Chapter 15: The Ruler is worried

It took a few moments for my thoughts to catch up to me. The duke, dead? Now, of all times? How?

The sound of a nervous voice shook me out of my thoughts. "My lord? Could I be excused now?" I hadn't realized I was still holding onto the man. Oops.

I released the guardsman's shoulder and watched him as he jogged to join the stream of people presumably headed to the crime scene. They hadn't immediately come for me, so it was likely I was not under suspicion, at least yet. I ducked back into my sitting room and nearly crashed into Sarjay, who was waiting in front of the door. He wasted no time to badger me for information.

"What's going on? I heard something about someone being dead?"

"The duke."

Sarjay gaped and moved to speak, but I continued before he had the chance.

"No, it wasn't me," I interjected rather bitingly, "I have nothing but vague suspicions over who it could have been."

At least, he had enough shame to look chagrined. "Hey, if you didn't want me jumping to conclusions, you should have told me about the mind-wiped minion," he retorted while tilting his head in Vinara's direction, who had remained unmoving in front of the futon.

"Well, that's fair, I guess," I accepted with a grumble. "In any case, it's time to go join the commotion."

"And her?"

I sent a few threads of Mind towards Vinara, shaping them into a spell that would purge my other Mind constructs, then set the spell to activate after ten minutes.

"Go back to your room, Vinara."

She left with the same golem-like movements, and I hoped her presence would be masked by the panicking people.

A minute later, with Sarjay at my side, I left the apartment for what was likely the final time and went off in search of the late duke.

It took us a good fifteen minutes of confusedly pacing the hallways and unclear directions to get to the scene of the murder. Or, at least, what I believed to be the scene of the murder. There was a small crowd blocking the access to a set of gilded double doors, and by the way people were furiously whispering to each other there was little chance of it being a social call.

I forced my way through the crowd, and people began to make way for me when they realized the big evil villain they'd been warned about was in their midst. At least one woman made a warding gesture as I passed her, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

Making it to the front of the crowd, I finally caught a glimpse of the trio who had greeted me earlier that day — Varath, Leonine, and Kirin-something? — who seemed to be engaged in a heated discussion.

I coughed politely to grab their attention, which finally got them to notice me. They seemed to be at a loss on how to proceed until finally Leonine took a step forward.

"Your Lordship. You have arrived during a most inauspicious time."

"You don't say," I murmured, drawing a surprised look from her face. I hadn't meant to say that out loud.

"Please rest assured that we do not suspect you of committing this foul murder," she asserted, but there was a slight questioning tone to her voice that suggested the very opposite. Was she asking me if I was responsible?

Snorting, I denied the veiled accusation. "I was in my room until barely a quarter hour ago. I heard the commotion and wanted to take a look."

"Has your curiosity been sated, then Your Lordship?" Her tone was clipped, which was no surprise given how on edge she must have been given the whole fiasco. Her liege lord was dead, which made her future uncertain.

"It doesn't look like you have the situation handled. I have more than a passing familiarity with death. I can help you find the culprit, should you wish."

Leonine's eyes widened for a fraction of a second, before narrowing into a more cautious gaze.

"And what do you wish for in exchange for such a service? I have no doubt one such as you does not come cheap."

My lips quirked into a wry smile. She really did think I had done it, didn't she?

"No charge," I said as she raised an eyebrow. "Call it a professional curiosity. I'm just as curious as you are as to why someone would murder the good duke, on the day of my visit nonetheless."

The Kirin fellow did not seem to follow along his companion's line of thought and interjected with his approval.

"We would be most grateful for any assistance, lord." Giving Leonine a long side-eyed glance, he continued, "I apologize for Viscountess Leonine's rudeness, she is most upset over our liege's passing."

She seemed unsatisfied, but did not object. I gave them a nod and finally focused my attention on the room itself. It was a sitting room much like the one I had briefly inhabited, except much more lavishly decorated. As I took in the sights, Varath finally spoke up.

"The… cadaver is in the bedroom, to the left, Your Lordship."

I ignored him. I'd already surmised as much, but I wanted to make sure there were no undue surprises before I approached the body. Activating Soul Vision, I once again took in the sitting room, scanning for any out of place magic.

I found none at all, which was surprising. I had expected entry wards around the windows and doors, or some trapped hidden safes, but nothing stood out. Given that he had a mage on retainer, it was fairly odd.

Still, I couldn't complain about the lack of traps, so I moved on to the bedroom. Giving it a quick scan and once again finding nothing, I approached the bed, upon which lay the unmoving body of the former duke, his throat slashed open by a dagger that was still embedded in the soft flesh.

And still, no magic. A completely mundane murder by all evidence, and no hint as to the culprit.

"Back on E—where I'm from, they could just read the fingerprints off the dagger and find the killer that way," Sarjay murmured softly from behind me. It was a good call. A skilled Fate practitioner would likely be able to do the same. I couldn't, but I had another trick up my sleeve.

I was going to ask the Duke himself.