HPDBC Chapter 87 – Betrayal
Chapter 87 – Betrayal
Chapter 87 – Betrayal
— Leon Greyrat —
A few weeks had passed since the attempt on Ariel’s life, and with the year K423 upon us, it meant that I was now eighteen years old.
Ideally, I would be spending this time of year at home, cuddled up with Aria and my two lovers in front of the fireplace and sharing a cup of tea or warm milk, but unfortunately, that wasn’t something I could do right now.
I had been tasked by Ariel to go to the capital and ascertain whether the Notos had truly betrayed her, and if so... why.
She was also hoping that I could provide any insights as to why they had sent a North Emperor her way now of all times, but that was only a secondary priority.
Using the same teleportation ruin over a year ago, when I picked up Eris’ family, I was able to cut down the regularly season-long trip between Sharia and Ars to only a few weeks.
Obviously, I didn’t want to leave Ariel and my family with Wii Taa and other possible assassins on the loose, but Ariel convinced me it was unlikely that they would attack again for a while, as I had already dealt with quite a strong group.
Instead, it would be better for me to leave now so that I could beat Wii Taa back to the Ars before the news of the failed attempt reached them.
After all, once that happened, we would have to be wary against more attacks, so this was the only window of opportunity for me to get some information.
So, with two and a half weeks of travel behind me, I had galloped through the countryside, staying on the road for the most part, but sometimes taking a shortcut through the vast plains of the region to cut down my travel time.
And that... was how I came across the sight before me.
A giant city, bigger than anything I had ever seen before, with buildings spread across the hills, even spilling past the city walls, while a giant palace stood at the highest point in the centre of the settlement.
This... was Ars. The capital of the strongest and most prosperous nation in the world.
Well, it was certainly an awe-inspiring scene, but I wasn’t here to sightsee.
As expected from such a large city, the security was lax getting into, and while I didn’t have any concrete plans as to how to fulfill Ariel’s wishes, I did have a place to start.
After all, Master did tell me to visit whenever I wanted to, and since she said that she would be back in the capital by the end of the year, she should be here.
So, after getting some directions, I then made my way to the main dojo of the Water God style, a fancy complex of various buildings that rested close to the Silver Palace.
Fortunately, unlike the Sword Sanctum, I didn’t need to fight off a bunch of swordsmen on my way to the main building, but I did notice a few people watch me cautiously as I tied my horse up at the stable inside.
I didn’t know if it was simply the passive nature of the style, the fact that they could comprehend my strength, or if Master had previously told them about me, but I was grateful for their compliance nonetheless.
Having spotted a familiar flow of touki with my Demon eye, I quickly made my way past the building, hoping that she would be able to help me a bit.
“Oh? I didn’t think you would actually come see me so soon,” Master said, looking over to me as she sat in a garden. “Aren’t you supposed to be fathering your child by now?”
“Yeah, I’m just here for a little errand,” I said.
“An errand? This is the capital, you know. Well... come sit,” she said, patting the spot on the bench beside her before she suddenly held up her hand. “Actually, show me your Flow first.”
She then tossed a rock at me, the projectile whizzing through the air as I unsheathed my blade, deflecting it back to her as it smashed into the ground beneath her feet.
“That was mean, Master,” I said, smiling. “You threw that hard enough to kill a regular person, you know.”
“Consider it me ensuring that you haven’t been slacking in your training,” she returned, narrowing her eyes at me. “Tsk... You’re damn good, Leon. Better than I could have ever expected when we first met. If you wanted, I could even consider you my successor.”
“No, thanks,” I said, taking a seat. “It would be troublesome to lead a school. And besides, I don’t really use the Water God style on its own that much. I just implement it into my own.”
“Right, you’re an almighty Elemental Emperor now, aren’t you,” she said, chuckling to herself. “Anyway... I assume you didn’t come here just to visit?”
Getting right down to business, huh?
Well, I didn’t mind that.
I wasn’t in the mood for small talk, after all.
“Unfortunately not,” I said, leaning back against the bench. “Do you... know anything of the Notos family? More specifically, what have they been up to lately.”
“Politics? I never expected that from you,” she hummed. “But not really, no. I hate that stuff, so I only serve my duty to protect the royal family and the prime minister, and that’s it. I try not to get involved with the rest of the rabble.”
“I see...” I said.
So she protects the prime minister... I guess if I want to kill Darius, I would have to face her.
I couldn’t win against her right now, that was for certain.
But once Ariel graduated, and I have had enough time to master my vast myriad of abilities... I should be strong enough.
