Chapter 741: 46: The Blank Coin
Hey, guys. Eid Mabrouk though it is over. Got a little busy lately. Anyways, here"s a new chapter.
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Entering my father"s office, an overwhelming sense of insignificance washed over me. The vastness of the room was accentuated by the towering skydome above. At the far end stood a circular library, elevated on its own level and accessible only by a winding staircase. Dominating the s.p.a.ce was my father"s colossal desk, its size rivaling half that of a typical conference table.
In Father"s office, the walls were adorned with numerous Van Brosa paintings, although they were outnumbered by maps of every known region—nearly double the quant.i.ty. Amidst this opulent display, Father"s collection of weapons, pistols, and exotic artifacts was strategically arranged, adding to the overall grandeur of the s.p.a.ce.
In contrast to its function as an office, this s.p.a.ce was intended to resemble a museum. However, I am not an expert on men"s hobbies, and being a collector is not the most questionable among them.
"Finders Keepers, huh? Is this how you are trying to justify your ill-considered visit to the Black Market?"
Seeing Father showing his displeasure after supporting me out there, I am sure he is disappointed to some extent. Even though it was weighing emotionally on me to see him like that, I knew better than to mess with my chances.
"I just want a straight answer, Father, and I promise you everything will be explained. I may as well get praised."
"Vivian… Vivian." Father sighed as he double-mentioned my name, "Let"s pretend I am someone who has ill intentions towards you. What do you think I can do with such a piece of news?"
"As for my haters, they should all know better by now. I survived their shaming marriage incident, an attack after my life, an investigation trying to pin a murder on me, and lastly the finals where I had to endure a man-made inferno of exams. If I were my hater, I would tread carefully and know that I don"t make such mistakes." I replied while making the last sentence clearer than ever.
"Fine. I"ll give you the benefit of the doubt."
"Finders Keepers, Daddy?"
"Finders Keepers, Vivian."
I couldn"t help but smile. As a man of his word, my father may just go crazy after knowing what I got.
"I don"t want to rush the good things or be over-enthusiastic myself but I managed to liberate a pretty good craftsman from the hands of the Blackguards."
"You… liberated?"
"I paid for his freedom."
"So you knew better than to buy a slave."
"Obviously."
"Hmmm… it still may hold little importance if someone wanted to slander you."
"I was planning to hide the Duergar I discovered."
"Hold on, I still don"t have all the details… You liberated a Duergar craftsman… and the Blackguards just let it happen?"
"They had no idea he was a craftsman. Well, he was part of the craftsman slaves pen but since he was useless to them, they listed him as a laborer before accepting my money."
"How much did you pay?"
"Around 50,000."
"Too much for a laborer, too little for a craftsman."
"I used up half of my brain just to annoy them enough and acted all sorts of crazy so that I could get him."
"Hmmm, now I am curious."
"A Metallurgist."
There was a slight pause as I said so and my father kept looking at me.
"How did you find out about his skill?"
"I used unconventional means but the signs were clear, yet hidden under a few layers of soot."
"If he is a Metallurgist and you bought him his freedom from the Blackguards, they won"t sit still and will do anything to retrieve him."
"Can they? He is a free man now and since he works for me, he is practically one of your subjects."
Father looked at me and sighed realizing that I pulled his leg into trouble with me this time.
"You are just like your mother." He said and ma.s.saged his temples.
"She gave you a lot of headaches too?"
"You have no idea… it is like… you"ve grown to be a lot like her all of a sudden."
I know that the topic of my mother is one of the difficult things to talk about with him but seeing him bring it up, I couldn"t help but ask. But his answer is that I am growing to be like her which may mean that she lived in circ.u.mstances similar to mine.
I can only imagine right now but I am not too keen on finding out as long as Father is not the one telling things to me.
"So, back to the topic at hand. That Metallurgist, he is now a free man but you managed to take him in, right?"
