valethehowl
patreon
IDWTBTHQ Chapter 132 - Crowned
🕑 Added 2023-01-15 02:41:05 +0000 UTCIt was just about noon when Orr's coach entered the Vex lands, and it was immediately seen by Marcus through the eyes of the various drones hidden in the mold-wax fields.
“Right on time.” The Vex Queen thought, stepping out of his home to greet his guests.
Unlike the previous day, he felt quite calm and confident right now, since he —or rather his drones— had finished the necessary preparations for receiving people earlier in the morning. The road had been cleared of the snow, his house had been tidied up thoroughly, fresh fodder had been prepared in the stall for the horses, a warm fire had been lit in the fireplace and he even had personally put a pot of tea on the stove in order to prepare some tea. Moreover, the problem posed by Tiny-Sneaky had been solved by feeding her the equivalent in meat of a small car as a midnight snack, emptying Marcus's larder but also ensuring that she would keep sleeping at least until late in the afternoon —more than enough time to deal with Orr without the complications that Tiny would undoubtedly provide.
After about a minute, the coach arrived in Brettholz.
As he saw the vehicle up close, Marcus was immediately struck by its appearance. While it seemed like a normal, if luxurious, coach at first glance, a more thorough examination revealed many surprising details about it. For starters, the black horses that pulled it were freaking huge, to the point that the Vex Queen could have comfortably walked under them without even touching their belly with his horn. Then there was the fact that the coach itself seemed almost unnaturally still despite the rather bumpy road it was moving on, something which Marcus thought was due to the complex suspension system it laid on. And finally, the wheels looked more like those of a modern car than those of a medieval coach, as they were made of rubber coated metal rather than wood.
All in all, it was probably the most modern-looking thing Marcus had seen ever since he had been reborn in Aos, something which actually caught him by surprise since this world had seemed to be rather primitive for his standards. But then again, he had only seen a miniscule part of the world so far and most of it had been either wilderness or frontier areas, so it was entirely possible that technology could be more advanced in other places.
The coach slowed down and stopped a few meters away from the Vex Queen, and the coachman immediately jumped down and pulled out some foldable stairs from under the vehicle, in order to allow the occupants to get out more easily. Only then he opened the door, and Orr finally came out.
“Good day, Magister!” Marcus immediately greeted him. “Welcome to Stonebarrow!”
“Greetings, sir Marcus.” The old man saluted him back, while slowly and carefully walking down the coach's stairs. “It's an honor to finally meet you in person... assuming that's really you and not another body double, that is.” He smirked. “Though judging by your aura, I'd say that chances are that this is actually you.”
Just like it had happened with Hoggs, understanding Orr's words was made a bit more difficult by the fact that he was hiding his thoughts behind some very solid mental barriers. Luckily by now the Vex Queen's Imperial was fluent enough that this wasn’t really a problem anymore, and besides he had kinda expected that from the Magister. What was a bit more surprising was that the coachman's mind was also similarly shielded, but after a moment Marcus decided that this probably wasn't that weird considering that the man was a sorcerer's servant. He probably had picked up some tricks from his master or something.
“Yes, that's me in all of my diminutive glory.” He cheerfully confirmed, making fun of his own size. “And it's good to meet you in person too. My copy drones are really convenient, sure, but nothing beats actually talking face to face for me.”
“That's understandable, I think.” Orr nodded. “If it’s anything like talking through a twinstone, then talking face to face is definitely more satisfying.”
“Well, I've never used a twinstone, so I can't really say.” Marcus replied.
“Could you try to describe how it is then?” The old man asked, his eyes shining with curiosity.
“It's quite hard to describe, but I’ll try. It's not too different from actually talking to people with my real body actually, but at the same time I can tell that it's not my body.” He shook his head. “It's quite weird really. When I was human I never experienced anything similar.”
“Interesting.” The Magister muttered. “Well, I won’t insist further. We’ll have time to study this further in the future, but right now we have no time for that.”
“Right.” The monster girl nodded. “Shall we head inside then? I have a pot of tea brewing if you want some, or some coffee if you prefer. I might even have a bottle of wine or two sitting around.” He paused and turned towards the coachman, acknowledging his presence for the first time. “Oh, and you can join us too if you want mister, though maybe it's better if you take the horses to the stalls beforehand.” He shrugged apologetically. “I'd have my drones take care of it, but sadly they make horses really nervous.”
“But that won't be necessary.” Orr chimed in. “We're not staying for too long, so we can leave them tied to the coach.”
“I see. But won't the horses get cold though?” Marcus asked. “I'm not really an expert, but the air is pretty chilly today...”
“Don't worry.” The Magister replied in a rather proud tone. “These are Shandukian horses. It'd take more than a little bit of cold to bother them.”
