Chapter 35: The Decision

With Emeri calmed down we end up sharing another bath together.

She wanted an answers on why I collapsed but I couldn't really think of an excuse, at least not without hinting at the actual reason. So the best I can do is tell her it was the first time I experienced anything like it, so I wasn't sure of the details myself. 

"Veda... If you ever need help just let me know! I will help you the best I can!" Emeri says to console me. 

Something I don't need but appreciate regardless as I thank her for her consideration. Someone else opens the door to the bath and I see the maid with a disciplined aura who guided me to the tea party. 

Emeri gets up and bows to the maid. "Has something happened head maid?" 

The Head maid shook her head before looking to me. "I have come to fetch Ms. Deidura as the Queen has requested her presence. It appears news of your brother has arrived." 

At first, I was confused before showing surprise after remembering what I had set up. "Ah, yes! I will be out in a second!" 

It took almost 2 days to get here but the letter must've traveled by horse or by carriage to shorten the distance. I was expecting the letter to arrive at least three days, maybe even missing it because it took Serci and Veda two days to get here. 

Emeri was ecstatic for me by this news as we finished the bath to follow the head maid. 

The office we arrived at was a very brown and red room full of books and letters. Apparently, it's the advisor's office whose job is to spend much of his time looking through reports and requests made by nearby residents from both inside the capital and from nearby towns and villages. 

The note that caught his attention was one brought directly to a Knight of the front gate and asked by the messenger to send for aid against the possible hobgoblin threat on the rise. 

The information was too accurate for something not yet announced to the public, so it skipped the waiting list of three stacks of letters still on the desk. After having read the note, the advisor understood the importance and brought it to Queen Lertra before the information of my awakening came to them from the maid who first saw me head for the bath. 

I bow my head to greet everyone. Serci is here in place of the busy princess. Of course, the Queen and Advisor were here too with lastly being the Captain of the Royal Knights, and Emeri who followed behind me. All other Keepers are still hard at work with their own duties, leaving whatever decision the Queen makes into something relayed to them in their next meeting. 

"It's good to see you in good health," the Queen says. 

"Yes, though it was the first time that has happened to me. Nothing feels different since getting my rest. I heard you have news about my brother?" 

The Queen looked confused immediately after I tried to make an excuse, but she seemed to shake off whatever inconsistency she was having as the Advisor cleared his throat and brought out the Letter. 

"We received a letter from the Village of Farnom. It's a village made and maintained by Adventurers deep in the forest known to be a threat to normal civilians. But despite its origins of founding, it's become an important trade route for us and the north. This report has brought attention to a new temporary resident of the valley..." He pauses for a moment, staring at me. "...IF you wouldn't mind telling us your brother's name to confirm you are who you say." 

The Queen frowned at her advisor while Serci tried to keep from facepalming. Emeri also seemed frustrated by the insinuation, while I can't help but find it ridiculous at this point.

Considering both Emeri and Serci were both present the first time my existence became known, on top of the letter describing Veda's appearance perfectly, my identity should've been assured...  'But whatever...'

"He is Verei. His hair is opposite of mine, fully blonde with a dash of red on his front bang. And while he's shorter than most as opposed to me being tall, he's quite fit, a weapon master whereas I'm a caster." 

I added some of the additional details on the page for his own description that was added in from the Guild Master's first thoughts when seeing him in an attempt to dispel all remaining doubt.

Advisor Galmon seems satisfied before the Queen input on his actions. "That was unnecessary Galmon. Along with the description of Veda present in the letter, Serci herself could testify having been with her the entire time, just as well all Keepers from the mission having witnessed and confirmed it was her at least once." 

'Wait... all? But I didn't see the Keeper in Black...'

The advisor sets the letter on the desk before waving it off. "You can never be too careful your highness. For all we know someone could have changed into her form just before meeting Serci." 

I think he was referring to what's called a shapeshifter. A form of mimic that takes the appearance of living creatures. Maybe even talking about an artifact that changes one's appearance but I don't remember much about that artifact beyond that it exists... 'Oddly enough...' 

