Chương 90: Tomorrow

Maelridge emerged from the darkness as a cluster of warm lights nestled against the shore. It was a modest village, smaller than Oakenlight, but larger than Twinfire, and tonight it hosted the most important man in the county. We came to shore about half a kilometer from the village and found Lothras and Athos waiting at the eastern entrance, just as promised. The Swordsman looked relieved when he saw us; the Paladin's expression was harder to read, but I caught a subtle relaxation in his shoulders.

He missed us, even though he wouldn't admit it.

"You made it," Athos said.

"Barely," I said, while stretching my body.

"Any trouble on your end?"

"We've been keeping our distance. The Count's retinue is camped in the village square. About forty knights, plus servants and attendants." He glanced at Cathe, who was helping Kara down from her horse.

"Good evening, ma'am."

"Please, call me Cathe." She offered a brief nod.

"I'm grateful for everything you're doing. And thanks for choosing the right side."

"We didn't have much choice," Lothras said dryly.

"Being framed for murder tends to limit one's options."

"What he means is we're happy to help," Kara chimed in. I checked my interface. We'd been playing for nearly ten hours; only two remained before we'd need to log out in order to be able to make a difference tomorrow. Whatever we were going to do, we needed to do it now.

"The Trident?" I asked. Lothras shared the weapon details from his inventory, and even like this, I could feel the immense power it held.

"Safe. Though carrying a legendary weapon while being hunted as a fugitive has been... stressful."

"Then let's end this." Cathe straightened her cloak and started walking toward the village center.

"Stay close. Let me do the talking, at least initially." The Count's retinue had transformed Maelridge's modest square into an extravagant encampment. Tents surrounded the village's central well, knights patrolled the perimeter, and the banner of House Vizgrad flew from a pole near the largest pavilion. We were intercepted before we'd taken ten steps into the square.

"Halt!" Two knights moved to block our path, hands on their sword hilts.

"State your business."

"I am Cathe, Calian's squire and aide to Count Vizgrad." Her voice carried the authority of someone accustomed to navigating castle politics.

"I need to speak with His Lordship immediately. It's a matter of utmost urgency." The knights exchanged glances. One of them, an older man with a stubbled face, studied her expression carefully.

"Lady Cathe. We were told you remained in Tidemark."

"Plans changed. Please, Captain Vern. Every moment we delay puts the Count in greater danger." The captain's eyes moved to the four of us standing behind her. Recognition flickered across his features, and it was not the good kind.

"These adventurers," he said slowly.

"They match the descriptions we received. Fugitives wanted for the murder of two knights."

"They're innocent. That's what I need to explain to the Count."

"With respect, my lady, I have orders—""You've known me since I was a child, Captain Vern," Cathe stepped forward, her slight frame somehow commanding the space.

"Please. The Count must hear our side of the story. Escort us to him. Before it's too late and we have to explain to him why he was delayed critical intelligence about a conspiracy against his throne." The captain hesitated. I could see him weighing his options: follow protocol and risk endangering the hierarchy, or break protocol and fail to detain dangerous criminals.

"Very well," he said finally.

"But the adventurers will be treated as prisoners until the Count says otherwise. Surrender your weapons." I looked at the others. Kara nodded slightly. Athos's jaw tightened, but he made no objection. Lothras simply began removing his equipment. We handed over our weapons manually, which was good for roleplay, but I was sure we all had other equipment in our inventory if need be. And we also had the Trident, which Lothras kept safe. Surrounded by guards, we were marched to the central pavilion.

Count Vizgrad looked tired but regal, just like I'd imagine a Count at the end of a county-wide tour would. His neatly trimmed beard and salt-and-pepper hair were still well kept, and his eyes were sharp, but weighed down by concern. He wore traveling clothes now, rather than formal attire, practical boots instead of courtly shoes. He looked like a man who took his duties seriously and didn't hide behind titles when there was work to be done. He was also furious.

"Lady Cathe." His voice was controlled, but anger simmered beneath the surface.

"Would you care to explain why you've brought four wanted murderers into my presence?" I checked my reputation interface. Count's Retinue: -50. Exactly on the threshold. One wrong word, one prolonged moment, and we'd tip into hostile territory.

"Your Lordship, these adventurers are innocent," Cathe said.

"The charges against them are false, fabricated by Sir Calian to cover his own treachery."

"Calian?" The Count's expression hardened further.

"You're accusing the Captain of my Guard of treason?"

"I am. And I can prove it, if you'll hear me out." Cathe took a breath.

"But first, I must ask that we speak privately. What I have to say... it cannot be shared with everyone present." The pavilion was crowded with attendants, minor nobles, and knights. At least a dozen people were within earshot.

"You ask me to dismiss my own people on the word of accused criminals?"

