by Matthew Peed
Because of that, we got a lot less resistance from the inmates than I would think they would normally put up. They only got one meal a day, but if I was being honest, it was probably better than some food you could find in other cities. They were in here to be punished, but some street rats would rather find a way to live here than struggle living on the streets. Not that I blamed them. When someone under a certain age was brought in, they were sent to the orphanage Regan had opened for Louella.
The dungeon really had a soft spot for Louella. If I hadn’t interacted with him on several occasions, I would think he was attracted to her. But I’d seen the way he looked at her—and other women, in fact—and knew he was not interested in her that way. I shook my head to clear my idle thoughts and looked to the pair in front of me.
Dess and Chips were separated in two cells so they couldn’t help each other. I looked into Chips’s cell and saw him sleeping . . . loudly. Then I looked into Dess’s cell and frowned when I didn’t see him. I channeled mana into my arm, ready for anything.
“BOOM!” Dess shouted as he fell face-first from the ceiling, landing roughly on the ground. I looked up and couldn’t figure out how he was staying up there in the first place.
I stuck Feuer through that bars and smacked him over the head. The solid black cuffs holding his arms didn’t allow him to rub the area easily. “Hello, Dess. Enjoying your time here?”
“Oi! That hurt, woman,” he complained with slightly crossed eyes.
“I could just put an end to all the pain.” I smiled, letting the bladed point sit on his shoulder next to his neck.
“My lady! That is completely unnecessary,” Dess said, backing up quickly.
“Good.” I pulled Feuer back through the bars. “I have a proposal for you.”
“I’m sorry, but I have an investment in a town far to the south. It would be cruel of me to abandon her for you.” Dess crossed his arms over his body like a woman would to hide her features.
“Sorry to disappoint you. I like my men with two legs,” I retorted.
“Leave Stubby alone,” he said as he pulled his fake leg toward him with a pout.
“I want you to be my soldiers,” I said before he could joke around more.
“Me?” he said, growing serious. “I have to ask. Are you insane?”
I decided to be honest with him. “I can sense that the amount of fire mana in you is very high and also very pure. I need someone that I can afford to lose but who’s strong enough to actually get farther than the tenth floor in the dungeon.”
Dess stared at me for a moment, then shouted, “Chips! What do you think?” The snoring instantly stopped, and I couldn’t tell if it had been fake to begin with.
“Food good. You get gold. Win-win,” Chips said with a shrug.
“You always have a way with words, my friend! Alright it’s a deal!” Dess said, sticking his hand through the bar.
I grabbed it, clasping a bracelet on him. “Not that I don’t trust you, but your record is a little spotty. I got this from a good friend. Try anything and I’ll know. It was made to resist mana and physical force, and even if you cut your arm off, it will still reattach itself to you,” I warned with a grin. Dess’s expression turned sour for a moment but he kept his mouth shut.
“Girl got you good,” Chips said as he laughed loudly.
Chapter 2
Louella
“Lady Louella. I am pleased to see that you are alright,” Elder Yuin Skywood said with a smile.
“Indeed. It was quite an adventure. I was worried for a bit,” I said with a soft chuckle.
While I was making pleasant small talk on the outside, on the inside I was groaning. I was sitting in Elder Yuin’s overcrowded tent again. It had been like this since I got back from the dungeon. Everyone wanted to see me for one reason or another, especially the nobles. They acted like it was the end of the world if I didn’t respond to them immediately.
My father had been spreading rumors that he was in charge, and I had to deal with that before someone did something they would regret. The nobles were playing their normal power games, while the merchants were doing their best to pull every loose coin in the valley into their pockets. Of course, the common people were getting dragged into the middle of it all. Luckily, there hadn’t been any deaths yet.
The various nobles and merchants had put requests in to see me as soon as they learned I was back. I knew most would express their well wishes and whatnot at my safe return, but I also knew it would all be shallow. What I really wanted to do was shove a lightning bolt up most of their asses, but doing that would get me into serious trouble. Maybe I should become a queen, then I could do whatever I wanted, I thought with a chuckle.
“What happened, if you don’t mind my asking?” Elder Yuin asked, sipping his tea.
“We were on the fourteenth floor when . . .” I started to say but drew a blank. Why was I on the fourteenth floor for so long? Surely, if I’d known it was going to take more than a day, I would have returned to the town to make sure my affairs were in line. Only, Ezal had had to come and find me . . .
I rubbed my forehead. “My apologies, Elder Yuin, I seem to have a headache. We managed to reach the fifteenth floor boss room, but the host said there was a problem and escorted us back to the surface,” I finished. It was rare, but some hosts liked for their floors to work perfectly. And if something went wrong, they might give the party a “pass” to leave the dungeon.
“I see. That is most unfortunate—as well as fortunate. It would be a great loss to lose one such as yourself.” Elder Yuin smiled.
“I appreciate your concern. How has your time in my humble valley been?” I asked to try to change the subject. Plus, it didn’t hurt to actually hear what he thought. If anyone could offer constructive criticism, it was Elder Yuin.
