Chapter 16: Good News Come in Pairs
Another Double Chapter because it's double love season.
————————————————————
(Part 1)
Archester City, the Capital of the Elgardish Empire, is a city where darkness looms in every corner and is hardly considered safe, yet despite all the dark reputation, it is the capital of fame and riches and the center of the modern world.
The Arcunians (residents of Archester) were always a crafty bunch who coped with the situation of their city wisely, harmonizing their inner relationships as an upper, middle, and lower class without any visible social struggle.
A city like that, which reeks of crime and hidden currents, has such a code embedded deep within. Last night, however, that code was broken when a rumor spread that a couple of lowlife harlots associated themselves with two foreign spies and tried to mug a Lady from a noble family. This was bound to echo deep in the social structure of the city and cause many to be restless.
If a noble —no less a noble lady— was attacked on the streets, then one can expect the watchmen and the constables of the metropolitan police to conduct a ruthless investigation in which many heads are bound to roll, however, the investigation was called off and the culprits announced killed. From the rumors, the two spies were northerners from Novark and their aim is yet to be known.
Some rumors were about to fly about the identity of the lady but the information brokers were wary enough to kill such rumors before anything spread. Everyone knew the consequences of upsetting House Moore, the house that feeds half of Archester's households and opens their businesses. Still, many hands in the darkness seemed to be working on spreading scandalous rumors about the lady in question. With such recklessness, no one knew where the situation was heading.
Meanwhile, the mansion of House Moore was silent and still. Lord Julian Moore forbade his wife and her maids from taking as much as a single step out of the mansion with the excuse of fearing for their safety and assigned two of his personal guards to watch over Robert or rather… to watch out for Robert leaving the mansion.
Saskia and her maids would surely try to tarnish Vivian's reputation at all costs and until the sleeping beauty wakes up, everyone in the household is to stay put and hold their breath tight.
Logan and Esmeralda were put on arrest and were questioned for the whole night about what happened. Logan's carelessness was not to go unpunished but there was more at play here than just a knight going careless in his duties.
From Esmeralda's testimony, she and Vivian were taken from the front of the Auction House and led to a nearby stable. House De Clare sent their young Lord that night to give their deepest apologies and promise to bring the wrongdoer to justice regarding their lack of security, the statement which made things even worse for Lord Julian, who could only suspect one culprit behind all of this.
If the place where most of the nobility was not secured for barely a single second, the fingers can only be directed in one direction, which no one points at no matter what, House Black. They see through the shadows and know everything before it even happens. If they were truly the ones who lifted the security so that Vivian gets attacked, it means that corruption has gone further than anything that happened in recent history.
House Black can't just neglect the duty of protecting the Nobles even if these nobles are the black sheep of society. These are downgrading, scandalous, and very very serious accusations.
Still, Lord Julian put all that aside and focused on something that made less sense than all of that. Vivian, his precious daughter, killed three of the assailants on her own and injured the last fatally. She even had a Storage Purse on her and the details of the accident were almost unbelievable.
"She woke up?" Lord Julian asked.
"No, your Lordship." Butler Theo answered slowly, "While bruised and swollen. The aura she was stuck with didn't do her much harm but it was her first time to be struck by such force… She is doing fine."
Lord Julian nodded as he sat at the large dining table with some reports and items lying in front of him and a line of knights at his left.
"Old Theo, your thoughts." He said.
Butler Theo gazed upon what was lying on the table and sighed.
"You are wasting your time." The old Butler said.
"How so?"
"The cane sword is not bad… not as good as the one I use but still not bad. It has traces of Bronze Aura to it but that's all there is to it. But even if the attacker was a mere Apprentice Knight, how Vivian brought him down is… beyond my estimation. I wouldn't bet on her against such odds." Old Theo said as he dragged a chair to casually sit down, "According to the maid girl, Vivian killed the two women, threw the knives at the men, took out an umbrella to distract the man, and fired her gun from behind it then physically tried to overpower him, who was staggering before getting the situation turned on her, and finally he struck her with the force of his aura, causing his aura protection to break down and die from the fatal wound in his eye socket."
