41 Im back

(Aisha) Leo, don't you have the feeling that the trip back, feels way longer?

(Leonora) A little, it's almost as if we spent a month locked in the carriage.

Finally, after a trip that felt incredibly long, we returned to Quarel.

First of all, we went to left Aisha at her house, her father welcomed us so I thanked him for allowing Aisha to accompany me on the trip, after promising to come tomorrow for lunch, he let us go and I was finally able to return.

Upon arrival, I ordered Irma to give a spare room to Camille and went straight to my bedroom, I wanted to sleep at least 12 hours straight, but to my bad luck, a house servant gave me the message that a woman has been coming to request an audience with me, whatever it is, she will be back tomorrow, today I want to sleep, I give a last order to Irma and finally lay down on my bed.

It feels good to be back.

The next morning, I woke up fully recovered, and call Irma, by this time she should be aware of everything and ask her to give me a report of what has happened in the last few days.

(Irma) Good morning young master, I have finished all the tasks you entrusted me with.

(Leonora) Good, I want a review of everything.

(Irma) As you command young master.

Like cards from his sleeve, I take out a pile of cards that I deposit in front of me.

(Irma) These are the letters that the king had sent to his friends and acquaintances. As master ordered me, I intercepted them before they reached their destination.

I opened the letters and read a couple over, that old idiot, if these letters led to their destination, everything would be over, in them he asked to watch me, that does not matter to me, since they asked to watch the witch Leonora, and not Count Leon, but what was really dangerous, was that the idiot had devised a plan to try to take the power away from Eris.

It was a simple plan destined to fail, and the only thing it would achieve would be to make her angry.

And Eris is not the kind of opponent you want to make angry, with her you have to make sure that the first blow is lethal, since you probably won't be able to give her another one.

I kept reading and trying to imagine the damage these cards could do, while Irma kept talking.

(Irma) Young master, in order to carry out your order, I have to make a request.

(Leonora) What is it?

I said without taking my eyes off the letters.

(Irma) It is for the family that you asked me to take care of, I request that you allow me a couple of hours each night to carry out your requests, they are hours where you sleep and it will not affect the rest of my obligations.

I don't remember what you are referring to, which family are you talking about? Well it doesn't matter, if you say it won't affect anything.

(Leonora) Do what you consider necessary.

(Irma) I will do so, young lady.

Finally I finished reading the letters and thanks to them I learned something else.

(Leonora) Irma, I have a question, the day I paid a visit to the king, did you feel a powerful magic aura?

(Irma) yes and no young master, I felt it for a moment, but when I wanted to know where it came from it disappeared, I didn't tell you because I thought it could come from lady Eris, at that moment she was in the castle tormenting the court of magicians.

(Leonora) hmm, yes, it was a very dangerous operation all around.

Healing the king under the nose of Eris, is literally playing with fire, so many things could have gone terribly wrong, but typical of my luck, something happened that I had not foreseen.

It seems that someone who was not supposed to be there, had a little chat with the king, I think if I am smart I can make everything go in my favor, obviously Eris must have already found out what happened, and I had already prepared for our relationship to become strained, believing that I know her biggest secret.

But now, thanks to this man, I might have a scapegoat to blame, and that Eris will chase for a while, and leave me alone for a while.

But that man, the previous inquisitor, since he retired and gave his rank to Arthuruz, becomes practically a shadow.

Arthuruz is little more than a poodle who barks more than he bites, but that old man, that Nortalis, I know so little about him, that I have no idea if he can become a danger to me, for now I'll try to get Eris to hunt him instead of me.

I took the stack of letters and burned them in the fireplace, watching them burn made me feel a little better.

(Leonora) well, what other matters require my attention?

(Irma) about the woman who has asked to speak to you, I have not been able to find much, but I can confirm that she was in the inquisitorial squad that came after you at Croiss Manor.

(Leonora) the inquisition got to me?

I have Arthuruz chasing his own tail with false leads all over the kingdom, so I doubt very much that they have discovered me.

(Irma) not exactly, as far as I've been able to find out, she defected from the church a couple of years ago, from there I couldn't find out much more in such a short time.

Hmmm, a woman in the inquisitor's group, I think I know who she is, a woman whose name I've always forgotten, so I just call her Red because of her hair color, I also know she is the squadron's healer.

(Leonora) is a red-haired woman with life magic?

(Irma) I have no notion of her magic capabilities, but she is indeed a red-haired woman.

Well, I think it must be her, no idea what she wants, but whatever.

(Leonora) well, anything else?

(Irma) Yes, I have a question to ask you young master.

(Leonora) Yes?