“Quite enjoyable. It is rare for a market to develop so quickly. Even for dungeon towns, this is an amazing pace. That library is already a treasure worthy of the royal city. There are books on economics”—he made an interesting face pronouncing the word—“that have amazing insights on the workings of money and its effect on the area. It was almost a kind of magic as I read it.”
“I’m glad you found something to your interests,” I said, then sipped at my tea. Regan’s library had almost too much information in it. I never knew what would end up causing more problems than it was worth.
“It makes me wish I was a hundred years younger,” he said with a faraway look.
Elder Yuin was rumored to be over six hundred years old. I couldn’t even imagine what he had seen during his life. I was barely two decades old and already felt like I was in over my head. It was almost a relief that I didn’t have to deal with a more proactive Yuin.
Thinking of his long life gave me an idea. “Elder Yuin, what do you know of Quin?” I asked. She was the king’s dog, from her own words, but I wanted to be sure there wasn’t more to the story. Elder Yuin’s eyes narrowed as they focused on me.
“Where did you hear that name? Actually, no, I don’t want to know.” He shook his head. “She is the king’s pet. From what I’ve heard, the king two or three generations ago helped her in some way, and she promised ten favors in return. She appears and disappears like a rumor. I wasn’t part of the kingdom at the time, as this was before the north completely fell.”
“I see. Have you heard about the Yunea?” I asked, taking another shot.
“Yunea . . . It sounds familiar but I can’t seem to recall where I’ve heard it from. My apologies. A long life is sometimes a bad thing.” He bowed his head.
“No. I heard the word in a conversation the other day and just wanted to see if Elder knew it. It is of no importance,” I said, waving my hand. A dead end, I could feel that Elder Yuin was being truthful. As truthful as a man like him could be.
“Either way I will look and see if I can find any information of this word,” he said and bowed his head again.
“It is much appreciated.” I smiled. With
Elder Yuin’s resources, I wouldn’t be surprised if he learned some more information on it as soon as I left his sight.
A guard tapped on the pole at the entrance to the tent. “My lady, it is time for your next meeting,” he said with a salute.
“Already? Time sure flies when you’re having fun.” Elder Yuin grinned.
“Indeed. I will leave you then, Elder,” I said, standing up.
I curtsied, then paced to the entrance. I was glad Elder Yuin was as old as he was. If he were younger, he might make a more serious effort to claim Robia Valley or the magic in the area. I wasn’t sure if he was just playing with me or if he really was too old to bother as much, but it helped me out for now. While I’d been talking to him, his eyes would sparkle, but I had no way of knowing what could possibly be going on in his head.
Next on the list was Dirne Wintergrasp. He had spent most of his time in the dungeon library rather than trying to dig his hands where they didn’t belong. He was known for his extensive knowledge on potions, but I couldn’t remember there being a lot of books on potions in there. There was an uncountable number of books on science, though.
We made our way over to his tent, and I let my guard announce my arrival. I couldn’t exactly just walk in. Protocol and procedure, the funniest things about being a noble.
The guard called inside, and a moment later an explosion shook the tent. Green smoke poured out from the entrance and under the edges. A man dressed in richly colored but efficient work clothes rushed out, coughing up green sparks.
My guards surrounded me, rushing me back a couple of meters in case it was poison. One of my guards went forward to offer assistance, but the man just waved him away. Falling on his hands and knees, the man coughed for a good minute before the sparks stopped. Finally, he took a deep breath and sat up.
“My dear, haven’t you ever heard not to shout near a potion master?” he asked with an exasperated look.
“I’m here for a meeting with Lord Brine,” I said, nonplussed.
“Yeah, that’s me. My meeting wasn’t for another hour,” Lord Brine said while pulling out a time piece. He rubbed the back of his head and said, “Oh, looks like I got carried away again.”
Lord Brine was a tall man, probably around two hundred and ten centimeters or slightly over, which was above the continent’s two-meter average. I shook my head. It was scary what statistical data I saw as a lord of an ever-growing population. He had light brown hair that was unkempt at the moment but would look nice if it was cared for. For a scholarly kind of person, he had strong features that made him look very alluring.
One of my guards used wind magic to clear the remaining cloud of green smoke out of the tent, and we made our way inside. His tent was almost as cluttered as Yuin’s was. There were worktables everywhere along with shelves packed full of reagents and materials. I recognized some of the reagents. Just one shelf would be worth many people’s yearly gold income. The tent smelled strongly of mint. There was a bright green sheen to a lot of the surfaces.
Curiosity got the better of me. “May I ask what you were working on?”
“A new healing potion,” Brine said, excitement filling his face. “Many people say healing potions are a dying art. This is because they are horribly unreliable compared to a priest or Light mage.”
“The best potion I ever bought only lasted a few months,” I said. I’d brought a few potions to the valley with me when I moved here. They had all expired, turning to sludge before I even had the chance to use them. Worst investment I ever made.
Brine shot forward and grasped my hands. The guard next to me reacted, quickly putting his hand on the hilt of his sword, but Brine said, oblivious, “Exactly! It was one of the greatest mysteries of the potion community, with years sunk into figuring it out. Thanks to the library, I may have figured it out!” Noticing the guard’s reaction, he quickly released my hands and said, “Ah! My apologies, I tend to get overexcited when it comes to my work.”
