Dungeon Annihilation 3-17

Good Morning! 

Chapter 17

Regan/Earle

I blinked when I heard Louella call for me. I was about to start teasing Helicilia some more, but I figured it could wait for now. With a thought, I moved over to the alley that she had chosen to call for me. A quick glance revealed that she was probably the most infuriated I had ever seen her.

Making my entrance, I used a shadow with almost the same consistency of tar to slid down from the roof next to her. “You called me?” I asked. I liked playing the part of Earle, but I quite enjoyed my sinister host role as well. I never thought I was such an actor before I came to this world.

“Yes! I need a grand hall. Something that would rival the ballrooms of the capitals,” she replied with some vigor. The situation with the other countess must have really gotten under her skin. From Valamar’s attitude, or lack of comment, it looked like that alliance might be wearing thin.

I gave her my patented split face grin that this form made. “You certainly came to the right person in matters of construction, but this in not like the previous transactions. Brick and stone don’t create beauty when stacked up in the shape of a box. If you want to pay for beauty, well, the price will be significantly steep.”

“What is it?! Name you price!” She demanded before tapping her foot annoyedly. “At this point, I’m almost ready to give you a few souls. I know a few nobles that the town would be better off without.”

I moved until I was directly next to her. I layered my voice with a new version of lust’s hypnotic power. I had enjoyed this woman’s reactions since I first came to this world. I wanted to see how far she might be willing to truly go. “It sounds to me that you want more than a hall for ugly fat nobles and their prancing layers of makeup to spin annoyingly,” I whispered in her ear. “It sounds like you want the power to make the others throw balls for you.”

I could almost see the darkness overtake her eyes. “Fine! Yes, I want to kill that bitch Helicilia! Valamar with his stupid plans! And teach Earle a lesson or two while I’m at it.” Her voice softened a bit. “Alright, I don’t want to really hurt Earle. I know he’s powerful, but he has little control in the affairs of nobles.”

Licking my lips, I snickered. Love could make even rational people go off the deep end. Let’s test that theory. “But can’t he?” I whispered. “His goddess has the power to build a cathedral that rivals anything the church can build. Overnight even. Surely, this goddess could have found a way to have a gotten him a rank. Money certainly isn’t an issue. Is that not how you bought your rank, dear countess?”

The darkness spread further before it sank into her pupils. “You’re right! That bastard! He’s been playing me!”

It was odd hearing myself talked about like this, but I had a part to play. “Now. What do you want?”

“Everything!” She yelled suddenly. There was even a surge of lightning around her. “I want everything. That way me and mine won’t be walked on any longer.”

“Good.” I checked the time and realized it was almost time for my meeting with the gnome princess. Compared to this, I felt that meeting might be rather lack luster. Spreading chaos in the world proved to be that much fun. “We can work out the details at another time. But for now. I shall create your hall.”

“I can’t wait to see their faces. I look forward to your work. If this place is any indication, I won’t be let down,” Louella said glancing around at the nearby shops.

I bowed gentlemanly. “Expect it to be… thrilling,” I said as my form sank into the ground. This was going to be fun. A woman scorned was quite dangerous, no matter what world. One with access to magic might be quite the show.

With a thought, I soon appeared in the Gnome city. Normally, it would be odd to go from rather tall to as short as this in a few seconds, but the city was built to gnome standards which made me feel like I was my normal height. I made my way to the gate and let the guards led me in. Inside I was laughing since I knew this place so well already from my observations.

I was soon brought to a sitting room that was decorated with items from all over the continent. Likely as tribute or payment for an airship. When you were the only ones with knowledge on how to construct them, then you could set whatever price you wanted. I spent a few minutes wandering the room checking if there was anything of particular value while I waited.

In typical royal fashion, I was made to wait almost half an hour. Even that I felt was rushed. The gnomes appeared to take after a Japanese culture. They were very honor based but that meant there were more than a few rituals that had to be completed. When the guard finally opened the door, there was only some minor annoyance on my part.

I stood and bowed as the princess did her own elegant bow. When her handmaiden gestured for me to sit, I did so. “Thank you for coming at my request. As a small token of my gratitude,” she gestured and one of the guards behind her moved forward. A wooden box filled with more than a few precious gems and gold coins was set down in front of me in a grand fashion.

I peered into the box and pretended to check it out. The treasure of a lifetime for a mortal, was a few seconds and mana for me. I closed the lid and slid it back over. “If this is what the princess’s life amounts too, than you are far too cheap,” I said with a grin.

