49: Vurnaria Royal Arc: The Chess Game Begins
The plush, ornate sofa barely seemed to notice Leornars as he sat, his posture rigid, his attention wholly focused on the woman across from him. Rachael Suvallina — the self-assured noble with a veneer of calm — was delicately sipping tea, completely unbothered by his silent, intense scrutiny.
"What did you want to discuss with me?" Leornars' voice was low, almost a whisper, yet it cut through the room's heavy silence.
He wasn't waiting for her answer; he was performing an invasive analysis. He listened to the shallow rhythm of her breathing, the steady beat of her heart, and watched the subtle shifts in her gaze. He was dissecting her for weaknesses, for a tell that would reveal her true intent.
I can't analyse her, a cold thought surfaced in his mind, flooding him with a visual storm of frustrated calculations. No potential weaknesses. No wonder she didn't flinch when I smashed her against the wall. What in the hell is her motive?
He turned to his companion, Stacian, who hadn't moved a muscle.
"I'm as confused as you are. Don't ask me," she said, her voice dry, acknowledging his inner turmoil without him having to speak it aloud.
With a sigh, Leornars snapped his fingers. A shimmer of dark, cool energy coalesced, and Zhyelena appeared instantly, her ethereal form turning her attention to Rachael.
"Oh? You thought you could read my thoughts? How negative of you to think of me," Rachael Suvallina said, a small, knowing smile playing on her lips, addressing Zhyelena directly.
"The only reason I called for you is a political issue," she continued, and Leornars instantly rose to leave.
"Not interested," he dismissed, the word sharp. Stacian and Zaryter, who had been quietly standing by, followed suit.
Rachael's voice stopped them cold. "It'll be something of much interest to you. I know why you went dungeon digging, son of Emalian."
The effect was instantaneous and explosive. Leornars whirled around, a dagger appearing in his hand as if born from the air, its point aimed at her throat. He lunged forward, pure, lethal instinct taking over.
Clang!
Stacian's move was decisive, a blur of motion. She intercepted his hand, wrenching the dagger out of his grasp with practiced ease. Leornars turned his venomous gaze on her.
"Do you qualify as my enemy, Gremohiah?" he asked, his voice a block of ice. Even Zaryter flinched, instinctively pulling his younger sister, Shullah, closer.
"I do not," Stacian stated, her eyes unwavering. "But think. If you kill her, every single adventurer will be after us."
"I already thought of a countermeasure for that," Leornars countered, his jaw clenched.
"Let's think rationally," Zaryter interjected, trying to inject some calm into the volatile situation.
Before the tension could break, the door to the adjoining room opened. A teenage girl with striking blonde hair, which seemed to sweep delicately by an unseen breeze, walked in with an air of effortless elegance toward Rachael Suvallina.
Who's the brat! Leornars' internal reaction was uncharitable.
Is she lost? Stacian wondered, a flicker of boredom in her eyes.
Does she know this is not the time for children to be here? Zhyelena silently pondered.
Wow, she's pretty, Zaryter thought, only to see the looks of utter disgust from the rest of his party.
"What?!" he demanded, instantly defensive.
"You are an embarrassment," Leornars said, directing the insult at the blonde girl.
"Go away," Stacian added, supporting her leader's sentiment.
The girl simply smiled. "I'm the Lord's second daughter, Marrielle Suvallina."
Leornars glanced at her once, then shifted his gaze, completely ignoring her presence. "Let's go, Stacian."
"Yes," Stacian confirmed.
Rachael Suvallina waited until they had taken two steps before delivering her final, calculated bait.
"For what you are looking for, I know of its location. I've even seen it."
Leornars stopped.
A Favor for a Favor
He slowly turned back, his expression a mask of chilling indifference. "What do you want? If it's something idiotic, I'll kill you and your bratty sister."
"I only need your help," Rachael said, her voice regaining its composure. "We have an issue with some external issues."
"You mean there's a planned coup to overthrow the Lord," Stacian supplied, connecting the dots instantly.
