Valkyrie's Shadow

Chapter 21

The cold void yawned before him. His nerves frayed and unravelled as he stood upon its precipice.

“You’re still here, big bro?”

Nimble flinched and turned at the voice.

“You’re going to be late,” his younger sister, Selene, placed her hands on her hips. “This is a huge chance – you can’t miss out!”

“I don’t recall ever asking for any such chances,” Nimble replied. “I’ve told you and Ellen a thousand times that I’m not–”

And, thus, Count Palatine Nimble Arc Dale Anoch was ejected from his own manor and into the night. The door slammed shut behind him. Selene peered out at Nimble through a crack in the curtains of a nearby window.

Just who is the lord here?

He looked towards the footmen waiting for him at the carriage. They, in turn, ignored his gaze. He was one of the Four Imperial Knights who represented the will of the Baharuth Emperor, yet it seemed that his sisters outranked him in his own household.

Upon seeing them for the first time, many of his colleagues would gush forth with compliments and tell Nimble how envious they were of him having such cute sisters. But Humans were creatures easily deceived by appearances. Both Ellen and Selene were officers in the Imperial Army – a captain of the Third Legion and a vice-captain of the Imperial Guard, respectively – and even members of the Royal Earth Guard would flee in terror before them.

Nimble recalled the day when his elder sister was wed. More precisely, he recalled the look on the groom’s face. If someone had told Nimble that his sister had run the nobleman down with her horse and tied him to her spear to bring him back home over her shoulder, he would have believed it to be the absolute truth.

『MARCH!』

Nimble started at Selene’s command. His feet carried him forward and into the carriage. The door closed, imprisoning Nimble as the vehicle carried him away.

He sighed, looking down at his dress shirt and finely-tailored coat, wishing that he was wearing his armour.

No, not even adamantite full plate will protect me from this…

He slouched into his seat, wondering how he had ended up in his dire situation. Was it because they saw him in the atrium of the Imperial Palace? Was he being punished by the gods for ignoring the thousands of letters of introduction that had crossed his desk over the years? How did Ellen even know them?

Nimble had long grown accustomed to his family’s incessant prodding over him being a bachelor. Every week, letters would appear introducing eligible noblewomen from across the Empire. Multiple copies of them. On his desk; at the dinner table; his favourite couch; the pillow on his bed. More than a few times he would sit down at the latrine and discover them attached at eye level to the back of the door. He had no idea how every single one of them came through his sisters, but at least he could politely refuse these attempts at seeing him married.

Little had he known that the Sorcerous Kingdom would get involved.

Just how far does that damn Sorcerer King’s bony hand stretch?

It was surely some sort of plot. Over a year ago, the Emperor had ruefully mocked himself for thinking he could tempt Ainz Ooal Gown with the beautiful young noblewomen he had plucked from their families. They were to be a gift, delivered under the assumption that the mysterious magic caster was a powerful Human mage. Had these ‘visiting’ noblewomen been plucked from the annexed territories of E-Rantel and sent to them as a sort of sarcastic reply to that time?

What was their true purpose? It was highly doubtful they had simply come to see the sights and maybe find a consort. Their youthful, attractive exteriors were simply a cover for…what? He couldn't even imagine. The Sorcerer King was a being who transcended mortal imagination.

Whether he could or could not fathom what the Sorcerer King had planned, however, did not help his present situation. Though he was a martial Noble and thus was not very adept at unravelling intricate plots or setting up civilian intelligence networks, he was well aware of the threats laid out before him.

The first was that the invitation had been conveyed through his elder sister, Ellen, who had come from the Karnassus Marches to visit. They were telling him that not even his family was safe from the evil clutches of a devious mastermind. The only thing that Nimble could be relieved about was that his sisters appeared to be oblivious to what was going on, instead perceiving the invitation as a rare chance to see their alarmingly still-single brother married off.

Lady Frianne was the second problem. The genius daughter of House Gushmond was both wary and resolute when she went to act as host for the duration of their visit. After a few days, she seemed resigned. Then, suddenly, she appeared almost carefree. It was eerily similar to what had happened to Roune Vermillion, so Nimble suspected that they had gotten to her somehow as well.