The thought was bittersweet, that I would need to fight her seriously... but perhaps I would be able to convince her to let me kill him without going through her first.
“But while I don’t know... I have heard rumours,” she said. “Pilemon Notos Greyrat... was it? He’s apparently currying favours with some high-ranking people right now. Specifically with Minister Darius.”
Hmm... that was certainly suspicious, but not necessarily evidence that he had betrayed Ariel.
After all, even if he was making personal connections, if he was still loyal, those would be transferred over to Ariel once she returned.
But still... it was suspicious for him to do this when he was meant to be lying low, fostering a solid foundation among the populace which had always been Ariel’s strength.
So if even Master had caught wind of him, he was definitely veering off from the plan, not to mention getting close to Darius, who was Ariel’s biggest enemy.
“I’m warning you now, Leon,” she said, releasing a slight pressure that made me tense up. “I won’t tell anyone about you, but only so long as you keep it at gathering information. If you put anyone in the palace in danger... I’ll be forced to step in.”
“I... got it,” I said. “Thank you, Master.”
“No problem. You’re a good kid,” she said, sighing as her pressure released. “Too bad that my cute granddaughter is still up north with Gal, else I would have had her push you down and become your fourth wife.”
“Err... that wouldn’t happen,” I said. “And wouldn’t you be upset at your cute granddaughter not being the sole object of her husband’s affections?”
“Hehe. Well, she would undoubtedly capture your heart unconditionally over time, so I wouldn’t have to worry about that. But I guess I’ll leave it at teasing for now,” she said, getting up as she stretched her arms. “Feel free to take one of the empty rooms. If you want to pay me back, spar with some Water Saints to show them what they’re lacking.”
I... was a bit scared at what she meant by ‘for now’, but I graciously accepted her kindness with a nod.
Now... it was time to get some information, and I guess I would have to be sneaky.
I knew that this was going to be annoying.
— Leon Greyrat —
With my nighttime escapades with Roxy on the Begaritt Continent, I had learned how to nullify any noise I made with magic, cutting off all the vibrations in the air around my body.
If one had great hearing, they may find it suspicious to hear a complete absence of sound in one place, but as long as I was far away, I should be fine.
I also used wind magic to ensure I couldn’t be smelled, ensuring that the surrounding air was constantly cycled upwards so that my scent didn’t waft into any sharp noses.
And lastly, there was the illusion magic I had been training, using Ariel’s transformation magic as a base.
Of course, I couldn’t do something as insane as changing my appearance, but with intense focus, I could become invisible by bending the light around me.
This did cause me to go blind, however, but at least I still had my Demon eye to keep watch of my surroundings.
Even without the blindness, this technique was unfortunately unusable in combat, as it simply required too much concentration to use in the middle of battle.
But luckily for me, I wasn’t here for a fight.
So, with me ensuring I wasn’t leaking any mana, I had pretty much completely masked my presence as I remained seated in a tree.
Of course, even with one’s presence being masked, the various barriers lining the palace would catch anyone who tried to invade, but with Ariel giving me her necklace that served as her ‘key’, I was able to enter through the main gate without any problems.
The palace’s security was tight, and with their various barriers and sentries, it was extremely difficult to sneak into this place.
But that also worked to my benefit.
After all, with such tight security, it was only obvious for the people inside to think they were safe, and as a result, they were quite talkative once they were behind closed doors.
And as a result, after waiting two days straight up in this damn tree, with only the water I generated as my sustenance, I was able to catch the sight of Darius Silva Ganius and Pilemon Notos Greyrat entering a room, having released the illusion magic around my head to be able to see them.
Pilemon... assuming he did betray Ariel, I was confused as to why he switched sides.
After all, with Luke as Ariel’s guard, he was bound to lose his only heir once she attempted her coup for the throne, and by switching his allegiance this late, it wasn’t like he would gain anything... so why?
But that was what I was here to find out.
So, focusing touki into my ear, I used vibration magic to mute the surrounding sounds from getting through as I focused on the room from across the garden, hearing their idle chatter and exchange of pleasantries as they eventually began talking about something interesting.
“So... is there any word on the attempt?” Pilemon said.
“Be patient. It takes time to cross the northern territories, after all,” Darius said, sipping some wine. “But do not worry. With this, the second princess should be dead.”
Well... that made things pretty damn clear.
But ascertaining if Pilemon betrayed her was only half of my job.
Now, I needed to figure out why.
Hopefully I would at least hear a hint from their conversation.
“Are you sure?” Pilemon said. “I know you said to trust you, but I gave up my best swordsman for this...”