“Alright then. I'm sure you know your own horses better than I do.” The Vex Queen conceded. “But can I ask what Shandukian horses are, exactly? I've never heard of them before.”
“They are a peculiar breed of horses raised by the priests of Shanduk.” Orr explained. “And like all animals grown under the blessing of the God of Beasts, they are pretty much superior in everything compared to the rest of their kin. They are faster, tougher, smarter and longer lived, not to mention incredibly loyal.” He smiled brightly. “I paid a small fortune in order to acquire Schwarz and Zorn, and they are worth every penny.”
“I see.” Marcus nodded, studying the horses for a moment.
There was certainly something peculiar about them, and it wasn't just their size. It took him a second to realize that what really set them apart was how calm they were. Normally Marcus’s aura made most animals panic when he was near them, but the Shandukian horses didn't seem to be too bothered despite being only a few meters away from him. The Vex Queen could feel their uneasiness, sure, but they didn't really show it with their behavior —displaying a much greater self-control than most people he had come across.
“Well, in that case we can head inside right now, if it's not a problem.” Marcus said. “Maybe these horses aren't bothered by the cold, but I am. Being outside without pants is not really pleasant.”
“Very well. We'll do it as you wish.” Orr replied. Then, as they started walking towards Marcus's home, he asked: “If I may ask, is there a specific reason why you are not wearing pants?”
“Oh, it's just that the fabric would get caught in the chitin that covers my legs and end up getting shredded.” The Vex Queen replied, tapping on his knees with his armored finger, making a dull sound. “It's the same reason why I can't wear long sleeves. Luckily my chitin seems to insulate me somewhat from the cold, but... well, I'd still like to wear some additional clothes from time to time.”
“I see.” The Magister nodded. “But in that case, couldn't you wear gowns or other loose clothing that wouldn't get caught?”
“I could.” The monster girl admitted. “But I just don't like to wear gowns. I’d rather go bare legged than wear one.”
They arrived at the door of Marcus's home, which the Vex Queen opened to let his guests in.
The main room of the ex-tavern was pleasantly warm and impeccably clean —not a surprise since the Vex drones had spent hours tidying up everything— and Marcus gestured towards a couple of sofas.
“Please take a seat, Magister Orr.” He turned towards the coachman. “And you too, mister... Klupp, right?”
“Yes, ma'am.” The servant replied. He was a pretty short man of indefinite age, with a professional but nondescript appearance. In short, he looked so anonymous that it seemed as if he could blend with the background at any moment, and the only thing of note about him was a silver pin shaped like a hand that he wore on his chest.
He also didn't sit down, and instead just shot a glance at Orr, as if expecting him to say something.
“Oh right, I forgot to introduce him.” The old man said. “Sir Marcus, this is mister Klupp, my coachman, butler and a number of other equally vital but dull sounding professions. Please, do take a seat with us, Klupp.”
“As you wish master Orr.” Klupp promptly replied, sitting down on one of the sofas.
“Ooooookay?” Marcus thought, a bit perplexed by that interaction. “Is this guy a robot or something? He certainly acts like one.” Out loud, he said: “Well, nice to meet you, mister Klupp. Now, can I offer you gentlemen some refreshments? I have some tea, some coffee and maybe even some beer left somewhere, if you prefer. Oh, and will you stay for lunch? I’m afraid I don’t have much to offer, as my larder is rather empty at the moment, but I think I could make a stew or something.”
“We'll just have a cup of tea, thank you sir Marcus.” Orr replied. “As I said, we won't stay long.”
“Fine. Tea it is then.” The Vex Queen said. “I'll have one of my drones bring it to us.”
“Thank you very much.” The old man nodded.
“Anyway…” The monster girl said. “Now that we’re done with the pleasantries, is it a problem if we get to the point?”
“Not at all, sir Marcus.” The old man smiled. “In fact, I'd actually appreciate it. As I said, we don’t really have much time.”
“Very good. Did you bring the relic with you?”
“Of course.”
“Can I see it?”
“Naturally.” Orr's hand reached inside his tunic and took out a small, heavily decorated wooden box. He tinkered with it for a moment, murmuring a few words in the process, and the box opened with a loud click.
“Here.” The old man then said, presenting the open box to Marcus. “This is the famed Crown of Silence, an ancient relic which used to belong to the fallen kingdom of Rodenheim, and has been part of Medelan's treasury for five hundred years. And now, the king is giving this to you... if you can use its powers, that is.”
The Vex Queen stared at the box's content with a perplexed expression on his face, unsure whether he was being pranked or not.
“Ehm... I'm not really an expert on jewelry, but isn't that a tiara rather than a crown?” The Vex Queen asked.