"Yes. As you can imagine, he lived a life that pushed him to the edge of both body and mind but he was very compa.s.sionate about a certain topic. He seemed to have a lost wife and he wants our help to reunite with her."
"Good. This will keep him under your care for some time but you must keep it a secret."
"Of course, I will. I wasn"t planning on telling you before you agreed on "Finders Keepers"."
"Vivian, I have a handful of Metallurgists working under me, why would I need the one you just acquired?"
See that answer just now? It will be something completely different tonight.
But just as we were settling on how to act according to the coming situation, a secretary walked in.
"My Lord, my Lady. Lady Agatha is asking to meet with Lady Vivian outside."
"Alright." Father signaled the man to dismiss.
"Aunt Agatha is looking for you, better not keep her waiting." He said as he was dismissing me as well.
"I am somewhat disappointed with her. I thought she would support me." I spoke my mind.
"Seeing how she acted today, I say she likes you a lot already." He said while examining the doc.u.ments on his desk.
"Thanks, Father, I will go see her now."
Agatha Moore is my father"s aunt, making her my great-aunt. She is the oldest member of the board of directors and has a lot of influence being the Director of Imports herself. She has filled that position for 40 years and so I expected some support from her but she was rather against my enterprise.
In fact, most of the ones who supported me were the male members of the board whereas the female members were all against me.
Tsk tsk tsk, feminism is wasted on them!
As I got out of my father"s office, I could see a number of directors and partners gathered in a place and talking amongst one another. As soon as they saw me, some of them bowed to each other and walked out while others walked toward their offices in different directions.
As for the ones who remained, it was my father"s cousin, Uncle Tristan, and my great-aunt, Lady Agatha. The two looked at me and I could feel they were acting friendly.
"Great Aunt, Uncle. It has been a while."
"Look at you, niece. You"ve grown into a fine woman. I couldn"t believe how good your speech was! Took me off my feet." Uncle Tristan, who is a large burly man, held me by the shoulders and quacked the world around me.
"Let the girl go, you brute!" Meanwhile, Great Aunt Agatha hit him on his arm with her cane.
"Sorry aunt."
"It was stupid of you to invest 250,000£ just because she took you off your feet."
"I am a sentimental person, aunt. I had to show my niece some love."
Seeing as Great Aunt Agatha going after Uncle Tristan for supporting me, I had to show my uncle some love in return.
"Well, uncle"s investment is appreciated and I promise that I"ll prioritize a project I have for the industries department as soon as possible."
"See, Aunt? I told you she"s always been a good egg."
"Alright. Now get moving, I want to speak with her."
Great Aunt Agatha chased away Uncle Tristan and waited until he took his distance.
"It has been a long time, great aunt."
As I began the conversation while minding my manners, I found that the way she looked at me was rather… judgemental.
"I was about to invite you to visit me after your graduation but it seems you are keeping yourself busy with all that unnecessary business." She spoke and then walked away towards the exit of the conference room.
"I"m… sorry?"
I couldn"t understand what she was hinting towards and I felt as if I had to follow her.
"What I"m saying is that you have more important things to attend to and you are simply wasting your time here."
"I"m afraid I don"t understand what you are talking about, great aunt."
When she saw me being ignorant about what she was talking about, she turned to me with a sharp gaze.
"Could it be that James hasn"t told you?"
"Elder brother? He hasn"t told me… was he supposed to tell me anything in particular?"
"Yes, he…" Great aunt seemed fl.u.s.tered for a second before turning away, "When was the last time you had a correspondence with him?"
"Less than a year, great aunt. Why? Is something wrong?"
"You don"t know? You should have known by now…"
She seemed a bit disappointed but she later sighed and fished something from her purse.
"James may have broken his promise with me but I won"t break my promise with him. I"m sorry if I seemed hard on you today but take this, it is better than any amount of money you may receive."
I received what she gave me and it was a large and heavy coin. It was made of something like silver and it was blank from the two sides.
"That is?"
"Catelyn pa.s.sed it onto James and he left it for you. It"s valuable."
