NOVEL FROG Chapter 39: Musings
After Loriel left we finished our breakfast. The queen did not even eat all the food she ordered. I wondered what theory they would come up with for Lucy’s patron. The thought made me smile.
“Who do you think is working with the Empire?” Lucy asked.
“I have no idea. The whole situation seems complicated. We still don’t know if there is a demonic cult within the inquisition. If the Empire has started to experiment on demons it would draw the attention of the demon lords. So I could see them trying to intervene.”
“Do you think a demon lord would offer their servants willingly for experiments?”
“Maybe. They are not known for their morals but I can’t see why they would sacrifice their troops. More likely they would encourage the use of their rivals' forces.”
“So Lilith could be working with the Empire. They were using Mantu’s troops for their scheme. Then Mantus’s cult infiltrated the operation and turned it around?” Lucy theorised.
“Certainly a possibility. We just don’t have enough information. There could be other demon lords involved. It could also be something different. Certain undead can become powerful enough to create warlocks, like an ancient lich. There are dragons on that power level. There are the lords of the fey. I don’t really know enough about the Empire to speculate.”
“It’s weird. Not too long ago I was a slave. I was powerless with no control of my future. Now I am here with you, talking about fighting beings of power. We even defeated a demon lord! It’s still a bit unreal at times.”
“Do you want a more normal life? We could still just leave. Explore the world. Originally I just wanted to travel a bit and relax. I never imagined I would end up in a big conflict. Strangely, I am fine with it. Even the fighting was… exhilarating. I always considered myself a coward in my last life. Now? Fighting has become an interesting mixture of fear and excitement.”
“Travel sounds fun. But we can always do that later. We have some very long lives ahead of us. I want to help against the Empire. Maybe we can somehow stop the rot? Turn it into a better nation? That might be a bit too ambitious though.”
“You would probably need an uprising for that. But if the Empire is experimenting on its people… who knows what will happen? It could lead to a civil war.”
“We shall see. By the way, what payment do we want from the Dominion? What do you think they will offer? A handsome prince?” Lucy teased.
“No thanks, I don’t want a prince. I also don’t need money, I have enough. They might give us a title and some land. I am not really sure if I would want that. Having a home to settle could be nice though. Items maybe? Something rare? Maybe a special mount or pet?” I shrugged. “We shall see what they offer. Maybe just a favour from them in the future could be useful. What do you want?”
“No prince for me either. I am not sure myself. You have already fulfilled my dream of learning magic.”
“Speaking of rewards, maybe we should go shopping. Hilda mentioned something about whisky when we first met her. We should go and search for a dwarven liquor store!”
I said enthusiastically.
Lucy frowned. “I am surprised Hilda has not contacted us again. We haven’t seen her since the party.”
“We did tell Elnora. I would not be surprised if the actual Dominion is handling that. Anyway, let’s find some booze!” I proclaimed.
Finding a fancy dwarven liquor store was surprisingly easy. The shop had a large selection of whisky. The enthusiastic dwarf running the place seemed very knowledgeable. He not only described the flavours but even knew the history of certain distilleries. He explained the different woods used for ageing and finishes. There also seemed to be a lot more grain variations in this world. Magically infused plants did not only change the taste but could make the whisky a lot more potent.
I bought a lovely peated whisky made from a special barley. There was some fire magic infused into it to complement the smokiness. I also got something milder, a corn based whisky with an elven wine barrel finish. Lucy kept teasing me but she enjoyed the drinks as well. Overall it was a pleasant experience.
The summit was happening soon and I had a feeling that our lives would get a lot busier. I really wondered what the different nations would do and how the Empire would react. I was not even sure if they would have any representation at this summit. Would they have a chance to explain themselves? Not that there was a good excuse for their behaviour. I just hoped the whole thing would not be too boring.