Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 303: Royal Bloodlines

CH303 Royal Bloodlines

***

”You can do that? Isn’t that an abuse of authority?” Alex smirked.

”Do you want to know what I found or not?” Zora glared at him.

”Yes, please, milady queen,” Alex replied quickly.

Zora gave him a look of mild annoyance—one that promised future retaliation—before proceeding to reveal the results of the investigation she’d ordered into Eleanor.

”For the most part, she has a good reputation and maintains strong relationships with those she interacts with. The general consensus is that she’s a soft-natured, kind-hearted woman—a competent and determined businesswoman with a powerful drive for success.

”Her biggest blind spot is her brother. She’s pragmatic enough to stay cordial with people who insult her and her father to her face, but her brother is off-limits. She made enemies with a few professors in the Alchemy Department after they said something just remotely offensive about him.”

’Hmm... a severe bro-con, huh?’ Alex mused inwardly.

”I can appreciate going to bat for family,” he said aloud.

”That’s true,” Zora agreed, ”but keep in mind, hers might be a bit... extreme.”

”Extreme is just perfect.” Alex smirked.

He wondered briefly if she could possibly be more extreme than a Fury driven by Calm Madness.

Still, he took Zora’s caution to heart.

”She’s an Elite-ranked Warlock, I presume?” Alex asked.

”Yes, a healer warlock to be exact.” Zora confirmed. ”Although she spends most of her time crafting alchemical products—mostly potions—and managing her shop, her bloodline ensures she continues to grow even if she doesn’t try to.”

”The Royal Gryphon Bloodline?” Alex asked.

”No,” Zora shook her head. ”The Fey Monarch Bloodline.”

”The Fey Monarch Bloodline? Isn’t that the bloodline of the High Elves—the Elarion Royal Family?” Alex was stunned.

”The very same one,” Zora confirmed.

The Royal Gryphon Bloodline belonged to House Ludevicus, the Imperial Clan of the Virellian Empire.

It was the mark of their sovereignty—and the reason no other noble house dared to bear a griffon in their crest. Doing so was tantamount to challenging the Imperial Clan’s dominion.

The Royal Gryphon Bloodline was one of the most powerful in the entire Virellian Empire. However, it was also among the most overbearing—and certainly the most xenophobic.

The Royal Gryphon Bloodline did not mix with others. A child born of that lineage would either inherit the bloodline’s power... or none at all.

If the Royal Gryphon Bloodline wasn’t passed down, no other bloodline could take its place.

It was common belief that anyone within the Imperial Clan who possessed bloodline power carried only the Royal Gryphon’s.

Hence Alex’s shock upon learning that Eleanor Ludevicus did not carry the Royal Gryphon Bloodline—but the Fey Monarch Bloodline, the counterpart of the Elarion Empire’s Royal Family.

The Fey Monarch Bloodline was the bloodline of the High Elves—rulers of the most diverse and magically advanced empire on the Arun continent.

Like its Gryphon counterpart, the Fey Monarch Bloodline was immensely overbearing—though just a touch less so.

It was almost unheard of for a half–High Elf to survive. The newborn would typically die in the womb or perish shortly after birth, their body unable to withstand the backlash of the Fey Monarch’s bloodline power.

Yet Zora claimed that Lady Eleanor of House Ludevicus carried the Fey Monarch Bloodline? That didn’t make sense.

Not only was it implausible, there hadn’t been any recorded marriage between House Ludevicus and House Elendar in the past five decades—at least, not that Alex knew of.

And that said a lot, considering he was a walking archive of both common and obscure knowledge.

”How is that possible?” Alex asked, frowning.

”I’m only telling you this because it was in the dossier Earl Drake passed to me—along with his recommended shortlist,” Zora said evenly.

Alex nodded, bracing himself.

”About three decades ago, during a state visit from the Elarion Empire, Prince Maximus Ludevicus, Eleanor’s father—drunk—reportedly poisoned and kidnapped one of the visiting Elarion princesses, allegedly bewitched by her beauty.

”He held her captive for three days... and forced himself on her, even after he regained his senses.”

Alex’s expression darkened. ”And he wasn’t executed to appease the Elendars?”

”No,” Zora shook her head. ”Neither side wanted the war that would have surely followed, so they buried the incident. In exchange, the Ludevicus Clan made massive concessions to House Elendar—rumoured to include the coordinates of a Grade 6 Plane the Emperor himself had been preparing to raid.

”Afterwards, as you might expect, Prince Maximus fell out of favour with the Emperor and lost his remaining supporters. His life fell into ruin, until he became the destitute wretch he is today.”

Alex frowned deeply as he listened.

”What is it?” Zora asked, tilting her head.

”It’s too...” He trailed off mid-thought.

”Suspicious?” Zora guessed, smiling faintly.

”Hmm.” Alex nodded. ”Exactly. How would a collateral prince dare to kidnap—then go on to assault—the princess of a rival Empire? On a state visit no less? Even if he were piss drunk, those two acts don’t align.

”Kidnapping someone—especially a royal—requires planning. Poisoning a target isn’t something that happens on a drunken impulse. And even if it were possible, a drunk fool wouldn’t be able to pull off such a thing, not when the victim is a princess, likely under constant guard. It doesn’t add up.”

Zora nodded silently, showing she shared his line of thought.

But Alex wasn’t done.

”Let’s assume, for argument’s sake, that the prince somehow managed to pull all of that off while intoxicated. Once he sobered up, he proceeded to rape the princess he’d kidnapped?

”What was his rationale—’I’m doomed anyway, might as well drag the whole Empire down with me’? No matter how foolish a prince he is, he wouldn’t do something that damning. Surely, he’d realise the Empire would find a political way out of it.

”And if that’s the case, there would’ve been no need to act out of desperation in the first place.”

Zora’s expression grew grim as he spoke.

”Meaning there’s more to this,” Alex concluded quietly.

”I thought so too,” Zora admitted. ”And so did your father.”

Alex’s eyes narrowed. ”Really? Did he uncover something?”

”He believes it was an experiment,” Zora said slowly.

”An experiment?” Alex asked, his brows knitting in confusion.

***