The Road East (Epic LitRPG Adventure - Book 2) (Fayroll)

by Andrey Vasilyev

  “Yes, actually,” I said, confirming her suspicion. “They got away through an underground passage. They’re probably on the other side of the river by now.”

  “What are you talking about?” The Gray Witch looked closely at me.

  I didn’t answer, instead pulling out and showing her the signet ring I’d gotten from Gedron.

  Chapter Seven

  In which everyone does a lot of talking.

  “I wouldn’t mind an explanation.” The Gray Witch was clearly very familiar with the ring.

  I didn’t notice a change in her voice, but Milly Re appeared to understand her leader’s intonation much better. She quickly regrouped and came close enough to reach me if need be. Is friendship always that cutthroat?

  “Are you sure you want all the details here and now?” I asked as calmly as I could.

  “If you don’t mind.” The Gray Witch cast her eyes around the plain, which was full of life. Some people were discussing the attack, others, who died in it, had just arrived and were noisily demanding to know where their things were, and everyone was waiting for the grand collapse of the citadel.

  “Fredegar,” the Witch called to the gray scout. “How much time do we have left before the demolition?”

  “Twelve minutes, mistress,” he answered.

  “Excellent, we still have time. Let’s go into the pavilion. Elina, please come with us; Milly, make sure we aren’t disturbed for any reason.”

  She looked at me.

  “Let’s go, my little bag of surprises. I want to hear what you have to say.”

  We walked into the pavilion, where I decided to jump right in.

  “What’s there to tell? I went down into the vaults to see if I could find any gold or other valuables. There wasn’t anything there, though I came across those three when I was leaving.” I waved in the direction of the doomed citadel.

  “Gedron, Diord, and who was the third? Plaur?” asked Fredegar.

  “No, a halfling named Mato,” I answered. “I have no idea what he was there for.”

  “Their treasurer,” the scout said, having seen the Witch’s raised eyebrows. “So that’s why we couldn’t find some twenty of the things we knew were supposed to be in their clan storehouse. It was mostly little things that were missing. And maybe there was even more there that we didn’t know about.”

  “Yeah, the sack they were carrying wasn’t that big,” I said.

  “And look how calm he is about the whole thing,” Elina said with an exasperated gesture. “I’m so tired of you today. Why can’t you just be like everyone else? Why do you have to shame our clan? What am I going to do with you? Call your parents, like a kid with a bad report card?”

  “Elina, it’s fine. Let’s listen—I imagine Hagen has a good explanation for everything he did,” said the Witch easily. She turned back to me. “Continue.”

  “Well, that’s about it. Gedron offered money or some toy in exchange for my soul and silence. Obviously, I declined. Then he offered me that set item. I thought about it for a little while and took it. If I hadn’t, he might have changed his mind. And if he had changed his mind, then he would have tried to kill me, I would have yelled, and everyone would have come running to take him out.”

  “Why did you think we were looking for him?” asked Elina in some surprise. “You didn’t know we wanted to kill him? Although, of course, there are other options.”

  My adorable leader stood lost in thought.

  “There are plenty of other options,” I said with a grin.

  “Fredegar, you didn’t talk with him, did you?” asked the Gray Witch.

  “Of course not. Today, was the first time I ever laid eyes on him,” answered the scout.

  “So, what did you decide to do for us?” asked the Witch gently.

  “I kept you from having to make a choice,” I answered.

  “What choice?”

  “The choice between the different ways everything could play out.”

  “And which ways are those?”

  I realized she already understood the whole picture and was just playing along. She was like a gray cat letting the rat run around the room for a bit before pouncing. Well, nothing for it but to keep going. Either they’d kill me or reward me. I was hoping for the latter.

  “The different ways you could deal with the Wild Hearts leadership,” I said, announcing the obvious.

  “And why did you think there were options?”

