Chapter 32: Everything Comes Together

Vito set his equipment on the chest and prepared for bed. “That’s the guest room there. It’s ready for you. I don’t typically have guests.”

“Then why do you have a guest room?” Iris asked as she looked through her satchel.

“Mother insisted I build one,” he casually replied.

Iris pulled the dragon’s egg out of her treasure bag. She was able to better examine it under the lighting in Vito’s cabin. The egg was almost as large as her torso and had prominent flame-like symbols swirling around a field of white.

“Vito, is it still…?” she began to ask, her voice tinged with fear.

He used Scan and eased her worries. “It’s alive. Weak and cold, but alive. It needs to absorb latent magic and warmth from its surroundings to properly hatch, or it’ll go dormant.” He thought for a moment and grabbed a nearby light stone. “I’ll see if Elion is still awake. He should know about dragons.”

“Wait!” Iris quickly called after him. “It’s almost dawn. It would be rude to wake him.” She quickly came up with an idea. “Our little friend requires a great deal of magical power and warmth, more than one person can produce. I believe we should set it between us while we sleep.”

Vito seemed surprised by her suggestion. He then grinned and tossed the stone aside. “Okay, sounds like a plan. My room is over there. Get changed and bring the egg.” He walked by her, his smile growing. “I’ll try to behave and keep my hands to myself.”

Iris blushed and looked away. “K-Keep your hands on the egg, not on me!”

Vito and Iris lay on Vito’s bed, dressed in simple sleeping clothes. Iris had the foresight to pack spare clothes for her extended stay. The dragon egg rested between them beneath the blanket. They lay facing one another and rested their hands on the egg. Vito was the first to fall asleep. Iris lingered a bit longer and watched him rest, a gentle smile and a shade of pink gracing her face.

The Shard of Valorance emitted a faint blue glow.

They returned to Hiyrophant Forge three days later to collect the rifle. The front door had remained locked with a sign informing potential customers that the owners had gone on vacation. A specific knocking pattern on the side entrance let them inside.

Gloribrean inspected his work once more as Vito and Iris joined him. “Perfect timing. It’s finished,” he proudly announced. He set the rifle down on the table and brought over a plate with fifteen bullets sitting ready.

“I’m pleased that I made the gunpowder properly,” Iris said.

“That you did, miss! I tested a small pile of it. It was a beautiful sight,” Gloribrean revealed.

Vito took the rifle, loaded five bullets, and looked down the scope. “I wish I could fire a couple of rounds, but I can’t risk people hearing the gunfire,” he commented.

“It’s a marvel of machinery. Still makes me a bit uneasy. It’s damn dangerous,” Gloribrean told him.

Vito hung the rifle across his back. “I’ll keep my promise and hide it away after this job.”

The blacksmith nodded. “I already burned your plans, and I’ll take what I know to my deathbed. What of the man who taught you about the rifle?”

Vito offered a small smile. “My grandfather has long since passed, and there are no others who know how to create such weapons,” he began. “He always spoke of the weapons he used in battle, and made me learn how to build them as part of my lessons.”

Gloribrean nodded, satisfied by his answer.

“We’ll take our leave now. I hope you can regain your lost business and reputation,” Vito announced. He placed the spare bullets in a pouch and turned to leave with Iris.

“I’m going with you to see this through to the end,” Gloribrean decided. “I can’t sit still while that man ruins innocent lives.”

Vito turned to him and smiled. “Welcome to the family, Gloribrean.” The two shook hands and sealed their bond.

Delwyn, Parsifal, Galien, and Kaelyn waited for them to return. “We have plenty of uniforms ready for our people, and we have written patrol routes and guard posts so we know where and when they should play pretend,” Delwyn reported.

“It was almost too easy to get them,” Kaelyn warned.

“The guards and servants we spoke to are terrified of Renaudin and his friends. They’re praying for our success,” Galien explained. “A few of them cried in relief when they heard that we could stop him.”

Vito thought for a moment. “Stop him? Are they praying for us to stop his typical evil actions, or to prevent a specific scheme?”

Delwyn shook her head. “They were too afraid to explain further. A few of them just declined money and urged us to succeed.”

Gloribrean’s eyes widened in surprise. “By Ivalis, to turn down money like that.”

“Renaudin has been meeting with nobles from Avreora and beyond who are openly hostile to the royal family. It sounds like treason to me,” Parsifal informed him.

Vito briefly chuckled. “It’s an interesting day when the mob is hailed as heroes. We’ll take Renaudin down and save the kingdom. The king might even knight us.”

Delwyn laughed. “I’m out then. You can’t threaten me with a knighthood and expect me to cooperate.”

The group laughed with her. “Okay, okay. Lady Delwyn will refuse the knighthood,” Vito calmed them. “Make sure your teams have the plans memorized. We can’t afford even a single mistake.”

“Who are you calling ‘Lady Delwyn’? You’ll never see me in some fancy dress,” she crossed her arms beneath her chest with a smirk. “I’d rather rush headlong into an army of demons than have tea with some stuck-up noblewomen.”

Vito simply shrugged. “A man can dream.”

Delwyn shook her head in exasperation. “Well, keep dreaming, boss,” she said, seeing the barrel of his rifle sticking up over his shoulder. “Let me see this famed rifle.”

Vito handed her the rifle to inspect. “You look down the spyglass and pull the trigger by the handle.”

Delwyn aimed Vito with a wicked grin. “I want to use this at least once after you kill Renaudin.”