The Heroes of the Realm

LORD SILVANO, OF LIGHTBRINGER.

He’s a former S-Rank adventurer turned noble, currently working as royal advisor under Princess Camila, and her father, King Cedric, before her. Amelia and the girls described him as the first among his peers, and I can see why.

If someone told me he’s the King, I’d believe them. The bastard has gravitas, charisma, and an air of authority about him. His magical aura is dim, but not out of weakness — it’s a ruse. An unprepared opponent will underestimate him, giving the already mighty Silvano an even sharper edge.

“It’s been a while,” he said, surveying the girls. “But I see you haven’t neglected your training. In fact, I’d wager you’re stronger than ever.”

“Oh, just a little bit,” Xana bashfully replied. Out of the three, she had the largest power spike, and Silvano seems to have noticed. Fortunately, I’m not sharing mana with her at the moment, so he should be unable to sniff her out as a spellcaster.

“And you made a new friend, too,” Silvano added, turning to me. “It’s rare to see a bird this powerful. Where did you find it?”

As he inquired about me, he reached out with his hand.

“Ka-kaw! Ka-kaw!” I cried, flapping my wings furiously.

Don’t you dare touch me, you old bastard! I’ll shit on you if I must!

… Okay, maybe I won’t go that far, but I won’t let him lay a finger on me either. This guy will definitely see through my disguise if he touches me, so I have to keep my distance from him no matter what.

“Oh, he’s feisty!” said Silvano, retracting his hand.

A hero of the realm he may be, but the girls and I agreed to keep total operational security. We’re not telling anyone about my identity, even if it were the Princess herself.

“Sorry,” Cerys replied, laughing lightly. “I tamed him recently. He’s still a little feral, but I’m working on him.”

That’s right. Fear me!

“Did you catch him during your last mission?” Silvano asked, his friendly tone quietly dropping to a harder note.

“I did,” Cerys replied, her voice matching his severity.

Then, with a snap of his fingers, Silvano erected a soundproofing barrier around our group, and a powerful one at that. By the looks of it, it can block even scrying spells.

“What happened in the Forbidden Forest?” he asked, going straight to the point. It seems he knows about the girls’ mission at the time, despite being retired.

“We were ambushed,” Amelia said, her face darkened before adding, “by agents of the Cult of Croxas. They lured monsters to distract us, then launched an assault of their own. We were encircled, and would’ve been killed if not for Faydan’s providence.”

“By the Gods,” Silvano replied, frowning. “Have you informed Godwin of this?”

“Not yet,” Amelia admitted. “We plan to report to the Guild soon, but we’re wary of it. Word is the Guild has been loose with information lately.”

“It’s true,” Silvano confirmed. “There have been other incidents similar to yours, many among high-ranking parties. Investigations are still ongoing, but to think the Cult of Croxas was involved...” his eyes narrowed as he fell into thought. “I want you to report to Godwin directly, without intermediaries. Tell no one else.”

“I understand, Lord Silvano,” Amelia replied, bowing her head.

“Say, Silvano,” Xana called out. “Do you have any suspects yet? It’ll be hard to get anything done if we have to look over our shoulders all the time.”

“There are, but…” he hesitated. Xana tilted her head and perked her ears, quietly pressing him for an answer.

“There’s no need to tell us if it’s classified,” Amelia stepped in.

“Really?” Cerys asked. “Given we were almost killed, I think a little bit is fine.”

Touché.

“I will tell you, on the condition you understand this is too early to reach a verdict,” Silvano gave in. “We haven’t acquired hard evidence yet, and I would ask you not to spread any rumors based on this.”

“… You have our word,” Amelia replied, a tinge of anger in her voice. She’s quite conservative about military and government affairs, and it shows.

Silvano’s next words, however, blew all her reservations away like a thunderwave.

“I say this with utmost regret, but… you should beware of Anathema.”

* * *

OUR RETURN TO THE BRIAR HALL WAS SOMBER.

Sylphadim was an ancient realm, with a plethora of legends enshrined in the annals of history. Kings, knights, mages… the heroes of old came under various mantles, and the most illustrious stories gravitated toward S-Rank adventurers.

Tales of their exploits spread far and wide, their title being much more than a mere show of strength. It was an emblem of trust, earned through toil and effort that yielded undeniable results.

But now, the most decorated S-Rank party of the realm, Anathema, had been discreetly accused of treason by none other than Silvano, the hero of Lightbringer… and we were among the precious few people in the know.

