Chapter 36: Returning to Orinis

Vito sat back and relaxed while Iris had the time of her life at the reins. He liked seeing her happy, and the pegasi seemed to enjoy flying for much kinder passengers.

Delwyn opened the small door a short while after their flight began. “Hey, I thought you two might like a quick meal.

Vito accepted a covered plate and two tankards of ale. “Thanks! I was getting a bit hungry. He set the tankards on a nearby holder and uncovered the plate. “You made sandwiches?” Warm, seasoned meat and a slice of cheese sat comfortably between two halves of a large dinner roll.

“Sandwiches? Is that what you call them in your world?” Delwyn wondered.

“Yes.” He took a bite of one. “This is amazing! Who made this?”

“I did,” Delwyn haughtily replied. “I’m glad to see you appreciate my talents even off the battlefield. I took my time in the fully-stocked kitchen and pantry to make a feast,” she boasted. “I expect you to do the same. I know you cooked for Iris.”

“Yes, he did.” Iris took a bite of Vito’s sandwich and resisted the urge to praise her work.

Delwyn grinned and closed the door.

Their carriage landed by the Orinis gate after a little over a day of flying. The guards were surprised by the carriage, but they were delighted to see Vito and others.

Vito led Iris, Delwyn, and Parsifal to the elder’s home to issue their grim report while Galien, Kaelyn, and Elion secured their carriage.

“Ah! Welcome back, my friends,” Elder Reinfar greeted them. His expression turned serious. “I’m glad to see you safe. I hope your good names have been cleared. Lord Renaudin’s treachery truly knows no bounds.”

Vito shook his head. “Our names haven’t been cleared, but you won’t have to worry about Renaudin any longer. We ended his life just a short while ago.”

Reinfar and his guards were stunned. “You killed him?” He was in disbelief.

“Yes. We had no choice. Please, read this,” he offered the unencoded documents they recovered from Renaudin’s office. “He’s working with a noble faction to start a war with the Aitraethen Empire and overthrow the Avreoran royal family,” he explained. “He was planning to raze your village and sacrifice our guild to accomplish his goals.”

The elder and guards looked over the documents in horror. “By Ivalis…” he breathed. “What are we to do now?”

“Defend yourselves as best you can. Take every precaution possible,” he instructed them. “There may not be an open quest, but we’re going to help protect Orinis. We just need some time to prepare.”

Reinfar was confused. “We, of course, appreciate your dedication to our survival, but what is it you wish to prepare?”

Vito grinned. “We’re going to conquer the Darkmourn Manor dungeon and make it our new base of operations. Not only will it give us a more defensible position, but we can also watch over Orinis.”

“You mustn’t! It’s far too dangerous! No one dares step foot in that forsaken woodland,” Reinfar urged him in a hushed voice.

“I believe we have no choice. It’s the final piece of this puzzle,” Vito told him. “Why did Renaudin target Orinis specifically? There are other frontier villages closer to the Aitraethen Empire. Kazuran openly trades with its sister village, Ithuris, across the border. Besides its association with Darkmourn Manor, Orinis is completely unremarkable.”

He awkwardly cleared his throat. “With all due respect, of course. Orinis is a lovely place to live with such wonderful and strong people.”

Reinfar lightly chuckled. “Thank you, my boy.”

“Besides that, it’s the only way a group of outcasts can meet the king and queen,” Vito continued. “Guilds who conquer A- and S-Rank dungeons are granted nobility, and guild leaders become Frontier Noblemen. The king confers these in person. When we meet him, I’ll turn over the evidence we gathered.”

Reinfar nodded in understanding. “I understand your concern. However, I must warn you from this path. You will only find evil waiting in that palace of death.”

“That’s what I told him, but he’s determined to finish Greye’s last quest no matter what,” Delwyn remarked.

The elder sighed in defeat. “Very well. I will grant you leave to go there. I will pray that Ivalis keeps you safe.”

Vito grinned and pointed to the documents the younger guard held. “Please turn to the second document from the bottom.”

Curious, the guard handed the documents to Reinfar.

“Duke Oswald Ashcroft founded Orinis over a thousand years ago for the workers who constructed his manor. They moved their families here, and over time, it developed into a proper settlement,” Vito began recounting the association’s findings. “Duke Ashcroft began studying dark magic and drew numerous dark-aligned monsters to his manor. Even after he died, his will prevented the monsters from leaving the forest around his manor.”

“Admittedly, there were some blank spots in the association’s records. They still don’t know why Duke Ashcroft began researching dark magic when he previously spent his life studying light magic with an emphasis on healing. They don’t even know the manor’s original name,” He concluded.

Reinfar considered his words. “The lich that dwells there, is it truly this Duke Ashcroft?”

“That’s what the Adventurers’ Association believes. However, they haven’t revisited the topic in over three hundred years.”

“And he continues to keep his minions away from Orinis… I can only hope he has retained his humanity and offers you a warm welcome, though I highly doubt it. Please be careful, Sir Vito.”

Vito smiled and nodded. “Thank you for your concern, good elder. We’ll find some clue to this conspiracy and gain an advantage before it’s too late.”

“If we work together, Ivalis is sure to smile down upon us and bless our efforts to protect Orinis and all of Avreora,” Iris cheered.

Reinfar smiled and nodded. “Indeed. We have already used some funds to build a Church of Ivalis here. We hope you will offer blessings to consecrate the ground so that we may worship on holy ground.”

“Of course! …is what I would like to say, but I am not of such high rank that I can perform official sacred ceremonies by myself. I will send a letter to Father Mertis of Kyrenia on your behalf,” Iris weakly admitted.

Vito raised an eyebrow. “If you’re not fit to perform sacred ceremonies, then no one is.”

“There is a lot more to it than being a kind person, Vito,” Parsifal corrected him. “One of Elion’s messenger birds can make the trip with ease. Just talk to him about it.”

“You may use my messenger glass. It’s right here in my home. I believe the Holy Church of Ivalis has one as well,” Reinfar offered.

“Thank you!” Iris left to use the messenger glass and request Father Mertis’s aid.

“While she does that, you can tell me what’s on your mind. Did you come up with a clever strategy to deal with the lich, Parsifal?” Vito asked his right-hand man.