“I assure you. This time, it won’t fail,” Darius returned.
This time?
Wait... did Pilemon betray her before? When she left for the university?
But... that didn’t make sense.
Even if he decided Ariel’s cause was for naught, he would at least ensure Luke stayed in Ars, so... what the hell was going on?
“Right, that...” Pilemon muttered, looking down angrily. “I can’t believe she survived that... I had heard of her death in the north, but... dammit... such a foolish mistake on my part.”
Hm?
Wait... was that it?
He... thought she died in that ambush?
I... guess that was a natural conclusion to come to, considering Ariel also kept her presence as hidden as possible after that, but... wasn’t that a bit too hasty?
Actually, considering he assumed Luke was dead as well, he must have been acting in such a way to save his family line... which was himself.
But wait... the way he said that...
He had heard of her death? Not assumed it?
But... Ariel didn’t even get hurt, nor did her body double.
So for him to get such a report rather than a simple ‘there was a fight’... did Darius control the information to get Pilemon on his side?
That... was a smart move, but... how did he keep Pilemon on his side after Ariel was revealed to be alive?
“Oh? A mistake? Are you considering switching back to her side?” Darius said, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
“A-Ah, no, I... already believe that the First Prince will lead Asura to a prosperous era,” he said, bowing his head. “Besides... even if the princess came back... there is no longer anything for her.”
Hmm... I see.
So he got scared. Both for his own life while Ariel was spending time abroad, and the fate that Ariel and her supporters were destined for once she retuned.
I guess he didn’t have much trust in that girl, for him to think her defeat was a forgone conclusion.
Well... that was before she had me, and knowing that princess, she would quickly take back everything she needed for her ascension.
Considering how Darius was so easily threatening you, I can’t say you made the wrong decision, Pilemon Notos Greyrat, but... it was most unfortunate.
After all, a newly ascended princess wouldn’t tolerate betrayal, and nor would I in the Asura we were hoping to build, absent of the disgusting corruption that had plagued this palace for so long.
“Is that so? But what about your son?” Darius continued. “He’s your heir, no? I didn’t think you would abandon him so easily.”
“It... was not an easy decision, my lord,” Pilemon said with difficulty. “I... will beg for his forgiveness once the time comes, but even then... I can always have other children.”
Hmm... while I didn’t think Luke was a great guy, he was definitely loyal to Ariel, so I don’t know how that would all work out.
Although... he was only her knight due to his family ties... and he was quite adamant that his father didn’t betray them after learning of the assassination attempt, so...
“I see. Truly... it’s a shame she survived such an attack,” Darius complained. “I know that guardian mage Fitz is impressive, but to completely overwhelm them... it must have been that Leon Greyrat.”
My eyes narrowed.
How... how and why did such a dangerous man know my name.
I was strong, sure, but I was still relatively unknown, save for my title as ‘Guardian Wolf’ in the Demon Continent.
Even in the university, I was simply known as the ‘young and talented swordsmanship instructor’.
I was not someone that the arguably most influential person in Asura should be gritting his teeth over.
“Leon Greyrat... you mentioned him before, but who is he?” Pilemon asked. “With no middle name... is he not a member of a leading family? Perhaps... is he a member of the old Boreas family?”
“No...” Darius snarled. “He’s Princess Ariel’s guard. Well... he was... He’s only a King-ranked swordsman, so he should be easily dealt with by the three swords of the North God.”
I... guess not revealing my Emperor-ranked status was good, if it meant he underestimated me... even if it was just because I forgot to tell people.
If he had sent another person of Auber’s calibre... or even focused on my family first... I probably would have died.
Unfortunately, once Wii Taa got back, I doubt that I would be underestimated any longer.
“I see, but... how do you know this?” Pilemon asked.
Oh... I was interested about that too.
Needless to say, there was a reason she was still asleep so late in the morning.
I did the same with Sylphy too, of course, but we weren’t nearly as active as we usually were.
That aside... how did this princess know that?
“Uh, yeah,” I said. “Why?”
“Hmm... Sylphy is pregnant, right? So this must be Roxy’s scent,” she said, smiling a bit.
This fucking lust-fueled princess... I guess she was somewhat back to her usual self, at least.
But still...
“Don’t attack my lover. I know how cute she is, but she’s mine,” I said, pulling her ear as punishment.
“Mmm, but it’s hard to hold back, especially when you were gone for so long,” she said, giggling a bit before she calmed down to a serious, gentle tone. “Still... thank you, Leon. For going there for me, and... for being here right now.”
“...Of course,” I returned.