"I ask you to trust me, my lord. As you have for the past years." A long, tense moment passed. The Count's eyes moved from Cathe to each of us in turn, assessing and judging whether it was wise to do what he was about to do. Then another voice spoke.

"Your Lordship, if I may." A knight stepped forward from the Count's entourage; he had a square jaw and sharp features, with short auburn hair and green eyes, maybe 40 years old if I had to guess. He was also someone I'd seen before.

"Ser Syrak," the Count acknowledged.

"I believe Lady Cathe speaks the truth." The knight's voice was calm, measured.

"I've been working with Ser Erdin these past months, investigating irregularities within the Guard. What she's about to tell you... I can confirm much of it." The Count's expression shifted to something akin to surprise, an emotion he quickly suppressed.

"Erdin put you up to this?"

"Erdin opened my eyes, my lord. To things I should have seen years ago." Syrak glanced at Cathe.

"I would request to be present for this conversation. My information may prove useful." Cathe nodded.

"Ser Syrak is trustworthy." Another long pause. Then the Count raised his hand.

"Everyone out. Ser Syrak, Lady Cathe, and the adventurers remain. Everyone else, clear the pavilion and ensure we're not disturbed."

"But my Lord—""I'd rather not repeat myself tonight, Ser Leonard." The tent emptied quickly. When the last attendant had departed and the pavilion's entrance closed, Count Vizgrad settled into his chair and looked at us with a penetrating stare.

"Talk," he said.

"And pray your explanation is convincing." We told him everything. Cathe led, explaining the Trident quest from the beginning; how it was Calian's idea in the first place, how he'd advised the Count to recruit the adventurers, how we'd cleared two dungeons and restored the legendary weapon. Lothras produced the Trident itself, its power filling the tent with energy that widened the Count's eyes. Then I took over, describing the betrayal. Calian's true allegiance. His connection to Darius.

The two knights murdered to frame us. The dark mage who'd appeared through a portal. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Finally, Ser Syrak added his piece: Erdin's investigation, the network of loyal knights, the infiltration of the Count's Guard, and the other knightly orders by Calian and Darius's agents.

"Twenty-one of your thirty-two guardsmen," Syrak concluded.

"Loyal to Calian, not to you. And his influence extends throughout the other orders as well." The Count sat in silence for a long moment, his face unreadable.

"Darius," he finally said.

"I thought he found those documents by chance and wanted to capitalize on them. To hear he's been plotting this for years… my own nephew."

"I'm sorry, my lord." Cathe's voice was soft.

"Don't be. If what you're saying is true, and I believe it is, then Darius made his choices long ago." The Count stood abruptly, pacing the length of the pavilion.

"Calian. I trusted him. I gave him command of my personal guard, and he used that position to undermine everything I've built."

"He fooled many of us, Your Lordship," Syrak said.

"His deception was years in the making."

"That doesn't excuse my blindness." The Count stopped, turning to face us.

"These knights with me now; forty in total. How many are compromised?" Syrak didn't hesitate.

"Twelve. I know their names, their faces. Erdin and I identified them months ago. Six from the Count's Guard, along with Ser Leonard and Ser Derek, four from the Knights of Tidemark, and two from the Knights of the Sea."

"So twenty-eight of them are loyal?" the Count asked.

"Yes, my lord," Syrak bowed.

"Erdin and I tried our best to include most of the loyal knights of your retinue. Seven of the eleven loyal Count's Guard are here; the rest are with Ser Erdin in Tidemark." I thought about Erdin and the three other knights. They might very well be dead already.

"What about the others?" the Count asked.

"If I calculate correctly, we have… sixteen knights from the Knights of Tidemark and five from the Knights of the Sea that are loyal to me, here in Maelridge."

"I believe so, Your Lordship." Syrak nodded.

"Captain Vern and his closest subordinates are all loyal to the Seastone Throne. And the Knights of the Sea were not infiltrated as much as the other two orders.

"And what is the situation in Tidemark?" the Count asked.

"Erdin and your loyal men were left behind to fortify the city," Syrak said.

"But with Calian's move and the dark mage supporting him, I'm afraid we will have trouble getting you back on your rightful seat."

"Then we act now. Before word of this conversation can spread." The Count moved to the tent's entrance, summoning Captain Vern.

"Bring me Ser Caradine, Ser Vane, and Ser Thomlin. Quietly." Within minutes, three knights entered the pavilion; all of them bearing the insignia of the Count's Guard. Older men, veterans, their loyalty evidently beyond question. The Count explained the situation concisely, then gave his orders.

"Twelve traitors among our ranks. Ser Syrak will identify them. I want them detained. Alive, but contained. No bloodshed unless absolutely necessary. We'll sort out the details later." The knights saluted and departed with Syrak. The Count turned back to us.