Leornars gave a curt nod.
"Yes. The enemy is a village out of Vurnam's outskirts, only thirty miles away," Rachael confirmed.
"We should just send the knights," Marrielle chimed in, dismissively.
"The knights are currently dispatched to deal with the monster attacks on the border," Rachael explained patiently.
"That explains the reason they had Sand Beasts for guards in the arids," Leornars murmured, a piece of a puzzle clicking into place.
"I guess Zhyier or Dylan was right," Stacian noted.
"So you want us to kill the villagers?" Zaryter asked, looking troubled.
"No, just to suppress them for a while," Rachael clarified. "You know, until we can organize a new squad of knights."
Marrielle scoffed. "I don't know why you're sending them. I'm enough for the villagers. I'll just boom, kill them all."
"Because they are strong," Rachael said simply, looking at Leornars.
"Strong? Than you?" Marrielle asked, looking over the group. Her eyes landed on Leornars, and she quickly looked away. "He doesn't look that strong."
"You impotent little shit," Bellian, one of Leornars' summons, materialized just long enough to draw his blade and threaten her, before Leornars mentally dismissed him.
"Now, now, let's be civilized," Stacian said, her tone dangerously sweet.
This Stacian looks extremely dangerous and powerful. I'd rather not have to deal with her, Rachael Suvallina thought, her composure finally cracking as she noticed Stacian smirking directly at her. For the first time, Rachael Suvallina felt a true, cold spike of fear.
She took a subtle step back, trying to regain control. Leornars instantly noticed the fear in her eyes.
Marrielle turned to her mother. "Let's assess the team first."
"Pass," Leornars said, immediately rejecting the idea.
But wait, his cold, calculating mind cut in. I need to assess their strengths, look for potential weaknesses in case they turn into my enemy. I can't rely on the Gate Keeper every time.
"Fine. Let's spar," he conceded, a glint of predatory interest in his eyes.
The Sparring Arena
They were led to the grand, open backyard of the manor.
Leornars stood on one side, Marrielle on the other. For better movement, he took off his shirt, revealing a sculpted, snow-white pale physique utterly devoid of scars. He also removed his shoes.
"Whatever pervy thought you have, erase it," Leornars said to Marrielle, his voice flat.
"I'm not pervy," Marrielle retorted, though her eyes were undeniably fixed on his fit form. "Seems you have had a fun childhood."
"Bitch, you have no idea," Leornars said, the coldness in his tone making the casual insult sound like a death sentence.
"Bi... bitch?!" Zaryter gasped, utterly shocked by his leader's raw aggression toward a noble.
The sparing began. For the first few minutes, they seemed to be on par. Leornars struck, and Marrielle blocked several times. Then, he delivered a solid hit to her leg. She instinctively shifted into a press-up position on two fingers, back-flipped, and for a second thought it was a fair fight—until Leornars rammed his foot into her stomach, a crushing blow that knocked her out and sent her slamming into a nearby tree.
"Even if I hold back, she's still weak. How boring," Leornars stated, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"She is a D-rank after all. I am a B-rank," Rachael Suvallina said, stepping forward, ready to take her turn.
Stacian subtly moved, positioning herself near Leornars.
"I'd rather not fight you," Rachael Suvallina said, looking directly at Stacian. She then looked back at Leornars and saw a poisonous, calculating snake glaring at her. What kind of party is this? This isn't normal! she thought, a fresh wave of anxiety washing over her.
Leornars, however, was already deep in thought, processing the new threat.
Rachael Suvallina looks strong, not on Stacian's level, but stronger than I am currently. But if I use my Hellish Skill, I can amplify my power to almost her level, and with my adaptability and body reconstruction, I might be able to beat her.
The issue at hand is I have no clue what her Chain Breaker is. It could be a game-changer for her. Unlike my Undeads, I can't just summon Stacian the same way I'd summon Bellian. If it comes to it, I'll need a counter-active measure for her. As it stands now, I have fifty-two plans to kill her normally, but without knowledge of her Chain Breaker, I'm walking blindly. And I can tell she's not stupid. Her intelligence may be inferior to mine or Stacian's, but if she's intelligent enough to know how to properly use her Chain Breaker, then I have a problem. This surely got interesting.