Checks made on their carriage and belongings by the First Legion produced mixed results. Though its engineering was strange, the transport appeared nothing more than a well-crafted vehicle. The maids and footmen who had come along were similar to what one might find in any Noble’s household.

Of the four noblewomen, three had ridiculous panoplies of magical equipment. The fourth, Zahradnik, appeared to have none. The fact that the Rangers and Rogues of the First Legion couldn’t figure out how strong she was implied that the noblewoman was using some Skill or magic item to conceal her person and belongings.

This on its own should have been enough to at least stop her and perform a more thorough investigation, but several things suggested that it would be better to leave well enough alone. The fact that she claimed to be a Noble of the Sorcerous Kingdom was enough to make anyone take five steps back. How she carried herself was also an immediate cause for concern.

Detecting the ‘ambush’ by the attainted man in the palace either meant that she possessed magic items to detect invisible targets or was a powerful individual with scout or thief abilities who could pinpoint the man’s location through other sensory cues. The way she had stopped the man involved a feat that at least made her comparable to Leinas or Nimble in raw, physical ability. Furthermore, her apparent lack of concern over the whole affair indicated that she was capable of far more.

Should she take affront at being singled out, how much of Arwintar would be destroyed? If she possessed high detection abilities, then it was also likely she had significant stealth ability. Any number of important people could be assassinated and they would have no clue what was going on.

The Empire had several powerful, independent individuals – far stronger than the Four Imperial Knights combined even at their former full strength – and it was for these sorts of reasons that they were left alone. That the Sorcerous Kingdom was so much more advanced than the Empire made it likely that her equipment was far superior to anything that the region had to offer, as well.

As such, they could only watch and wait and pray that nothing happened. This worked until it stopped working and Nimble suddenly found a figurative spear pointed directly at his throat.

His weight shifted as the carriage turned off of Central Avenue, proceeding ever closer to its destination. Nimble frowned out the window at the citizens blithely going back and forth along the busy market streets. The situation of the Empire had drastically changed over the last year, yet the life of the people went on. As it was so often said, ignorance was bliss and he could only envy them for it.

Nimble remained in his seat long after the carriage stopped and the footman opened the door. Rain pattered lightly outside and the brightly-lit entrance of the Platinum Palace cast its harsh glare upon him. The unsettling sense that something dangerous was watching him finally stirred him from the vehicle and into the lobby of Arwintar’s finest inn and dining establishment.

A uniformed member of the staff walked out to greet him with a polite bow.

“Welcome, Lord Anoch,” he said. “Your table has been prepared. This way please.”

He followed the man into the softly-lit restaurant, past spacious booths and divided dining areas where members of Arwintar’s high society enjoyed the finest food, discussed important affairs and conducted private negotiations. A Bard performed somewhere unseen, filling the air with soft strains of elegant music.

The host stopped at an open door. Nimble resisted the urge to peek carefully inside. With a quiet breath, he checked his posture before striding confidently into the room.

No one else had arrived yet. He could only be thankful for the temporary reprieve. Nimble nodded at the host and, after he vanished, he made two rounds of the room. At first, he made a show of checking the cards at each seat, as if looking for his spot. Then he realised that no one could see him anyway and pulled out several magic items.

They were issued to each Great Imperial Knight to ensure that places the Emperor frequented would be secure. Nimble activated each in turn as he carefully inspected the room.

No traps. No poison in the air or on the surfaces of the furniture. The tastefully-decorated panels of the walls appeared free of hazards as well. No magic items were present aside from those used for light, heating and calling for service. No magical sensors from divination spells and effects…

A light knock issued from the door. Nimble froze for a heartbeat before stuffing the magic items back into his coat pockets. After glancing over himself, he turned with a smile and froze again.

Five stunning beauties stood before him.

It was at this point that nearly any man would simply surrender without realising that he had, overwhelmed by the array of feminine weaponry deployed against him. Nimble, however, was no mere man. He was one of the Four Imperial Knights; a renowned warrior respected across the Empire and beyond.

