A trip to vaskaria

A trip to vaskaria

It had been about a week since James survived the assassination attempt, and life had settled into something almost resembling normalcy.

If he had learned anything in that time, it was that he couldn't stop the quests from happening—but he could delay them. As long as he avoided certain key figures tied to major storylines, the game wouldn't force him into triggering the next event too soon. It gave him a bit of breathing room.

And he was using that breathing room to get stronger.

James stood in the center of a makeshift training ground, sweat dripping down his brow as he wrapped his fingers around a stone bar weighted with sandbags. He exhaled, then lifted, feeling the strain in his arms and back as he pushed himself through another rep.

"Status window." he muttered between breaths.

A familiar blue screen flickered into existence.

[James Harrington / Julian Drazenov]

[Strength - 9]

[Stamina - 5]

[Agility - 4]

His lips pressed into a thin line. Progress. Slow, but steady.

"This kid was in horrible shape though." He couldn't help but comment.

Nearby, Edwin leaned against a wooden post, arms crossed as he watched James with an unreadable expression. The prince's new training regimen was… unorthodox, to say the least.

Benches made of steel, stone, and wool. Sandbags of varying weights for lifting, carrying, and throwing. A pulley-based contraption that mimicked the resistance of pulling back a bowstring or rowing. Even a platform for deadlifting heavy logs and boulders.

It was unlike anything Edwin had ever seen.

"Are you sure this is the best way to train, Your Highness?" he finally asked, breaking the silence. "Lifting rocks and climbing cliffs is how we warriors build our strength."

James set the weight down and rolled his shoulders, letting out a small sigh. "That works, sure, but this is more… efficient."

"Efficient." Edwin echoed skeptically, eyeing the odd machines scattered across the training ground. He wasn't the only one confused—maids and servants had been whispering behind James's back all week, trying to figure out if their prince had lost his mind.

James didn't care.

He'd designed [Inventor's Eye] to help players map out structures and create makeshift contraptions later in the game. Normally, it was a hidden skill granted for completing quests in unconventional ways—kind of like how he'd handled the assassination attempt. Now, it was proving invaluable.

With it, he could visualize blueprints in his mind, breaking them down into detailed designs that the palace artisans could build with the materials available. The results weren't perfect, but they worked.

And more importantly, they were already showing results.

James clenched his fist, feeling the slight but noticeable difference in his grip strength. A week ago, even lifting his own body weight was a struggle. Now, he could see the change.

He wasn't strong yet—not by the standards of this world—but he would be.

He had to be.

"You've been distant from state affairs for quite some time Your Highness, her majesty requests you to visit her soon. She misses your company." Ruby said as she walked into the vicinity, a jug and some chilled water in hand.

"Thank you, Ruby." He said thankfully.

He hadn't seen the empress for about two weeks now, and it was all completely deliberate.

Just as he thought earlier, avoiding key characters would delay the start of the quests. Eventually, they would start automatically if the player refused to trigger it themselves, but that hadn't happened yet.

But at this point, there wasn't much to lose. He had trained himself to an extent and felt he was ready for the next quest.

It's not like it would be anything life-threatening. Quite the opposite actually, he chuckled as he poured some water on his head.

"I'll see my mother today. Tell her to expect me." He said as he grabbed his shirt and made his way towards his chambers.

***

A short while later James stood in front of the empress.

"How are you, my son? I hear that you are quite busy these days?" She asked, with a slight air of playfulness he felt only he could identify.

"Yes Your Highness, I have been trying to strengthen this weak body of mine. I need it to serve the empire well after all." He said with a curt smile which the empress reciprocated.

"The reason I've summoned you is due to an invitation I've received from Vaskerian." She paused, waiting to see her son's reaction, but seeing a calm and composed face, she continued.

"I have been invited to the coronation of the crown prince." She said, taking a sip from a cup brought by a maid earlier.

James took another sip of water, leaning back slightly in his chair. "Vaskaria, huh?" he mused, rolling the words on his tongue like a foreign taste. "They never do anything without an agenda."

He could speak more freely as it was only him and his mother, other than the maid but she didn't matter.

The Empress smiled lightly, twirling the teacup in her hand. "And neither do we."

"I believe you know the kind of relationship between us and them. You should also know that this invitation is everything but friendly." She said with an air of seriousness.

A familiar chime echoed in his mind. His vision flickered, and sure enough, a translucent blue screen popped up.

[New Quest: The Gathering Storm]

[Objective - Attend the Vaskarian coronation ceremony.]

[Additional Objectives]

- Avoid a full-blown political conflict.

