Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 920: Grasping Towards the Veiled

CH0920 Grasping Towards the Veiled

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“Likely House Machholt’s thoughts exactly,” Alpha affirmed with a nod. “As a result of this, Young Master Alex became a problem that needed to be removed. If there wasn’t a standing marriage to House Ludevicus, they would have more of a claim.

“Or at least, this should have been Erman Machholt’s motivation for joining the alliance—well, that, and to show off his worth to the elders of his clan. It has been said that being a scion of House Machholt is, in itself, not an easy task.”

“Hardly absolves him of his crimes towards Master,” Udara commented.

“I wasn’t trying to,” Alpha replied.

She paused for a moment, then turned back to the C.I.N. magic table.

“And finally, the trickiest one,” Alpha said.

She swiped across the magic table, bringing up Alric Wastelander’s profile.

“He is the trickiest,” she commented.

“Isn’t it obvious? His reasoning for attacking Master was because he lost Sister Zora’s hand to Master.” Udara raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Not exactly,” Alpha responded.

She brought up windows showing House Wastelander’s movements towards the DragonMourn Highlands from a couple of years before Alex’s engagement to Zora.

“While I agree that his motivation is centred around Lady Zora, I have reasons to believe Alric’s motivation for orchestrating the attack goes beyond just jealousy or envy. His motivations might actually be threefold, or perhaps even more,” Alpha said.

“First, as you mentioned, there is a possibility that he genuinely wanted Lady Zora. As for whether it was for love or the status boost that having her would provide, I cannot say. But it is no doubt a motivation.

“Second, House Wastelander has had its eyes on the DragonMourn Highlands for centuries now, making repeated failed attempts to enter the mountain range and coveting the treasures Dragons are known to hoard. And over that time, there have been only a few people who have entered and exited the DragonMourn Highlands—none more famous than Lady Zora’s adoptive father, the DragonSlayer Merlin Pendragon.

“Not only does the DragonSlayer repeatedly enter and leave the Highlands, there is even evidence that the prideful Elemental Dragons actually fear him.”

Alex almost chuckled to himself.

‘Never mind the Elemental Dragons, even the high and mighty Elder Dragons fear him. In fact, the number of dragons who don’t fear him in the entire universe might be counted on one hand—two hands at most,’ he thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Alpha continued.

“I believe another one of Alric’s motivations is to gain the status of the DragonSlayer’s son-in-law, potentially granting him proxy passage into the Highlands on the DragonSlayer’s coattails.

“House Wastelander already had a smuggling plan prepared to take advantage of this, originating from Duke Siegmund Wastelander himself. However, after being beaten during his Legendary advancement by the DragonSlayer, it seems the Duke backed down from the plan while Alric took it up—most likely on the assurance or confidence that he would become the DragonSlayer’s son-in-law.”

Alpha paused for a moment as a hint of hesitation flashed through her eyes.

“I have a few other suspicions about Alric’s motivations, but they are all circumstantial. However, one of them is substantial enough that I feel the need to bring it to your attention,” she said.

Udara nodded, indicating for her to continue. Alex also felt it was important, so he too paid attention.

“Third, the Nearmarch Confederacy,” Alpha said.

Udara raised an eyebrow while Alex frowned.

Alpha continued.

“Following Alric’s tracks, we discovered a suspicious trail which seems to lead to Alric’s personal force—a force which seems connected to someone else we suspect to be a handler for the unknown organisation—but far east into the Nearmarch Confederacy.

“While we haven’t been able to confirm anything about them, never mind their goal, drawing from Alric’s unusual obsession with Lady Zora, I can’t help but think he has a personal agenda—or one connected to the unknown organisation—within the Nearmarch Confederacy. If he were the one engaged or married to Lady Zora, it would have created an opening for him within the Confederacy as the spouse of the sole surviving heir of House Frost.”

Realisation dawned on Udara, and she also felt this was a reasonable conclusion. However, for Alex, it was more than that. His eyebrows furrowed deeply as he felt something amiss.

Still, Alpha continued.

“The fact that Alric planned for and kept his House’s forces within the DragonMourn Highlands while only allowing private or unknown forces to extend beyond into the Confederacy makes this suspicion of mine even more difficult to confirm.”

“It is unlikely Alric is spreading forces into the Confederacy to expand his House’s territory. Unless he intends to develop a private holding within the Confederacy, perhaps. But that sounds like too much work as well, and the involvement of the unknown organisation makes me worried too.”

“Couldn’t Alric be intending to increase his or his House’s holdings but is using a private force to veil his actions from watchers such as ourselves?” Udara asked.

“You might not know this, however, increasing one’s landed territory on the continent beyond the rank of a Duchy is very difficult, and almost not worth doing. This is the reason why fiefdoms and territories at that level have remained largely unchanged for almost a millennium. It is the reason why the Virellian Empire has always remained One Emperor, Three Grand Duchies, and Five Duchies.

“House Wastelander, and Alric himself, would—or rather, should—not bother going through all of this just to increase their land holdings,” Alpha said.

Alex’s, and this time Haggleworth’s, faces flashed with clear surprise.

“You make it sound like there is an unwritten agreement keeping this formula in place,” Udara voiced the confusion shared by the two men.

“During my time in DAWN, I learnt something that alluded to that. But as for what it actually entails, it is a secret known only to those at that level,” Alpha stated, giving Alex even more things to think about.

Orion did a quick search through its archives but found nothing on the matter.

Alpha continued, “Of the few matters Dark Water has been able to tie to the unknown organisation, we have come to the conclusion that the unknown organisation is anarchist.

“As for whether they have a cause behind the chaos or the chaos itself is the point, we do not know. However, drawing from the fact that they always leave chaos in the wake of the actions we’ve been able to tie to them, I can’t help but believe that they plan to throw the Confederacy into some sort of crisis.”

Alex’s eyes flashed.

“You are thinking they plan to break the Confederacy?” He couldn’t help but speak.

***