“I can’t believe it,” said Amelia, her food going cold as we sat at the dining table. “It has to be a mistake. Erwin and Mirabelle are there, and they are no traitors.”

“What of Micah, Evelyn, and Leandro?” Xana asked, her brow up with concern.

“They’re loyalists too,” Cerys replied, as conflicted as the others. “I’ve worked with Anathema before, back when I was a court mage. I can’t imagine any of them turning coat.”

“And yet Silvano pointed at them,” I said. “Can you find any plausible reasons for this? Could they have been tricked into working for the Cult, without knowing?”

“I don’t know,” Amelia replied. “Mirabelle is too sharp to be tricked easily. She would know if something was amiss, and cut down the perpetrator in a heartbeat.”

“But she fell for the trap when the King was injured,” I pointed out, painful as it is for Amelia. “So did you and the rest of the Order of the Silver Shield. These cultists, they are crafty. They have ways to get to places they have no right to be in.”

“John is right,” Cerys supported me. “The mission we took to find the Dead Tree was a top secret affair, but we were ambushed nonetheless. The Cult knew where to find us, even though we teleported to the forest without leaving a trail.”

“But we didn’t tell anyone,” Xana argued. “Erwin warned us about the Cult, even. He didn’t mention their name, but he did say someone was after us.”

“And he offered to come with us,” Cerys noted. “He knew we’d be deployed, and he wanted Anathema to tag along. The question is, were his intentions noble? And if they were, could someone have misled him into exposing us to danger?”

“And who would that be?” Amelia asked. “Anathema reports directly to Godwin. They don’t take orders from anyone else, even the Princess.”

“Silvano vouched for Godwin, so it’s not him,” I defended the Guild Master. “But he must have his reasons to point fingers at Anathema. Say, are they in touch with any informants, or spies, or anyone of the sort?”

Information brokers would be in a prime position to sway Anathema’s actions, without having to give them direct orders.

“They are, but we don’t know them,” Cerys admitted. “One of Anathema’s mages, Evelyn, is a former slave. She’s said to have some… questionable connections with the underworld, carried over from her past. Rumor has it she’s the liaison between Anathema and the Thieves’ Guild, among others.”

“See, we do have a point of interest,” I said. “If this Evelyn was given information that looked innocuous at first, but ultimately served the Cult’s interests, couldn’t it be used to undermine the Adventurers’ Guild’s operations?”

“And it would be difficult to track…” Cerys noted. “It would explain why Silvano hasn’t found anything solid yet. Perhaps we should bring this up with Godwin, and seek his advice.”

“Silvano asked not to spread rumors, but Godwin is fine, right?” Xana asked.

“He did vouch for him, but…” Amelia hesitated. “If we put this on his table, we’ll be set on a collision course with Anathema.”

“We don’t have any other leads,” Cerys pressed her. “The Cult nearly killed us a few days ago. We have John with us now, and our pact with him has made us stronger, but using his power will reveal him to the Cult too. We have to strike, Amelia.”

“I know that,” Amelia said, clenching her fists. “I know that…” she repeated, before standing up from her chair, her dinner untouched.

“Go sleep on it. We’ll talk it out later,” Xana suggested, worried about her friend.

“I’ll do just that,” Amelia conceded, before turning to me with a tired expression. “John, you’re coming with me.”

“Whoa, what?” I said.

“Whaaat!?” Xana added.

“George is compromised,” Amelia said bluntly. “He’s caught Xana twice in a row, and Cerys kissed you earlier. I don’t trust him to do his job anymore, so you’re staying in my room until further notice. Now get going.”

“But my dinner…” I begged, still eating.

“Get going,” Amelia insisted, leaving no room to argue.

“Amelia, you can’t — ” Xana started, but Cerys waved her off.

“Let them go,” she said, backing Amelia. I’m not sure if she’s being considerate, but she’s already abandoned me to my fate.

“Oh, fine…” I said in resignation. “But I’m taking my food with me.”

There’s a desk in each of our rooms, so I won’t have to eat on the floor. Just in case, though, I’ll take Amelia’s dinner with me as well. She’s bound to be hungry, and I don’t want her to get feisty overnight, even under George’s watchful eye.

That said, even if George fails me, there’s also Faydan.

Say, Lady Faydan. Are you watching this?

I’m about to sleep in the same room as your paladin.

Don’t let her murder me, okay?

Amelia’s in a mood right now, and… I could use a hand.