Chapter 11 - The Party
In the carriage, the group of four nobles was chatting and drinking tea, while the escorts, mainly soldiers from the Sylvester Household, were fighting with their lives on the line against the few beasts reckless enough to attack the carriage.
Occasionally, a strong impact could be heard. That would be Knight Angelo, Dorian's trusted right-hand man, swinging his war hammer using a knight killing technique. It was the fourth time Arthur had met Angelo, and every time, he had to fight the urge to spar with the knight.
Beginner knights were quite rare after all, and because the Ivory Tower was a place reserved for mages, Arthur never had the opportunity to fight against one. He wanted to know where he stood in a fight against a knight, without the use of magic, just relying on his swordsmanship and physique.
According to his calculations, knights worked the same way as acolytes, with their levels being equal to their strength attribute.
[Angelo - Level 7 Knight]
The man was a beast. He was slightly obese, yet he swung his war hammer with an ease that seemed supernatural. Though he only possessed 7 points of strength, Arthur knew that his weight and size advantage made him very dangerous, and that's why he wanted to test his skills against him.
Dorian clearly knew about Arthur's yearning to fight, and found it amusing: "I already told you that there was no way I would let Angelo fight you. Even if you are a body refinement acolyte, Angelo was known as the 'Bonecrusher' back in my fief. He has little control over his strength, and I would never forgive myself if you were to be hurt because of my servant"
Arthur sighed: "I know, and that's why I stopped asking you. But I can assure you I grew stronger. I even mastered my family's killing technique"
Dorian nodded: "Indeed, I read all of your reports. It seems like your patrol companion William made some progress as well in his magical studies. It is not uncommon anymore to see you return with a harvest. Didn't you return with a swamp wolf last week? Tony was pretty envious, or so I understood"
Arthur nodded: "Indeed, William and I are pretty complementary. His fire spell hurt and attract the beast, which I can easily finish with my knight techniques"
Elizabeth clapped her hands: "Swamp Wolf hide is very sturdy! It is impressive for you to be able to cut this kind of hide. Actually, my family owns a business which turns the skin of magical creatures into high-quality armours. The next time you come accross such beasts, be sure to come to me. I will give you a fair price"
Dorian smiled, enjoying this conversation to the fullest. It must be said that his life was not easy at all. He had a duty to complete as the law enforcement leader in the tower. He had to deal with murders on a monthly basis, and the sheer amount of paperwork he had to deal with was taking most of his time. Sometimes, he would not even have time to meditate!
Of course, such harsh responsibilities came with great rewards. He was no longer required to deal with dangerous missions and only had to fight against unlawful acolytes in the tower.
After a few hours of travelling, the group arrived at a broken castle. It was made out of black rocks, and the marks on the wall made it clear that numerous battles had been fought. Everywhere, the smell of blood and charred flesh could be melled.
Thousands of corpses lied on the ground, some belonging to human soldiers, others belonging to green humanoid creatures with a well-defined musculature and a ferocity that could only be imagined: orcs.
"Sirs...We have arrived", Knight Angelo spoke with clear terror in his eyes.
As a knight, he was clearly aware of the battlefield brutality. He only had to take a small glance at the corpses lying on the ground, lifeless. Some were missing limbs. Some were beheaded. And some had been cut in half from the shoulder to the waist in one clean cut.
Orcs were strong creatures, thought to have been a failed experiments from magi of Old. They were supposed to be perfect soldiers who would crave war. Unfortunately, they possessed the ability to reproduce and that is how orcs were created. Or at least, that's what rumors said.
Magi naturally scathed this theory due to the lack of evidence, and the fact that there existed other planes in which orcs existed, but all in all, it was unlikely for the truth to ever come out.
These orcs were quite uncommon, however. Not only did they possess weapons, they also managed to win against a Grand Knight. This matter was quite worrying. The birth of a magus-level beast always was something to worry about, especially since Magus Rutherford never showed up in the Ivory Tower and would most likely ignore the problem.
"Shit...", Dorian summarized the situation nervously.
Moments ago, the four youths were listing the Silverguard Household's achievements and power. Here, they could see the remnants of an illustrious family which fell overnight.
Angelo spoke: "From what I can see, the battle took place two days ago. Since no messenger arrived at the Ivory Tower, we can safely assume that they made sure that they were aware of the Ivory Tower's strength and killed all the ravens and scouts likely to transmit information about the siege here"
"Orc shamans...", Elizabeth muttered in fear, "I read a book about orcs a few years ago. Orc shamans are the most powerful and the most mysterious creatures in tribes. Often, they would take on the role of advisers and strategists. Furthermore, they can fight on par with acolytes or even magi depending on their talent. They possess magical talent!"
Dorian shook his head: "This is not good...Orcs possess high intellect. If they grow too much, they will eventually learn how to make boats and invade the Dalian Kingdom, which is the nearest pieces of land they need. They will most likely avoid conflict with the Ivory Tower and hunt all the acolytes they encounter to drain our forces and resources"
This was a terrible situation...
"I will gather an expedition to solve this problem. If I can unite the Arcane Faction, the Crimson Snake Order and the Master of Ravens, we can probably take care of an injured orc shaman", Dorian said, "In the meantime, I hope you will keep it a secret. Otherwise, acolytes in the tower will flee and take long-term missions"
John was pale: "Well...What about us? As beginner acolytes, the only outcome in this sort of battlefield is death!"
Dorian nodded: "I will allow you three to take long-term mission and then I will close the mission administration system. I can't have you die. I never say it out loud, but you are my close friends. Believe me, this is not an act of cowardice if you serve the Dalian Kingdom and uphold your family's honour. After all, you will not be able to do so if you die meaninglessly"
Arthur, however, did not agree: "Dorian, I will not hide when the future of the Dalian Kingdom is in danger! How could I face my family if I said I returned because I feared a battle? How could I face my subjects if I told them I ran away because I was too weak? You said it already, we came here to serve our family and our kingdom. Please let me help you, Dorian. You might not have realized it, but we represent a faction, albeit a small one. If its members disappear, you will never manage to convince the Arcane Faction, not to mention the crazy Crimson Snake Order or the Master of Ravens, who is known to have lost his mind when he transplanted the eyes of the Raven King in his forehead"
[Eloquence Skill Activated]
[Your reputation with the [Dalian Kingdom], the [Ivory Tower], [Dorian Sylvester], [John Bellford], [Elizabeth Falister] and [Knight Angelo] have improved significantly]
Arthur's speech had lifted John's fear, and replaced it with a clear determination to fight. Even the usually light-hearted Elizabeth seemed to have gained a strong fighting spirit. Dorian, however, was looking at Arthur with admiration.
"I apologize", Dorian spoke with remorse, "I apologize for insulting you, Arthur. I never knew you...your faith in me, and your faith in your own skills. I underestimated you greatly, and for that, I apologize. However, if you believe in me one more time, please follow me. You were right when you said we represented a faction. With this spirit, I am sure that we can achieve much more than any medium-sized faction in the Ivory Tower!"