  “Weren’t there?” I smiled slightly. “This is a game where you can’t actually kill anyone. Set up a show execution? An interesting option, but one that could make you look like blood-thirsty butchers and them innocent victims. And who would let you do that? You can’t lock them up, either, since there aren’t any maximum-security prisons around. I mean, you could throw them in a hole and slap a boulder on top of them, but they could still send messages. So, really, there was nothing you could do.”

  “I can see your logic,” said the Witch softly, “but it doesn’t explain what you did.”

  “Why not?” I looked at her in surprise. “It’s all completely logical. I saw your friends, thought about calling for help and decided to let them go.”

  Elina jumped up and was about to say something when the Gray Witch stopped her with her hand.

  “And?”

  “And off they ran. In disgrace, turning their backs on their fallen clan and worried more about saving their stuff than the blood of their warriors. A dishonor, no?”

  “A dishonor,” nodded the Witch, glancing at Fredegar. “So?”

  “Well, if you tell that to the gaming community, for example, on the forums, it’ll be perfect. The three of them will still be on the run, hiding in forests and mountains. Nobody will want to join them, and their old clanmates will abandon them.”

  “And?”

  “Well, and there’s nothing tying that back to you, thanks to me,” I said.

  Elina looked at me, obviously turning something over in her mind. Fredegar smiled, and the Gray Witch sat down and crossed her legs.

  “Fredegar, that’s even more elegant than what we had planned, wouldn’t you say? Similar, but more elegant.” She finally gave her verdict.

  “Good improvising,” agreed the scout. “That was some good work.”

  “We thought of something similar, though we were just going to arrange an escape for them,” Fredegar explained to me and Elina. “Our thoughts regarding the future were the same, though your way turned out much better. Spontaneity is always better since it’s more believable. That old fox Gedron might not have fallen for the faked escape. Plus, as you mentioned, this way nobody has anything tying us to what happened.”

  “I think he would have preferred death if it weren’t for his greed,” said Elina. “He didn’t want to lose his things.”

  Fredegar nodded.

  “Agreed.”

  “Really well done,” said the Witch. “I’m just surprised he gave you the signet ring. It’s quite the little ring, and he values it highly.”

  “Oh, he thinks he’ll be getting it right back,” I said casually. “They were probably recording the conversation. Soon they’ll try to blackmail me into sabotaging something or leaking secrets to them, I imagine. Or they’ll make me an offer I can’t refuse.”

  “And what are your plans? I mean, about betraying us?” asked Fredegar inquisitively.

  “Why not?” I shrugged. “We’ll see what they want and make a decision. Together, I imagine. We’re allies, after all.”

  “Quite. Send me a message as soon as they come after you,” requested the Gray Witch. “We’ll think about what to give them.”

  “But what about the ring?” asked Elina. “Maybe, we should keep it in the clan storehouse?”

  “No, bad idea,” I said, shaking my head. “Who knows when I’ll need it? It’ll be better if I hang onto it.”

  Ha, right. I can just imagine the interrogation you’ll put me through when I try to get it back…

  �
��All right, let’s go watch the citadel collapse,” said the Gray Witch. “It’s time.”

  As we were walking out of the pavilion, she took hold of my arm and spoke softly into my ear.

  “Well done—I’ll think about a good reward for you. But enough of your games. Do what I tell you to do—and don’t forget that.”

  “Understood,” I replied.

  Damn. She could be scary.

  The citadel crumbled, kicking up a stinking cloud of dust. I stood watching it, thought back over everything I’d done, and decided I’d made the right decision. Even if the Hearts decided they wanted revenge more than their entire clan’s high levels and leaked the information—something I doubted would happen—I was clean. I’d already confessed everything of my own free will. Well, except for the favor the Hearts owed me, but that could be my little secret. Most importantly, I’d told the truth. I didn’t lie, and therefore I wouldn’t have to somehow prove that I wasn’t involved. Especially with the truth spell, or whatever it’s called, involved. And about the possibility of future espionage, “we’ll see” were the key words. My dad always told me that if you don’t know what to say, you should tell the truth or keep your mouth shut. I think he was right. Why think up something complex when you can just be honest?

