"Hmm." Micah opened what appeared to be a golden pocket watch and locked it shut again. Based on his displeased expression, the news he was waiting on had not yet come in.
He sat across from me on the moving carriage. Like myself, he was dressed for Princess Evelyn's ball.
The small circular object in his hands wasn't a watch. It was a looking glass, a communication device powered by red and blue mana stones. When opened, one side appeared as a mirror, and the other showed a view into its twin-looking glass.
A subtle click sounded from the looking glass.
Micah popped it open, and a broad smile filled his face.
His green eyes looked up at me. "We have her."
I sighed in relief. "Thank goodness."
The eight-year-old daughter of the waiter had been recaptured from the Silver Eel Syndicate by Micah's people. That meant one headache had been taken care of. With her in our hands, the waiter would have no choice but to comply with us instead.
"Goodness had nothing to do with it," Micah muttered. He locked the looking glass and gazed out the carriage window. He appeared relaxed.
He was right. Whoever Micah had hired on was unlikely to be kind-hearted individuals looking to save a child. Money was their motivation.
Micah hadn't actually clued me in on the details of whom he hired. And I didn't bother pressing for them. He had explained it as "some extra helping hands I know" but having worked in this line of work myself, I pieced together that he hired someone from within the underground circles. Likely be one of the other factions if they could go against the Silver Eel Syndicate.
"Ahem." Mother cleared her throat.
"I don't know what the two of you are up to, but remember to put yourselves first no matter what. Your wellbeing is the most important thing." Mother was sitting to my right in the carriage. Large diamond droplet earrings graced her ears and a white fur shawl sprawled over her shoulders. "I'm sure you have handled it since you haven't looped me in, but know I'm here if you need help."
"We have it handled, don't you worry." Micah gave her a reassuring smile and brushed his bright blonde hair aside.
I looked over at Micah. His attire wasn't flashy by any means. It was a simple white suit with golden buttons. And yet, he shone brightly. He looked effortlessly perfect with this golden hair, his chiseled jaw, and almost blindingly white teeth. I had no doubt that he would monopolize all eyes at the ball.
My bold black suit with its golden tree was like a single far away star hidden away by Micah's sunlight. I doubted that even the eccentric guest with his eye-shades would hold much of a candle to Micah.
I frowned.
"Micah, have you ever had a relationship?" It dawned on me that I had never known Micah to have any romantic relations. It seemed a complete shame; the most eligible bachelor is still single and never having been in a relationship.
Micah frowned. A look of pure shock crossed his face. His arm resting on the windowsill dropped.
"You… don't know?" he asked. His green eyes were wide.
I blinked. Was I missing something? Or perhaps I had forgotten something?
"No. What do you mean?" I asked.
"Ah, shit." Micah looked out the carriage window. His hand caressed his mouth.
That was an odd reaction.
"What does that mean?" I inquired. I gripped my hands together and leaned forward, analyzing Micah's every movement.
"It's fine. I was just surprised. I had assumed you knew. But it's fine. You'll find out tonight," Micah looked over and smiled. But he looked sad.
I glanced over at Mother for answers. She raised her eyebrows and looked away, a smile on her face. It was her expression when she knew something but wasn't going to say anything.
My eyes moved between them. What was it that I was missing?
My brain racked through all my memories.
Micah had said he wanted to discuss something important with me but said he'd leave it as a surprise instead.
Was that it? But if so, he would have known I didn't know what it was. So why was he looking so crestfallen now that I didn't know? Unless it was something else entirely. And if so, what was it?
I rubbed my temples.
Forget it. I already have enough to deal with his and the crown princess's attempted assassination coming up. I don't have time to worry about silly things like this.
The carriage came to a halt, and one of the attendants opened up the door.
"Remember, enjoy yourself, but be careful. Some of these nobles can be rather sly and manipulative in their intentions." Mother spoke to me in the exact words as the last round.
"Don't worry. I'll keep him safe." Micah patted my shoulders.
It was funny how some things repeated themselves despite so many other things having changed.
"And I'll keep Micah safe," I brushed his hand off as we got off the carriage.
I wasn't about to have him die on me today.
We entered the palace ballroom. My eyes gazed up. Chandeliers illuminated the massive space but had an entirely different style from the previous round. Millions of tiny round pendants protruded from the many hanging circles, and there was a small bulb of light at the end of each pendant. They looked like stars against the dark ceiling.
Music sounded through the ample space, just loud enough to appreciate it but not so loud that it overtook the conversations between guests.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
It was the same annoying, shrill laugh as before. We had managed to arrive at the same exact time as Round 5.
My eyes moved right towards her highness Anastasia, the sole daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Genuiver. She was laughing at something one of the attendants in her entourage had said.
"I heard you won the phoenix eyes pendant of the first queen of Adovoria at the auction," another voice sounded.
