain’t in the castle no more.”

“I see. I’ll pass, then.”

“Got it. I’ll let ’em know.” Luke nodded easily and stood up.

“H-Hang on! You don’t want to know why I turned you down?” I demanded. It was apparently my turn to lose my cool.

“I told you that I hate this messenger boy crap,” he said in annoyance. “What you do ain’t no business of mine, so it don’t much matter to me why you do it.”

“Mileena’s going to be mad that you didn’t ask.”

That sent a full-body twitch through the self-proclaimed treasure hunter. He then sat back down. “W-Well... maybe I oughta hear you out after all.”

“Man, how whipped does she have you?”

“C-C’mon, out with it already.”

“Nah.”

“...”

“...”

“Hey now...” Luke said, rubbing at his head hard. “Are you messin’ with me or somethin’?”

“Kinda!”

Luke was at a loss for a response.

“But there is a good reason I’m not telling you,” I offered. “And now that you’ve inquired, you can tell the regent and Mileena, ‘I kept asking and she just wouldn’t say.’”

“Got it.” There, Luke stood up with a scowl and made his exit.

“Hey, Lina, why’d you refuse?” Gourry asked once he was out of the building. “It seems like the regent’s in real trouble.”

“That’s assuming Luke... rather, that the regent is telling the truth,” I explained. “I mean, the setup all sounds legit, but that doesn’t mean it actually is. For example, what if their positions are reversed?”

“Reversed?”

“Maybe the regent’s the one plotting the nastybads while the older brother Veisam is trying to stop ’im. Maybe Veisam fled the castle because his brother tried to kill him, and the regent wants to hire us as a distraction—or even to finish the job. Either way, we need to figure out what’s what before we take sides. Moreover...”

“Moreover?”

“You remember the masked man who jumped in when the black cloaks were after us two nights ago? Who the heck was he?”

“Don’t tell me... it was Veisam!”

“Doubtful, but...”

“We’ve seen royals acting as crusaders of justice before. Nothing weird about a noble lord putting on a mask and jumping up on walls, is there?”

“Huh... You got me there.”

“Right?”

“Anyway, our top priority is still getting to the bottom of all this. In other words, it’s time to ask around!”

“Say, Lina,” Gourry called out.

“What?”

“I’m starting to think that sneaking into the castle, even if it is to get to the bottom of things, might be a tiny bit reckless,” he continued in a whisper.

For, you see, we were currently both hiding in the shadows dressed in black clothes and black masks. Indeed, after an eventful day, we’d decided to infiltrate the castle in the dead of night. I cast a glance down the dark road to see its spires silhouetted against the moon and stars.

“C’mon, don’t wimp out on me!” I hissed. “When I suggested sneaking in, you were all for it!”

“I don’t remember you saying we were sneaking into the castle!”

“Of course not! I didn’t tell you that part!”

“Okay, right...” Gourry whispered in exhausted response.

Earlier in the day, after Luke had slunk off, I’d gone around questioning the locals and learned a couple of things. First, there was indeed a man named Veisam in the lord’s family. Second, Lord Lavas was new in town. The citizens had never heard of him until recently. Could it be a bastard son situation? Word on the street suggested as much.

But more importantly, people were saying that Veisam’s disappearance, the lord’s illness, and the sudden mysterious facility boom in the city center all coincided with Lavas’s arrival. That seemed like a pretty big red flag. Of course, the idea that the appearance of a bastard brother had spurred Veisam to begin pursuing his own foolish ambitions wasn’t one I could rule out...

I guess, in a way, we hadn’t actually learned much relative to the amount of walking around we’d done. Our goal was to figure out which brother was the bad egg, help the other one come out on top, then take a couple magic swords and a couple hundred gold pieces as a reward. That meant we needed to sort out the intrigue ASAP.

“But Lina, will sneaking into the castle really tell us what we need to know?”

“Dunno.”

“Come on...”

“Well, it’s a lot more likely to yield useful information than sneaking into those other facilities at random. Take the one from yesterday. It had a hidden staircase and a bunch of chimeras in the basement, but that’s not proof of a rebellion—and it certainly doesn’t tell us which of the two brothers was behind it. But if Lord Lavas is the one plotting an insurrection, the castle’s the best place to find evidence. For instance... if we’re found sneaking around in the castle and the men in black attack us.”

“That’s even more reckless!”

“It’s just one example. It’s not like I’m gonna get us caught on purpose,” I protested.

“I sure hope not. But if we search the place and find nothing, does that mean the missing brother is masterminding the rebellion and not the regent?”

“It could just mean that Lavas is cautious as hell. Either way, let’s get going already.”

I took Gourry’s hand and began chanting a Levitation spell.

Infiltrating the castle itself wasn’t hard. I did my usual—levitate us over the outer wall and land on the roof of the main building. I then cast an Unlock spell on the skylight of an empty room and slipped inside. The real work was yet to come.

If the regent was the mastermind and there was proof, where would it be hidden? Security outside wasn’t too heavy, but there would probably be patrols in the castle itself and watchmen at key locations. It wouldn’t be easy to slip through all of them and uncover the truth.

I mean, ideally we’d stumble upon a bad guy monologuing about his evil plan to his flunkies like in the old heroic sagas, but... you know.

Hmm... Where would I hide my incriminating evidence? I stood in the moonbeams streaming through the skylight for a while, my head pensively cocked to the side. “Okay,” I whispered softly. “I know what we’re after.”

“What?” asked Gourry.

