Veil Online - Book 2: An Epic LitRPG Adventure

by John Cressman

  He continued to mull around ideas and possibilities until suddenly they stopped in front of the palace doors. Jace swallowed reflexively as he realized they had arrived. It appeared his time had run out.

  Doormen in the king’s livery opened the double doors and the small procession entered a large chamber that was richly furnished. The polished marble floors and white pillars were a stark contrast to the buildings outside the Noble District. In addition, the walls were lined with paintings of what Jace guessed were either former kings or heroes of the realm.

  But the large chamber wasn’t empty. It was filled with people of all sorts. Some of the people were obviously nobility, judging by their fine dress. Others were more common looking and of those, many of them had knightly escorts like Jace. Were these the condemned? The people waiting for the king’s judgement?

  As Jace stared at the various people, a man walked by that he recognized. It was the captain of the Royal Guard, Captain Avolin. The man seemed to catch sight of Jace at the same time and he stopped in front of him.

  The knights with Jace snapped to attention and saluted with their hand over their breast. “Captain!”

  “At ease knights,” the captain told them as he returned the salute. He turned to Jace.

  Unable to help himself, Jace blurted out his question. “Do you know why I’m here?”

  Avolin looked around and gestured to the people in the cavernous room. “His Majesty is holding court today. These people are suitors, like yourself, awaiting His Majesty’s boon, favor or judgment.”

  “Do you know why I’m here?” he repeated.

  The captain bowed his head. “I apologize, but I do not. You were summoned then, I take it?”

  Jace nodded and eyed Avolin for a reaction but the man’s face remained deadpan.

  “You may wait here until your name is called,” Avolin told him. “When it is, these good knights will escort you in through the far entrance.” The captain turned to Jace. “And a word of advice, don’t forget to bow.”

  Jace gulped as he looked at the large doors at the far end of the foyer. When he turned back around to thank Avolin, the man was gone.

  Nervously, Jace waited with his escort. Then the knights had become like statues, not moving and saying nothing. That frayed Jace’s nerves even more. He felt like he was the condemned man and they were his executioners.

  The double doors at the far end would open every few minutes and a man would come out and announce a name. Someone would go inside, and the doors would be shut. Jace waited for his own name to be called. And he waited.

  According to his timepiece, almost four hours had passed. He silently berated himself for not having the forethought to hand the gnomish timepiece to Diana, considering how much it was worth. He’d have no easy way to replace it if he lost it on his corpse.

  Luna had stayed with the girls and he tried communicating with them through her, but it was difficult to convey his situation in a way that Luna could relate to them. Instead he sent quick simple messages to them as the time passed.

  “Dedrurrurth,” a man in silk livery called from the other end of the room and Jace’s sense of dread jumped to new levels. For a second, he considered turning around and running, but then the knight next to him spoke.

  “Your turn,” the knight said, and the men stepped forward, forcing Jace to step forward as well.

  The crowd parted to allow Jace and his escort to move to the double doors where the herald waited.

  “Dedrurrurth?” the man asked as he approached.

  Jace started to nod but the lead knight beat him to it. “This is Dedrurrurth.”

  The man in livery motioned him into the room. “You may enter.”

  The knights moved to the side, and Jace realized they would not be accompanying him into the throne room. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Trying to calm his pounding heart, he stepped into the throne room.

  “Throne room,” Jace sent to Luna.

  The throne room appeared to be similar in size to the room he had just left. The walls and ceilings were the same white stone and the floor was similarly tiled in marble. Unlike the large open room, he’d just left, this one was divided by large, white columns that appeared every ten feet, creating a path to the throne.

  The throne, or should Jace say thrones, were located on a raised dais and currently a serious-looking bearded man sat on the one throne while a beautiful but aloof woman sat on the other throne.

  Glancing to either side, Jace saw that there were guards at each pillar, all the way up to the throne. On the far side of the pillars were richly dressed people who Jace guessed were noble court. He considered scanning the crowd with his HUD to see if there were any players but just then another herald in front of the dais called out.