"You have been misjudged."

"We were deceived, just like everyone else," Athos said, and we nodded in unison. He closed his eyes briefly, and suddenly a notification appeared in my interface. People of Tidemark: -51 → 30 Count's Retinue: -50 → 40 The weight I hadn't realized I'd been carrying lifted from my shoulders. We were no longer fugitives.

"Thank you, Your Lordship," Kara said, voicing what we all felt.

"Don't thank me. You've done Tidemark a greater service than you know." The Count's gaze fell on the Trident that was put on display.

"That weapon... it belongs with the rightful ruler of this county. Will you entrust it to me?" Lothras stepped forward and presented the Trident with a formal bow. The Count took it, and for a moment, he looked even grander than before.

"My ancestors wielded this," he murmured.

"Generations of Vizgrads, defending Tidemark against all threats. And now it falls to me to do the same." He set the Trident aside and straightened, and a notification popped up.

Quest COMPLETE The Tidemark Trident Rewards: 250, 000 experience, Influence +2, Presence +2, 20 Gold Coins 🏆 Title Unlocked The Count's Friend Count's retinue reputation cannot decrease below 40, free accomodation in the Palace of Tidemark, unrestricted visits granted to the hearings held by Count Vizgrad The rewards shot me all the way up to level 22, along with my friends. Lothras had reached level 23.

My Influence and Presence stats increased by 2 as well, which was especially important, since points for these were hard to come by. However, I figured these weren't the final rewards of the quest chain, as another mission appeared in my quest log: Quest Log The Seastone Throne Count Vizgrad has to reclaim his rightful seat in Tidemark. Aid him with whatever means necessary. Objectives: Throne reclaimed 0/1"Tomorrow, I march on Tidemark," the Count's voice broke the silence.

"Not as a returning lord, but as a count who must reclaim his own seat from traitors." He looked at us.

"I would ask you to join me. Your skills have proven invaluable, and the battle ahead will not be easy."

"We'll be there," I said without hesitation. I didn't think we'd be invaluable help in an all-out war, but the quest update made it clear: we had to go back to Tidemark.

"Good." The Count moved to the tent's entrance and called for another attendant.

"Bring me Guildmaster Harren. I need to update the mercenary contract." A few minutes later, a short man in Adventurer's Association robes entered the pavilion. The Count quickly explained the situation: the conspiracy, the coming conflict, and the need for capable fighters.

"Update the escort quest," the Count instructed.

"All adventurers who accompanied my retinue are to be informed of the true situation. Those who wish to march with me to Tidemark should gather in Maelridge by noon tomorrow. The rewards will be... substantial." The Guildmaster nodded, already making notes.

"I'll spread the word immediately, Your Lordship. Many will answer the call."

"See that they do." As the Guildmaster departed, the Count turned to us one final time.

"You've earned rest. There are tents prepared for guests; my people will show you the way. Get whatever sleep you can." His expression was grim.

"Tomorrow, we take back what's ours."

The tent was modest but comfortable: four cots arranged around a small brazier that provided warmth against the night chill. We sat in exhausted silence for several minutes before anyone spoke.

"Did that actually happen?" Kara finally asked.

"All of it?"

"The dungeons, the Trident, the betrayal, the escape, the Count clearing our names..." Athos shook his head slowly.

"It feels like a month's worth of content crammed into a couple days."

"Because it was." Lothras leaned back, staring at the tent's ceiling.

"This is what first-clear content looks like. We're shaping the story. Creating the narrative that everyone else will follow." I checked my interface. Nearly twelve hours of playtime. We'd need to log out soon, and the thought filled me with unease.

"What happens while we're offline?" I voiced the concern we all shared.

"Twelve hours is a long time. Calian could do anything."

"The Count has the Trident now," Athos pointed out.

"And he's purging the traitors from his retinue. That changes the balance."

"Does it? We don't know how many soldiers Darius controls. We don't know what that dark mage is capable of. We don't know..." I trailed off, frustrated by the limits of our knowledge.

"We don't know a lot of things," Kara agreed.

"But we also can't stay logged in forever. Whether we like it or not." She was right.

"Eight am sharp, tomorrow," I said.

"We log in, we meet here, we march with the Count. Whatever happens overnight... we will deal with it then."

"Agreed," Lothras said.

"Agreed," Athos echoed. Kara was already yawning.

"Then I'm going to sleep. Or log out. Whatever." We said our farewells. Tomorrow we'd march into a battle that could determine the fate of an entire county. No pressure. I found a comfortable position on my cot, opened the logout menu, and hesitated. Somewhere in Tidemark, Calian was planning his next move. Somewhere in the night, Ser Erdin's fate remained unknown. And I had a strange feeling about the dark mages supporting Darius's claim. Tomorrow. I hit the log out button.