TBATE | PROVIDENCE

Chapter 14.5 - Arc 1 Finale

A/N : It's been a while, I guess? Happy Reading Fam!

BLAINE GLAYDER

“Damn it! Damn those fools! Conniving sons of bitches...” My fist slammed hard on the armrest of my chair as I erupted into a roar that echoed throughout my empty study, my thoughts straining to contain my rage.

I poured myself a glass of aged liquor, my mind busy contemplating the bizarre turn of events I'd experienced today at the Helsteas Auction House. The sheer embarrassment I had to face in front of my own family and those foolish plebians at the hands of Alduin and Vincent, just because of my own ignorance, made me grit my teeth in frustration. The bitter taste of alcohol, combined with the strange sensation gnawing at me from the inside, reawakened a long-buried emotion deep within my heart; it was... inferiority.

‘How long has it been since I felt the weight of my authority and wealth slipping away at the hands of trivial men?’ I pondered, sighing in exhaustion as my anger gradually dissipated.

“Well, gold can always be recovered...” I tried to comfort myself by downing the entire contents of the glass. Still, I couldn't help but recall the sly grin plastered on Alduin's face as he forced me to bid forty white-tablets on the beast core. But, how could I blame him? Even those damned imbeciles of my kingdom who remained silent throughout the entirety of the event suddenly grew bold enough at the mere sight of the S-class beast core, even daring to bid against me—their own king. Although I'm glad that they did. At the very least, now I have a justification to raise their taxes.

Unknowingly, my hands reached out for the jade box kept on the table, the sole cause of today's frenzy. There was not a single noble who dared to deny its masterful craftsmanship, the runic symbols that shone magnificently around the edges, like a Pandora's box, waiting to be opened by its rightful owner. However, it was still nothing compared to what was inside the box. The treasure that had cost me a tenth of the entire royal treasury.

I was busy savouring the pure artistry when a soft knock on the door interrupted me, further dampening my mood.

“Come in,” I said out loud, unable to conceal my tone of dissatisfaction.

“Your Majesty.” Varay stepped inside the room, kneeling down immediately with her head bowed.

“Rise,” I feigned a dry cough. My dignified, noble self, no longer in the mood to deal with her stiff formalities.

“Did you manage to track down Sebastian's whereabouts?” I inquired straight away, meeting her gaze.

She clenched her fist tightly before bowing her head once again, “I'm afraid not, Your Majesty. According to the testimony received from all the witnesses, he was last seen at the Helsteas Auction House. The members of his house are missing as well, which suggests a possibility of betrayal, albeit the exact reason is yet to be known…”

Her steely gaze lingered, exhibiting an uncommon hesitancy. I gave her a stiff nod, beckoning her to continue.

“I believe the dwarves are certainly involved in this matter, along with a third party sharing similar motives.”

My brows twitched impatiently at her response. “And why is that? Is your assumption simply based on the emergence of the dwarven lance in Xyrus City?”

She shook her head, “That was indeed a part of my assumption initially, but the statement provided by the intruder we apprehended today further strengthened it. Malcolm, the intruder, is a former B-class adventurer hired by the dwarves to act as Olfred's decoy, but my sudden arrival and the intervention of the A-class adventurer Jasmine Flamesworth foiled their intentions.”