33: Anchored

[Year 21 Month 4: Continued]

[Blessed: 6096]

It had been a few hours since the royal soldiers had arrived, and to say I was stressed was an understatement.

Unlike the last group sent out by the kingdom to investigate my presence here, this one was much more thorough, and despite the long trek it took to reach Runehold from the Capital, these people treated their jobs with a level of professionalism unheard of.

It was Astrid’s idea to split up the soldiers as much as possible. Of course, we could have housed them all while caring for their animals, but by forcing them to make separate accommodations, it would make it harder for proper coordination to take place while also keeping them in smaller groups.

If needed, I could pick them off.

Sighing, I pushed those thoughts out of my mind, for now, I kept my eyes on the mages who were poking around my domain.

Out of the five mages they had brought along, three of them had decided to explore the city while the other two would stick with Commander Rahln.

Curiously, they also brought along a square box just large enough to fit a basketball. Whatever it was made out of blocked my view of the interior, so far, there had only been a few things that did that, as mana was rarely impeded by metals, but the same holy energy that radiated from the commander’s armor practically poured out of the small container.

I tried to investigate this energy further, but just like my own runes, I couldn’t properly examine it.

Unlike any mana I had seen before, including that of the Vexus mana, this version felt alive, like it had a presence built in, something that actively opposed my observance of it, but didn’t actually impact its surroundings.

Now that is interesting. Perhaps it’s their connection with their deity? Actually, what even is a god in this world?

On Earth, it depended on the religion, but normally, ‘God’ was considered all-powerful. Over here, though, I didn’t get the same feeling, nor did the churches claim such things.

Maybe they are just super high-level beings. I wonder what the level cap is?

While the hint of a presence did make me a bit cautious of the energy, I doubted it was truly any threat. While I had no doubt it was powerful, it also felt like it was separate from the world.

It also confirmed that this was indeed sanctioned by the church. I was already pretty positive considering the armor that the commander wore, but with the presence of something brimming with what could only be called divinity, it was all but guaranteed.

Arguable the worst case scenario, but it was an expected situation, just an unwanted one.

One of the mages spoke aloud to their friends, “Hey anyone else feel that?”

Ah.

They likely expected my presence, but I would prefer not to draw attention to myself. The previous group of soldiers should have reported on it, yet bureaucracy could miss things.

While I was busy trying to reduce my presence in a city that was pretty much built around my existence, Astrid and the Commander had a brief meeting.

The governess was playing the role of an overwhelmed administrator admirably. She greeted Commander Rahln with a polite bow; even with her position, he was an extension of the king, and thus it was expected.

Somehow, she managed to appear truly frazzled, with her normal, strong, and firm image replaced by that of a diminutive woman who would easily give in to threats.

She’s quite the actor. Plenty of experience from dealing with politicians.

Rahln left two soldiers outside of the building, who found a nearby table and broke out a pack of cards.

Taking the same route as the bounty hunters, the duo walked down the long hallway to Astrid’s office. Since she knew this was bound to happen, she had left it in disarray. Papers that were normally neatly filed away were piled up on her desk haphazardly, pens were missing their caps, and several ink splotches decorated the room.

Taking her seat, she offered him a glass of amber colored brandy, but the commander shook his head, politely denying the drink, “I am on duty, Lady Astrid. It is important to maintain one’s mental faculties.”

Astrid nodded with understanding, withdrawing the offered glass and returning the bottle to a drawer.

Rahln remained standing, hands clasped behind his back, posture ridged. His armor was still humming with the holy energy that had been subject to my curiosity. Its silvery sheen stood out in the mostly dark room.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“I will be direct,” he said, “We are searching for Prince Dain. We have reason to believe he passed through this area before we lost his trail.”

Astrid’s eyes widened slightly, in faux surprise, “The prince? Here?” She let out a small laugh, “Commander, surely you know Runehold is no destination for royalty, especially during the invasion.”

He nodded his head in acknowledgment. “He was not traveling as royalty. He had… reasons to keep his identity on the low.”

Like his brethren. Not like the commander would ever admit such a thing.

Grimacing slightly, Astrid’s eyes turned to the disorganized desk, “It’s unfortunate, but there are too many adventurers that come and go at will. I am not certain-”

The commander cut the woman off, raising his gauntleted hand, “We do not need your assistance, no matter how much it would be appreciated. I merely wished to convey our purpose.”