After a few minutes of silence, she quickly fell asleep, snoring softly on my lap as her previously pained expression softened into something more relaxed, her lips quirked up in a soft smile.
Well... that was good.
Looking over to Sylphy, who had been oddly silent this entire time, I saw that she had a difficult expression on her face.
Was she... jealous?
Ah, right... fuck, that was a bit idiotic of me, even if I had completely pure intentions.
“Sorry, Sylphy,” I said, cringing a bit as my mind caught up with what I had just done with the princess. “That... wasn’t good for me to do as a lover, was it?”
I would hate if she did that to another man, after all.
And not to mention Ariel being her master...
“No, it wasn’t,” she said coldly before smiling a bit. “But... I can’t say I’m mad at you. In fact, I’m quite happy.”
“Oh?” I voiced, surprised.
“Hehe! Yes... while you’re definitely a bad boy... I’m glad you’re on Ariel’s side,” she said, coming over to give me a kiss on the cheek before gently pinching it. “But... I’m telling Roxy.”
“Figures...” I sighed.
With her giving me a hug from behind, she then went to the kitchen, likely to get started on lunch.
And as for me... I guess I was to be a pillow for the foreseeable future.
Actually, I should probably bring Ariel to a bed before Roxy got up, lest I make her sad.
But with the princess’ arms still wrapped around my waist, that would be quite difficult.
— Sylphiette —
Washing my mouth, I removed the taste of vomit, which I had unfortunately become familiar with over the past couple of weeks, as I then went back to the kitchen.
Morning sickness.
My grandmother had warned me, as had Roxy, Zenith, and Lilia... but it really was quite annoying.
But still... when I thought about the cause of it... I couldn’t help but smile.
A baby... my very own baby...
I had wanted one with Leon ever since my mother gave me the talk, and even more since Norn and Aisha were born, but... how to explain it...
Back then, I only wanted the baby because it was natural for a family to have one, and it would also mean that Leon and I would have done that, which was a very exciting thought.
But ever since Aria was born... my view had changed.
She was just so wonderful.
From the way she babbled incoherently, to the excitement when she crawled across the floor... everything she did put a smile on my face.
Well... everything except the crying... that was quite frustrating.
But still, I could get past that.
After all, how couldn’t I when there was the way she made Leon smile so gently... she really had her father wrapped around her finger, huh?
I had never thought my love for Leon could grow stronger after we reunited, nor that my lust for him would ever increase, but whenever I saw him care for Aria so lovingly, I was quickly proven wrong.
Just thinking about it now made me want him to push me down and have his way with me, but alas, I needed to ensure my baby was safe.
Anyway, even though I viewed Aria as my own child, I was not so naive to think there was no special connection that she shared with her mother.
I still remember back when Roxy gave birth, and while it looked painful and stressful, the sweet look Leon gave her afterwards, and not to mention Roxy’s own face of wonder... I wanted to experience that too.
So yes, I wanted a baby badly, and through our efforts, I was now pregnant.
And life... it was good.
No... great was the right word.
Almost too great.
It reminded me of the time in Buena Village, when Leon would come spend time with me and then take me to Roa when he could... the time right before the Displacement Incident.
But I was confident that such a disaster wouldn’t occur again, and even if it did, I was much stronger and smarter now, so I was certain everything would work out.
Walking into the living room, I watched as Roxy set down a set of papers, likely something to do with her class.
“Here Roxy. I made some tea,” I said, placing down the teapot along with a few cups.
“Ah! Thank you, Sylphy,” she said. “I... can’t help but feel bad, making you do this when you’re pregnant.”
“It’s fine,” I said, waving off her concern. “I’m only two months in, and it’s not like you’ve had it easy either.”
Aria now lasted most nights without crying for food, but she was still a very excitable girl, so once she was awake, she did not want to stay in bed.
While Leon and I tried to share the burden, Roxy always took it upon herself to be the primary caregiver for the girl, even though she had her teaching position to worry about.
But I guess, as her actual mother, that was only natural.
And speaking of Roxy, as we slowly spent more time together, I discovered that she was... very nice.
I had only met her a few times as a child, but now I could clearly see the charms that had captured Leon’s heart.
And as for us sharing the same man... well, to be honest, it was not nearly as bad as I thought.
After all, Leon was always active in bed, so much so that even Luke and Ariel were impressed when I bragged-
Ahem, told them about my exploits.
Now that I was pregnant, I wouldn’t be indulging in those activities for a while, but even then, he was always more than happy to take on both of us at once.
I... honestly never expected Leon to be such a lecherous man.
