Alek Aundra
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CH 166 - There's Another Player (Part 2)
🕑 Added 2024-02-03 19:29:44 +0000 UTCJasper stirred from his sleep, the creak of the bedroom door having awakened him.
With bleary eyes, he sat up from the sofa, coming out of his hangover-induced slumber. Morning light filtered through the sheer pink and green silk drapes, billowing with the gentle, salty breeze that entered through the large open balcony windows. Faraway sounds of Evercrest coming to life sounded, but they were muted by the rhythmic crashing of ocean waves against the shore, rustling palm trees just outside the balcony, and the shrill cries of seagulls on the beach.
The cool air felt nice. The amount of light, not so much.
His attention was drawn to the man that had entered the room.
Remlend.
It took Jasper half a second to remember the attendant’s name. Jasper recalled everyone’s name and business, but something about Remlend made him unmemorable. If enough time passed, Jasper could practically forget the young man even existed.
Blinking groggily, Jasper clumsily pushed himself off the couch, his movements sluggish and uncoordinated. His head blared.
Blimey. I didn’t think I drank that much. I’m going to need a health potion.
He glanced down at his disheveled purple attire, realizing he was still wearing the same clothes from the previous night of partying. However, the benefit of that was that he had a flask hidden in one of his pockets. He pulled it out and took a swing.
Until I can get a health potion, that’ll do.
“Jasper, aren’t you supposed to be Luca’s primary attendant?” Remlend set down the silver tray he brought and poured a cup of fresh hot black tea.
“And I am. What of it?” Jasper walked over and picked up the teacup intended for Luca. He took a sip and instantly recoiled, having singed his tongue.
Remlend, however, appeared to have expected this and pulled out a second cup for Luca.
“Then why is it that you were snoring away comfortably on the couch while our young master is like that?” Remlend motioned toward Luca, who was sprawled ungracefully across his desk amongst scattered parchments of paper and still fast asleep.
Neither the breeze, the light pouring in, nor their conversation seemed to have stirred him. Luca was out cold. However, unlike Jasper, he didn’t have a drop of liquor.
Jasper shrugged, blowing on his piping hot cup of tea. “What can I say? He was still busy studying when I came back. I guess he knocked out at some point.”
It’s more surprising that this is the first time he has fallen asleep at his desk.
Three weeks had passed since Luca opened the portal to Lellei Kingdom, and they had first imposed upon Lady Shuzen’s hospitality. However, despite being in Evercrest, one of the continent’s biggest tourist hubs, Luca spent most of his waking and sleeping hours studying. Even when Jasper took him out to events and parties, he got the sense that Luca was still studying his surroundings rather than actually partaking and enjoying his time.
Jasper wasn’t even certain exactly what Luca was studying in the evenings; his books were invisible. He had caught Luca on numerous occasions seemingly staring at the empty desk, his eyes moving in the same zig-zag style reminiscent of book reading.
There was the occasional odd illusion that Luca would produce and show off to Jasper, but otherwise, the only other clue as to what Luca was attempting to master were the poorly done sketches and random doodlings.
Is that supposed to be a dog?
Jasper tilted his head and examined some parchment paper beside Luca’s head.
Although his artistic skills were still quite miserable, Jasper had to admit that Luca had improved significantly compared to before. Not long ago, Luca couldn’t even draw a few straight lines.
“Nonetheless, the night shift is yours. You ought to have encouraged young master Luca to go to bed,” Remlend chided.
"I'm not the best person to chide anyone about their choice to stay up late," Jasper muttered.
Jasper’s eyes focused on Luca’s fingers, which were dyed a blueish-black. He frowned, looking over some of the more complex diagrams beneath Luca's hand, depicting the illusions Luca hoped to produce.
However, endless studying makes one a dreary fellow. And we can’t have that. It's too uncharacteristic for him.
A conspiring grin emerged on Jasper’s face as he made up his mind.
But if he's insistent on learning illusion magic, perhaps Luca needs some exciting practical application. And it’s about time to pay back Lady Shuzen anyhow.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
A yawn escaped my mouth as I gazed at a view of the Frey Manor’s cellar, waiting for Jasper to emerge.
I was on the opposite side of the continent, in the city of Evercrest within the Lellei Kingdom, and yet, had the fancy struck me, I could have been back home in Adovoria at a moment’s notice.
The door portal stood open, offering a seamless passage. I took advantage of this, making quick trips back to Lisa's shop to imprint the pages of books on magic into the System’s memory. These were then recounted back to me in a more palatable manner while I basked in the warm weather and cool breeze of Evercrest.
Had I wanted to disconnect and focus on my studies fully, it would have been wiser to cut off from everyone and concentrate on improving myself for Round 9, but it was impossible for me. I knew my family would be there in the next Round, but they were still my family in this Round too. The people I cared about still existed in this loop, and I couldn't help but care what happened to them, even if this was a doomed loop. Thus, I had one foot in Adovoria and the other in Lellei Kingdom, juggling my feelings.