  “Dedrurrurth,” he said in a strong, rich voice. “You may approach the throne.”

  Jace began walking towards the king. He kept repeating “don’t forget to bow” in his head, over and over. He didn’t want to offend the king if the man was going to decide Jace’s fate. Ahead, he could see another attendant standing slight to the side of the walkway, about 15 feet from the dais. He walked over to the man and paused. The man gave him a slight nod and then a meaningful look at the floor.

  Right! Don’t forget to bow. Only, Jace had no idea how to bow. He thought back to what he had seen in the old vidstreams and the holostreams. He dropped to one knee and lowered his head.

  A long moment of silence followed and Jace imagined the executioner coming up behind him and lopping his head off in front of the entire court.

  Suddenly a new voice, rich and commanding authority, echoed through the chamber. “Rise Dedrurrurth, for you are the hero of the hour.”

  Jace wasn’t sure if he had heard correctly. But he stood up and faced the throne.

  The king stood up and walked down the dais. Now that he was no longer sitting, Jace could see he was a large, muscular man who was built and carried himself more like a warrior than a king. The king wore a deep purple robe that was lined with some sort of fur Jace didn’t recognize. Under the robe he wore a golden vest over a tunic of shiny, extremely well-crafted chain mail. His high leather boots were exceptionally well-made, but had shiny, engraved plating. On his fingers, he wore a number of rings, including the royal signet ring.

  He walked to stand in front of Jace and looked him up and down. Then clapped him on the shoulder. “I am told by Captain Avolin that you single handedly uncovered treason, bested an entire ship of pirates and retrieved my daughter’s birthday present.”

  The king glanced to the side at a man and Jace turned slightly to see it was Captain Avolin himself, standing between two of the nearby pillars. The captain nodded at the king in confirmation and the king turned back Jace and raised an eyebrow. “Is this true?”

  Jace gulped and shook his head. “Not exactly, Your Majesty.”

  “Oh?” The king looked at him quizzically.

  “I had a friend who helped with the diversion and then I didn’t really ‘defeat’ the entire pirate crew as much as set their ship on fire and got chased through the streets of Whitecliff until the good Captain and his soldiers sent them running,” Jace told him. He wasn’t sure if there was some truth detecting priest lurking around, but he guessed lying to the king wasn’t a very good idea.

  The king threw his head back and laughed. “So, you give credit for your success to a friend and the good Captain?”

  Jace nodded.

  “But I also hear that it was your plan that tricked a confession out of that traitorous Tiebaut,” the king told him. “Is that true?”

  “With the captain’s help, Your Majesty,” he replied. He wasn’t about to take credit for the captain’s work and make an enemy of the man.

  “Dedrurrurth,” said the king, “you appear to be a modest man. You could take the glory for yourself, but instead you share it with the captain and your friend.”

  The king turned to the crowd and gestured a
t Jace. “Modest and wise. Few of us ever accomplish anything of note without help from others. Recognizing that help, and acknowledging it, is a mark of a true hero.”

  The king turned, walked up the dais and sat back down on his throne. “Even though you had assistance, you were pivotal in uncovering the plot as well as retrieving my daughters present. For that, I wish to both thank and reward you.”

  Jace stayed silent, mostly because he was speechless. He had expected to be heading to a dungeon cell. Either that or have his head handed to the king - minus his body. Now he was about to be rewarded? He could hardly believe it.

  “Since the traitor has been dealt with,” the king said loudly, talking to the entire court now, not just Jace he realized. “I find myself with one less noble. Normally, this would not bother me.”

  The king paused and the court laughed at Jace guessing it was some sort of inside joke.

  “However,” the king continued. “I feel this particular vacancy should be filled. And who better to fill it than the person who uncovered the traitor, a true ally of Whitecliff…” The king paused, apparently for dramatic effect. “... Dedrurrurth.”