My eyes looked left, and just like in the previous round, Lord Blanche was surrounded by guests and boasting about his wealth.
"Ah, indeed. You heard correctly. Cost me 3,000 gold Deux coins," Lord Blanche said loudly.
"Ugh." I walked towards the food and refreshments area. I didn't want to hear that conversation yet again.
Micah followed right behind. But before I could pick up a plate, he pulled me with him outside onto the balcony.
"Come on, we have work to do," he said.
"Aha. You must be Luca." A familiar voice sounded.
I turned and saw Crown Princess Evelyn standing up from a bench. She looked as breathtaking in this round as the previous one, dressed in all gold, albeit in a form-fitting gown compared to the poofed-out ball gown of before.
"Your royal highness, Crown Princess Evelyn, it is an honor that you know my name," I said and bowed down.
"Oh, stop it." Micah pulled me up by my collar and straightened me up.
Princess Evelyn laughed. "Your brother is right. No need for formalities. Especially since you uncovered the assassination plot on my and your brother's head."
She walked over, her heels clicking across the stone balcony floor. She unfolded her crimson fan and fluttered it over herself.
"Hmm, Micah dear, your brother seems a much more agreeable fellow than you." She gazed at me and smiled. "I've heard quite a lot about you. Your brother doesn't speak highly of many, yet he certainly has a rather high opinion of you."
I glanced at Micah in confusion.
A high opinion? I didn't see what I had done till now to deserve such praise. I would have summed this up as some absurd joke, but neither of them appeared to be joking.
"Have you identified the waiter and the two guards?" Micah asked her.
"The waiter was easy." Princess Evelyn frowned. "But I had some trouble with the drawing sent over."
I gazed down at my black shoes awkwardly.
Perhaps I should try to learn to draw better?
"Well, in any case," Princess Evelyn continued speaking. "I managed to narrow it down to a few guards. Luca, dear, if I have you go down to the dungeon, would you be able to point out the ones responsible?"
"Of course." I nodded. I might have been a terrible artist, but I never forgot a face.
"Wonderful." A wide smile spread across her crimson lips.
She waved her fan towards one of her two guards.
"Julius, dear, please take Luca Frey down to the dungeon. He'll point out the two conspirators. The moment he does…." She sliced her fan across her neck. "On the spot. No waiting. And tell the staff to get rid of the bodies."
"Understood." The guard nodded without expression. "Young master Luca Frey, please follow me."
"What about Detective Gavin Graves?" I inquired. "And the waiter?"
"The waiter, I will handle," Micah said.
"And don't you worry about Gavin. I had him investigate a pressing matter in the Humton Forest." A vicious smile grew across her beautiful face.
I felt a chill run up my body, and the hairs on my arms stood up. I had an instinct for dangerous people, and Princess Evelyn, as beautiful as she was, was not one to mess with.
I had the sense that I might never see Gavin Graves alive ever again. At least not in this lifetime.
"Shall we?" Micah put out his elbow.
"Yes." Princess Evelyn put her arm through his, and the two walked out into the light-filled ballroom. They looked perfect together.
Perhaps..? A thought suddenly crossed my mind.
The second guard followed right behind them, leaving the second guard on the balcony with me.
"Young master Luca Frey? Shall we go inside as well?" Julius, the second guard, motioned to go back inside.
"Very well," I said and walked forward. It was strange making my way down to the dungeon. Last time I had been dragged down there against my will.
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We rounded several corners and came down multiple stairs until we made it to the familiar metal doors leading into the dungeon.
"Young master Luca Frey, have you ever been here before?" Julius asked. "I didn't expect you to lead the whole way."
Ah, damn it. I wasn't supposed to know where the dungeon was. I had never even been to the palace before.
"You could say so," I replied. I didn't really have a good lie.
Julius gave me a peculiar look but ordered the guard in front of the dungeon to unlock the metal door and followed me inside.
I gagged at the stench of the dungeon. Unfortunately, it wasn't any better the second time around.
I pulled up my sleeve and covered my nose.
Perhaps it was even worse. Seven men were caged up in the cell where I had died in Round 5. None of them had sat on the disgusting bed either. The setting had changed, but the bed and the cell were as filthy as ever.
"Young master Luca Frey, could you point out the criminals?" Julius asked.
The seven men inside stirred at the question and gazed at me with wonder.
"Yes," I mumbled through my sleeve. I pointed at Bob and Bob the Second. "It's him and him."
"Wonderful," Julius replied from behind me.
SPLAT!
I had barely blinked. I felt something wet sprinkle across my face.
I opened my eyes to blood covering the cell walls, the ceiling, and the rest of the individuals inside. Bob and Bob the Second had combusted from within at their necks. I noticed two round objects at the corners of the cell. Those were their heads. Or at least whatever was left of them.
I turned my head back and stared in shock at Julius. A glow emanating from his right palm slowly died down.