This unusual way of vacationing was not lost upon those of the Frey Manor and my family. Father immediately set up employees of the Frey Merchant Guild to go through the doorway and establish a trading route. Rather than waiting weeks and sometimes months, the portal provided Father with a way to bring over and trade goods in real-time. Moreover, and perhaps more importantly, the path avoided any pesky laws about what could or could not be traded and ignored all of the typical trading fees that had to be paid out.
"Good morning, young master Luca," a woman bowed her head as she entered through the doorway with a large cart in tow. Wooden boxes were stacked atop the cart with whatever it was that Father had found to be most lucrative to sell to the people of Evercrest.
"Good morning." I nodded in return, noting that the woman appeared dressed for more extended travel than merely going to one of the bazaars of Evercrest.
Perhaps Father had expanded trade beyond this city?
The portal allowed for quicker travel to the neighboring countries where the Frey Merchant Guild also did business, so I suspected he was also utilizing it for this purpose.
Originally, I had intended to stay for perhaps two weeks and open the door portal to another location to explore, but Father implored me to keep the current portal open for an extra couple of weeks. He had some lucrative business in Lellei and had ideas on where I ought to open the next portal.
"The next one should be to Brem—just a week will do," Father had suggested. "And then Dredgor on the other continent would be most lucrative...."
The order didn't matter to me, and I was in no serious rush, either. Thus, the request was easily granted.
“Good morning, young master Luca.”
More people of the Frey Merchant Guild came through after the woman, each carting more stacked boxes and also donned for longer travel. Just as they finished entering Lady Shuzen's residence and heading out into the city, I watched more members come back from Evercrest with carts of products purchased within the city, ready to be taken back home and sold off at a massive profit. The comings and goings of the Frey Merchant Guild's people continued throughout the day, every day, and today was turning out to be busier than ever before.
Sarka Jarbez's portal might have eventually allowed for something similar to be produced in the future, but the great inventor had unfortunately lost her mind to grief over Leo's death. She spent the past couple of weeks in her workshop working on devices intended to eliminate the Spiders Syndicate. Father, Mother, Elda, Jarvis, and I completely supported her in this endeavor and wished for nothing more than the complete erasure of the Spiders Syndicate, which was currently under new and arguably worse management. However, from what Elda had excitedly shared with me, Sarka's inventions were closer to the likes of the Wobbly Pebble: they were overly destructive and elusive in how they worked. I was thus less enthused by the news.
"Has Kathy made any progress yet?" I asked Remlend, who had appeared from the door portal with a new cup of tea for me. The tea he provided me in the morning was quite strong, but I needed something even stronger to wake me up properly and get through the day.
"I'm afraid there haven't been any new letters," Remlend replied, handing me the cup. I downed it faster than I probably should have, and my mouth burned.
Damn it.
I handed back the empty cup.
Elda, the guards, and I were still reeling from the aftermath of the Wobbly Pebble's explosion. I was the only one who knew that we were all on a slow countdown to our demise, but the effects were evident just by the unusual fatigue on Elda's face these days. Most assumed it was due to Micah's death, but I knew better. Perhaps due to her young age, Elda had borne the brunt of the impact more than anyone else.
If I could only accomplish one thing this Round, it was to find a cure for the mysterious poison that the Wobbly Pebble had produced. A powerful weapon is only as good as one's ability to control it, and as it stood, the Wobbly Pebble was an enigma.
I waved Remlend off, as I didn’t require his presence beyond the tea.
"What are you up to this time?" I asked, seeing Jarvis emerge from the portal. My younger brother appeared in an unusually colorful garb of clothing in shades of blue and lilac, but such was the style of Lellei Kingdom, or at the very least, in Evercrest.
"I'm going out into the ocean," Jarvis replied. "There's some curious seaweed samples I'd like to take back home. Would you like to come along?"
I shook my head.
"In that case, I'll see you for dinner then." Jarvis waved and walked off.
I had seen some of the fish caught by Evercrest's fishermen, and it extinguished any interest in even waddling in the seemingly endless blue body of water. With their large lopsided eyes, colorful tentacles, and suspiciously sharp teeth, the fish here looked like something the Alchemist might have brought into existence.
Moreover, I had plans.
Speaking of which…
"There you are," I said to Jasper as he strolled through the doorway's portal, draped in flowing bright green silk that made his ginger hair stand out more. "What's the plan for today?"
While I spent my evenings studying these past few weeks, my days were spent exploring Evercrest, following Jasper as my guide. It was a starkly peaceful way to spend my days compared to the challenges I had faced in the first three weeks of this Round, previous loops, and much of my original life.
"Today is going to be a bit different," Jasper replied cryptically, guiding me out of Lady Shuzen's residence, pacing ahead of me.
We passed through several grand bronze gates before emerging onto the bright white street below. On one side, just a few steps away, golden-sanded beaches stretched with rolling waves. The salty scent of the ocean filled my nostrils, and on the horizon, several dozen small boats dotted the seascape. I squinted to see if I could make out any of the people aboard.
I wonder if one of them might be the vessel that Jarvis took.