“I’m afraid that is the best we can do. The treasury is not unlimited, contrary to popular belief,” the princess said showing an annoyed and flushed face at the same time. That had to be quite the ability.

“Rather than gold and jewels, I’d much rather have a chance to try and heal the queen. I am something of a healer you see,” I explained when there was a general unhappy reaction. That information is supposed to be hush-hush after all. “And word in my community is that the queen is ill. Everything has failed so far to heal her.”

The princess raised her hand and all the weapons that had been drawn were steathed. “Yes. That is meant to be hidden information, but I suppose that it was too much to expect the situation to be hidden when we are reaching out to everyone that might have a chance.” She closed her eyes then reopened them and they glowed an almost rainbow color. “From what I see you don’t possess any more mana than a tier two adventurer. We’ve… reluctantly had tier three priests to try and heal her to no affect. What makes you think you’ll have any better luck?”

“While I don’t speak of the traitor goddess, there is more to healing than a large mana pool,” I retorted with a chuckle.

She continued looking me over with a critical eye for almost another minute before she finally nodded. “What harm can it do?” she commented with lackluster. “I’ll be watching you, and even if you fail it wouldn’t be the first.”

“Excellent!” I exclaimed clapping my hands. “Then no time like the present. We’re both busy people, no?”

“Certainly.” She got up and the old man rushed over and started whispering in her ear. I didn’t even need to use my increased senses to understand that he was advising against letting a stranger see the queen without more of a background check. She waved him off before she walked out of the room. A glare from the guards that almost earned them all a death sentence told me to follow.

The queen’s chambers were towards the center of the palace and thus almost directly next to the central tower of the city. I glanced at the automaton as we passed it. Other than looking much cleaner, it was almost an exact replica of the one lower in the tower. It wasn’t long before we came to the queen’s chamber after that.

The princess knocked and motioned for us to wait a moment. Several minutes went by before the doors opened again and I along with the direct guards were ordered into the room. The main female handmaiden or guard was motioned over to the queen’s bedside and they talked for a few moments. It looked like they got along.

It was finally my turn after another ten minutes or so. If I didn’t have a goal, I might have just left. Alas, it was for the game of chaos. With sure steps to show that none of this intimidated me, I walked over to the bed.

“My daughter claims you actually seek to examine me,” the queen said with a weak but steady voice.

“That is correct, my lady,” I said with a nod.

“I won’t get my hopes up. The most anyone has been able to do is relieve my symptoms for a few days.”

“They say the mind is the greatest medicine that a person can take,” I replied with a grin.

“Ha! Then I would be out of this bed running down the halls in my nightgown,” she retorted. I was sure I was going to like this woman.

“Well then,” I said and got a nod. I mimicked the princess for affect and allowed my eyes to change. Only I had them take a dark blue aura. In actuality, I checked her body with my dungeon aura. It wasn’t possible without a channel directly next to the woman. I had to stop myself from chuckling as I found the cause of her illness. She had cancer. I found it ironic since it was what I was basically giving people that entered my dungeon on a daily basis.

Blinking, I stepped back and rubbed my eyes. “Well?” the princess asked with her hands on her hips. I nearly slipped up and sent a glare at her. I stopped in time and gave her a smile instead. “Yes. I have found the cause. I would recommend that you move the queen’s quarters away from the central pillar. The excess mana is causing her body to change, and the body’s immune system is attacking the changed cells and vice versa.”

“Really!?” the queen exclaimed rather than the princess.

“Yes. It is very rare. You must have spent a great deal of time near the central pillar. If you take into account your time asleep and the other times of day you might be in your quarters.”

“IF we move her, will she get better?” the princess asked.

“It will stop it from growing worse, but quite a bit of damage has already been done. I can heal her though it will be… quite painful.” I was fixing multiple organs. Of course, I could put her under or numb her nerves, but where was the fun in that?

“Do it!” the queen ordered before the princess said anything.

“Mother, perhaps we should inform father?”

“Are you kidding? I want to surprise him by walking up on him!” the woman replied with a smirk.

“Then?” I asked looking between the two.

“Go ahead,” the princess said with a gesture.

I nodded and stepped back up to the bed. “Someone give her something to bite on.” Since I enjoyed her reason for not telling the king, I reached into my robe and pulled out a vial that I created. “This will help a little.” I rubbed the ointment on the back of her neck. It would dull the pain by half. It would still hurt like hell, but it wouldn’t feel like she was dying anymore.

After that I rubbed my hands and got started.