A mage…?
I obviously knew he was a royal guard since he served Princess Evelyn, but I had not expected him to be a mage as well. Mages were incredibly rare in Adovoria, after all.
Screams sounded within the cell as the men inside also comprehended just what had occurred.
"Oh lordy! Please, young man, spare us!"
"I am not with those two! I swear!"
"Quiet down!" Julius spoke. His voice boomed. "No one else will be harmed. I apologize for the inconvenience, but Princess Evelyn's instructions were to take care of the two criminals the moment they were identified."
I gulped. I was glad I had not accidentally pointed in such a way that Julius misunderstood who was guilty. But I had the sense that he would have shrugged and made a third man combust without a second thought.
"Ah." Julius glanced at me. "I apologize. I had not intended to get any residue on you. I should have been more careful."
I wiped my face and felt the red wetness on my fingers.
Ah. Blood. So that's what it was. Obviously. What else could it have been?
My hands shook. It was ironic. I was used to blood. But it was still disgusting. It wasn't even just blood. Other innards were mixed in.
I pulled out a handkerchief from inside my suit and cleaned my face the best I could, but there was still too much.
"Damn it." I gazed down at the utterly filthy handkerchief.
"I can have a room ready for you to change in and get cleaned up," Julius suggested.
"Why didn't you warn me? Or pull me back? Or kill them with magic that doesn't involve combustion. You could have had a magic arrow thrown instead." My voice rose as I furiously wiped my hair and suit. Globs of blood come off. A tooth fell out of my hair as well.
"What if this had hit me in my eye??" I picked up the tooth and pushed it before Julius' face.
His eyes went wide.
"I–I hadn't thought of that. I just tried to be quick. I wanted to follow Princess Evelyn's order," he replied dumbly.
My eyes searched his stupid wide-eyed expression.
The System certainly liked to remind me of how stupid I was, but there was no way that this moron had a higher Intelligence stat than me.
[ Skill update! ]
[ Perception: +1 ]
[ Perception: 40 ]
I gazed at the blue notification screens popping up in front of Julius' face.
[ Congratulations! New skill unlocked! ]
[ Character Check : Level 1 ]
[ You can perceive a random skill or stat of another character at random once per day. ]
Another hovering blue screen appeared over Julius' head.
[ Character Check in progress for Julius. ]
Letters rolled through the screen like one of the slot machines at the main casino in Western Genise until they finally stopped in place.
[ Intelligence: 4 ]
I gazed at the stat and down at Julius' stupid face.
Huh, so he's as dumb as I am weak?
I sighed. I suddenly felt terrible about raising my voice on someone that was practically disabled.
"Julius, will my brother and crown princess be alright now?" I asked and moved away from him.
"I'm almost certain they will be," he replied.
"Good enough for me. Get me my carriage. I'm going home then." I turned and walked out of the dungeon.
I had lost all interest in remaining at the palace much longer. And I had a sense that Micah and Princess Evelyn would fare just fine now that they were on high alert for any other danger.
"Very well," Julius replied. I looked back and saw him tap on the ruby red mana stone in his ear and make a request for my carriage to be brought over.
However, I didn't wait for him and walked up through the maze of corridors back towards the ballroom. I paused before going further because I realized I needed another way around without eyes on my bloodied attire.
Damn it.
I rubbed my temples. I was getting a headache from this literal mess I was in.
I'll have to wait for Julius to show me a discreet way out.
"Well then…. You've certainly had an eventful evening," a voice sounded nearby.
I looked to see the eccentric young man from the Daylan Empire standing against a wall. In one hand was a plate that was towering with food.
It was a strange place to eat. It was away from the rest of the guests, and I got a peculiar feeling that he had been waiting for me here.
I couldn't see his eyes. Just like in Round 5, his eyes were covered by a pair of rose-gold round reflective spectacles. His suit and shoes were both a muted shade of pink.
"That's one way of putting it," I muttered.
The young man laughed. "Don't worry. I'm sure it'll get better."
"Here," he walked over and handed me a pink macaroon. "You haven't eaten yet. And the pastry chef here is the best across the entire continent."
I took the macaroon. My fingers still had bloody residue on them, however.
And yet this strange man was treating me as if me being covered in blood was the most normal of attires.
"Thanks." I put the macaroon up to my mouth but stopped. "Wait. What is this made of?"
"Strawberries."
Tsk.
Was the world trying to kill me?
A smile spread across my face at the irony.
"I'm deathly allergic to strawberries," I explained and handed the macaroon back.
"Ah. Well, that's a shame." He took the macaroon out of my hands and tossed it in his mouth. "More for me, I suppose."
I grimaced. That macaroon most certainly had some blood on it.
"Well, take care, Luca. I'll see you around." He waved his hand and walked off.
It took me a few moments to realize. I had never told this strange man my name. Not in this round, at least.