Turning back, I took in the city of Evercrest itself. It was early morning, but the streets were already filled with people dressed in vibrant hues of greens, blues, yellows, and purples, creating a striking contrast against the pristine, whitewashed buildings and streets. Jasper had previously informed me the prevalence of white was not only an aesthetic choice but also functioned as a method of curbing the spread of disease. I marveled that something so simple could prevent illness.
"How is today going to be different?" I asked, catching up to him.
"It's about time we paid back Lady Shuzen for her hospitality, don't you think?" Jasper said. He motioned for me to get in with him in a handcart with a bright yellow umbrella. The man, dressed in plain white linen, sprung forward after Jasper provided instructions and payment.
I nodded in agreement. We had taken advantage of Lady Shuzen's hospitality beyond any standard capacity, with my family's members coming in and out of her residence in droves. However, she was incredibly gracious throughout our visit and imposition, now and then hinting at something Jasper had promised to do for her.
"Are you going to win some crazy gamble on her behalf?" I asked. Jasper hadn't bothered to indulge me precisely on what he had schemed. All I knew, was that it outweighed all the inconvenience our presence presented upon Lady Shuzen.
Since Jasper was my guide to Evercrest, much of what I had seen of the city thus far was under such a lens. We visited casinos, gambling houses, and private parties, where card games were invariably taking place. Golden Duex coins were tossed about, being lost and won easily. Jasper was remarkably well welcomed everywhere despite many of the acquaintances we visited owing him hefty losses. Perhaps they were eager to maintain good relations to avoid a troublesome favor being requested. But, given the impressive number of people who had appeared for his funeral in my original life, I suspected many of them genuinely liked him.
Maybe being in debt to Jasper was as much of a blessing as a curse?
"No, nothing like that," Jasper said, but then added. "Well, I suppose it is a gamble of sorts."
The handcart went beneath a lavish white bridge and took a sharp right turn, leading us into a vast, dim tunnel. The space was illuminated by colorful light stones, casting a kaleidoscopic glow, but the space was far from festive. The air was cool and heavy, and the tunnel bustled with sweat-inducing activity, revealing that we were far from alone down here—many others moved about in this interconnected labyrinth of tunnels like swarms of ants.
"Where are we?" I frowned, realizing that these weren't merely tunnels but also places of residence. "And who are all these people?"
In stark contrast to the sunlit, colorful world above, the denizens of this underground realm were primarily clad in white attire. Their bland clothing took on hues of color only due to the dim light stones that adorned the blackened walls and ceiling. As we moved through the dim passageways, weary stares on tired faces followed as we passed.
"They're Leirvants," Jasper answered.
"Leirvants?" I asked.
"It translates to 'someone paying their debts,'" Jasper clarified. "'Leirvant' is the official term, but they're essentially slaves, working to clear massive debts accrued on their lives. Anyone dressed in white linen is a Leirvant."
I blinked, and my eyes widened, recalling the instances of people in white linen I had seen above ground.
The pull cart took a sharp left and opened into an ample underground space filled with even more colorful light stones. It was large enough to fit the entire Frey Manor atop itself thrice.
"It's an underground city," I mumbled, taking in the evident abodes of residence, with small windows and doors dotting the walls. "Just how many people are living down here?"
"Here? Two or so thousand, I suppose," Jasper replied.
"There must be as many people living down here as above," I thought aloud, my eyes gauging the people donned in white.
"You're not wrong," Jasper replied. The cart stopped in front of one of the larger residences in a slightly more secluded part of these tunnels.
"About half of Lellei Kingdom's population consists of Leirvants," Jasper explained, taking my arm and helping me out of the cart.
"That many?" I choked out, stepping down.
Adovoria and its capital city, Genise, were far from exemplary, riled with crime and havoc. However, at the very least, slavery was the least of our problems, with only mages being forced into slavery—whether that was to be celebrated or bemoaned, I didn't know.
"Another forty percent are on the brink of being reduced to slavery," Jasper continued, walking toward the blacked door of the residence. "They're just one missed payday away from financial ruin."
"But what about everything you showed me?" I asked. I vividly recalled the grand and lavish parties that Jasper had taken me to.
Jasper shrugged. "Many of them exhibit wealth they do not have, peacocking while digging themselves further into debt. But, nonetheless, technically, about ten percent live life in comfort, as you have seen above, but even that number continues to plummet."
"Why?" I asked. "And what does that have to do with repaying Lady Shuzen?"
"Everything," Jasper grinned and knocked on the black wooden door of the residence before us.
The door opened to a woman with long, braided black hair and a garb of black silk. On her ankles were stacks of golden bracelets that clinked with every step. Her distinctive appearance flickered a distant memory of having seen her visiting Micah during the festival.
"You must be Luca Frey. I was so sorry to hear of your brother's passing," the woman said in a deep tone. She motioned for us to follow her inside.
Within the small and sparse abode was a wooden round table, around which stood five other individuals who appeared more like militia or soldiers rather than ordinary citizens. In the center, I noticed some drawn-out plans.
"It's for Lady Shuzen's engagement party," Jasper explained. "And we're going to make sure it goes off with a bang."
// Author's Note:
What's a party without a couple fireworks? *ੈ✩‧₊˚