  The show ended, and the crowd headed toward the forest to put enough distance between them and the castle to port out. I realized that I was about to get left there if I didn’t do something quickly, and so I ran across the field shouting at the top of my lungs.

  “Ge-e-erv! Ge-e-erv!”

  “What are you yelling for?” Someone grabbed me by the arm.

  That “someone” turned out to be Elina.

  “Where are you going?” she asked me severely.

  She asked me so severely, in fact, that I nearly stood at attention. When your own sergeant is scarier than the enemy general…

  “I’d like to go back to Mettan, which is where I was before this.”

  “Sounds good,” said Elina with a nod and a command. “You’re coming with me.”

  “And Gerv?”

  “Gerv will be fine. Come on, hurry up—I have a lot to do in real life, and it’s already almost nighttime.”

  Elina strode quickly, almost running, and so it only took us about ten minutes to get to a small hollow lit up by a number of portal flashes. Another one flashed next to us as Elina added hers to the mix, and a second later, my nostrils were met with the familiar, fresh, and pleasant smell of the Great River.

  “Phew,” I said, sighing. “What a day.”

  “You’re telling me, hero. Could you explain to me why you always have to do things the hard way? Let’s go sit over there so you can explain everything to me, and we’re not sticking out like a pair of sore thumbs.”

  Just then, Elina reminded me less of a brutal, smart, calculating, and sometimes even merciless leader of a major clan, and more of a school teacher I once had. It was hard to say which iteration I was afraid of more. I wondered who she actually was in real life.

  We walked over to a secluded corner not far from the gate, leaving a square that at that time of night was completely empty, and Elina turned her blue eyes to stare at me.

  “I have no idea,” I said, shrugging sincerely. “The worst part is that I didn’t really get anything out of it.”

  “He wants a reward,” snorted Elina. “So, becoming part of the Gray Witch’s inner circle—if not one of her favorites—holding a set ring in your pocket, and looking forward to a nice bonus on top of your share from the attack doesn’t mean anything. You, my dear, might be biting off a bit too much.”

  “What? I’m sorry, I don’t understand that last part.”

  “I mean, you’re being greedy!”

  “But what about a bonus?”

  “The Gray Witch punishes severely, but she always rewards generously—everyone knows that. And so, you can be expecting something awfully nice on top of your fair share. I think I can guarantee you that what you’ll be getting will be worth much more than your share, in fact.”

  “Oh, I don’t know…” I hadn’t thought of that.

  “I do, believe me. I already got a bonus for our clan as a thank-you for the aid we gave the Hounds. And let me tell you, it’s worth much more than whatever we did for them.”

  “She’s going to include us in the convoy?”

  “Yes. She’s willing to include our three ships in their convoy.”

  “I hope I’ve earned myself a spot on one of them?”

  “If you stop playing with fire.” Elina looked at me seriously. “Playing games with the Gray Witch is like toying with a viper. She may never actually bite you, but if she does, her bite will almost certainly be mortal. And you’ll never know when it’s coming.”

  “And you don’t want that to happen?”

  “No, I don’t. You’re a smart and lucky guy, and you can do a lot of good for our clan. I remember how we accepted you, let’s say, due to extenuating circumstances, but I don’t regret that. Just don’t make me regret it, okay?”

  “Of course.”

  We stood there quietly for a few minutes, basking in the quiet Fayroll night. The moon shone down on us. Frogs croaked somewhere off by the river.

  “Do you not like this, too?” asked Elina suddenly.

  “Like what?”

  “Awkward pauses.”

  I coughed.

  “Okay, I’m off. Will you be here tomorrow?” asked Elina.