  There was scattered applause and Jace’s eyes went wide. Did the king intend to knight him? Was this even possible? Could he really become a knight without buying a title?!

  Once again, the king stood up but this time, an attendant rushed forward and offered the king a sword. The king held the sword up and walked down the dais to stand in front of him. The king smiled. “If you would be so kind as to take the knee again.”

  Jace did as he was told and lowered his head.

  “By my power and right as King of Whitecliff,” said the king and he touched each of Jace’s shoulders with the flat of his sword. “I hereby convey to you the title of Baronet of Whitecliff, with all rights and responsibilities thereof. The former lands and properties of Tiebaut shall pass to you for so long as you continue to serve Whitecliff.”

  The king stepped back then. “Arise, Sir Dedrurrurth, Baronet.”

  Jace stood and once again, there was soft applause.

  “Now,” said the king. “As much as I would love to hear the full story of your exploits, I’m afraid I have a court to run. Would you join us at my daughter’s birthday on the day after tomorrow? I shall have an invitation sent to you.”

  Jace opened his mouth to thank the king but no words came out. He closed his mouth and then tried again. “Thank you, your majesty.”

  He realized he was just standing there, rooted to the space he was in when an attendant came to him from behind a pillar and took Jace by the arm. The attendant bowed from the waist to the king, gently pushing on Jace’s arm at the same time.

  Jace got the hint and tried to mimic the attendant. They held the bow for a moment and then the attendant led him back out the room, the way he had come. As he stepped out into the crowd of people in the foyer, the crier stepped out and called another name but Jace was still so shocked he didn’t hear it.

  He had come in expecting to be thrown in the dungeons or killed. And now he was a noble or some kind? Had he understood that correctly? He wasn’t even just a knight, he was a baronet, wherever that was. And if he heard correctly, he would receive the property of Sir Tiebaut. Did that mean the manor he broke into? Jace just stood there outside the double doors for long moments before making his way to the back of the room and out into the courtyard.

  He needed to tell the girls.

  Chapter 36

  “Excuse me, Sir Dedrurrurth” said a man in the royal livery.

  Jace had just stepped out of the palace and was still in a daze when the man before him repeated himself.

  “Excuse me, Sir Dedrurrurth,” the man said again.

  His mind was still a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions at the unexpected turn of events. Forcing himself to focus, Jace looked at the man. “Yes?”

  “Milord,” the man began. “My name is Camdyn Cheshiree. If you would accompany me for a moment, we would like to record your patents of nobility and have your signet ring bound to you.”

  Jace nodded and followed the man through the courtyard, out of the palace grounds and into the Noble District. The man stopped in front of a long, three story building not far from the castle. Above the door was a polished copper sign in the shape of a quill and scroll. On the sign were the carefully painted words “Patents Office”.

  Following Camdyn inside, Jace was led to an office. He sat in a chair while the man scribbled down a bunch of information and then stamped the papers with several different seals. Finally, Camdyn produced a ring from within his desk and then called in a Mage.

  A female fairy, a smaller humanoid the size of a gnome but with gossamer wings, floated in and landed next to Jace. Fairies were another playable race from the good faction that made excellent Mages. Despite their wings, they couldn’t only fly 5-6 feet above the ground but, they were immune to fall damages and pits.

  This particular fairy was clad in white robes that bore the royal crest on one breast and the scroll and quill on the other breast. She had short pink hair and two small antennas protruded from her forehead.

  “We need to bind Sir Dedrurrurth’s ring to him,” the man told the fairy, offering her the ring.

  The fairy nodded, flew over and took the ring from Camdyn. Then, she dipped down to be eye level with Jace. “Sir Dedrurrurth, my name is Magnolia Sunbuttonare and I will be binding your signet ring to you. Are you right-handed or left handed?”

  “Right,” Jace replied.

  “Please hold out your left hand then,” Magnolia told him in a high-pitched voice that had a sing-song quality to it. “I will place this on your left pinky finger and cast a spell. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt.”

