FF Chapter 71: A Favor For Henriette (Patreon)

AN: Just a heads up for everyone, I will be taking a short break from writing next week (Nov. 6 - 12) to deal with some personal stuff. I know it's a bit sudden. but life happened. Thank you for your understanding and patience.

***

Over the next several hours, Lina and I followed Princess Henriette as she inspected orphanages under her patronage. Each one was located in one of the poorer areas of Haven. If we included the one where we met Her Imperial Highness, the three of us visited a total of five orphanages. We took a brief break to enjoy a quick luncheon, but otherwise it was a busy day for us. By the time we finished, it was late afternoon. Princess Henriette offered to drop us off at Kaltbrand Manor, which Lina and I accepted.

During the ride home, I thought back to what I observed as Princess Henriette inspected the orphanages. As she requested, Lina and I kept our eyes open. The first thing I noticed for each orphanage was that they all appeared fine, at least on the surface. The buildings were clean and well-maintained, while the orphans were dressed well and seemed happy.

However, the orphans were all too thin, as if none of them had enough to eat. They weren’t the only ones either. The staff for each orphanage, including the directors, were also thin and malnourished. I also noticed an undercurrent of fear and apprehension.

“Well?” Princess Henriette asked. “What do you think? I would like to hear both of your opinions.”

Lina frowned.

“Something strange is going on,” she said. “Everyone we met looked as if they hadn’t received enough to eat in a long time.”

I nodded.

“The adults also appeared to be afraid of something.” I said, looking Princess Henriette in the eyes. “Or someone.”

Her Imperial Highness clenched her jaw and nodded.

“So you saw it as well.” She said, her tone grim. “The last time I inspected all of the orphanages under my patronage, everyone was happy and well fed. However, things have changed since then.”

“Do you think the directors are embezzling?” Lina asked, before shaking her head. “No, that can’t be right. They looked like they were suffering as well.”

I nodded. The director of the orphanage where I grew up, who had embezzled funds, liked to wear expensive clothing. He also looked plump and well fed; a little too well fed, now that I thought about it. The directors of the orphanages we visited were a far cry from him.

“Is someone stealing from those orphanages?” Lina asked, her tone cold.

Princess Henriette sighed.

“I wish it were that simple.” She said. “From what I gathered, someone is indeed siphoning funds away from the orphanages under my patronage. However, they coerced the orphanage directors to spend what little money remained on maintaining appearances, which I found odd. This isn’t just theft. Something else is going on.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“Whoever this person is, they must have someone backing them,” I said. “Otherwise, they wouldn’t dare antagonize a member of the imperial family.”

Princess Henriette nodded.

“That was what I figured out as well,” she said. “However, the orphanage directors are keeping silent on the matter. No matter how hard I tried, each one refused to tell me what was going on. I believe they are being coerced into maintaining their silence.” She gestured to the both of us. “This is where you two come in. I would like your help in figuring out who is behind this and stopping them.”

I raised an eyebrow at her.

“I’m surprised that you would put yourself in debt to us rather than resolve the situation yourself, Your Imperial Highness.” I said.

Princess Henriette shook her head.

“I believe this matter is related to the imperial succession.” She said. “In that case, whoever is behind this will be monitoring my every move. I wish to avoid alerting them, which is why I’m asking the two of you for help. You can move more freely than I can.” She wore a wry smile on her face. “Besides, most of my influence comes from my connections within high society and my relationship with the Church of Light and Darkness. Soft power, in other words. I don’t have a lot of hard power.”

If Princess Henriette was right and this was related to the imperial succession, then it was possible that this was a targeted attack against her. If nothing else, if high society found out, it would damage her reputation. Someone could spin it that Princess Henriette only cared about appearances, with little regard to the orphans’ wellbeing.

I didn’t care much about Princess Henriette’s reputation. While I liked her well enough, the two of us were still strangers to one another. However, I was more than willing to help for the orphans’ sake. Their life was hard enough without some bastard using them as pawns in some political scheme.

