A conferences conclusion

Quite some time later, most of the other guests in the room had been picked and guided out already, it was finally time for Jay to follow the middle aged maid. He got led to the hallway he had entered the waiting room through, towards a door at the right side. From there it was another short passage until they reached a guarded door where he got asked to wait until he got called.

Five minutes later it was finally time for him to be called and the guards opened the door. As he stepped through, he found himself entering something like an auditorium. While he got led to a small lectern in the center, Jay glanced over the ranks filled with nobles and understood the general layout.

Behind him on the higher and further back of the cascading ranks, were the lesser nobles how he had previously found out analyzing some of them. Closer to him sat those whom he hadn't dared to check but held a few names he knew.

As he arrived and stood behind the lectern, Jay got introduced by a speaker to the dignified people present as a promising Adventurer from the local guild who had helped the kingdoms military. While listening to first the man and then the whispers coming from the audience, Jay glanced up at the higher seated people opposite to him.

Not daring to look at the person in the center without getting asked to as it was bound to be the royals, Jay glanced to the sides.

Close to the middle at the right side he found Shalina and Whitmore sitting next to each other. Right next to the Field Marshall he found the first surprise as the Princess of Arathor was also sitting there. The only difference to the last times he had seen her was that back then she had been blonde and by then had changed to a pinkish hair color.

Further to the right Jay saw two men he didn't know, but one of them had previously been talking to the two woman. The other one seemed to be from the church how it looked, but Jay had no time to target him and learn more. On the far side he had seen Jaina was also present and signaled him something with her eyes Jay understood as to ignore her and not look over for too long.

He barely managed to glance at the other side and find five other Nobles that looked way more wealthy from their fancy clothing than any other in the room. As Jay had seen none of them in the park previously he had no idea of their names, but he was sure this was the true Royal Court.

Then a voice rang out that surprised him, all the more as it was addressed directly at him:

"Please, don't lower your head before us. We heard from our military counselors that you not only helped, but that it was manly you that got us rid of quite a lot troubles recently. Worry not as we invited you to give us an impression on what you found…"

The voice was a female one and quite pleasing to say the least. Jay carefully did as he got asked and slowly rose his head, but not without seeking consent from the three ladies on the right side.

They all had given him a short nod and so he finally got a glimpse at the source of the mature voice he had heard. It had been none other than the Queen herself that spoke.

As he saw her on her high seat, Jay finally got an idea as to where the pink haired girl between her and Whitmore came after as there were quite some similarities. But that thought got pushed to the back of his head when the same voice sounded out anew:

"While we already received the documentations from the Guild, we would like you to give us a personal narration of your adventures. I hope you can clear any questions that arise while we get a report of each and everything you found. You may begin…"

Knowing this had been no mere request but a definite order he had to abide, Jay took a deep breath and then began his report. He tried to make it as short and unquestionable as possible like he had talked it through with Shalina and Whitmore beforehand.

To his luck there really had come up no questions until he reached Westfield in his narrations. While there got some small yelps audible when he stated that the bandits in Eldrin Forest had worked with the Cultist group he found, most of the people present weren't too surprised anymore.

But the moment he explained that the slave trafficking he and the AI:7 uncovered went via Westfield, a little commotion broke out. It only died down once Shalina Ravencrest announced that they had caught the responsible slaver and interrogated her back then. She could be brought over as testimony if wanted, but the found documents they'd present later were enough to silence any questions.

Jay had to agree her interference and give a rough explanation of those documents as he was present, but not alone when they got found. Then he went on with his report, getting quite a lot questions asked in between from the members of the Royal Court. While Jay was pretty sure they all came from the same woman as she kept whispering to the others before they then asked those questions, he answered them all honestly and as precise as possible.

Be it questions about Lady Brittany or her daughter Arya that couldn't be present at that time, or the things he found in the mines, not a single question remained open.

Then they reached the conclusion there, where Jay learned of the Defiers backers in Arathor and even brought testimony.