A small wooden box appeared in Irma's hands.

(Irma) The object you gave me to keep, what do you want me to do with it?

Right, that, the reason why I almost got Eris as an enemy, originally to get it you had to complete 100% of the second game, and the king gives it to you in person in a part of the adventure when you clearly no longer need it, but for me, that all kind of help is always a good, and best of all, Eris doesn't know it exists.

(Leonora) keep it always with you, never show it, take it out or even talk about it, unless I ask you to.

(Irma) As you command young master.

For now I cannot take full advantage of it, so I will keep it for a while, and there is no safer place than with Irma herself.

The box disappeared in Irma's hands, she bowed and retired to continue her work.

After going over the important issues with Irma, I began to read reports on the situation of the mansion and the Lazaruz company, as always everything was fine.

I spent the rest of the morning reading reports, and stamping my signature on papers, it was not really necessary, but I was waiting for that woman to arrive, and I wanted her to find me working, it was impossible for her to recognize me, we have never seen each other in this life, and I have no idea what she will want.

Lunch time was slowly approaching, and I had promised to go to lunch at Viscount Lenua's house, I was getting ready to leave, when a servant of the house warned me that she had returned.

I told the servant to let her in, I still don't know what she wants, but the excuse of having little time will help me to leave if the conversation goes in an unfavorable direction.

Soon after, that woman enters my office.

That woman, whom I call Red, was a rather tall woman, she must have been about 1.90 meters tall and she looked like she had gone through a hard training, a long and unkempt red curly hair fell down her back, in the church she would never have been allowed to have hair like that, but that was another sign of her desertion, she was wearing a thick and old gray trench coat, when she entered she bowed and I indicated her that she could sit down.

(Leonora) I have been informed of your visits, she apologized for not being able to attend you, and apologized again, since today I don't have much time, the lord of these lands has requested my presence and I was about to leave at this moment.

(Diana) a few minutes of your time is all I need my lord, my name is Diana and I don't know how to explain this, but I have come to present my services.

Services? Sorry girl, but I don't have those tastes.

(Leonora) I'm sorry, but I don't usually hire all the people that come before me, so I'm going to need that explanation.

(Diana) It's... A long story.

(Leonora) whether it is or not, I would like to hear it before I consider hiring you in the first place, I don't even know what kind of services you are going to offer me.

I just hope they are not the ones I imagine.

Red, or apparently Diana, seemed quite dismayed, I don't know if in her mind she imagined that by saying she was offering me her services, I would accept on the spot.

(Diana) I don't know how to explain myself, but I am indebted to you, and my life is the only thing I have to be able to pay you back, so I beg you to accept me.

Red knelt before me, and remained in that position waiting for my answer.

(Leonora) I am very sorry, but I do not require your services, if you believe you have a debt with me or with my father, I ask you to forget it, if you want to pay me I ask you to continue with your life.

(Diana) No, please, I ask you to accept me, no matter what you ask of me, I promise you that I will be useful to you.

Red was still on her knees begging, seeing her like that made my blood boil, and at the same time comforted me.

On a number of occasions I have pleaded for my life to the inquisitor and his people, only to be killed anyway, now seeing how the roles have been reversed, made me feel strangely good, making my imagination roll a little, I think I will figure out what to do with her.

(Leonora) if I hired everyone who kneels before me, by now I would have already hired half the kingdom, that's why hiring people, is the job of the head maid of the mansion, if you want to work here, she is the one you should talk to.

Red looked up slightly and nodded.

(Diana) Thank you for the opportunity, I promise I won't let you down.

(Leonora) Don't be so quick to claim victory, Irma is a fearsome woman, with almost inhuman standards, you still have to win her approval.

(Diana) I repeat my lord, I will not disappoint you.

(Leonora) Well, I will leave for now, I will inform Irma that there is an applicant.

I leave the room and go to the courtyard, a carriage was already waiting for me at the entrance, and standing next to it was Irma.

While getting into the carriage I give Irma directions.

(Leonora) that woman is waiting in my office, she says she wants to work here, I want you to test her to see if she is fit for the job, remember she was trained in the church, don't worry about being a little rough.

(Irma) as you command young master.

The carriage left to the Lenua's mansion, on the way I put my thoughts in order.

I cannot forgive her, ever since she crossed the threshold of my door I have wanted to murder her, I hated her and everything to do with the inquisitor.

But on second thought, she knows too little about the previous inquisitor, and Red should know more than I do, I don't know about the debt she supposedly owes me, but I think I can get some benefit from having her around for a while.

At that moment, an idea crossed my mind, and a smile came to my lips.

Yes, I know exactly what to do with her.