“It is alright,” I said, glancing at the guard. He lowered his hand and stepped back. “As you were saying.”
“I was reading a book about a thing called ‘microbes.’ They are living things that are too small for us to see but can easily cause us to get sick or diseased. In the case of potions, they can change the microbial composition enough that they will no longer work in the intended way,” he explained animatedly, using his hands to gesture.
I felt that if he were a teacher in an academy, I would have liked his classes. It helped that what he was talking about was actually interesting.
“If we can’t see the problem, how do we stop them?” I asked. The microbes sounded similar to the atoms that Regan had explained to me before. I wondered if there was a correlation between the two. I would need to find some more private time to read a bit more of Regan’s books.
“Ah. That is the biggest problem right now. But I think I might have a solution. It is a solution that was so easy to think of I’m surprised no one has ever tried it before. It is amazing what people will overlook once they are set in their ways.” Lord Brine groaned.
“If you really did find the solution, no matter how long it took, then people in the future will surely remember your name,” I said with a small smile.
“While I do this for the money, being remembered in history doesn’t have a bad ring,” he said as he turned a bit red.
“Well? Do I get to know?” I teased.
“Ah! Of course, Lady Louella. It was magic that had been around for decades. Preservation magic cast by an Ice mage. The microbes inside the potion should take much longer to spoil the potion. At least that’s the goal. Currently, I am trying to deal with the ice mana corrupting the potion itself,” he finished with a large smile.
“Couldn’t you enchant the bottle before putting the potion inside, or will that still affect the potion?” I asked.
“Interesting . . . I must admit I was focusing on preserving already made potions. If we scrapped everything we’ve made up until now and started a whole new batch pouring the potion into the enchanted bottles as it was made, then we might be able to achieve the goal!” he exclaimed.
“Wait, I thought you were working on a new healing potion,” I asked, remembering what he’d said at the beginning.
“Huh, oh I got sidetracked. Yes, I was working on a new potion. I was working to make it target the…” He paused for a moment. “That’s right, the cells of a person. According to the book I found, all healing revolves around the body’s cells repairing the damage. They are the smallest unit of life, if it’s to be believed.”He got up from his seat and moved to a worktable that was so covered in green powder it looked like it was made from it. He brushed the powder out of the way and picked up some sheets of parchment that had diagrams and lists of reagents on it. I worried I’d lost him when he started mumbling as he looked the sheets over.
“Lord Brine?” I called.
He jumped, coming out of his trance. “Sorry. I’m very enthusiastic with my work, as my assistants like to tell me,” he said, rubbing the back of his head.
“That’s alright. I better leave you to it. Wouldn’t want to delay a history-making event because of idle chitchat.” I laughed. If he truly made this happen, then it would be good for all mortals. I didn’t feel like Brine was the type of person to restrict access to these potions.
“My apologies,” he said with a small bow, “but yes, I would much like to get back to work.”
“Please try not to blow the area up,” I called as I walked out of the tent.
“The worst I’ve done is two blocks in the capital,” Lord Brine mumbled, which with my enhanced hearing, I was able to make out.
I groaned, hoping that Regan would be able to repair this area if such an event happened. I also made a mental note to have Lord Brine moved to a less inhabited location. At least Lord Brine was enjoying the town and being helpful.
“My lady, we should head that way,” one of my guards said with a gesture toward the o
pposite direction I was going.
“I have more meetings. What’s the problem?” I asked.
“Your father appears to be waiting to ‘ambush’ you while you speak with the other nobles. We have marked him, but as you know it’s not easy to make a move on foreign nobility,” the guard reported.
“Isn’t that the truth.” I laughed, then grew more serious. “I need to deal with him eventually, might as well get it over with,” I said, rubbing my forehead. “Send a runner to inform the other nobles for today that I will be late.”
“Yes, my lady!” The guard saluted, then walked off.
Should I just kill him? I thought but shook my head. That would only cause more problems at that moment.
I started heading for the next noble on my list. About halfway there, sure enough my father literally blockaded the dirt path. I’d never realized that he would go to such lengths to achieve his goals. The eyes of a child, I guess.
“Daughter!” Father exclaimed when he saw me. “I heard you nearly died in the dungeon! I’m so glad you’re alright.”
“Didn’t feel like coming in to save me?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.
“I only heard yesterday, when you were saved,” he replied instantly.
“I’m sure . . . What do you want?” I asked, exasperated by this façade.
“Just for my precious daughter to forgive this stupid father,” he said with an almost convincing sad expression. I could still see the glint of greed hidden in his eyes. I was much more accustomed to it recently. Everyone wanted a piece of my valley.
“Alright, you’re forgiven. Go home. There is no more reason for you to be here,” I said offhandedly.
Father’s expression hardened as a frown replaced the sad look. He started to get angry, and I could see the veins in his neck start to bulge. I wanted to shake my head at how obvious he was with his display. I couldn’t understand why the emperor allowed the nobles to have so much power that they could act like children to get what they wanted. I was more disappointed in myself for loving this sorry excuse of a father for nearly eighteen years.