Serci gave her own reason for why that thought was unnecessary. "Mimics can only keep their form for at most 24 hours. Not only that, but she cast a healing spell and has certain knowledge that only people who've lived in the valley would know. I can confirm her to be the legitimate resident of the valley more than anyone else." 

'That's true, my knowledge of Horned Rabbits was something only Uldrei and I know, at least in this part of the Kingdom. Had it been a monster or even a human taking my form, they likely wouldn't have been able to cast spells, and if it was someone else, I doubt they would've been able to teach Serci to create a trap that could capture horned rabbits.' 

The Advisor raises his voice. "Let us not forget how the previous Keeper of the Word lost his life!" The air went still with that outburst, everyone else present being shaken by whatever event he just brought up. It makes me wonder what happened, but he clears his throat to move topics. 

"Back... to the main subject at hand... it has been confirmed that your brother has made it to Farnom Village. It's 2 days through the forest areas from the western gate but a 4-day trip by road, even with a horse. They requested aid in case of a Hobgoblin attack, likely due to the new hierarchy being established from the appearance of those two evolved monsters, the intelligent red-skinned Hobgoblin High-Mage and red-skinned Orc warlord." 

The Royal Knight Commander took a moment after the advisor's outburst. "It is a request that would've been fulfilled regardless. We will be sending reinforcements to the Southern, Eastern, and Western areas outside the valley's grounds to ensure we know when they make attempts to leave. As for the northern area, it's out of our jurisdiction but we'll have a messenger sent to the Federation of Farengar." 

Another place I haven't heard of, but unlike with Uldrei I can't, or more shouldn't, interrupt just because I don't know what they're talking about. I may be a civilian who had their home destroyed in the topic of discussion, but I'm not a Keeper with a position at this table. 

But it doesn't mean I can't figure it out... 'If a Federation is a group of towns who came together under an alliance, and the name of their Federation is based on the God of Fortune, as told to me by Lejer, then it's probably a rich land that functions off of trade.' 

Emeri gets everyone's attention after hearing 'attempt to leave the forest'. "On the topic of the hobgoblins, some of my Rangers stationed to observe the forests nearby have seen hobgoblins attempting to leave through the south. They retreated when one of the rangers was noticed before we could ambush them." 

The Commander nods, "That had to of been a scouting party looking for a safe route out of the Forest." To which Emeri agreed, "I was going to mention this in the next meeting of Keepers as it's information I received last night." 

I can't help but be reminded of the Assassin Variants that attempted to take Verei's life yesterday. "They might be checking how secure each area is before deciding the path for a larger force." 

After I said that, everyone was staring at me. I must've given enough impression to mark myself as a 'country bumpkin' in their eyes that they didn't think I would have anything to add.

"That sounds about right," Commander Harbek snorts. 

I'm starting to feel embarrassed for saying anything. I'm not even sure why I knew what they were doing almost right away but 'Uldrei taught me' may be a good enough excuse. 

"We don't know exactly how many Hobgoblins there are," continued Commander Harbek. "Even less how long they've been planning to leave Varen Valley but if the Artifacts did anything for their desire to expand territory, then they couldn't have been preparing for long." 

The Queen gave her judgment. "We shall spend a year on the defensive. That artifact, the Berserker's Staff, is something we can't face with our current strength. But thanks to the confrontation with the Orc, we've learned of the artifact's weakness... Time." 

"Blood dries up and becomes unusable to the artifact, which is why it only ever appears on battlefields. It can't store the blood it needs to use for its power, meaning we can take this time gathering strength, repair the artifacts that have broken, and recruit a Hero level volunteer in order to make an elite team to head into the valley and assassinate the Orc." 

'So that's why they're going on the defensive? Because they currently have a lack of elites with enough offensive ability to kill the Orc?' 

Or at least, not one that can match the artifact that destroyed my home. And they can't do large-scale battles against them because that would give the enemy an advantage, ending in a large-scale slaughter. 

The Queen may have said a year, but it seems more accurate to say, 'till we can confidentially face that artifact.' 

During our journey together, I asked Serci about the Keepers and she mentioned most Keepers are at least B-rank by adventurer standards, but the highest is only an A-rank. So, what they are hoping for is the arrival of an S-rank. That which they call a Hero.