- Handle attempts to humiliate you with poise.

- Outsmart the trade agreement trap.

- Cement valuable alliances.

- Ensure Drazenovia's position remains strong.

[Failure Condition - Drazenovia is diplomatically cornered or war is provoked.]

[Reward ???]

James exhaled. Of course, it wouldn't be as simple as just showing up and smiling for the crowd.

He had been anticipating this quest, knowing full well it would come about eventually. And it was finally time.

He set his cup down. "So I take it you want me to go?"

"Naturally." The Empress took a delicate sip of her tea, watching him over the rim. "As my son and as the Crown Prince, it's only fitting you represent Drazenovia."

James nodded, already thinking through the political landmines awaiting him. Then she tilted her head slightly, an amused look on her face.

"You won't be going alone, of course."

James chuckled a bit. "Well, Edwin will surely come along." He said as he and his mother shared a short laugh.

"Yes, but someone else will be accompanying you." She confirmed.

"Oh? Who else is coming?"

Right on cue, the doors creaked open.

"That would be me, dear brother."

James turned his head, spotting Victor Drazenov strolling in with his usual air of nonchalance which came with the age.

Victor was short, silver-haired, and had sharp green eyes that carried both mischief and calculation. Unlike most of his other half-siblings, Victor had never gone out of his way to antagonize James. If anything, he had always seemed... intrigued by him.

At least that's what his character design made him out to be.

In all honesty, Victor wasn't supposed to accompany James on this quest. So James was surprised but he hid it well.

James raised an eyebrow. "Victor. I wasn't aware you had an interest in Vaskarian politics."

Victor chuckled, plopping down into a nearby chair like he owned the place. "Interest? Not exactly. But I am interested in you brother."

James gave him a flat look. "That's not weird at all."

Victor grinned. "You've been different lately. Smarter. Quieter. More..." He waved his hand vaguely. "Interesting. When Mother suggested I accompany you, I thought—why not? I'd like to see what you're up to."

James hummed. "You make it sound like I'm plotting something."

"Aren't you?"

James rolled his eyes. "I'd say I'm more of a 'reactionary strategist." He said as he widened his eyes dramatically.

Victor just laughed. "Well, this trip should be fun, then."

"Victor, step outside for a moment please, there's something I would like to speak to Mother about." James said, patting the boy on the head. He nodded and left without so much as a word.

"Your Highness, is there any reason in particular you want Victor to come with me? I'm not exactly going there to have fun, it's quite dangerous and Victor is young." James explained.

The Empress set down her teacup, studying James with a knowing look. "You're not wrong. It will be dangerous."

James felt Julian taking over his thoughts and actions, and he could feel just how much he worried about Victor and his safety. He didn't want to risk the boy if there was no need to.

She leaned back slightly, resting her chin on her knuckles. "But that's precisely why Victor should go."

James narrowed his eyes. "You'll have to elaborate on that."

The Empress let out a soft chuckle. "Victor is my son, just as you are, even though you do not share the same mother. But, he has been sheltered—kept within these palace walls, away from the true workings of power. He's clever, yes, but he's young, and his understanding of politics is still... academic."

She tapped her fingers against the table. "He needs to see how the world works beyond these walls. He needs to understand the dangers of diplomacy firsthand."

James considered that. It wasn't entirely unreasonable. If anything, it was the kind of logic he expected from a ruler like her. But still…

"You're using me as a field trip chaperone?" he asked dryly.

The Empress smiled, her gaze sharp. "I'm giving you an opportunity. Victor admires you, James. He watches you more closely than you realize and has been doing so even more now. If you can guide him—if you can shape the way he sees the world—then one day, he may prove to be your strongest ally."

James exhaled, running a hand through his hair. That... actually made sense.

Victor was young, sure, but he was smart. And if he truly was paying attention to James, then this trip could influence his perspective in a way that might benefit them both in the long run.

After all, he was designed to be a special character later on in the story. But guess what, James never finished coding that either.

It was a gamble. But then again, everything in this world was.

James sighed. "Fine. I'll keep an eye on him."

The Empress smiled, satisfied. "That's all I ask."

James stood, stretching slightly. "Then I should start preparing. Vaskaria won't make this easy."

"No, they won't," the Empress agreed, taking another sip of her tea. "But I expect nothing less from you than to make it look effortless."

James smirked. "Naturally."

"Be careful—Vaskaria will be watching closely."

James sighed, standing up and stretching. "Aren't they always?"

He glanced up at the quest screen still hovering in his vision.

This wasn't just a simple state visit.

This was a game of survival, diplomacy, and power.

And he was going to win.