Knight of Corruption (LitRPG)

49 - Bloom

Knock knock knock.

"Come in!"

The heavy wooden door creaked open, and a pale figure peered from behind it into the room.

"Sir Weiss!"

"Great Absolver. I have returned from Pascen."

Adelbern Weiss entered the room and bowed his head in deference.

"And is our mutual friend well?"

"He is."

Adelbern studied the office. There was no bare wall to be seen – all four corners of the space were covered with fine art of landscapes and people, even stretching behind the various bookshelves that lined each side. A set of ornate, ceremonial armour stood behind the Absolver's desk. For a man who was recipient of such reverence from the Inquisition he still held earthly attachments that confounded him. The Absolver was a lover of all things art, both written and painted.

The Absolver gave him a friendly smile and clasped his hands together, "How did you like Pascen? I have not been there in a long while."

"...Cold. Wet."

He laughed, "Yes, yes it is. A hardier group of people you will not find on this continent. Have a seat, you must have a lot to ask of me."

Adelbern detached his sword from his belt and placed it by the entrance, as was proper etiquette when dealing with a knight of higher rank. He then turned and sat on the presented seat. The chair creaked menacingly as the full weight of his heavy armour bore down upon the spindly wooden legs.

The Absolver adjusted his small, round spectacles with the tip of his finger. He then rifled through a large pile of reports to his left, "I've been hearing a lot of good things recently."

"Good for us," Adel nodded.

"Exarch's Bend, Blackwake, Pascen... did you speak with him?"

"Who?"

"Did you give him his payment?"

Adel caught on, "Yes."

The Absolver's expression turned sour, "I never did like bribing people; but sometimes we have to compromise on our principles to reach our real goals. I know you would never pass up a chance to speak with another one of your kin. What was your impression of the man?"

"Imperfect, but honest. Not as sceptical as he likes to think."

The Absolver waved his hand in the air wistfully, "We're all slaves to expectation and time. Life is a performance, and we are the actors. I must say – he is my favourite of the people who have tried thus far. I found the tale of him defeating a group of mercenaries bare-handed rather riveting, taken straight from the pages of a great adventure novel."

"I did spare some of the more gruesome details."

He laughed again, "Are you certain? Your rather characterful description of one of their faces being 'like pounded mince' did turn the stomach. Where is he now?"

"Versia."

"Versia? What ever is he doing there?"

"From what I could gather, a local scholar hired him to assist her with an expedition. He should be back within the month."

"He is in good company then. There is no man or woman who can not benefit from speaking with a great scholar or two."

Adelbern had heard this speech a thousand times before. Ever since the Absolver had requested his assistance personally, he had taken him under his wings as a sort of protégé. The other high-ranking members like Petty-King John were extremely vocal about their opposition to a relatively inexperienced knight getting so close to the order's great leader.