After summarizing, Old Theo entangled his mustache with two fingers and put a final estimation.
"You sure this is your daughter?" He asked.
Lord Julian was normally dismissive of Old Theo's attitude but this hit him on a bad nerve.
"Of course she is my daughter." He replied imposingly.
"Anyway…" On the other hand, Old Theo was the one acting indifferent, "She has acted like a real killer, a crafty one. The young lady is neither a killer nor a fighter in normal cases. Who knows what pressure makes of people."
No one wanted to add more to these words. Whatever happened will remain unspoken until Vivian gives a full account. Many questions were to be asked regarding what happened, how she fought, and why she owns a Storage Purse that is impossible to access.
A few hours later in the afternoon, the maids reported that Vivian had woken up. Everyone in the mansion held their breath as she passed the word that she was coming downstairs and summoned a few people by name including her Father, her Knight, the Butler, her Maid, and whoever was responsible for investigating the incident. Unwanted parties were surely interested in attending and everyone gathered in the main hall.
And she showed up.
***
During the boot camps, the instructors would usually chase us with batons whenever we stole food or broke the rules. In fact, this is how they trained agents so we had some different rules than normal military camp.
I remember getting struck by these batons once and the ones used by the instructors were equipped with stun tasers, so I am very familiar with how it feels.
In normal cases, people would be shitting themselves and developing skin burns where they were stunned but there is also headache, momentary loss of some senses, seizures, muscle spasms, and more.
In my case, I thought I had seen the worst of it but after that Aura I was attacked. Now, I miss the boot camp days like no way one can imagine.
At least I understood my purpose back then… or had an Illusion of one. Now, I am a stranded agent on an alien frontier. Wizards, Knights, people who don't die from a damn bullet to the eye… I mean… WTF!
"Nothing makes you pay attention like getting a good beating until you hear your bones rattle."
I remember these words very well. My friends used to say such things just to look tough but let's be honest… it makes you really rethink your life choices all over.
"… choices like… why the fuck didn't I stuff the gun down his fucking throat and BANG!"
Whoops! That was spoken out loud, right?
"You're switching between what you have to think and what you have to say, my Lady."
I looked up to see her standing beside the bed putting a tray on the end table. Esmeralda seemed like… it really got to her, eh? No ordinary maid would just witness what she witnessed and be alright.
"You alright?" I asked.
My question felt strange as she was looking at me with empty eyes before flinching backward with a slight quiver visible in her large arms and shoulders.
"I am the one who is supposed to ask you that… my Lady." She said.
I felt the gloomy change of her attitude so before she could say anything, I had to make my stance clear.
"I will be fine but you… I am sorry about that night. On that account, I can't promise you sunshine and rainbows, especially after what happened. If you don't feel like it, I guess the trial period applies to both of us in the end."
Esmeralda's face became more dejected with the words I tried to comfort her with. I guess I should have said something nicer.
"Can you please inform me of what happened?" I asked.
"I… I must inform the Lord that…"
"For the love of Saints, inform him later. I don't think I can handle him without fainting again. Let me know what I need to know before seeing the others."
"Very well, my Lady…"
And she told me. Under my belt to this moment, I have three kills (four if we count the little piggy) and a dark reputation of a loose lady who was attacked on the streets because she strayed away without protection. Saskia won't let me see the end of this, Goddammit!
Okay, what to do now?
Flip the tables, and remix the cards. Play chaotically, that's a strategy. Don't let them corner me.
"Alright, Esmeralda. Go inform the Lord that I am coming down right now." I moved off the bed but all sorts of pain were waiting for me just to make such a move and I almost groaned.
"My Lady, you can't. The doctor said to keep you in bed for at least a week." She said.
"A week my a… ehem! Don't worry, I heal faster than normal people. Just go down and tell them I am up."
Esmeralda seemed hesitant before taking her leave and going out. I instantly fell on my back withering from pain.
"Sir System!"