“I am not asking you to help for free, of course.” Princess Henriette said. “As a princess and a scion of House Reichwald, I have considerable resources at my disposal.”

Lina shook her head.

“You don’t need to compensate me, Henriette.” She said. “We’re family. Of course I’ll help you.”

Princess Henriette gave Lina a brief smile, before she turned her attention to me.

“And what do you say, Lord Wulfe?” She asked.

I took a moment to think about it. While I could help Princess Henriette without expecting anything in return, I wouldn’t. I had to consider my family’s interests. If I was going to use House Kaltbrand’s resources to deal with this problem, then I was going to get something in return for it.

“I will help you, Your Imperial Highness.” I said. “In exchange, I would like for you to greet my mother, the Grand Duchess, at the Midsummer Ball in a few weeks.”

The Midsummer Ball was the biggest event of the social season. The Church of Light and Darkness considered the summer solstice sacred, since it was the longest day of the year. They celebrated it with a solemn ritual followed by a grand festival. The imperial family hosted the Midsummer Ball for the same reason.

While attendance wasn’t mandatory, every noble that could attend the Midsummer Ball did so. If nothing else, it was an opportunity to forge ties with the imperial family. I had never been to one, since only adults could attend and I left House Guld before I came of age. However, I heard stories from various sources. One’s actions at the Midsummer Ball could make or break one’s reputation in high society.

“Is that it?” Princess Henriette asked, raising an eyebrow at me. “I expected you to ask for something more… Substantial.”

I nodded.

“Yes.” I said. “That is all I ask for.”

Princess Henriette pursed her lips in thought.

“May I ask why?”

I gave her a faint smile.

“As you mentioned earlier, Your Imperial Highness,” I said, “You wield a great deal of influence within high society, especially among the more pious nobles.” I hardened my expression. “There are those within high society who consider the circumstances of my birth and my parents’ marriage perfect fodder for gossip and rumors. If someone of your status acknowledged my mother at such a prestigious event, that would go a long way towards silencing those fools.”

Princess Henriette’s eyes lit up with understanding.

“Ah, I see.” She said. “Very well, Lord Wulfe. I shall do as you ask.”

After coming to an agreement, the three of us discussed the situation further, until we reached Kaltbrand Manor. Lina and I said our goodbyes to Princess Henriette, before going inside.

***

When we arrived at Kaltbrand Manor, Lina visited Emmerich while I went to report to my parents about today’s events. Afterwards, we planned on meeting in my study to discuss how to best fulfill Princess Henriette’s request. While we could work separately, we decided that it was best to work together.

However, I soon realized that neither of my parents were home. When I asked Baron Kurz about it, he told me that my parents had left to attend a social event. Dad said something along the lines of “getting it over with as soon as possible.” I smiled at that and thanked Baron Kurz, before heading to my study. Since my parents weren’t available, I figured I might as well get some work done.

I also asked Baron Kurz to send Maria to my study. In order to fulfill Princess Henriette’s request, I would need the Blue Shadows. They excelled in this sort of work, investigation and sussing out secrets. I supposed I could have done it myself, but my skills in this area were… lacking.

To my surprise, Maria wasn’t alone when arrived at my study. Lina, Emmerich, and Lina’s masked bodyguard followed behind her. I raised an eyebrow at this.

“What are you doing here?” I asked Emmerich.

My brother made a face.

“I’m bored.” He stated. “I’ve been lying in bed all day with nothing to do.” He gestured to Lina. “Big Sis here mentioned that Henriette asked you for help with a task, and I offered to help. She accepted.”

I looked at Lina.

“He is a magician.” She pointed out. “One who specializes in mental magic. His skills could prove useful.”

“I objected to his presence.” Maria said, with a flat look on her face.

I resisted the urge to smile. Maria still felt sour towards Emmerich because of how he ‘wormed his way in here’, as she put it.

“Please, Wulfram?” Emmerich asked. “I’ll go crazy if I spend any more time just lying around in bed. The healer even said it was fine, as long as I didn’t strain myself.”

I glanced at Lina, who nodded, before turning my attention back to Emmerich. He seemed fine, if a little worn. After giving it some thought, I nodded.

