Chapter 116: Whispers

"What!?"

"I thought Viel being the Princess' fiancée was only one of Antoinette's gimmicks!?"

"No"

This time, it was the cloaked man from the shadows that answered them, "Her royal Highness and Lord Viel are to be married once he becomes of age, 2 years from now"

"!!!"

Their age was too far apart! True, nobles marry at an early age, but even so, Sofia was the older one in this scenario! Is it not usually the other way around!? For Viel and Sofia to end up with each other in the future, together!? What kind of little monsters will be roaming in the streets when they...

"I-is this true?", Emi could not help but ask as she stood up from the floor.

Hearing this question, Viel just groaned and shrugged. Still trying to find a comfortable position to doze off on the sofa.

Since when!?

No, that is not important right now. Even if their son was now confirmed safe, he was still in enemy hands. This is no time to be relaxing. There might still be a chance that the New Golden Pavilion would suddenly use more forceful methods.

"The Princess and her companions, when will they be arriving?", asked Lord Karl.

"They should be reaching out to you soon", the cloaked man said, "They have already arrived in the city during our lengthy conversation"

"What!?", Karl panicked, "Won't they be noticed!? All my people are currently on high alert!"

"Worry not, Lord Karl", the cloaked man shook his head, "They came in a normal carriage"

"I… I see", Karl sighed, he then once again looked at the cloaked man straight in the eye, "Is my son… really safe?"

"Yes", the cloaked man nodded, full of resolution, "He should be safe… for now, that is"

Lord Karl nodded in response as he closed his eyes, falling down to his chair as he once again let out a sigh of relief.

"You are not alone in this, Lord of Burgerstatter", the cloaked man backed up towards the wall, causing the wall to somehow ripple like water, with the cloaked man's body slowly disappearing into it, "The King keeps his people safe"

And with those final words, the cloaked man fully disappeared, quite literally, in the shadows.

"Hm...He is gone", Karl sighed. The cloaked man's appearance really was too sudden, catching both him and Emi off guard.

"No, he is still there", a muffled voice then could be heard. And without even looking and keeping his face planted on the sofa, Viel pointed at the direction where the cloaked man disappeared into. "He's still there, watching"

"R-really?", stared Karl on the wall. Was there really someone on the wall?

Karl could not help but sweat just thinking about it. How was he going to live from now on? Knowing that there's always someone watching you and your every move. It also didn't help that he knew exactly where the cloaked man was hiding.

Karl shook his head once again, this was not the time for thinking of such trivial things!

If the King really was on his side, then he could somehow move more freely. This was good news. He could at least prioritize his movements from now on, on his side of things.

But first...

"Mr. Voice, did you need something from me?"

Lord Karl could not help but be curious. Viel just suddenly knocked on their door out of nowhere while he and Emi were arguing. Was he really just here to tell them that a shadow was watching them on the wall?

"Hm?", the sleepy Viel turned his head towards Karl, "I woke up because you two were too noisy"

"T-then why are you sleeping here, now?", Emi could not help but ask as she looked at the slouching Viel.

"So that the two of you won't make too much noise anymore", Viel said as he slowly sat up, "I thought it would be too awkward for the two of you to argue if I am here, so here I am"

"..."

Both Emi and Karl could not help but look at each other, releasing a slight chuckle as their eyes met.

"I wonder when the Princess' companions will conta-"

As soon as Karl said that, a wild tapping could be heard from his office's window. It was a small bird, its little wings barely being heard as they flap through the glass.

"This…"

Emi quickly opened the window to let the little bird in, 'les someone from the outside notices it. They definitely did not want anyone seeing any suspicious activities coming from Karl's office.

The small bird quickly and agilely entered the room as if it was used to doing so, it then landed its tiny claws on Emi's shoulders…

...and whispered in a husky voice, "Adventurer's Guild. Now".

Emi's whole body shivered as the whispers of the tiny bird penetrated her ears. She definitely did not expect to hear such a low voice on the tiny bird, or expect it to talk at all.

"What did it say?", Lord Karl inquired as he could not make out what the bird said from his position.

"It said… to go to the Adventurer's Guild", Emi cleared her throat before answering awkwardly.

Karl nodded as he grabbed his coat from his chair. "Let me come with you", he said.

But in response, Emi held his hand and shook her head, "No. It will be too suspicious for you to be seen around the adventurer's guild"

"What about you!?"

"I was an adventurer, Karl", Emi sighed, "No one will think of anything when they see me there, even if I am the city lord's wife"

"But-"

"Just stay here, okay?", Emi placed her hand on Karl's shoulder, "You do what you can on your side, let us brutes handle the leg work. Viel, let's go"

Emi chuckled as she dragged Viel out of the office. Viel did not even have the energy to complain, he has been sleepy a lot lately with everything that has happened.

With only Karl being left inside the office, he let out a sigh frustrated sigh as he aggressively threw the cloak he was holding on the floor.

Diplomacy and politics could only take him so far, without real power, he was nothing. Maybe if he had pursued his dream of being an adventurer, he would be with Emi right now meeting with the Princess.

"Grah!"

Karl shouted in frustration. His hands slid to the bottom of his desk, threatening to flip it over. But he quickly stopped when he remembered that there was someone watching him from the shadows, or quite specifically, on the right wall of his office.

Things… really will be awkward for him from now on.

"It's okay, Lord Karl. I have seen you do worse things. Lashing out is normal in your situation"

"..."

***

Emi and Viel took a couple of detours on their way to the Adventurer's guild. Viel complained because of this, complaining that if they were going to the adventurer's guild, then they should just go, why all the detours, he asked.

Emi just shushed him, saying that it was misdirection.

Whatever that means, Viel has no idea.

It took almost a quarter of an hour before they arrived at the Adventurer's guild. And as soon as they got there, a receptionist personally welcomed them, making eye contacts with Emi as she bowed.

"Hell-"

Before Viel can even greet the receptionist back, Emi pulls her away. "Where are we going?", Viel said.

"To Antoinette's office", Emi mouthed.

And without even knocking, Emi entered Antoinette's office as soon as they reached it.

There, three people covered in cloaks were drinking tea with Antoinette.

And with Antoinette's nod. Emi quickly locked the doors behind her.

"Okay. All of you look mighty suspicious", Viel could not help but comment as he looked at the three people.

"Viel", one of the cloaked individuals stood up, removing the hood on her head, causing the spectacles she was wearing to slightly reflect the light in the room, "I see you finally cut your hair"

Princess Sofia fixed her glasses as she smiled at Viel.

"Oh. It's you", Viel raised his eyebrows. He then flicked his hair and elegantly bowed towards Sofia and said, "I must keep appearances. I am the Princess' fiance, afterall"

The two then stared at each other in the eye, before chuckling playfully while covering their mouths.

The other two cloaked individuals stood up and removed their hoods next. Truly, quite an interesting set of people were in this room.

One was, surprisingly, an elf. He was probably the one responsible for the small bird that found its way into Karl's office earlier.

The other one was a tall man with a very defining feature, blue eyes that are as deep as the cold winter skies.

The two greeted both Viel and Emi, with the elf even kneeling towards Viel.

"Enough with the formalities", Princess Sofia sighed, she then looked at Emi straight in the eye and said,

"Let's go rescue your little human"