« You have survived 3 enemies! Calculating your reward! »
« 790 Points were awarded. »
"Such… wait! What quest was that?"
« Quest: [Survive] »
That… that's unexpected. A quest with no single hint of explanation just rewarded me for defending myself just because I survived as it said so… I mean, as long as I survive any situation, there would be a reward.
"That aside. Sir System, give me Panacea."
« Common Grade Panacea: 300 SP »
"Yes, confirm."
« Purchase Successful! »
A potion flask appeared before me and I mindlessly took it to my lips. Before drinking, I took a look at my status.
====================
< Profile >
Name: Vivian Moore Age: 18 Condition: Hunger, Thirst, Fatigue, Muscle Spasms, Torn Muscles, Dizziness, Headache, Bruises, Numb Muscles... SP: 2498
====================
"Holy shit!"
I couldn't help but stare at my condition like an idiot. How am I still alive? Better drink that potion… and so I did.
« Full Recovery failed! »
Huh?
« Only Fatigue, Muscle Spasms, Torn Muscles were healed! »
Just that… should I buy another one?
It took me a few seconds before getting another Panacea and…
« Full Recovery failed! »
« Dizziness, Bruises, Broken Nose were healed »
"Are you flipping kidding me? How was I still alive? I can't believe I am buying a third one."
900 System Points were spent on 3 Panacea Potions just to get to full recovery.
« Full Recovery successful! »
====================
< Profile >
Name: Vivian Moore Age: 18 Condition: Energized SP: 1898
====================
My precious SP… *sob* I am sad.
« WARNING: Repetitive use of Potions may cause Potion Addiction. You may experience Potion Withdrawal effects after the Energized condition is over! »
And I am becoming a Potion Addict… that's some terrible news, Sir System. Terrible news indeed.
Now, where are my clothes?
I finally could move out of the bed but as I found my Storage Purse. My outfit returned back to the Purse once it was taken off. All the system items are bound to me as the User so they got to the default bound storage… or something along the lines. Still, they were in pretty bad shape after the fight.
« Repair & Cleaning Cost: 122 SP »
Fucking Microtransactions!
***
(Part 2)
Before anyone would go up to see Vivian, she met them as she walked down the stairs. Her hair was mostly tied together in a ponytail and she wore a simple black gown with cute laces. The look in her eyes, however, was sharp and bloodthirsty.
"My Lady, you can't get out of bed. The doctor said…" A maid tried to escort Vivian up but the latter brushed those words dismissively.
"Go back to your chores or whatever." She said as she walked down with complete ease and stood in the main hall which was crawling with Knights of House Moore.
They were all silent waiting for her to speak as she walked to the center of the hall where the investigation documents and many other items were all lying down. Her eyes landed on the Sword Cane which was used by the man in a black suit and a strange urge drove her to hold the cane.
Slender and graceful, are two words that describe both her and the cane sword as if a pair of gems were aligned together. She was never much of a trophy gatherer unlike her colleagues but she can see the mindset of pulling off a hard job and keeping a souvenir.
click
She twisted the top of the cane and the blade appeared gracefully gleaming with light as it showed a few stains of blood that almost ruined her mood if not for the voice calling for her.
"That's dangerous."
She looked back and smiled faintly as her father walked out of the office followed by Logan whose face was dark and Old Theo who seemed to be instructing Esmeralda to go away for now.
"I killed the man who wielded it. Aren't I more dangerous then?" She replied.
Lord Julian put on a hard expression as he walked a few hasty steps towards her and took the sword cane away putting it back on the table. His mood was clearly not in for a warm conversation.
"Sit down." He said.
"Yes, Father." She didn't resist and obeyed him right away.
He sat at the head of the table and eyed her critically.
"Didn't your maid inform you of your condition?" He asked.
"She did."
"And the part where you had to rest for a week before even going out of bed."
"I am a Moore. I heal fast." Vivian said imposingly, filling herself with pride.
"… We don't… heal fast." Lord Julian couldn't comprehend how she said that.