“Very well,” I said, “The more the merrier.” I looked at Lina’s bodyguard. “And this one?”

Lina gestured to her bodyguard.

“This is Alois,” she said. “Not only is he an Aura Warrior, but he is also an employee of the Pink Orchid Trading Company.”

“Ah,” I said, “I see now. Interesting. Is that why you chose him as your bodyguard?”

Lina nodded.

“That is one of them, yes.” She said.

Alois bowed to me.

“I look forward to working with you, Lord Wulfe.” He said, his voice muffled by his mask.

I narrowed my eyes at him. His voice sounded somewhat familiar, though I couldn’t remember where I heard it.

“Have we met before, Alois?” I asked him.

He nodded.

“Yes, Lord Wulfe,” Alois said. “I was at the House of Shadows on the night of the auction.”

I made a face at that.

“I see.” I said in a neutral tone. “Well, if Lina vouches for you, I have no objections. Sit down and we’ll explain the situation.”

After everyone took a seat, Lina and I explained Princess Henriette’s request to Emmerich and Maria. Alois had been there with us, so he already knew everything. By the time we finished, Emmerich and Maria wore dark expressions on their faces.

“Stealing from orphans.” My brother said, shaking his head. “How disgusting.”

“I assume you plan on punishing the one responsible after we discover who they are?” Maria said.

I bared my teeth at her in a smile.

“That’s the idea, yes.” I said. “However, we need to figure out who they are first. That is why you are here. I need the Blue Shadows to look into the matter.”

Maria frowned.

“This may prove a little difficult.” She said. “Haven has an extensive criminal underworld. Think of it as a twisted reflection of high society. We have some contacts and connections within this underworld, but not many.”

I blinked at her in surprise. First, I hadn’t realized that there were enough criminals within Haven to form any kind of society. However, after giving it some thought, I realized that the idea wasn’t that far-fetched. The mercenaries in the Barrens formed a community of sorts, one with its own rules and customs. I had been part of that community, before Mom and Dad hired me to pretend to be, well, myself.

However, it also surprised me that the Blue Shadows didn’t have much of a presence within Haven’s criminal underworld. It seemed like a strange oversight on their part. My surprise must have shown on my face, because Maria explained further.

“We used to have a more extensive network,” she said in a defensive tone. “However, when His Grace decided to remain in the Barrens for the better part of two decades, we decided to devote our attention to… Other areas.”

Ah, so that’s how it was.

“As interesting as this is,” Emmerich said, “Are we sure that the person responsible for siphoning money away from the orphanages is a criminal? We don’t want to make any unnecessary assumptions.”

Maria threw him a dirty look. She opened her mouth to respond, but Alois beat her to it.

“All of the orphanages under Princess Henriette’s patronage are located in the poorer neighborhoods of Haven.” He explained. “Criminals would stand out less than knights or mercenaries. Even if the person who is ultimately responsible for all this isn’t a criminal themselves, they would hire criminals to do their dirty work for them.”

Maria gave Alois a look of respect, before nodding at him.

“Indeed.” She said.

Emmerich crossed his arms and looked away from them, scowling.

“Fine.” He said. “I admit my ignorance in this matter. No need to gang up on me.”

Lina touched his arm, a sympathetic look on his face, before turning towards me.

“Thankfully, finding information won’t be a problem.” She said. “Alois here has many contacts within Haven’s criminal underworld. With his help, finding the tail of this particular snake won’t be difficult.”

I glanced at Alois.

“You’re a man of many talents.” I said.

He nodded.

“In my youth, I was what people would call a scoundrel and I fell in with a bad crowd for a while.” He said. “After I joined the Pink Orchid Trading Company, I decided to use that to my advantage and kept in contact with some of my old crew.”

The more Alois spoke, the more convinced I became that I knew him somehow. Strange. Yes, he said that he had been at the House of Shadows during the auction, when we tried to trap Valerie. However, for some reason, I didn’t think that explained the sense of familiarity I felt from him. I wanted to remove that mask of his and see his face, but refrained. Later. Right now, we were in the middle of an important meeting.