"Mo… Mother? I don"t understand… what is this all about?"
Catelyn is my mother"s name. Why does she leave something to me with James and why would he entrust Great Aunt Agatha with it?
"James" condition was to keep you out of this matter until you come of age and then he would tell you himself. Since these were his wishes before he left for Avalon, I will respect them but our agreement was to give you this coin by the time you graduate. This coin can grant you one wish."
"Grant me one wish?" I couldn"t help but smile, "Any wish?"
"No, you silly." She hit my ankle with her cane and I almost jumped from surprise, "Find the people who minted this coin and they can tell you all that you wish to know about your mother."
This topic again.
It is being brought up more often than it normally has.
My late mother is indeed a mystery but after everything, both my father and my brother kept me away from her topic, and quite frankly…
"I don"t want to find out."
My reply surely came as a surprise for the old woman.
"You don"t?"
"Father and James kept me in the dark for a reason. I know that my mother, may G.o.d rest her soul, has many secrets, and if my father wants me away from those secrets, then he knows better and I ought to commit to his wishes."
This topic wasn"t just something I could just let into my life at the moment. I know that my father and brother had a fallout because of this topic and my brother left the whole country just to get away from my father.
Part of me has always known that if I were to pursue this matter, I would get hurt one way or the other. I am curious, of course, but currently, I"m more afraid than curious.
I don"t know what would happen if I were to find something I don"t like.
"The three of you seem as stubborn as the other." Great aunt Agatha said and shook her head, "I"m disappointed but I can"t do much about it."
"I"m sorry, great aunt." I said and handed back the coin.
"Keep it. You"ll have to use it one day and it belongs to you so n.o.body else gets to use it."
"Is… that so?"
"You"ll know sooner or later. Goodbye, Vivian."
I was left by myself on the top of the stairway in the middle of the Headquarters building.
Father, Brother, what is going on between the two of you?
In the western section of the royal palace, Prince Liam engaged in a training session with his combat instructor. Clad in lightweight attire, he skillfully maneuvered his sword, alternating between offensive and defensive movements with a steady rhythm.
In the fierce clash between Prince Liam and his instructor, Liam"s nimble footwork matched the lightning-fast exchange of sword thrusts. With each deft move, Liam would gracefully step back, deflecting his instructor"s stab with precision before swiftly countering with his own. Imagine the speed of their swords, a blur of invisible blue that seemed to dance in the air as they moved, leaving observers in awe of their extraordinary skill and agility.
Despite the blunt tips, the force of the strikes was so powerful that a direct hit could shatter bones effortlessly. Remarkably, the combatants remained composed as they escalated the intensity of their attacks, wielding their swords like whips with astonishing agility and control.
But this madness had to eventually end with someone scoring a hit. That, however, wasn"t Prince Liam but rather his combat instructor.
The rapier moved in an artistic way that it twisted and turned, almost hitting the Prince on his chin. At that moment, the blade"s movement was suddenly interrupted by an invisible force and the Prince seized the opportunity to retaliate against his opponent but…
"NO MAGIC!"
The combat instructor suddenly pulled out a short axe and waved it at the Prince"s face who immediately retreated.
"That was… uncalled for." The Prince leaned on his knees and started to catch his breath.
"Don"t lean. Back straight, chest forward."
"Yes, yes."
"And I told you to not wear your ring."
"I"m not wearing it. I even left it with Edmond."
The instructor looked at Edmond, who was lying backward on a chair with his face covered with a book.
"Is this really the most diligent of your men?"
"Don"t mind him, instructor. He hasn"t slept for two days straight."
The instructor nodded understandably but seeing that Edmond was sleeping unbothered almost 15 meters away, he became rather impressed and terrified.
"Young prince, you either use magic or blade, I find it bothersome you can"t still make your mind."
"Why not when I am good at both?"
"No one is good at both. I know that your potential is immeasurable but you can"t just…"
"Don"t tell me what I can"t and I can"t do, sir."