“We’re gonna pay the bedridden lord a visit.”

“Hey now...”

“Security will probably be tight, but we can learn the whole story if we find him.”

“You really think he’s gonna tell us?!”

“Depends on how we broach the subject. I have an idea, though. Leave it to me.”

“Well... if you insist.” Gourry sounded hesitant but seemed to accept my assurances.

While carefully scanning for nearby sounds and presences, Gourry and I opened the door and set out.

“Hey... do you think we’re maybe going in the wrong direction?” Gourry whispered after we’d stealthily scuttled a ways down a dim, empty hall.

Upon leaving the room we’d come in through... Well, we’d started our search, but the place was just crawling with patrolmen. We’d gone from lighter security area to lighter security area, but all we’d found so far were boring places that probably didn’t see much use. The corridors here were almost pitch black, with only the occasional sconce on the wall and absolutely zero guards.

“Maybe, sure... But what recourse do we have?” I whispered back.

“Why don’t you put the guards to sleep with your magic?”

“Y’know, Gourry, for how much you call me reckless, that’s a pretty reckless suggestion. Even if I did put a soldier to sleep for us to sneak by, another soldier would come along soon enough, find his passed-out buddy, and sound the alarm. We’d have to tuck tail and run with nothing to show for it.”

“Yeah, but still... wandering from empty room to empty room isn’t getting us much either.”

Ack! Surprisingly keen insight from the big lug!

“F-Fair... So, okay, let’s go somewhere else!” I said, setting off once more.

If we retraced our steps, we’d be backtracking into a patrol unit. The route ahead seemed safe enough, so I figured we’d continue on while looking for alternative paths. We thus darted around in the dark at random for a bit, and then...

Gourry and I stopped in our tracks at the same time. The hall we’d been following for a while suddenly split in two. Off to our right, I could feel human presences.

If people were around, you’d think they’d have lights with them... yet the corridor in question was just as dark as the others. The word “ambush” popped into my head, but I didn’t get any sense that these folks were trying to cloak themselves.

Hmm... I stood there in the darkness pondering the situation. If someone was here, surely it was for a reason. It was unlikely that another party of intruders just happened to be invading at the same time we were, and even if that was the case, they wouldn’t just be standing around like this. The lack of hushed voices probably ruled out a clandestine meeting too.

What could it be, then? Curiosity began to gnaw at me.

Welp, time to find out! If we just strode over there, then the persons in question were bound to notice us. But fortunately, there were no patrols around, which opened up my options somewhat.

I recited a spell under my breath. “Sleeping!” Within moments...

“Ugh... Mm...”

“Mrrgh...”

I heard a set of soft groans from down the corridor, in the direction of the presences, followed by the sound of people hitting the floor.

Okay! I signaled to Gourry and we advanced together. We turned the corner to find two guards, collapsed under my spell, in front of an unassuming door. Given its location and rickety appearance, I would’ve guessed it was a broom closet. But who in the world would put guards on a broom closet?

“What’s in here?” Gourry asked quietly.

“Dunno. No idea what they’re protecting all in secret like this... but the best way to find out is to see for ourselves,” I said, reaching for the knob. It wasn’t locked.

Wreeeeek... The door opened with a slight squeak. The air inside was stagnant. At the center of the room was a single lamp casting a dim light over the walls and an old canopy bed. On it lay a frail old man. He showed no sign of stirring upon our entry, just let out the unsteady sounds of sleep unique to the bedridden.

But... what was a sick man doing here? If he was quarantined, there wouldn’t be any guards on the room...

“Hmm?” I sensed something in the man’s countenance and approached. I took his pulse, inspected his skin, and smelled his breath.

“Hey, what’re you doing, Lina? What can you learn from prodding at that old guy?”

“That he’s been poisoned, for one thing.”

“What?!” Gourry breathed.

“By the kind you feed someone little by little. That’s the cause of his current condition. He was poisoned and thrown in an out-of-the-way room with two guards posted at the door, which means...”

“Which means...?”

“I can’t help wondering if this is our ‘sick lord.’”

“W-Wait a minute!” Gourry shouted in a panic. “If this old man is the lord... what does that mean?”

“It means Lavas is spinning lies,” I said softly.

If, as Lavas has said, Veisam was the one plotting an insurrection, then the younger brother had no reason to poison the lord and shut him up in this cheap old room. Presuming this old man was the lord, anyway. To make sure of that... the fastest way to find out was just to ask him.

I put a hand on his shoulder and gently shook him. I didn’t want him waking up and making a fuss, but I knew how to keep him calm. We’d just say we were scouts from the king sent to investigate rumors of insurrection. That way, drawing attention wouldn’t be in his interest. Of course, that cover was all just a big lie, but a certain princess I knew would have said, “All’s fair in the name of justice!” Probably, anyway.

Regardless... I never got a chance to put my plan into practice. I shook the old man over and over, but he showed no sign of awakening.

“Guess that’s a bust...” Rather than simply sleeping, he must have been enervated into a coma.

“What should we do now?” Gourry asked.

“We need to get out of here.”

“I’m all for that, but what then?”

“Good question. Why don’t we wake up one of the guards and ask them? If this old man is the real lord, that means Lavas is the one usurping his position to raise a military force.”

“I see. Let’s get to it, then.”

Gourry and I exited through the door, back into the hallway. There...

“Hey, you two!” cried a familiar voice.

Geh! I didn’t know what the hell they were doing here, but I looked up to see... Luke and Mileena.