  Jace nodded and obediently held out his left hand. The fairy Mage then placed a gold ring on his finger, made some gestures and spoke an incarnation. “Ligat animam!”

  You receive Signet Ring (Baronet).

  Jace saw the system message and it was immediately followed by a pop-up message.

  Do you wish to permanently bind this item to your character? (Yes or No)

  Warning: This action cannot be undone.

  Since he didn’t really have a choice if he wanted to keep the title, Jace chose Yes and bound the ring to him.

  Signet Ring (Baronet) has been bound.

  “There we go,” Magnolia said. “All done.”

  “Thanks, Magnolia,” Camdyn said.

  “Milord,” the little fairly inclined her head and then flew out of the room.

  “That’s all for the patents, Sir Dedrurrurth,” the man said. “Your patents will be filed and if there should be any contestation, you can refer them to us. “Just a few more items of business.”

  Jace looked at Camdyn expectantly.

  “Yes, well. It seems the king not only granted you the title of the former Sir Tiebaut, but also the lands and other assets,” the man reached into a drawer and pulled out a ring of keys and several bundles of papers. “These are the keys to the estate, as well as his vineyards and farms to the south. And these are the titles for his holdings, careful some of the ink is quite fresh.”

  The man pushed the materials over to Jace who made them disappear into his inventory.

  “Oh,” Camdyn interjected. “I almost forgot. His bank accounts have all been moved to your name. You should be able to access your assets from any of the alliance banks.”

  “Thank you,” Jace said numbly. All of this was overwhelming, and he needed time to process it.

  “I believe that is all of the business we have for you,” Camdyn said as he stood up. “It was a pleasure serving you, milord.”

  Recognizing the polite dismissal, Jace stood up and almost turned around to go but suddenly thought of a question. “What exactly is a baronet?”

  Camdyn smiled and nodded. “A baronet is a title of recognition in the kingdom, with a standing between that of Knight and that of a true Baron.”

  “But I’m still nobil
ity?” Jace asked.

  A pained expression came over the man’s face. “Your pardon, milord, but technically no. While you do enjoy many of the same privileges, you are not technically a noble.”

  Jace sighed. Jace didn’t really know what that meant in game terms. He had a signet ring so that meant he should be able to come and go into the Noble District. Were there other things he couldn’t do? Could he attend court? Did he have access to the Royal Palace?

  “Do I have access to the Royal Palace?” He asked Camdyn excitedly.

  Once more, the man put on a pained expression. “Alas, milord, only nobles have access to the Royal Palace, except by invitation.”

  His momentary excitement vanished in an instant. For a moment, he’d thought all of their problems were solved. With access to the palace, they could have searched at their leisure for the secret room that held the Help Desk. That reminded him of something else.

  “Am I allowed to invite guests into the Noble District?” he asked.

  Again, Camdyn put on the pained expression which Jace was beginning to believe must have practiced. “I’m afraid guests are not allowed for security reasons. However, if you have a spouse, she would - of course - be allowed be welcomed. If you require servants or craftsmen, we can supply you with some who have already been vetted.”

  Jace frowned. That meant Charlena, Diana and Mika wouldn’t be allowed in.

  “I’m sorry, milord,” the man said, obviously seeing the disappointment on Jace’s face. “Those are the king’s laws, not mine.”

  “Thank you,” Jace said.

  “You’re welcome, milord.”

  Retracing his steps through the building, Jace found the door and left the Patents Office. He began walking back toward the west entrance of the Noble District. He was half-tempted to go check out Tiebaut’s home. Then he corrected himself. It was his home now. It still felt surreal. Even as Mordred, he’d seriously considered becoming a noble, or knight, or whatever Jace was now. Titles were ridiculously expensive. They started a million gold to buy, which was the real world equivalent of a million dollars. And that was just for a lowest rank of “nobility”, which was Knight. Jace guessed Baronet was twice as much and the next level, true nobility, was much more expensive.