"I am sorry, your highness. I overstepped my place."
"It doesn"t matter. Let"s do this again tomorrow."
"If you excuse me."
The instructor bowed to the Prince and walked out of the training room. With that, Prince Liam shook his head and let out a short chuckle.
But just as the instructor opened the door to walk out, a short young man walked past him through the door and straight to the Prince.
"I have news, your Highness." Ian Grayson spoke but as he turned and saw Edmond sleeping in the position, he paused his steps and let out a sigh, "But I guess Edmond has already informed you."
"Yes." The Prince held up a cup of water and drank from it, "Vivian is at it again."
"The Black Market this time, of all places, she may have been up to us."
"I checked with our men." Edmond spoke in the same pose he was, "She was there for a slave."
"Then isn"t this a ripe opportunity, Your Highness?" Ian asked and turned to the Prince, "We can corner her this time."
"It doesn"t matter." The Prince said, "We acted hastily the past few times. Vivian always finds a way out."
"But she got too close." Ian argued.
"Or she just had her own reasons." The Prince shrugged, "I am leaving this matter for Edmond to investigate."
Ian seemed a little dissatisfied with the Prince"s pa.s.sive att.i.tude and his eyes kept looking around as if he was thinking.
"Relax, Ian. You can keep conducting your business the way you always do."
"Your Highness, you know how I feel about the Moores getting this close under my nose."
"So what? Everyone in the Capital knows the Moores and the Graysons have been out for each other"s throats since the two Houses were founded. Go home, Ian."
"Yes, Your Highness. Have a good night."
The Prince watched as Ian went out as well before shaking his head and kicking Edmond"s leg.
"Mhm?" Edmond lazily removed the book from his face and looked at the Prince.
"This goblin, Ian. You said he was getting closer to Matilda." The Prince asked.
"You know Miss Matilda has no shields for others. It seems he was convincing her to help him publicize his next business venture." Edmond said.
"I find it bothersome."
"Well, if it is Miss Matilda, I"m afraid it is not wise to limit her freedom."
"Vivian would have chewed that goblin and left him in bits if he got close to her with such an offer."
"Missing Vivian, your Highness?"
"What is there to miss when she keeps jumping on every little opportunity to remind me that she exists." The Prince said before a smile betrayed his face that he had to hide quickly by drinking water again.
Edmond fixed his posture and looked at the Prince. He noticed that smile and didn"t mistake it for anything else.
"She was the perfect candidate for Queen. A shame what happened!"
"What had to happen." The Prince corrected him, "Matilda is far more valuable than Vivian even though she doesn"t hold a candle to her abilities."
"You are still not letting that out of your head."
"A 0.01 grade, Edmond. A hundredth of a… f.u.c.king grade."
"Yep, let it out of your system."
"DAMMIT!"
Furious, the Prince violently kicked the table next to him, letting out a roar of frustration. This emotional outburst was the culmination of all the pent-up feelings he"d been harboring since graduating.
"And she let me have the first place. SHE! LET! ME! HAVE! IT!"
"Oh boy!" Edmond rolled his eyes as the Prince kept kicking things.
"I can"t, Edmond. I just can"t." The Prince said and sat on his a.s.s, "I can"t endure it with Vivian. I had to let her go. I feel like s.h.i.t."
"Just remember I was against it."
"You were. It is a matter where there is no right answer. I was being greedy back then and I still am. House Moore needs to return under my wing no matter what and her brother Robert is our safest bet."
"What about getting Princess Charlotte engaged to him?"
"Queen Janett and Lady Shu will soon bite our heads off before we get the chance to."
"Then we have to do what we have to do. Get Vivian out of the equation and make Robert the heir."
"Right." The Prince nodded, "Let"s not get after Vivian regarding this slave thing, though. I am sure she has some way to retaliate. Leave it to Ian or Robert to do something stupid about it again."
"Not doing things is what I am good at."
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