"We don't?" Vivian was shocked that her cool excuse was turned off like that.
"We don't."
"Well… I had a few stashed medications that I kept for emergencies."
"Vivian."
"That's the truth, I swear."
The Count was completely flabbergasted by the shameful behavior of his daughter but Old Theo ignored the pointless argument and held Vivian by her arm tightly. She was completely unaware thinking that the old butler would force her back up, which was the case at first until his expressions showed a strange reaction. It is not easy for a ghost to react but his reaction was still ghastly.
"This is strange… hmmm… the Lady happens to be speaking the truth." He said and kept humming.
"Why is it strange for me to say the truth?" Vivian felt rather offended but the next second made her feel rather shocked when a current of warm energy ran through her as if unraveling all her secrets, thoughts, and the deepest parts of her soul.
"I see… her blood is circulating well, no disturbance in her vitality… she is even healthier than usual." Old Theo said.
Vivian groaned as the old butler retreated his energy and she rubbed her arm where she was held as she felt offended.
"What are you? The all-knowing Saint Joan?" She spoke rudely to the old man only to get hit on her head by his cane as he returned to stand behind Lord Julian.
"Daddy… he hit me." Vivian spoke with tearful eyes as she pointed at the old man.
Lord Julian looked at his daughter with a distant yet expressionless look that only he could know what was on his mind at that moment. He closed his eyes for a moment letting out a silent faint breath as his eyes returned as sharp as his daughter's.
"If you are fine, then it is good news. I will call for the doctor to check on you later but now, answer what you can in a full account?"
"Yes, Father." She gave up on the attempt to make the mood lighter and sat quietly waiting for questions.
"Where did you bring such medications from?" He asked.
"Ehem… ladies' business, father." She spoke faintly enough for the Lord to drop the matter right away.
He didn't even understand the concept which she spoke about but it seemed that Old Theo was disappointed in the Lord to be pushed back by that lying daughter of his. Butler Theo was completely on to her lies yet it doesn't mean he has any interest to pursue such a matter.
"That aside, I am glad you feel well." The Lord continued with the other question, "Do you remember what happened last night?"
"Yes."
"And? Don't you have anything to say?"
"I am sorry… most of it is not my fault but if I acted wiser, I could have avoided such confrontation." She said, making her father nod, "I should have used the gun right from the start…"
"No… What…"
"… I judged that the man in a black suit would be able to avoid the bullet if he saw the gun so I thought I should get up close first. I may have avoided a lot of that if I just used a better surprise tactic and…"
"Stop!"
"Hm?"
The Count held his forehead tired of the logic of his daughter.
"My question to you was about the fact that you strayed to a dangerous place away from the Auction House and got yourself into trouble." He said with a glare.
Vivian narrowed her eyes and barely held back a mocking smile.
"So, dear father. You are saying that someone like me would stray in the most extravagant part of Archester to get myself into an abandoned stable and put myself into trouble… as if I am some sort of a fool?"
"…" The Lord refrained from replying but the look in his butler's eyes was saying something like "I told you so."
"I am sure you have questioned my poor maid mercilessly all night to find out what happened. The poor girl was almost having a breakdown until I woke up." Vivian said and looked away.
Her way of deflecting accusations was admirable and shameless both at the same time. In debates, such a skill would be unstoppable.
"So we did. We needed a full account of what happened last night."
"So you had it. We were threatened by two women who held knives at us in zero range in front of the Auction House. We were led under the threat of murder to a place where we had no intention to go to and finally faced by two foreign men whose identities are still oblivious to me. They intended to rob me of the Spirit Lotus, which was thought to be stored in my Storage Purse until I had to take matters into my own hands and defend myself once I got the chance. That is the full account."
The Lord seemed disturbed by the narrative which Vivian went with.
"And Knight Logan?" The Lord asked.
"He went to bring my carriage which didn't arrive to take me. It all escalated into this unforeseeable accident." Vivian replied sharply as if she was ready to jump up and defend Logan right away.