Such warriors had access to powerful Martial Arts. Nimble silently activated a Boost Art to reinforce his mental resilience. Then, he activated another that augmented his magic resistance, just in case. A tiny voice in the corner of his mind mocked him for using Martial Arts to defend himself against womanly wiles, but he stuffed it in a dark hole somewhere.

“Good evening, Lady Frianne,” he bowed in polite greeting. “Lady Corelyn. Lady Wagner. Lady Gagnier. Lady Zahradnik.”

He rose from his bow and they offered their greetings in return. After he had received them, they went to their seats and Nimble locked his gaze on Lady Frianne.

This is a coworker…a coworker…a coworker…it’ll be awkward if I start looking at her differently…

His coworker silently smiled back at him. Then a sense of danger entered his awareness. Nimble surreptitiously glanced around, trying to figure out who it was coming from. After a few moments, he realised they were all looking at him expectantly.

Whether it was Baharuth or Re-Estize or any other nation in the region, Human society was patriarchal. Men dominated nearly every social and professional arena, so, as the only man at the table, he was expected to lead the conversation.

As the silence grew between them, so did the sense of danger.

“So…” he said, distributing his gaze evenly between them, “have you enjoyed your stay in Arwintar?”

“Very much so,” Countess Corelyn replied. “It’s been an enlightening experience overall and Lady Frianne has been a most excellent host.”

Nimble idly wondered what they had been ‘enlightened’ about. His stomach started to churn as he thought about the possible vulnerabilities that had been exposed. The reports he had received detailed their movements but indicated little of what they had gained from them.

“I’m glad to hear it,” he said. “Was there anything in particular that you enjoyed in the city?”

“Our interests are varied,” Lady Corelyn said, “but I would like to spend more time in the archives and museums.”

“There are still many performances that I’d like to attend,” Lady Gagnier added.

“The shopping, of course!” Lady Wagner smiled, “I bought a wagon full of magical appliances.”

His gaze settled on the remaining member of the party. She opened her mouth, then closed it again with a frown.

What did it mean? What did any of it mean? Everything seemed so ordinary that there must have been something else to it. Lady Zahradnik hadn’t said anything. Perhaps her activities would give something away…

As his gaze lingered upon her, Lady Zahradnik’s frown disappeared. Rather than smiling, however, it felt more that she was unfrowning.

Nimble cleared his throat, turning his attention back to Lady Frianne.

“The Court Council is–”

The sense of danger returned, raising the hairs on his arms. Before he could look around again, the restaurant staff brought in the first course of their meal. A large silver tray on the cart was uncovered, revealing a steaming bowl of seafood soup with ingredients imported fresh from the Golden Strand. One of the servers produced a magic item and activated it.

“What’s that?” Lady Zahradnik asked.

“It should be an item that checks for the presence of poison,” Nimble answered, and the server nodded in affirmation. “That includes any spoilage.”

The savoury aroma of the soup filled the room as fine porcelain bowls were filled and laid out before them. Nimble looked down at it with great relish: it was something Baziwood had introduced to him – cuisine from the former dockworker’s home region. He had grown quite fond of the spicy, sour soup…

Was it a coincidence? As far as luxury cuisine went, the common fare was nowhere on the list of things that the wealthy elite of Arwintar would have had served.

“I don’t recall anything about anyone ordering the meal…”

“Ah, the courses were selected by Lady Anoch,” Lady Frianne said. “She heard about the dinner and picked out your favourites for us.”

His mother knew about this dinner? As far as Nimble was aware, his parents were in Anoch Barony in the Karnassus Marches over two hundred kilometres away. His appetite dwindled as he considered that they, like his sisters, might also be unknowing hostages of the Sorcerer King.

As one of the old blood of the Empire’s aristocracy, familial bonds stood above all else. This was the case even with the Empire’s efforts to influence traditional values to shift loyalties to the imperial throne. Nimble had a good upbringing and maintained strong ties with his family, but such bonds could also be exploited as chains.

Raising the bowl to begin their meal, he steeled himself to fight on his family’s behalf, silently cursing the Sorcerer King for his evil ways.

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