He pinched his forehead, his focus shifting to the larger strategic picture.
I have to go to Seraphim Kingdom, as Stacian said that's where the God of Justice Temple is. If I go there, I may have a decent chance to get a Chain Breaker, but since it's in another kingdom, it'll be difficult at the moment.
This is taking a toll on me. I need to quickly assess all situations. Okay, first thing is a rebellion, a monster attack, Rachael, and Marrielle—who may be stupid and weak, but is still nobility, and that's something I'm not taking lightly. I'm going to have to destroy Vurnam from within and outside. But how? I could use the monsters and then in the chaos kill Rachael, but I need to get my Loot first. Loot first, then the coup, the monster stampede, and finally, kill Rachael Suvallina. Not my ideal plan for a simple vacation.
"A step at a time," Stacian whispered, close enough for only him to hear. "If there's anything I can help with, let me know."
"This is getting interesting... the Vurnaria royal mess indeed," Leornars muttered, a predatory smirk finally gracing his lips.
Writing on the Wall
Later that night, Leornars was putting on his robe when Stacian walked into the room and sat on the edge of the bed.
"It seems you are wary of her," Stacian observed.
"She's not a pawn," Leornars said, walking toward the window. "Just a puppet with no strings."
"A pawn with consciousness is more dangerous than a million armed men," Stacian corrected him.
"Yes. A pawn with consciousness knows the plan and can destroy it, and that's a serious problem," Leornars agreed.
Stacian neatly fixed the bed and straightened the pillow, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. Leornars opened the window, briefly scanning the outside world before turning back, anticipating her next question.
"So what's the plan this time? Agriculture? Finance? War?" she asked.
Leornars sat on the seat by the wall, picked up a pen and paper, and began to write. He slid the note across the floor to her.
Stacian read the note, her expression puzzled: 'There's someone eavesdropping on us. I'll switch to written form.'
He wrote again: 'The idea is to create something new in Vurnam, something they don't know. We'll take hard quests from the Guild, then create a monster stampede, eliminate Rachael Suvallina and her sister, deal with the monsters, gain favor, and get a new town added back to Lurtra, not this crap of an independent town.'
Stacian quickly wrote back: 'How will you deal with Rachael? Should I handle her?'
Leornars read it and shook his head slightly, a silent sign of disapproval. He spoke aloud this time, a cold finality in his tone, knowing the eavesdropper would relay the information he wanted them to hear.
"It's something I have to do." He snapped his fingers, and Bellian appeared briefly before vanishing. A muffled scream instantly followed from outside.
"I killed one of the eavesdroppers. One escaped," Leornars stated, his face utterly devoid of emotion.
"I guess that's bad," Stacian said, unconcerned.
"No. It's what I intended to happen," Leornars corrected her. "Get some rest. From tonight, things will be messy."
The Devil's Ally
In her own room, Rachael Suvallina was preparing for bed, putting on her sleeping robe as her maid tidied the room.
"What's your assessment of the White Plague and his party?" Rachael asked her maid.
"To be honest, I'm terrified of them," the maid admitted.
Rachael nodded grimly. "My exact assessment. Leornars himself is unpredictable; you can't know what he's thinking. And Stacian is a threat even I couldn't defeat if I tried. With his brains and her brawn, Vurnam is in their palm."
"And you called for them? Why?" the maid asked, bewildered.
"You heard what they did in Lurtra. I'd better ally with the devil, be near him, and read him, try to find a counter, than have him as an enemy," Rachael Suvallina explained.
"But you are a B-rank adventurer," the maid protested.
"Ranks don't matter in a game of chess with the system," Rachael said, walking to the window. "I may be the strongest person in Vurnam, but looking at Leornars is equivalent to looking into an abyss."