Chapter 280: The Spider at the Center of the Web
"You’ve fully recovered, my lord." Sir Avir said in disbelief. "What a miracle."
Baron Nusayel nodded. "Right, it’s a miracle."
But I could tell that he suspected something else.
Thankfully, I had already discussed it with Lady Nisha. They would probably suspect her, and she would tell the ’truth’. She would say that she received the payment from their son(me) in the past, so there would be no need to feel indebted.
Of course, they wouldn’t believe it fully.
"Thank you as well, young man." Baron then looked at me. "I’ve heard everything, and what you did for us. The Keep and I will be forever grateful for your help. I promise I will definitely settle this debt."
I chuckled and waved my hand. "No worries, the debt can wait. I’m just glad that you were able to recover quickly."
The baron studied my face for a moment, as if trying to read something deeper in my expression. "You’re too humble, lad. What you’ve done goes far beyond simple duty or friendship."
I simply maintained the faint smile.
"I heard you are planning to stay till spring here?" He then asked.
"That’s right, I wanted to learn more about my path from Sir Avir here." I gestured to the old man. "And I just started today. I think a month should be enough to learn the basics."
Sir Avir joined the conversation with a confident nod. "It should be more than enough. At your learning speed, you will surely complete the training and create a solid foundation."
He stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Most apprentices take at least a dozen weeks to grasp what you absorbed in a single day. Your comprehension is quite remarkable, my boy."
The baron raised an eyebrow. "Already showing promise, I see. That’s good to hear."
"He has the natural instincts for the job," Sir Avir continued. "He asks the right questions and doesn’t repeat the same mistakes twice. With proper guidance, he’ll surely develop into a great healer."
Although he was somehow right, I somehow felt a bit ashamed. Because I already absorbed most of the knowledge thanks to my phantom twin reading the books he gave me. Well, mostly the diary. It felt really like cheating, but since it was my ability, I reasoned it wasn’t that bad.
The phantom gave me the words, the raw information, but it was still up to me to process and understand it.
"Sir Avir is an excellent teacher." I didn’t forget to give him the credit. "I’m fortunate enough to have this opportunity."
"Mmm," the baron hummed. "Having you in these... uncertain times... will be beneficial for all of us. But..."
His expression grew more serious, making me wonder whether he would tell me about the ’hidden matters’.
"There’s something else I need to discuss with you. Something that might affect your stay here."
Oh, is he just gonna talk about the assassination or tell me the other things too? Well... In fact, the assassination is supposed to be more secretive intel. But I already know about it thanks to Narrative Glimpse.
I nodded, keeping my facade.
Old man Avir, understanding the situation, quietly took his leave after telling the baron to take a few days of rest.
Then, he finally told me everything I needed to know. About the gathering thingy at the capital, the succession ceremony. But he didn’t explicitly tell me about the assassins; instead, he told me there’s going to be danger, and the keep might get swept in it.
"So, if you want to leave, I’ll understand completely," the baron said.
"..." I listened silently as he told me to prioritize my own safety.
"You’re right, it seems pretty dangerous, but wouldn’t it be better to have an extra healer around?"
Baron stared at me deeply.
"...You’re willing to stay? Even after knowing the serious risk involved?"
"I’ve already committed to learning from Sir Avir till spring," I replied. "Besides, after everything happened so far, I can’t bear to leave just yet."
He was quiet for a moment, then nodded decisively. "Very well. But I want you to understand, if things become too dangerous, your life comes first. No heroics."
"Of course, I treasure my life as well." I nodded. But...
...If only he knew what I planned to do.
_____ ___ _
Orlan Kingdom, Capital City.
In an opulent chamber high within the royal palace, a handsome figure bent over an expansive map of the kingdom spread across an ornate table.
His movements were precise as he placed marks on three distinct territories - Viremont, Lutharie, and Fenvar. The Hollowlands, besides them, had been circled multiple times with red ink, clearly marking it as the focal point of whatever scheme was taking shape.
He straightened, a faint smile playing on his lips as he surveyed his work. "The plan is ready to commence. All that remains is placing the final piece into position."
His gaze shifted to his right, where a sleek black catlike monster perched on the windowsill, methodically grooming its paw. The creature met his eyes for a brief moment before returning to its task with complete indifference.
The handsome figure’s smile deepened. "So, it’s already begun."
His gaze lingered on a lone, delicate figurine at the Luthaire territory, overlooked and underestimated. Yet in his mind, it was the one piece he couldn’t afford to lose.
He then turned toward a particular direction, his expression growing more contemplative as he spoke in a low murmur.
"Forgive me, Father, but the time has come for your reign to end."
______ ___ _
Ashenfang Mountains.
Deep within a secluded cave, several hooded figures sat in a circle around a crackling fire. The flame cast dancing shadows across their concealed faces, creating an atmosphere of secrecy and menace.
The only sounds were the occasional pop of burning wood and the loud howl of wind outside the cave entrance.
The soft crunch of footsteps on gravel broke the quiet.
A figure approached the cave entrance, dressed in what appeared to be a royal guard’s armors.
All eyes turned toward the newcomer, but none of them reacted as they have been expecting his arrival.
The newcomer stepped into the circle of firelight and spoke in a clear but urgent voice.
"The target will move in two days. We need to complete the mission before then."
One of the figures spoke up.
"Is the timing accurate?"
"Yes. They’ll depart at dawn on the third day."
"Then, let’s discuss the plan..."
"All of our families’ life depends on this..."