"...I know damn well that you aren't acquainted with any of the politics there, no matter what the Griffins' family had you do there," Atlas glared, his fists on the table, ready to pounce if needed to.
"..."
'Huuu, this kid is too smart for his own good!... Though I'm sure I am smarter, so I'll just tell him what it is, other than the information I know from the novel.'
"Heh, yes, you are indeed right. However, there is business I need to do there," I admitted, smiling, then making a straight face.
"Oh? And what would be so important for you to do to go to a Kingdom that you have no affiliation with whatsoever, hm?" Atas continued to question me, now folding his hands together and leaning forward more.
"There is someone I need to find, and it is quite important that I do so," I replied, leaning back in my chair to grab a cigarette and light it, then putting it in my mouth and putting my elbow on the back of my chair.
"Eugh, and what is so important about them for you to go so far out of the way?" Atlas poked some more, grimacing at the smell of the cigarette.
"I'm afraid that frankly, that is none of your beez-wax," I scoffed, and smiled, then took my cigarette from my mouth and tapped the extra ashes into the ashtray before they could fall onto my lap, chair, or the table.
Atlas made more sounds of disgust before lifting his sleeve to his nose, "Why are you so secretive? If this person is so important for you to find, why don't you just let us help?"
"No. Having Eveleen accompany me is a stretch as is. Anymore, and it would get too complicated," I sighed, massaging my temples, "Now, is there any more bullshit, or are you done?"
"...That was it, sorry," Atlas exclaimed, looking down and putting his hands in his lap, feeling as if his suspicions got the best of him.
"Haaa, there is no need to apologize. I know that you are just trying to look out for yourself and your party members, so I understand. I would do the same. Integrating you if our roles were switched, I mean," I commented, smiling at him mockingly while putting out my cigarette.
"Mmm, thanks for the understanding…I guess," He replied, mumbling the last part that he wouldn't be able to hear if I wasn't a half-breed.
"Heh, no worries. Now then! What do you say about sharing the booze and cookies you brought?!" I smiled brightly, picking up the liquor and shaking it.
"Hm! Sure!" The hero smiled brightly in turn, perhaps at the thought of a new potential ally…at least temporarily.
'Well, even if I don't like the guy, I have no reason to turn down a good cup of booze and some drinking company!'
***
A week later, the ship finally reached the ports of Benoni City, a rather small one on the coast of the Silversun kingdom, and the perfect place to start my search.
"Welp, here we are," I exclaimed, spreading my arms in sarcasm, "an empty port in an even emptier city!"
"Well, there is a reason why we decided to dock here," Eveleen chuckled, walking up from behind me, then stopping next to me.
"What do you mean exactly?" I asked, curiously raising my eyebrow.
Strangely, Benoni City wasn't mentioned at all in HTKDWD, so I was very puzzled to hear about this strange city. Though, to be fair, I was taking a different path in order to find someone who wasn't even in the original story and was only mentioned.
"You see, despite being a city with many buildings, it is home to only a small population of the Kingdom," Eveleen explained, smiling at me and starting to talk with her hands, "And due to the cities populace being so little, word hardly travels from here, making it the perfect place to dock!"
"Hm, I suppose that does make sense…Although…" I trailed off, a scary thought forming in my mind, causing me to shiver.
Overhearing our conversation and seeing me shudder just now, Lance came over with a look of worry on his face. "Is something the matter, Mr. Andraste?"
I made sure to speak with them before about calling me by my name; after all, I wouldn't want one of Llyr's people finding me so easily. At first, the party was against it, but then Atlas pointed out that it was for the best, so we just settled for Mr, then whatever part of my name they wanted to use.
"!" I jumped as Lance came up from behind me, luckily I realized it was him before I sucker punched him, "Oh, it's just you, Lance, you scared me for a moment! But everything is alright, nothing for you to worry about!"
"Welp, if you say so," He shrugged, then walked off, leaving me standing next to the chuckling Eveleen.
"You know, the two of you are quite the amusing duo!" She smiled, leaning in front of me, practically forcing me to look at her mischievous smile.
I looked down at her with a look of annoyance, with a hint of disappointment, my face all scrunched up. Brushing it off, I just sighed and decided to share my thoughts from before.
"Madam Eveleen," I cut in, my voice darkening, "I think I have just found a clue to finding the person I'm looking for."
"...Hm~ hehe, well then, we should get to investigating it." She gave a scheming smile, standing up straight and staring me right in the face.
***
Two days later, the heroes' party departed from the town, leaving Eveleen and me behind to attend to our own business.
Staring out of the window of our suite in the Inn, I turned back to the darkly lit 'old money' style living room, and the Rusalki sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace and drinking tea.
"Seems like it's just the two of us now," I commented, walking over to a cabinet and pulling out a jar of whiskey, "Care for a glass?"
"Hehe, it is a bit late for me, but thank you for the offer," She replied, simply smiling while taking another sip of her tea.
"Alright," I nodded, then grabbed an ashtray, glass, ice, and the whiskey, put them all on the table, and went to prop open the window. "Do you mind if I have a smoke?"
"Not at all, though I was hoping to finally get to talk about plans with you," Eveleen faked a look of disappointment before sounding her signature chuckle and snapping her fingers, "Just kidding! I can just conjure up a soundproof barrier around us, hehe."