The relic that Orr had called the Crown of Silence was a semicircular band made of a metal that looked like silver, with five diamond shaped spikes sprouting from its front and a green gem set in the central one. Though Marcus wasn’t an expert on jewelry, as he had just admitted, even he could tell that the relic looked more like a tiara rather than a crown.
“Oh... well, you are probably right.” The magister shrugged. “I guess that whoever named this relic thought that the Crown of Silence was a more impressive name than the Tiara of Silence. However, no matter the nomenclature you use, its properties remain the same. It hides the aura of whoever wears it, making it imperceptible to everyone else.”
Marcus remained silent for a moment, seemingly studying the crown a bit longer, but in reality he was just struggling to not show his annoyance.
“Of-fucking-course!” He thought. “When I finally found something to help me control my aura, it turns out it's a bloody tiara! As if having to wear those big-ass dresses wasn't humiliating enough! Is there a conspiracy to turn me into a freaking Disney princess or something?” His frustration bubbled for a moment longer before dissipating all of a sudden, leaving only a feeling of weary resignation. “Oh well, I guess that being able to visit cities again is worth a little bit of humiliation, and refusing this gift because I find it demeaning would probably be rude. Besides, maybe I don't have to actually wear this tiara on my head... I mean, Felix told me that magic items work as long as you touch them, so maybe I could wear it around my arm or something.”
“Well, if that's the case, I guess I can give it a try.” He then said. “Can I take it?”
“Sure. Go on.” Orr nodded.
The monster girl hesitated only a moment, and then extended his hand and grabbed the relic.
He almost felt disappointed when nothing happened as his fingers closed on the tiara. He took it to study it closer, but he couldn’t find anything weird or magical about it.
“So, how do I use it?” He finally asked.
“Just wear it on your head.” Orr replied. “The Crown will do the rest.”
“Really?” Marcus lifted an eyebrow. “Don't I need to channel my aura through it or something? I thought that was how you use magic items.”
“That's true for regular focus instruments.” Orr replied. “However, the Crown is anything but regular. In all recorded cases, wearing it was enough to use its power.”
“Alright then.” The Vex Queen nodded, but then he hesitated a moment and asked: “Ehm... out of curiosity, do I really need to wear it on my head? Couldn't I put it around my arm or something?”
“It has been tried, but I'm afraid that the Crown only seems to work when worn on one's head.” The Magister said.
“Oh.” Marcus murmured, sounding a bit disappointed. “And why is that so, if I may ask?”
“To be honest, I have no idea.” The old man admitted.
“Really?” The Vex Queen was rather surprised. “I thought you were an expert on this kind of magic item.”
“I am.” Orr replied with an amused smile. “As much as anyone could be an expert on Relics, anyway.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, for starters, the very term Relic is normally used to refer to items whose properties are unknowable.” The old man explained. “The Crown itself is a perfect example of this. No one knows who made it or how it works, and we only know what it does thanks to extended practical experimentation.”
“Wait a second.” Marcus said, suddenly feeling alarmed. “Do you mean that for all you know this Crown could explode if I were to wear it?”
“Well... I'd be lying if I said that the possibility doesn't exist.” Orr admitted. “But it's an extremely remote one. After all, the Crown was studied for more than five centuries and it never showed any dangerous property apart from the fact that its edges are rather pointy. At least one person has poked one of their eyes out when carelessly trying to wear it.” He smiled sardonically, but then he added in a rather more serious tone: “Though to be fair, it was never worn by a member of your species before, so we cannot know for sure how it will react to you.”
“How reassuring.” The Vex Queen drily commented.
The thought of wearing that damned tiara looked less appealing by the minute. For a moment he even wondered if it wasn't better to just refuse this gift, but he quickly decided that doing so without even trying it first would be a huge waste. Besides, he wasn't the type to chicken out just like that.
“Screw it.” He thought, gathering his resolve. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
And then, without further hesitation, he put the Crown on his head.
For a brief moment nothing happened. The tiara just hanged loosely on Marcus's head, without displaying any supernatural property. However, just as the Vex Queen wondered if perhaps the relic didn't work for him, he felt the Crown somehow change shape, fitting his head perfectly. Then he felt a weird sensation, as if his ears had popped because of pressure making him hear things weirdly.
He instinctively shook his head and this sensation quickly disappeared, but still he could tell that something was different, though he couldn't tell what it was exactly. All he knew was that everything felt a little bit more quiet.
He quickly checked his connection to his drones, and found it completely unchanged. He could still perfectly see through all of his minions, even those in Brettholz and in Goblinia.