Looking back at how innocent of a kid he was, I was still amazed at how he became that way, but I suppose some parts of Paul had to rub off on him at some point, not to mention him growing from a boy into a man during our time apart.
Besides, it wasn’t as if I was complaining.
In fact, I liked that side of Leon quite a lot.
But anyway, yes... things with Roxy were better than expected, and while there were a few times I felt the desire to monopolize Leon, that feeling always washed away once I went over to sit on his lap or give him a kiss.
And then... if I really wanted to monopolize him... well, let’s just say he liked me in a skirt quite a bit.
So yes, things with Roxy were good, and I considered her a close friend that I could happily exchange intimate acts with, as Leon seemed to like that stuff a lot.
A big happy family... knowing how Eris was, and now with me spending over a year with Roxy, I was confident that my dream would come true.
And then there was Leon... to put it simply, I loved him very much.
As a child, I had thought of him as the perfect man, one with no flaws and amazing talent, but as we’ve been together for over a year now, I had discovered that I was not entirely correct.
Leon was not perfect.
But at the same time... that made him perfect.
I’m sure it was confusing for others, but that was simply how he was.
Perfectly imperfect... that was how I would describe my future husband.
For instance, Leon was very loving. And after Aria was born, he became even more so, which led to his orphanage idea.
And in being so loving and emotional... he got upset quite a bit.
The world was a cruel place, after all, and Leon wasn’t one to ignore that fact for his own peace of mind.
But despite that imperfection, whenever he came home and his downcast face brightened up as soon as he saw me before racing over for a hug... well, how could I not think of that as anything but a perfect imperfection?
How to explain it... his imperfections... especially the ones that I could help him with... they made me feel valuable.
And then there was how he was so easily angered, especially when it came to our family.
Like Norn said, it was quite comforting to know he was like that for us, with his love and overprotectiveness, but... he really should be more careful to not pass that onto our children.
They were very unlikely to be as strong as him, after all.
So yes... life was good.
I was happier than I ever had been, and with a child on the way, I was sure to be even happier.
I truly was a lucky woman.
“Ah... that bath is really amazing,” Ariel said, walking out of the bathroom, her hair still wet as it draped down her shoulders, with a familiar black ribbon tied around one end. “Somehow, it’s even better than the one at the royal palace. Hmm... it must be the cozy size.”
And then... there was my princess.
Ariel had been... different lately.
With the Notos’ betrayal, she would need to forge even more connections than before to have a chance at gaining the throne, and as a result, she was more focused than ever at achieving her goal... but that wasn’t what I was talking about.
More specifically, I was talking with how she was around Leon.
I was able to tell as soon as she laid eyes on my him, back when we first reunited after that ambush, that Ariel was interested in Leon.
But that was only natural.
After all, with such strength, and such a close bond with family, he was someone who would naturally stir up some odd feelings in the girl.
But ever since the assassination attempt... that interest had changed into something more.
Love... probably not.
But definitely something closer to it.
Now that we slept under the same roof every night, I quickly began to notice how she now acted around my lover.
The subtle glances... asking for him to guard help her, even though any of her attendants could do it... things like that.
I... was extremely conflicted.
As Leon’s woman, it was obvious that I wouldn’t want him to have even more girls vying for his affection, but at the same time... I was Ariel’s close friend.
And with Leon, she always seemed so... genuine.
I was a bit jealous of both of them.
Jealous of Leon’s ability to make the princess feel so comfortable, and jealous of Ariel for the obvious affections she was beginning to cultivate towards my future husband.
I never expected to be Leon’s only woman, despite what my dream had shown me, but I only ever expected to share him with Eris.
So to have one, possibly two more... it was vexing.
In short, I wasn’t sure what to do about Ariel.
My desire for my best friend to find happiness was conflicting with my feelings as a lover, and that wasn’t even mentioning how Roxy and Eris would take it.
Leon did promise to stay faithful to the three of us, after all, and I knew that he would hold himself to that promise.
But at the moment, I wasn’t sure if Ariel’s feelings were that of love yet, and I knew for a fact that Leon didn’t look at Ariel that way.
So until they both fell in love with each other, if that day were to ever come... I wouldn’t accept the princess becoming Leon’s woman.
“Would you like some tea, Ariel?” I asked, putting aside my complicated thoughts. “I can also dry your hair, if you would like.”
“Hm? Why, thank you, Sylphy. That would be lovely,” she returned.
And as for the future... well, only time would tell.
But still, I was confident I would remain happy, because not only did I have Leon on my side, but I would soon be having a child as well.
I wonder... will it be a boy, or a girl?
I was excited to find out.