"..." I give her a look practically screaming, 'Are you serious?' before sighing and sitting down on the couch in front of her, "Alright, where would you like to start?"
"Hmmm, how about by telling me who exactly it is you are looking for?" She chimed, placing down her teacup and resting her chin on her palm as she placed her elbow and her lap and leaned towards me.
"...Haaaa," I sighed, taking a sip of the whiskey I poured myself, "I'm not exactly sure that is something I should tell you."
"...Is that so?... Alright, I suppose that's alright. But if you really want me to be able to help you find him, I do need to know more details than just his gender and what kingdom he is in," Eveleen reasoned, not pushing any more than needed, to which I greatly appreciated.
"Thank you for the understanding. I guess I'll start with this, I don't really know much about him other than his name, main race family, family, and suspected location," I admitted, making Eveleen pause.
"I see…Well, what is his first name? And where do you suspect he is at the moment?" She questioned, sitting upright, closing her eyes, and nodding.
"His name is Praxis. The last place he was reported to have been seen was in the capital, at a banquet," I added, grabbing a cigarette from the box in my pocket and lighting it.
"Hm, he must be of some standing then. Do you know who the last person who saw him was?" Eveleen questioned again, this time summoning a pen and notepad from her pocket space.
"From what I know, a subordinate of his saw him heading into a room with a merchant for negotiations. When the subordinate asked if Praxis would like him to enter with him, he told him to go wait for the carriage, but about an hour later, when he was told Praxis would go to the carriage, He didn't show, and the merchant had already left the premises."
"..." Eveleen sat there and pondered for a moment before she reached the same conclusion as I did, "Could it be that he was kidnapped in some way?"
I breathed out a puff of smoke before continuing, "That is exactly the same conclusion that I came to; such is how I got a clue when you told me the nature of this city."
"Ho? What were you thinking exactly?" She hummed, picking up her teacup and taking a sip.
"Well, I never learned what city he disappeared in, but I know it was the Silversun Kingdom, where we are now, and I know that not many heard of the incident, so upon hearing about the hush here, there was only one conclusion I came up with."
"And that is?"
"Since the place where the banquet took place is very close to here, and the merchant that Praxis was last seen with is very close to the nobleman governing here, I figured that he has something to do with it," I smiled, feeling like a detective from a noir movie.
"...But how exactly?" She asked, wanting clarification, "I mean, as far as I'm concerned, it would be pretty hard to pretty hard to move someone from one place to another without anyone noticing or making a fuss."
"Heh, that's what one would usually think, except! Like you said, the city has a low population; word doesn't exactly travel here. Thus making the Viscount a perfect accomplice and the city a perfect hideout," I smiled smugly, feeling pretty proud of myself.
Eveleen thought to herself some more before writing something down on her notepad, then closed it, smiled, and nodded.
"Alright, but how exactly will we get the Viscount to admit it…or even find clues that he was an accomplice?" She pondered, placing the notepad on the table and looking at me seriously.
"Well, it'll be easy. All we need to do is ask the city folk, whether it's directly or indirectly," I concluded, taking a long drag before I stubbed out my cigarette.
***
Sounds of sorrow were heard throughout the seemingly vacant hall, seeming to come from the only room in it. The door closed shut tight as a figure was crouched on its bed, weeping like a heartbroken high school girl.
"Hic-! Waaahhhhhh!" The voice sounded out, burying its face into the pillow while its teal hair stuck out.
In front and above it were pictures of a man with pale skin, toned muscles, blackish-greenish hair, and violet eyes, all taken at different moments and different positions.
"Ugh, Hic-!" The teal-haired man groaned as he wept out, Levvv! Why must you always leave meeeeee?! Wwaahhhhhh!"
Hugging onto the body pillow tighter, you could see a picture of Lev on its cover. His head popped out from the man's grip.
"Sniff! Lev…Lev…Lev…" The man paused before lifting his sea-green eyes from the pillow, "You will be mine, by any means necessary."
The man then got up, stroked Lev's picture as rain and thunder continued to rain outside. Then ripped it off the wall and got off the bed.
Walking to his closet and opening it, you could see more pictures of Lev on the doors, and at the end, which would have been a terrifying scene of the man known as Lev.
A little shrine full of pictures of Lev and even small statues, a fork used by him, one of his missing pens, and even a pair of his dirty underwear that the teal-haired man somehow snagged.
Stopping in front of the shrine, then turning away from it to change, the saddened man sped out of the room and past a few maids. Until Koren Aysu stepped in front of him, cutting him off,
"Your Majesty, while it is good to see you out of bed, may I ask what you are doing?" He said boldly, but still nervously, seeing the terrible weather outside.
"Oh, nothing~" Llyr sang, smiling darkly with a tear-stained face and clutching the photo tighter, "I'm just going for a stroll, that's all!"
"..."
"..."
"If you are thinking of going to search for the viscount, I would advise against it," Koren insisted, moving his hands away from his back and to his side, eyeing his master coldly.
"Hehe, I have no idea what you mean!" Llyr still smiled, feigning innocence as a teardrop fell from his eye and waves crashed.
"King Llyr Vellamo, go back to your room," Koren ordered, fixing his glasses, then his gloves.
"...Koren Aysu, get the fuck OUT OF MY WAY!" Llyr roared before summoning his lance and a giant wave of water.