Trouble In Horos Kingdom

Tilia scrolled through the forum posts as the front page was being littered with questions regarding the disappearance of a King. Eventually Players of other Kingdoms were being informed, the the Horos Kingdom was seeing unprecedented levels of overtourism. More players came to verify this information and also partake in the quest to find either the King or the perpetrator behind the disappearances.

Rather the missing persons list was spread across throughout every City and Kingdom since a number of individuals were disappearing everywhere. It was simply the first time that a missing person was someone of such important status.

Tilia pinched her chin, Akiol had mentioned something regarding this. There was a group of players investigating this wasn't there? They called themselves the NPC protectors. . .

Troubling, very troubling. Now that Kayne was kidnapped it was highly unlikely Tilia could approach the Kingdom, much less the Royal Blacksmith. She certainly wasn't about to tackle this issue without proper equipment either. If the perpetrator was capable of kidnapping someone as important as Kayne they were certainly powerful or at least a large group. Currently Tilia held naught but her basic linen clothing as protection.

Purchasing some mass produced equipment wasn't entirely out of the question. . . if they provided any Third Stage equipment to begin with. Considering the low entry requirement to head to a Kingdom it was very unlikely they provided equipment for Third Stage in bulk. Akiol even had to go through a bit of a side quest to obtain custom Second Stage weapons for the two little ones. In that case her options were restricted, but one came to mind.

The Gated Arena!

It was filled with high Stage individuals perfecting their various crafts and techniques. There was a very high probable chance that there was indeed a Blacksmith or two capable of making custom Third Stage equipment. Since The Gated Arena seemed to be pretty open when it came to sharing information Tilia was confident she could obtain reputable opinions regarding what materials she'd have to obtain for Third Stage. 

The problem lay with not only obtaining said materials, but on crafting them! While The Gated Arena was very cooperative on a relationship based on self improvement this meant there wasn't really a priority for individuals. Unlike commissioning a blacksmith to make tailored equipment, a Gated Arena individual might prefer to make equipment they need more experience for. Thus bringing the question of quality into mind. This was probably the only downside to picking The Gated Arena for such a task.

Then there was also the issue of potentially getting more equipment for the other two. . .

She had three options in front of her. There was the matter of figuring out the ones responsible for the disappearance of the King. If she succeeded there was a chance Kayne would be generous enough to source some good Third Stage equipment to their needs. More importantly it would put an end to the disappearances.

She could travel to The Gated Arena and inquire about gear over there. Due to their donation system it might take a while and the quality might not be guaranteed, but information would be infinitely easier to obtain. Excluding The Gated Arena's open minded nature, there was likely a large amount of Blacksmiths located there who'd happily answer questions.

Or she could figure out how to return to the Eastern Continent and visit the Dwarves. They already knew about her War Sight, and have made custom equipment of high quality before so she had faith in their capabilities. The only problem with this option was how she was to return. The only person who'd know how to would be. . .

Massaging her temples Tilia felt her options all had their equal upsides and downsides. For now she'd gather more information. First, to visit the castle to see if she'd be turned away!

Slipping through the crowd she moved towards the castle. It was clear that she wasn't the only one to think of this for there was a sizeable group of players trying their best to enter the Castle grounds. A small squadron of guards were very adamant about them backing off, but the players were insistent.

Until one guard drew their sword.

Immediately a few players backed off. The Elite guards of the Castle were at minimum Second Stage. Since NPCs were usually stronger than players a lot of the players decided it wasn't worth the trouble. So the group slowly scattered. Having seen this Tilia was positive she'd be turned away as well. However she still tried her luck.

Approaching the entrance to the castle grounds was met with immediate resistance. A few guards shouted, "This place is restricted! None can enter!"

As expected. Tilia nodded and turned away until someone called out, "Wait! This one can enter."

There was perks to knowing the King at a personal level! Tilia found the one who allowed her entry and took a moment to remember who it was.

The personal guard of Kayne, Hala! When the party was being debriefed about the mysterious artifact capable of transporting First Stage individuals across to the Eastern Continent, Hala accompanied Kayne for protection.

Tilia wasn't entirely sure just who Hala was as an individual, save for her impression of Hala being very professional. Hala moved past the guards and extended a hand, "Tilia, I am sorry we would normally greet you with more sincerity. Yet this is poor timing."

"I am aware, I doubt anyone in the Kingdom isn't."

"This isn't the whole story. Is the rest of your group around?"

Shaking her head Tilia answered, "No, I'm only here due to a coincidence."

"That is fine as well. Would you mind following me? I'd like to discuss what's occurring."

"You're asking for my assistance?"

"Your group has proven to be very capable.", Hala answered somewhat mysteriously.

Weighing her options Tilia felt she still shouldn't participate in this. Yet it wouldn't hurt to hear them out at least. She could request assistance from the rest of the members of Six Lights. Whether or not they'd be able to assist was another matter. 

"I can do that.", Tilia responded after a bit of thinking.

Hala sighed but not with relief, "Take this, if you're ever alone and the guards question you simply show them this token."

She handed over a strange metallic token bearing the crest of the Horos Kingdom. Tilia was able to sense a strange magic radiating off the token but she couldn't tell what it did exactly. A shame Kan'na wasn't here.

The two moved towards a more secluded area before Hala turned serious. She adjusted the cuffs of her armor as she explained with a grim tone, "The truth is the King had disappeared a week ago. In order for the public to not panic we kept it a secret, but since our methods to find him have not produced any results we've resorted to gathering as many eyes as possible."

The King disappeared a week ago? That's troubling. This would mean any signs the kidnapper could've left have long since disappeared. Even Kan'na wouldn't be able to find anything via mana. Moreover there was no evidence to suggest that the King was alive after all this time.

Seeing Tilia's expression turn to a frown Hala explained, "The truth of the matter is that despite our usage of various magic devices and Artifacts, it was like his Majesty vanished into thin air. Once he disappeared our guard have been paying extra attention to any of the latest disappearances, but the results are the same."

As she heard this Tilia opened up a group chat and messaged their contact with Eternal Candle. It was best to use connections for things like this, and any third party information she could share would be of help.

Returning her focus to Hala Tilia took a moment before asking, "There's no sign of disappearance at all?"

"We've used artifacts to scan the room for mana, we've employed experts in detective work, and we even applied ancient magic to recreate the scenes."

"Recreate the scene?", Tilia found the last thing to be odd.

"Come, I can show you. We've left the device intact in case anyone spotted anything."

Hala lead Tilia further into the castle until they reached the throne room. A series of magical devices clung to the walls and a massive orb remained in the center. A group of individuals were scouring in various cracks and crevices as they searched for something.

Motioning with her hand Hala signaled for the device to be reset. Tilia watched as the sphere in the center pulsed and something similar to a holographic replay began to start. The King walked up the stairs and sat upon his throne. His lips moved about and he gestured with his hand. Upon this sight Tilia assumed he was gesturing for someone to leave.

A few seconds passed and the King's expression turned exhausted. He slumped slightly in his chair and then. . . vanished.

Tilia blinked, did she miss it? Even with her Third Stage prowess she was incapable of spotting what had happened? Was the device not powerful enough?

Or did the King really vanish into thin air?