“If you wish,” Alois continued, “I can reach out to my contacts and find out what they know about the situation. It goes without saying that I’ll be discreet about it, to ensure no rumors spread.”

I nodded.

“We would much appreciate it.” I said. “Thank you.”

“We’ll do what we can as well.” Maria said.

I gave her a brief smile.

“Is there anything that you want me to do?” Emmerich asked, frowning.

I shook my head.

“Not that at this moment, no.” I said. “Right now, what we need most are leads. Without any, we’ll just be flailing about in the dark.” I gestured to him. “However, we’ll need your magic once we have someone to question and interrogate.”

Emmerich slumped.

“Meaning that you don’t need me right now.” He said.

I gave him a sympathetic smile. I understood how he felt, since I felt the same way. I was an Aura Master and the heir to House Kaltbrand, yet there was nothing I could do but wait. It was… Frustrating.

“Actually, maybe you can help me, Lord Emmerich.” Alois said. “I’ve heard that you can disguise your appearance with your magic. Is that true?”

Emmerich sat up straight and nodded.

“The people I need to meet are dangerous and I could use a magician of your caliber to watch my back.” Alois said. “However, I will warn you now that the places where we will meet these people are dens of vice and iniquity. You will expose yourself to the darker side of humanity. If you can’t handle that, let me know now.”

Emmerich snorted.

“I’m not as sheltered as you think I am.” He said. “Take me with you.”

Alois studied him for several seconds, before nodding.

“Very well.” He said.

I resisted the urge to sigh. Nevermind then. It appeared that Lina and I would be the only ones doing nothing for now. I found this ironic, since we were the ones that Princess Henriette asked for help in the first place.

“Are you sure about this?” Lina asked, a worried expression on her face.

“I’ve faced my fair share of danger.” Emmerich said. “I can handle myself.”

Lina’s expression remained the same despite, or maybe even because of, Emmerich’s attempt to reassure her. However, she didn’t try to dissuade him any further.

The five of us discussed the matter further for a bit, before Maria, Emmerich, and Alois all left to fulfill their respective tasks. Once they were gone, I leaned back in my chair and let out a long sigh.

“Why do I get the feeling that letting Emmerich go with Alois was a bad idea?” I asked, staring at the ceiling.

“That’s because it is.” Lina said with a sigh. “However, he’s an adult now. If we try to coddle him, he’ll only grow to resent us.”

I snorted.

“We sound like a pair of parents discussing their wayward child.” I said in an amused tone.

Lina chuckled at that, before falling silent. Neither one of us said a word for the next several seconds.

“How do you feel?” Lina asked, breaking the silence.

I stopped staring at the ceiling and looked at her. She wore a serious expression on her face.

“About what?” I asked.

“The imperial succession.” Lina said.

I sighed.

“It’s… Complicated.” I said. “Given what I’ve observed of Princess Henriette, she seems like the best candidate to support among the available choices. However, she has no interest in fighting for the throne. That just leaves Prince Cornelius, Prince Jeremias, and Leopold.” I shook my head. “Honestly, I don’t like the idea of supporting any of them.”

Lina frowned in thought for a moment.

“Wulfram,” she said. “I know that you two have had your differences, and I’m still angry with him over what happened, but Leopold-…”

I cut her off.

“No.” I said. “Not after what his family did in the Barrens. If it had been anyone other than Leopold, I would have started a war over it. However, being the sentimental fool that I am, I didn’t.”

Lina sighed.

“I know.” She said. “I don’t like the idea either, but Leopold is a better choice than Cornelius and Jeremias. I know that isn’t saying much, but still.”

I didn’t respond right away.

“There are times when one must compromise, Wulfram.” Lina said. “This may be one of those times.”

I took a long time before responding.

“I’ll… Think about it.” I said. “I can’t promise more than that.”

Lina gave me a sad smile, as if she understood my inner turmoil.

“That’s all I ask.” She said.

Should I support Leopold? This question troubled me for the rest of the night.