To stop it as long as the until then silent mumbling of the audience broke into another commotion again, it was the black haired woman that had previously instilled the others that left her place and walked over to Jay. Up to that point he had enough time to set her as target and learn her name before she inquired:

"Oh, would you care to let us know what are those testimonies are?"

"Gladly Lady Preston…" J.

Seeing the surprised but still haughty look in her eyes to Jay knowing her name, the youth began to explain what he had learned.

As he had already narrated his encounter with van Claven and what he learned from him, Jay directly started with what he found in a certain smugglers hideout on his way back to Arathor. He didn't even hide the fact that he learned she had taken part in the fires of Arathor.

To his own surprise this didn't stirr the audience as much as he had thought it would, so he continued.

Jay next narrated how he brought the documents to the military fort and got the chance to be present at the interrogation of the slave-trader Kendra where he learned more. Like he had been asked to, Jay didn't even hide the name he heard from her and later even read in documents he brought as proof:

Lord Falconclaw.

To this Lady Preston had no chance stopping a commotion as the suspect himself rose from his chair on the Royal Court side and shouted Jay was lying. The audience broke into shouts and loud mumbling, discussing about things like this having been expected somehow, like Jay picked up.

The black haired woman's normally pretty face morphed into one of pure hate as she understood there was no saving for Falconclaw.

Using the turmoil around them as even some of the lesser nobles left the ranks to close in on the head seats and demanding the nobles arrest, Lady Preston got close to the lectern Jay stood at and whispered under her breath:

"I will make sure you'll curse this day in the future…" LP.

"Maybe… How was the wine you had Morgaine import for you?" J.

His dry remark had the beautiful noble woman's face freeze.

Not even giving him another remark she turned on her heels and went back to her seat. At the same time the commotion had died down as fast as it came up. In between the guards had made their move and taken Lord Falconclaw under arrest on the Queens order.

After this was done she turned to Lady Preston once more and asked if there were any more questions directed at Jay or if he could continue.

The Lady only shook her head and none of the others dared to do something else as well.

Following this not so small interference, Jay could finish his report up to the present day without much questions asked in between. None of the few came from the original Royal Court but either the military side or even the audience. Once he had answered the last question raised, Jay got thanked and guided out of the hall..

Thanks to three of the women sitting up there on the right side throwing him a small smile, Jay knew he had done well and his tension faded a bit. As he went on his way out, Jay learned that he was to wait in the area if further questions would arise until the conference would come to a close. Instead of getting led to the waiting room again, he actually got allowed to roam free in the park area and the then open adjoining rooms.

After the guard leading him out had left, Jay first of all went to those rooms. They were on the eastern side and while one had comfy looking seats and sofas in it, the other held a small buffet. Jay asked one of the service personnel there and after learning he was free to help himself, he did just that.

With his belly full after tasting really everything they had to offer – and that had been really a lot – Jay made his way back out into the park. He had of course taken a few snacks with him in his hands, though that was nothing to compare with what he had smuggled into his inventory.

When he found himself a small bench to relax in the green, Jay fought his arising boredom with checking his latest gains. They were not that much as he had already integrated their skills long before. Like this he didn't wonder that Sira's [Dagger LVL 1] did not in the slightest boost his own skill, as well as her raised [Throwing].

Something else was Aletta's only recently achieved [Alchemy LVL 1] that Jay hadn't come across before. He took his time to check out the skill, just to learn he needed quite some utensils to start using it, but therefore he already knew how to produce a few potions and elixirs. From the description he got it would later allow him to purify metals and even other elements.

Ignoring the other minor changes he had seen, Jay then went to sorting his inventory and had a look at some of the armor items he had picked up.

While his leather pant had the auto-fit function, his then worn armor hadn't and after Mia's comment it really had started to feel a bit cramped. Like this he found some things he would switch to as his level finally sufficed, but decided to wait until later not to arise suspicion.

In the end it took nearly two hours for the big double doors to finally open again and the invited nobles to come out. The conference seemed to have come to a conclusion with no further questions for Jay.

