Chương 10: A wolf in wolf’s clothing

Castle Nighthold was bustling with activity. Ophelia had hired a magical moving company to bring all her things to her new apartment, Le Ciel. Fairies about the size of her index finger were boxing up her clothes - and any salvageable furniture - and flying with it straight to 19 Soubry Avenue. Talk about a light touch. Toma and Marika were chasing the fairies around, trying to capture them in their grubby hands. Ophelia snickered at the sight. Rin waited beside her.

"Mistress, why did you hide your power level from the real estate agent? He probably would've given you a good deal from the start," asked Rin.

"I didn't want to advertise my status." Ophelia sighed.

"I thought Prince Solomond and the Royal Court would come bother us about what happened last night if they found out we were in the area. Besides, in the end, sweet Ambrogino saw the light, didn't he?" The light of Bianca shooting him with a radiance beam.

"Lady Archmage, do you want us to box up the hidden room as well?" Hidden room? What hidden room?

"Can you point me to which one you speak of? There are a few hidden rooms around the castle." The fairy flew down the hall, leaving a tail of glowing light in her wake. Ophelia followed her to a stone wall with a massive portrait of Lady Vyx framed in beaten gold hanging from it. The woman's molten gold eyes stared down coldly at her, blinking every once in a while.

"Oh, this room," said Ophelia.

"Leave it for last. Also, if you find any more, let me know so I can tell you what to do." The fairy saluted her.

"Of course, Lady Archmage!" When the tiny being flew out of sight, Ophelia pressed her hand to the portrait. Glowing sigils lit up in the frame around the portrait, releasing blinding light that banished all the shadows in the corridor. A grinding noise. The portrait slid sideways a few feet - just enough for Ophelia to squeeze herself through. If the original Lady Vyx had created a secret room, then how had a mere service fairy managed to figure out its existence?

Ophelia considered the thought for a moment before dismissing it. Merely stepping foot into Castle Nighthold in the first place was impossible without her express permission. The level of wards and protections around this place were impenetrable. She suspected that even Bianca would have had trouble entering if Ophelia hadn't opened the door for her. And if someone broke through the protections… then they would have to face the real protections. Lady Vyx herself.

After all, after being poisoned, she had rarely left her castle except to kidnap orphans and attend galas held in her honor. Because she was such a generous donor. And really cherished the education of the next generation of mages. Because that was apparently in character for her. The path opened up into a chaotic study. A simple desk and chair, with piles of papers covering both pieces of furniture and the floor. It looked like a tornado had blown through the study.

"What the fuck?" Ophelia murmured. She picked up one letter then another. Correspondence. The letters on the floor were the oldest, some dated decades ago. The newest ones were on the desk. Envelopes littered with impressive wax seals in a variety of colors, printed with lavish signatures from houses with emblems of lions, phoenixes, dragons, and crowns. Ophelia selected the simplest letter from the pile out of curiosity. The Hellgate must be ready by the Blood Moon.

If you delay, our project will be set back years. Upon my arrival to the mortal realm, I shall give you the antidote you so desperately seek. -A That… what? Was this what Ophelia thought it was? Was 'A' Azazel, the Demon Lord? Her blood went cold as she picked up letter after letter, her suspicions solidifying. Of course, the Hellgate had been a marvel of spatial magic. Why wouldn't Lady Vyx be involved? And to hang the antidote over her head like a carrot. Ophelia's heart beat loudly, steadily in her ribs.

When Rin had killed Lady Vyx, she had set Azazel's plan back years, buying the city of Rosenarte years more of time. Then, obviously, Azazel had eventually figured out a way to make the prototype Lady Vyx had created work. She closed her eyes, thinking about Bianca Albini. They had been roommates, she'd said. Friends. Had that all been one-sided? This whole time, Lady Vyx had been a rat in the system, helping Azazel start the Third Demon War? Did she not care about her people, her friend, at all?