  “No, I have work in the morning, and then I’m going to jump into a local boat with the proud name of Firefly and head down the river. At our pace, I’ll have enough money for a few days.”

  “Then don’t wait until the morning; get started now.”

  “Why?”

  “Because the Firefly sails in real time.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Exactly that. You pay, you climb on board, and it sets off. Then it goes off real time. Speed multiplied by time, basically.”

  “Seriously? Why?” I was taken aback. “Why does it take so much time?”

  “Because they want you to walk, do quests, visit cities. If you want to go quickly, they put restrictions on you—and the simplest way isn’t always the shortest. Although the river is still faster than going by foot. Plus, even if you leave the game, the process continues, and you keep sailing.”

  “Well, that’s something, at least.”

  “Do you need some money?” Elina’s offer was surprisingly casual. “You probably don’t have much, and the Firefly is pretty expensive, as far as I remember.”

  The money would have been nice, and you can never have too much, but…

  “Real men don’t accept money,” I answered ironically. “Thanks, but I’m good—they’re giving me a really good discount. I want to get off at Montrig, so I should have enough to get me there.”

  “Montrig? Yeah, that’s a good city. There’s a fun entourage quest there that has to do with the old temple. And you’ll sail past Snakeville, thank God—with your long nose, you’d probably go check it out.”

  “What’s the quest? And what’s wrong with Snakeville?”

  “The quest was great, but it was a long time ago, and I don’t remember the details. I think you start by talking to some trader in the market. Go find it, it’s a good quest. About Snakeville…everyone knows that it’s a bad place. That’s enough for you to keep your distance.”

  “So, you haven’t seen it for yourself?”

  “No, and I’m not in a hurry to check it out either. Don’t pull one of your tricks like you did today. When I saw you on the tower, I think I turned white I was so angry!”

  “Nervous?”

  “That you’d disgrace the clan? Very. You’re a loose cannon. Although, I didn’t look great today myself.”

  “Oh, please.” I decided to go with the polite and honorable thing to say.

  “Not really. I spent half the day making myself look like a moron. It’s better when you-know-who thinks you’re
an idiot—life’s easier that way. All right, you need to get on the boat, and I need to go back to real life. See you later.”

  She opened a portal and had almost stepped into it when she turned back to me with a question.

  “Are you really engaged to a vila? Or is that just a rumor?”

  “It’s true,” I said, looking her in the eye.

  “You’re crazy.”

  And she walked through the portal.

  For some reason, I stood for a full minute looking at the spot where the portal had just been before shaking my head and heading for the hotel.

  The city was asleep, and the adorable little hotel girl named Jacqueline was also asleep. I stopped to gaze at her blonde head, her tiny nose scrunching even in her sleep, before quietly calling her name.

  “Jacqueline, sweetie, can I have a key?”

  The beautiful girl woke up just enough to automatically reach out her hand.

  I didn’t take too much time in my room—just enough to see how much money I had left. There was enough for two days, but that was it. I had to make sure I still had three thousand or so saved up for a rainy day. I tossed the signet ring in the chest as well, figuring there was no point carrying it around. If I needed it, they could wait.”

  I left the key on the desk and walked toward the port.

  The old tub was just as I’d left it, the only difference being that the entire valiant crew was sprawled all over it fast asleep. A snoring Captain Gul was among them.

  There was no point in getting sentimental, so I stepped over and started shaking the captain.

  “Hey, Captain! Wake up! It’s almost midnight!”

  “What are you talking about?” howled Gul groggily. “This is a passenger vessel, not an eel barge.”

  “Then take me down the river,” I said. “To meet the dawn.”

  “You adventurers need to relax,” grumbled Gul, waking up the crew. “Why can’t you just wait till the morning like a normal person? No, it has to be the middle of the night…”

  “Oh, stop it, Captain,” I said. “Just tell me how far I can get for four thousand. As I’m sure you’re aware, I have a discount. Can I get to Montrig?”