He learned that when he asked the guard that had previously guided him out and seemed quite a friendly person. Relived to hear this, Jay was about to leave towards the then no longer guarded exit that was still mostly deserted. The buffet he already had his fill on got nearly overrun at that moment.

Just as Jay had leisurely made his way to the arched hallway leading from the park back to the entrance of the castle did he see Shalina walk in his direction. As she then finally seemed to want a word with him, Jay stopped in his tracks and waited there at the edge of the archway around the park.

"I would have bet to find you at the buffet as well…" SR.

"Nah, I had my fill before as it was already prepared. So, how did it go?" J.

Taking a step past him, Shalina beckoned Jay to accompany her out of there. While turning to follow her he noticed Marshall Whitmore walking to their direction as well, followed a step behind by the Princess like it seemed. About to wait for her as she looked his way, Shalina once cleared her throat and reminded Jay that she just had asked him to follow her.

On their way out she stated that they would tell him everything that happened in the conference during a late lunch at the fort. All she could say then was that it went better than they had thought, possibly due to his honest seeming explanation of things.

"Huh? What do you mean with honest seeming?" J.

"Heh… Mind telling me how you managed to silence Lady Preston then?...thought so." SR.

Jay had faked exasperation as he was completely aware that she knew he was holding back some things. But instead of setting her up, this somehow seemed to even please her as he remained silent to her request.

Only glad that everything had went well and they could think about how to dig deeper into this conspiracy, Shalina then told Jay some news that made him slow down a bit:

There was going to be held an honoring for him in five days from then on.

To his inquiry she explained that it was not for what he did today but all he had achieved in the last months. Shalina knew no details how or if he would get some compensation for his feats, but she was pretty sure he would at least get some lesser peerage.

Hearing this made Jay stop in his tracks, completely befuddled. A noble title, even if it was only something like a knight, was something he hadn't expected.

Then again he directly started to wonder if this wouldn't give him trouble with the guild or if he also had some military duties due to this.

As he stood there on the stairs in the wide hallway, Whitmore nearly bumped into him. The slender woman he seldomly had seen without armor gently nudged him to keep going after she barely managed to stop. At the same time Shalina had noticed him no longer walking behind her and came climbing the stairs back up to him.

The Agents leader was perceptive as always and explained that whatever happened there or he would gain, she and Whitmore would see to that his freedom won't be impaired in the slightest. They also needed him exactly as he was just then for bringing the whole conspiracy to light.

As the four had resumed to walk while Jay got calmed down a bit, they soon had reached the Castle's Gate. While he had been interested as to why the princess had kept following them, all the more without closing up and even getting introduced or doing so herself, Jay then learned the reason.

The pink haired Chloe who looked to be one or two years older than him at most, closed in and stopped right before him.

"Milady, may I introdu…" SR.

"I want a match with you as well!" Princess C.

"Chloe! You mustn't…" MW.

"I already did, didn't I? So, what do you say, Jay was it, right?" C.

"I already told you back then, you have no idea what you get yourself into…" MW.

Completely taken aback by the sudden situation, Jay saw Shalina watching the other two females discussing as baffled as he did himself. Somehow there seemed more to it than a simple request for a duel from the haughty and prideful looking girl.

But while Whitmore kept talking to her, she had directed her attention to Jay and kept waiting for an answer from him.

"...or am I required to remember you of the promise you gave your late father, Miss sword princess?" MW.

"That doesn't really matter as I'll win, right? So?" C.

"Of course I agree! But only in case you can wait until I'm back as I will leave the City in the next days. Would that be all right with you Milady?" J.

"Good, we'll have a duel when you're back!" C.

"Oh my… Sorry Jay, I'll try to talk to her later. I guess our carriage is there…" MW.

Princess Chloe had turned on her heels and left the moment she had finished her words, leaving the three without saying anything else. Like Marshal Whitmore stated, a carriage had been waiting for them during their short conversation.

Jay joined the two women in it as they asked him to, then they went on their way back to the fort.