Logan was standing among his fellow knights in the back with the same darkened face he had since last night. In truth, he almost ruined everything by parting away from his lady's side. A mistake that can't be just overlooked as Lord Julian promised there would be punishment for such carelessness.
"So you're saying Knight Logan is not at blame here? Very well. Who should take responsibility then?" Lord Julian asked.
"Does someone have to?" She asked.
"Yes."
"Would the four dead people count?" Vivian asked, referring to the attackers from last night.
"No."
"And what about the security detail of the Auction House that was clearly absent?" Vivian asked.
"Young Lady, are you aware of the gravity of such accusations?" Butler Theo asked sternly.
"Oh, I am. I am well aware that no one here is simply accepting the fact that I was abducted at the doorstep of the Auction House where 80% of the Empire's most influential figures were present that night." Vivian almost roared at them, "That in addition to every counter-espionage agent in the country who was also present there. Do I still need to go on?"
Speaking more of this is almost like treason. There was a reason Lord Julian wanted to avoid going in that direction, which was filled with nothing but dark, poisonous, and lethal thorns. The House Black direction.
It was pretty clear this matter remains unspoken. The security was lifted for a second once Vivian went out by the order of House Black. If this is the case then it is impossible to hold anyone accountable and no evidence shall go out without bloodshed.
This is an act of hostility towards Vivian from the inner workings of the Kingdom, an assumption that is both accurate and terrifying. If the agents of House Black moved on a whim from Prince Liam's faction to harm Vivian, then corruption has indeed spread to areas it shouldn't spread to. The prince shouldn't be able to wield such power at a young age and Edmond Black, who was clearly an accomplice in this matter, wouldn't have taken such a risky move if he wasn't too comfortable with his position.
Too much for the virtuous prince and his diligent right hand!
"Blame me if you must." Vivan finally spoke.
"It's alright. The offenders have been dealt with and I will think of something to get rid of the rumors." Lord Julian seemed too tired to think of throwing blame now.
"Now, I have a few questions of my own…" Vivian spoke as she started asking about the details of the investigation.
From what it seemed, House De Clare had completely opened its doors for House Moore to investigate the unfortunate matter once the accident was reported. They were simply clearing their hands from anything that had to do with what happened. Also, the reason why Logan took a long time to come back for them was due to the fact that he found the carriage sabotaged and the driver missing. As everything was cleared, the dead body in the stable that Esmeralda stumbled on was that of the carriage driver.
"We need to compensate his family." Vivian said.
"We are onto that, young lady." Butler Theo reported.
"As my carriage driver, I would like to formally meet his family, send flowers to his funeral, and offer them as much help as we can. His family should be taken care of and his children should go to the Third Academy once they come of age. Cover their expenses and their early education." Vivian personally instructed.
"That would be… manageable."
For the first time in a long while, Butler Theo showed a hint of respect towards Vivian as he slightly bowed his head.
"Now about you." Lord Julian spoke as he seemed to not be willing to let Vivian off the hook easily.
"Yes, but father, can we speak in private?" Vivian asked.
"Alright. You are all dismissed. Don't wander off." The Lord agreed to give his daughter some privacy.
Of course there were those who stayed such as Esmeralda and Butler Theo.
"Now. It would be nice of you to tell me how you acquired a Storage Purse let alone binding it to yourself." He asked.
Vivian seemed surprised by the question. It wasn't about every item she had bound, it was just about the Purse. It seemed that Esmeralda had kept the secret well.
"This is rather a complicated matter." Vivian said as she started to think of an excuse.
"Oh! Do indulge me. Our house only managed to have a handful of those and all of a sudden there is one in your position. Word came out quickly, you know. Even your step-mother is showing interest." The Lord spoke words of warning.
Vivian didn't want to reveal the System's miraculous abilities but a lie in front of her father may be too baseless right at the moment.
"Do you want the truth?" She asked.
"Are you unwilling to reveal it?" He asked back.