But then, as he turned his attention to the Magister and his coachman, he realized that the changes he perceived had been about them. Before wearing the crown, he had been able to sort of feel their presence, despite the fact that they had shielded their mind, but now... well, he was still able to sense them, but not with the same urgency. It was like someone who had been excitedly shouting at him until now had suddenly started to talk in a calm tone.
“Is everything alright, sir Marcus?” Orr asked, studying him with an undecipherable expression on his face.
“Yes, I think.” The Vex Queen mumbled, still trying to adjust to this new perception. “I just felt a bit confused for a moment, but I’m fine now.” He paused for a second and then asked: “By the way, did it work? Can you still feel my aura now or not?”
“I can't feel your aura at all, sir Marcus.” The old man replied. “I thought I felt something for a brief moment when you looked at me, but that feeling vanished almost instantly. So I’d say that the crown really works for you.” He smirked and added in a sardonic tone: “And it didn’t even make your head explode either! That’s a pretty nice surprise, isn’t it?”
“Good thing too.” The monster girl chuckled. “This is my favorite head, after all.”
He was about to add something else when he was interrupted by a sudden, blood-curdling scream coming from upstairs.
Both Marcus and Orr flinched, taken by surprise, but Klupp's reaction was much more extreme. The coachman immediately jumped from his sofa and stood on guard, studying his surroundings and holding a long dagger that had appeared in his hand seemingly out of thin air.
Meanwhile, the scream had turned into a series of panicked wailings.
“What is that?” The coachman asked, his voice cold as he gazed upstairs, from where the noise was coming from.
“I... I think that was Tiny-Sneaky.” The Vex Queen replied.
“Who?” The man asked.
“It's... well, it's the ogress I rescued from Treval.” Marcus said, fervently hoping that this revelation wouldn't cause further alarm.
Sadly, as usual, his hopes were immediately dashed.
“An ogre?” Klupp cried, alarm flashing in his eyes. It was the first emotion he had shown ever since he had arrived in Stonebarrow. “Do you mean that there is an ogre in here?”
“Don't worry, she's harmless!” The Vex Queen quickly replied, trying to keep the situation from getting worse. “She literally couldn't hurt a fly so please calm down.”
“An harmless ogre?” Klupp asked while raising an eyebrow in disbelief. It was clear from his tone that he considered that sentence an oxymoron.
Marcus hesitated, trying to find the right words to defuse the situation, when suddenly Orr came to his rescue.
“If sir Marcus guarantees that this ogre is harmless, then we shall take her word for it.” The old man said to his coachman. “So calm down and put your blade away.”
“But sir…”
“No buts.” The Magister interrupted him. “You heard me Klupp. Besides, the marquis told me about this ogre as well. According to him, sir Marcus actually managed to tame it, so we should have nothing to worry about.”
The coachman didn't look particularly convinced but did as he was told, putting the dagger in his coat again and sitting down. However, he still looked very alert, and his hand never hovered far from where he had hid his weapon.
“Sorry about mister Klupp's reaction, sir Marcus.” Orr then apologized. “He also serves as my bodyguard, and he can be a tad overprotective from time to time.”
“Don't worry.” The Vex Queen replied. “His reaction is perfectly understandable.”
Noises kept coming from upstairs, and now they included the sound of heavy objects being dragged on the floor.
“Uhm... I better go check what Tiny is doing.” Marcus said, getting up from his seat. “Could you wait for me here for a moment? I'll be right back.”
“Sure. Take your time, sir Marcus.” Orr said. “And let us know if you need any help.”
“Thank you!” Marcus replied, though he’d sooner eat his own arms rather than let his guests meet Tiny. That would have been too embarrassing even for him!
So, without further ado, he quickly ran towards the source of the noise.
Comments
Nilbog
is it interesting enough yet
Valentino Conti Angeli
Honestly this chapter got too long so I axed and divided it in two... but then I had to rework the next chapter in order to make it interesting enough to be a chapter on its own.
Nilbog
Couldn't agree more but I keep getting tempted back when the chapters eventually do release
Eyes wide
I'm confused u submitted 2 chapters as drafts yet we only get one . This is like dying of thirst and only able to have a drop of water a min . Chapters take so long I forget the story and its roughly 1 chapter a month . So much so that any perceived filler leaves me furious. I for one cant take the wait I'm thinking of unsubscribing and checking in once every 6 months for my sanity
Putrescent Ego
Right? There has to be something
Nematrec
I'm thinking it *attached* itself to marcus in a permentant way. There's definitely something going on with it.
Putrescent Ego
Bro just seemed sus ig idk
BlackFire13th
Same. Why I was suspicious of the old magister.
Putrescent Ego
I was wholeheartedly expecting the crown to be some sort of mind control thingy tbh
![MF [MALE FOCUS] from patreon](https://leaqio.com/kistorage/8544.jpg)