The Hellgate had opened up in the Royal Mage Academy. Had that been the plan from the beginning? That money she'd donated to the academy - had it been to build something specific? Something needed for the Hellgate? A bead of sweat slid down her neck. What was she going to do? Considering the 'poison' was related to her Mentor System, she doubted any antidote existed. Azazel was just preying on her desperation. Damn it. She really didn't want to clash with someone like Azazel.

Maybe she could just lock herself in the Royal Mage Academy and hide behind Bianca forever. Ophelia gathered up all of the letters from Azazel and read them carefully. She memorized every line. Then, she exited the study, and threw them all in the hearth, watching them blacken and curl around the edges and flake into ash. Lady Vyx wouldn't be helping the Demon Lord any longer. And when Ophelia got to the Royal Mage Academy, she'd figure out the situation there, make sure a Hellgate never manifested. Or…?

From a story perspective, wasn't a Third Demon War necessary? What kind of story would this be if she nipped every threat against Rin in the bud before it could even bloom? Ophelia paced around the room, her hands behind her back. Lord Azazel had just been the first major threat in the story. After, of course, were the slumbering Ancients who had awoken due to the chaos, the Outsiders drawn to their realm, and the Divines who had long since lost all semblance of morality.

She had changed the genre, so the story didn't have to be so dark, but still… the protagonist had started off chained to wall, barely clinging to life. Ophelia didn't have much to work with! Growling, she tugged on her hair in frustration. She hated this. She would just figure this out when the time came. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. When she returned to the study, she saw Rin inside, looking through the letters as though it was her right.

"This is a private study, apprentice," said Ophelia coldly, snatching the letter out of Rin's hand. Jesus, what if the protagonist found out about what Lady Vyx had been involved in? She could forget about whitewashing her image. Ophelia gathered all the letters off the floor and table into one giant, messy heap of paper.

"You've been sent many marriage offers, Mistress," Rin said, curious.

"Why try and do everything yourself? You could shelter under one of these houses for the rest of your life, given anything you want." She almost wanted to laugh. Even in her original life, she had worked fourteen hour days as a content creator. Editing her own videos and reels, posting photos on a set schedule, and meeting with potential sponsors. People bashed web celebrities for living the easy life.

Being gifted luxury goods in exchange for a single advertisement, being endlessly fawned over, getting ridiculous paychecks without going into an office, or working at a construction site. But she worked. She'd always worked. The pretty girl making a kissy face at the camera worked harder than anyone!

"Rin… I want you to consider something," said Ophelia.

"What does it take to become an Archmage?" The black-haired girl didn't even blink.

"Power."

"Do you think I was born at Level 1000? No. I've spent hundreds of years getting to this point. I was born before many of these houses even existed, and I will outlive them too. All those offers…" She sneered.

"Are just worms trying to ride my coattails and extend their own lifespan." She remembered all the management companies which tried to take advantage of her. Join our company. We'll take ninety percent of your earnings, and you have to make the content we want you to. In exchange, we might do a bit of marketing for you, but maybe not. Come and die with us! Parasites. They couldn't cut it themselves, so they try and leech off the actually successful and talented.

"Besides. We'll be living in Le Ciel, now," said Ophelia.

"We're doing just fine." /// Le Ciel was the apartment of her dreams. It had character. Charm. Delightfully moody, with a beautiful terrace balcony that overlooked the Silverlight Canal. She almost wished she smoked so she could lounge up there and light up cigarettes all evening, sighing into the sunset. Unfortunately, smoking was ruinous for your skin. Ophelia had refused to pick up the habit. The fairies had finished moving in all of her items.

The apartment had between four and seven bedrooms - apparently, three vanished if there wasn't enough company to occupy them - and the most gorgeous kitchen with brass finishings. The place looked empty, given Ophelia's lack of salvageable furniture, but she would hire an interior decorator and fix that soon enough. Just then, the doorbell rang. Marika ran to open it. Ophelia telekinetically lifted her off the ground before she got very far, depositing her on a nearby chaise lounge."

Never open the door," she said very seriously.

"You never know if someone like Ziggy Bonaparte is on the other end." Marika nodded, a bit frightened. Then, she asked, "Who?"

"The jester that kidnapped you." The blonde girl's face blanched. Ophelia opened the door. A large, muscular man in a lavish uniform of red, white and gold was on the other end, with ten guardsmen behind him. The man had a broadsword strapped to his back. He gave her a deep bow, and didn't meet her eyes. It was the Royal Court.

"I have a notice for Lady Archmage Ophelia Vyx, from our esteemed and just Royal Court of the Aedris Kingdom, signed by the splendid Prince Solomond Lucalis von Lindongate-Aedris the Second." Ophelia crossed her arms and smirked, her gold eyes flitting up and down the man's form in a way that was more assessing than appreciative.

"So, the Royal Court can send a Level 552 Warrior as an errand boy? Impressive." The man's jaw ticked. He stayed in that bow, but reached inside his blazer and held out a very official looking letter with both arms.

"Lady Archmage, if you would kindly receive this notice…"

"Very well." Ophelia plucked the letter from his hands, tore it open, and read it on the spot. She read the charges she was accused of, and the sentencing. The notice didn't even mention the nobles she had killed, only the property damage to the land. Specifically, that the lingering spatial magic she had used had rended the land "unusable" for at least a hundred years. And for her crime, she was given a simple fine of fifty thousand gold.

"You know, I thought you were here to drag me to court," said Ophelia, bemused.

"Lady Archmage, please don't jest." The man swallowed.

"Archmages are not allowed to be summoned or sentenced." Ophelia really had to struggle not to laugh now. This corrupt society was really working in her favor, wasn't it? She wondered who created that law - her, or Bianca? There were only five Archmages in the world and they were the only two in the Aedris Kingdom. Hell, they were the only two on this continent. She smiled.

"Do you take cheques?" His jaw flickered again.

"A cheque will suffice." She opened her Leveling System and clicked the drop-down menu, materializing her chequebook into the physical world. As she was writing the cheque, she glanced again at the Warrior who stubbornly stayed in his bowed position.

"I'm no Empath, but you seem upset," she commented.

"What's the matter?"

"Lady Archmage, please don't take any offense. This is just the face I was born with."

"Oh?" With one slender finger, she tilted his chin up, looking at the sparkling anger in his dark eyes. What an amazing expression. She only wondered what she'd done to him to deserve it. Ophelia examined him from head to toe, her eyes catching on the silver eagle brooch pinned his chest. A house crest… Hah. So he was a fellow noble.

"Did I kill one of your friends?" she asked with idle curiosity.

"If so, you should thank me. He was an animal." His teeth were clenching hard together now. She could hear the grinding from three feet away.

"I believe in a just realm, where all citizens are subjected to the same laws." Ophelia waited for the punchline. It never came. Oh. He was serious. Laughter welled up inside her, bursting free. Ophelia fixed the angle of his brooch, which had been tilting a few degrees askew.

"You nobles so used to getting your way, aren't you? Do you get this mad when the poor have no representation in court? Do you get this mad when the landed gentry pay off judges? Do you get this mad when you discover that a judge is a second cousin, who'll never find you guilty?" She continued snickering.

"Now, a more powerful person steps on the scene, and you get a taste of your own poison, and your head fills with blood." He glowered at her.

"For the record, I agree with your noble cause," she said.

"But…" But there's no way the author will let you ruin her setting! Without mass corruption, how could Rin stand out as the protagonist? The thought of the author made her pause. What was Ruby Rain's involvement in the story, if there was any at all? She flicked the cheque his way. As it was sailing over, she noticed another letter at her feet - one that wasn't there a few seconds ago. With a swish of her fingers, it floated up into her hand. For: Ophelia Vyx From: Mr.

Monroe, of the Canals She recalled what Marika and Toma had said about Mister Monroe taking souls as payment for rides. There was no way she was opening that.

"Ciao," she told the Warrior and the guards behind him, shutting the door in their face. She couldn't believe the Royal Court let her off the hook that easily. With one major weight off her shoulders, she felt like she might as well celebrate. She went up to Rin, who was brooding in a chair, staring out the window at the amazing view of the canal. Ophelia smiled.

"Want to go get some levels?"