"It depends. I can lie and you will have a low opinion of me and I can tell a truth that you may never believe and you would still have a low opinion of me. If you give me the benefit of the doubt right now, I may be able to explain it later since even I don't know the complete truth. What I can say is… it has been with me for some time now and no one even noticed. It also helps me keep my mother's belongings safe." She said.
Vivian didn't lie but she hinted at information that is actually false to cause a misunderstanding.
Vivian's mother is a rather sensitive topic in this household and the same goes for her eldest brother James. Long story short, Vivian's mother died long ago when Vivian was young and James never recovered from the accident, thus he left the house after an argument with his father and went to manage the family assets away in the New World as a sort of self-banishment.
If this bound Storage Purse keeps the belongings of her mother safe then her father would never interfere as he always feels guilt towards her mother's demise.
Using such an underhanded method to redirect the matter away from her secret left Vivian in a momentary feeling of satisfaction before she was suddenly overwhelmed by guilt. Deep down, she came to regret using such a trick and an inner conflict rose between the archetypes of herself. Nadia, who made up the idea, and the old Vivian, who would never touch the subject.
In the end, she let her father assume she possesses some sort of inheritance from her mother, he wouldn't press further into the matter that way or would pursue any related matter.
"Before we move to more depressing issues, I have two good pieces of news." Vivian spoke, "First, I secured you the latest painting of Morris de Brosa which he drew in the woods of Avalon."
She stood up and took out the painting from her Storage Purse with the Help of Esmeralda as they fixed it on a chair. Lord Julian stood up and stood in front of the painting staring at it for some time before he nodded in acknowledgment.
"That's a De Brosa piece alright." He then leaned forward with narrowed eyes, "The colors he uses are handcrafted by his hands, these colors are new to his style so he must have made them from the environment he was in. Simply… perfect!"
The hobbies of men were scary things. Vivian knew that firsthand since her mentor and her friends were all avid hoarders.
"I am glad you like it, Father." Vivian said.
"Thank you, Vivian. Leave it here."
The painting was indeed beautiful and large. The artist should be nothing less than the genius Artists from the 16th and 17th centuries.
"I am happy you secured both the Spirit Lotus and the Ladies of the Woods. I also heard you were quite cunning when dealing with the Prince's entourage."
"That was nothing, father. They proved to be more reckless than what I imagined, but I'll keep my distance from now on."
"Wise call. After yesterday's incident, it would be safe to assume they are the prime suspects who masterminded the attack on you. You should keep to the shadows until this whole situation calms down."
"I will, Father."
"If there is anything you… you have in mind. Any fears or stress… just come to me."
The last bit of words seemed the kindest he ever said to her this whole month. She was genuinely touched but she felt it was not wise to show weakness even for him. It is not about her trusting him but him trusting her. As long as she keeps the unshaken facade, she can get more freedom even after yesterday's setback.
It was also nice of him that he cared for her mental health despite the demanding upbringing of nobles. Lord Julian himself didn't know where that feeling was coming from but soon he found himself patting the shoulder of his daughter, an act that he didn't do in a very long time.
Vivian hardly noticed as her mind was moving to the other important matter.
"I said I had two good pieces of news." She said clasping her hands together.
"Right." Lord Julian cleared his voice and returned to his usual mode.
"I managed to make Valentine speak about who is coming to interrogate me regarding the murder of the piggy baron's son."
"Piggy baron?"
"And here is where the good news ends." She ignored his remark.
"How so? This is good, we can influence whoever is coming as long as we dig enough dirt on them." Lord Julian spoke as if what he was speaking about was not a crime.
"That would be impossible." Vivian kept the same smile, "The best we can do is to brace for impact."
"Oh?" The Lord felt ominous.
"It is House Black." Vivian said.
Lord Julian frowned in almost what seemed to be like a hit of frustration.
"Edmond Black again?" He asked.
"Worse. It is his younger sister, Edith Black… and she's visiting this afternoon."
————————————————————
Please show some Love ❤️, Comment 💬, and Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
You can also read the early chapters on P🅰️treon & Join Discord! 🔗 https://linktr.ee/donovel
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone