FF Chapter 73: The Trickster (Patreon)

Silence fell over the office after Reinhard spoke, as no one said anything for several seconds. I marveled at the audacity of the man. He took Emmerich into custody, and risked making enemies of House Guld, and now he wanted to make a deal? I didn’t know whether to applaud Reinhard for his confidence, or shake my head at his foolishness.

“A deal, you say?” Lina asked. “How about this? You give Emmerich back to us, and I won’t kill you and your people for laying hands on my brother.”

Reinhard blinked at her in surprise and his smile stiffened. Lina’s words had taken him off guard. Rosemarie, on the other hand, didn’t react at all.

“You’re a vicious one.” Reinhard said after he regained his composure. “I’m surprised, given your appearance.” He nodded at me. “I expected a threat like that from you, Lord Wulfe.”

I bared my teeth at him in a smile.

“I don’t need to resort to threats.” I said.

Reinhard threw back his head and laughed.

“Oh, I like you, Lord Wulfe.” He said.

“I can’t say the same of you.” I replied.

Lina took a deep breath.

“Enough.” She said, dropping all pretenses. “Release my brother. I don’t want to stay in this place any longer than necessary.”

Reinhard nodded.

“Very well.” He said. “Rosemarie, will you please retrieve Lord Emmerich and bring him here?” He glanced at Lina. “I’d rather not antagonize Lady Lina and Lord Wulfe any further.”

Rosemarie nodded, before she left the office.

“While we wait for Rosemarie to return with Lord Emmerich,” Reinhard said, sitting back down, “please, take a seat. I have a proposal that will interest the both of you.”

Lina and I remained standing.

“First you kidnap Emmerich, and now you want to make a deal with us?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him. “You have a strange way of doing business.”

Reinhard shrugged.

“It seemed like the fastest way to catch your attention.” He said. “Besides, I didn’t kidnap Lord Emmerich. I merely… took him into custody.” He snorted. “He should be grateful. Most cheaters receive much harsher treatment from us. The only reason why we were so gentle with him is because he is a Guld.”

I blinked at him in surprise.

“Wait, Emmerich cheated?” I asked. “That wasn’t just an excuse?”

Reinhard wore a pained expression on his face.

“He used his mental magic to gain an unfair advantage and thought we wouldn’t notice,” he said.

Lina and I shared a look. Alois had left out that little detail when he told about what happened, or maybe he hadn’t known. Regardless, we would have a long talk with Emmerich after we got him back.

“I apologize on my brother’s behalf.” Lina said, giving Reinhard a nod. “I’ll make sure to chastise him about his behavior once we return home.” She narrowed her eyes. “However, that still doesn’t excuse your actions.”

Reinhard shrugged.

“It was the best I could do at the time.” He said. “Another player also noticed that Lord Emmerich cheated using magic. If I had done nothing, my reputation would have suffered.”

“You said that you also did it to catch our attention.” I said. “Why? What do you want?”

Reinhard’s expression grew serious.

“The two of you are investigating the orphanages under Princess Henriette’s patronage, correct?” He asked.

It took a great deal of self control on my part not to react to that.

“Don’t bother denying it.” Reinhard continued. “I figured out what you were up to a few days ago. Your people are good, but so are mine. I have eyes and ears all over the city. It wasn’t difficult to put together the pieces.”

“Even if we assume that you are right,” Lina said, “Why would we tell you anything? For all we know, you’re the one behind everything.”

Reinhard gave her a sharp smile. He opened his mouth to say something, but a knock on the door interrupted him.

“Enter,” he called out.

Rosemarie walked into the office, with Emmerich right behind her. To my relief, he looked fine. In fact, he wasn’t even bound or restrained in any way. I found this odd. Emmerich was a magician, a Sage to be exact. Why hadn’t he used his magic to escape? Unless Reinhard put him in a magic circle that suppressed mana.

“Emmerich!” Lina said, before rushing over to him.

Emmerich looked both relieved and ashamed to see us.

“Big Sis!” He said as the two embraced.

They held each other for a few seconds, before they pulled apart and Lina started fussing over Emmerich. Meanwhile, Rosemarie walked over to stand beside Reinhard once more.

“Are you okay?” Lina asked. “They didn’t hurt you in any way, did they?”

Emmerich shook his head.

“I’m fine.” He said. “They treated me well for the most part.” He glared at Reinhard. “Though I could’ve done without the curse.”

“Curse?” Lina asked.

“That one over there has divine power.” Emmerich said, nodding at Reinhard. “He cursed me to prevent me from escaping or harming one of his people.

Lina and I looked at Reinhard. He shrugged.

“It was better than resorting to more drastic measures.” He said.

“That would explain why you were bold enough to risk making enemies of us.” I said. “Who is your… Patron?”

While the imperial family and the ducal families were the only ones known to have divine power, that didn’t mean others couldn’t have it as well. In theory, anyone could. The priests and priestesses of the Church of Light and Darkness derived theirs from their faith in the gods. The stronger their faith, the stronger their divine power. 

However, outside of that, the gods were selective when it came to who they granted divine power to. It was often tied to a contract or a promise. For House Kaltbrand, we needed to remain in the Barrens and hold the line against the demonic beasts that came down from the Edge of the World. I imagined it was the same for the other ducal families, as well as the imperial family.

The divine power that one received depended on the god in question. House Kaltbrand’s coldfire came from the God of Darkness, while House Reichwald’s power came from the Goddess of Light. I didn’t know about the other ducal houses, since they didn’t share their secrets with outsiders, but I could make an educated guess. For example, House Guld’s power of prosperity and growth likely came from the Goddess of Spring.

“I wouldn’t share that under normal circumstances,” Reichwald said. “However, in the interest of gaining your trust, I will tell you. I just ask that you keep it to yourselves.” He frowned. “I don’t want it made public that I have divine power. It would attract too much unwanted attention.”

I shared a look with Lina. We both nodded, before turning to Emmerich. He grumbled, but acquiesced in the end.

“Fine,” he spat out, “As long as you remember to take this curse off of me. I’m tired of tripping over nothing.”

I raised an eyebrow at Reinhard.

“The Trickster.” He said, grinning. “My patron god is the Trickster.”

Huh. That would explain a lot. The Trickster was one of the youngest of the gods. In fact, I believed he was younger than the Reichwald Empire itself. His proper title was the God of Fortune and Misfortune. However, he was a notorious prankster. So much so, that stories of his exploits have reached the mortal realm. Thus he was called the Trickster.

“I see.” Lina said, frowning. “So you aren’t the one who stole from the orphanages under Henriette’s patronage. If you had, the Trickster would have punished you.”

Reinhard nodded. I understood why he shared the name of his patron god with us. It was the most effective way to prove his innocence. Each of the gods had their own area of responsibility. The Trickster was the God of Fortune and Misfortune. However, he was also the guardian of outcasts, pariahs, and the scorned. Among others, this included orphans.

This was tied to a tale about the Trickster. According to the story, the Trickster once descended to our world in order to live as a mortal. Being a young god, he was still rather naive at the time, and the world can be a cruel place. So it was with the Trickster. He endured many hardships and suffered a lot as a result.

However, he also received much kindness, especially from those scorned by society: beggars, prostitutes, and so on. Most of them had little to share to begin with, so their kindness took on greater meaning. The Trickster never forgot their generosity. When he returned home, he repaid them by watching over them from the heavens above. Whenever the Church of Light and Darkness worked to help the less fortunate, the followers of the Trickster were often at the forefront.

Someone with the Trickster as their patron god wouldn’t be able to steal from orphans. Rather, they could. However, they would be punished for it. At the very least, they would lose their divine power. Reinhard still had his, so he wasn’t the one we were after.

“Indeed.” Reinhard said, agreeing with Lina’s words. “In fact, the reason why I lured you here in the first place was to offer my aid.” His expression grew harsh. “My god demands it. The ones responsible must be punished.”

Reinhard’s divine power flared. For a moment, he seemed less like a man and more like an instrument of divine punishment. His power wasn’t as overbearing as mine or the Emperor’s, but it felt sharper and crueler. After a few seconds, Reinhard reined in his power and he was just a man once more.

“Wait a moment,” I said. “If you were going to offer your help, why didn’t you just send an invitation to us?” I gestured to Emmerich. “Why go through all this trouble?”

Reinhard grinned.

“That would be too straightforward,” he said. “My god is the Trickster, after all.” He shrugged. “Besides, Lord Emmerich deserved some form of punishment for cheating.”

Emmerich scoffed.

“That’s rich coming from someone like you.” He said. “According to the stories, the Trickster lies and cheats all the time.”

Reinhard gave him a level look.

“Your sin wasn’t the cheating itself,” he said. “It was cheating at my casino.”

The two glared at each other for several seconds, before Emmerich looked away.

“Tch, fine.” He said, clicking his tongue in displeasure. “I apologize for cheating at your casino. It won’t happen again.”

Reinhard smiled.

“Good.” He said, before looking at Lina and I. “To get back to business, what do you say? Do you accept my offer?”

Lina and I shared a look, before I gestured for her to take the lead.

“That depends.” Lina said. “What do you want? The Trickster is the guardian of the less fortunate, but even he demands a price for his aid. Nothing is free.”

Reinhard put his hand to his chest, an expression of faux outrage on his face.

“Why, I simply want to see justice done and-…” His lips twitched, before he lost his composure altogether and laughed. “I’m sorry, that was too much, even for me.”

Lina narrowed her eyes at him. Reinhard held up his hands mock surrender.

“How terrifying.” He said, before glancing at me. “Are you sure you want to marry her? She seems like the kind of woman who would cut out someone’s tongue for saying the wrong thing.”

I glared at him.

“Just name your price,” I said, “Otherwise, we’re leaving.”

Reinhard sighed.

“Why can’t anyone ever take a joke?” He asked no one in particular. “Very well. What I want is simple. I need your help in meting out justice against a group of miscreants and evildoers who have caused me a lot of trouble.”

I raised an eyebrow at him.

“You want us to get rid of your rivals for you.” I said.

It was a guess on my part. However, given what I knew of Reinhard, it made sense. After all, despite his demeanor, Reinhard was a criminal. Some even called him the King of the Underworld. If he wanted us to deal with another group of criminals, then they were likely enemies of his.

“I suppose you could put it like that,” Reinhard said, disappointed, “If you want to be boring.”

“And what do we gain in exchange?” Lina asked. “What sort of aid are you offering, exactly?”

“Simple.” Reinhard said. “As I mentioned earlier, I have eyes and ears all over the city. Finding out who stole from those orphanages is child’s play for me. It should only take me a day or two.” He made a so-so gesture. “Finding out their backer’s identity is a different issue altogether. That will take more time.”

I mulled it over. His offer tempted me. Lina and I had our own people. However, they were outsiders to Haven’s criminal underworld. Reinhard’s people, on the other hand, were a part of it. They would stand out less, if nothing else. Still, I didn’t know if that was worth allying ourselves with a criminal like Reinhard. If rumors spread of our involvement with him, our reputations in high society would suffer.

“If that wasn’t enough to convince you,” Reinhard said, as if reading my mind, “I can offer each of you a blessing.” He nodded at Emmerich. “Just as I gave Lord Emmerich a curse, I can also give out blessings.”

I looked at Emmerich.

“What do you say?” I asked him. “You’re the only one of us here who has had any experience with his divine power.”

Emmerich’s expression turned sour.

“As loath as I am to admit it,” he said, “Reinhard’s divine power is strong. I’m a Sage, and his curse prevented me from escaping even though he made no other attempt to restrict or restrain me. If his blessing is just as powerful, then it would be useful to have.”

Lina and I shared a look. After a moment, she nodded.

“Very well,” I said, facing Reinhard again. “On one condition. When we go after the criminals who stole from the orphans, I want you to participate. Not just your people. I want you, in particular.”

Reinhard shrugged.

“That’s fine with me,” he said. “I was going to help you anyway. In fact, I want to be there when you go after their backers.” He stood up and held out his hand. “Shall we shake on it?”

I walked over to shake his hand. Despite his thin build, Reinhard was stronger than I thought. He had a solid grip. Not only that, but he knew how to fight. I could tell from the calluses on his hand. My hands had similar ones.

As we shook hands, I felt Reinhard’s divine power stir. When I pulled my hand back, I realized that I was holding a gold coin. However, it wasn’t any currency that I was familiar with. Instead, it depicted a grinning Reinhard on it. I looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

“That’s a token of my blessing,” he explained. “When you want to use it, toss it into the air and you will receive a stroke of good fortune. However, you can only use it once, so don’t waste it.”

“Thank you,” I said.

I glanced at the others, and saw that they also had gold coins in their hands. When had he…? I looked at Reinhard, who just gave me a mysterious smile. In the end, I decided to let it go and move on.

“Now that our business is concluded,” I said. “We shall take our leave. When you have the information we need, send it to Kaltbrand Manor.”

“What’s the rush?” Reinhard asked. “Why not stay and play a few games?” He studied me for a moment. “With that face of yours, I think you would do well at the card tables.”

“That won’t be necessary.” I said.

Reinhard shrugged.

“Your loss.” He said.

With that Lina and I turned to leave, with Emmerich in tow. However, we only took a few steps before Emmerich tripped and fell flat on his face. Lina and I stared at him.

“Oh, right.” Reinhard said. “I almost forgot.”

His divine power stirred as he made a grasping gesture towards Emmerich. Afterwards, a black coin appeared in Reinhard’s hand, as if conjured from thin air. This one also depicted an image of him grinning. However, his smile was much more malicious.

Emmerich scrambled to his feet and glared at Reinhard. The latter seemed amused by this. For a moment, I feared that Emmerich would attack Reinhard and prepared to intervene. However, Emmerich just turned around and left the office. I gave Reinhard one last glance, before I escorted Lina out.

The three of us didn’t say anything until we left Twist of Fate and entered our carriage. Afterwards, we headed back towards Kaltbrand Manor. The Blue Shadows and the employees of the Pink Orchid Trading Company would remain to keep an eye on Twist of Fate. However, the Coldsteel Knights and the Golden Rose knights would leave now that they were no longer needed. This was something we had arranged beforehand, during our preparations.

While we were on our way back to Kaltbrand Manor, Lina grabbed Emmerich’s ear and twisted it. His face contorted with pain, but he made no attempt to escape Lina’s grasp.

“What were you thinking?” she scolded. “Using your magic to cheat? You should be ashamed of yourself!”

“Big Sis, stop!” Emmerich pleaded. “It hurts!”

“Good! Maybe then you’ll learn not to abuse your power!”

Rather than intervene, I decided to sit back and watch this play out. While I considered Emmerich my brother, I wasn’t as close with him as Lina was.

“I didn’t cheat!” Emmerich said. “I just wanted to check to see if the dealer was cheating, since I lost three games in a row. How was I supposed to know that one of the other players was also a magician?”

“I don’t care,” Lina said. “Do you know how worried I was? How do you think Father and Mother will react once I tell them about what happened?”

Emmerich paled at that.

“Please don’t.” He said. “I promise to never do it again. Just please don’t tell Father and Mother.”

Lina studied him for several seconds, before she nodded.

“Fine.” She said, before letting go of his ear. “I’ll let it go this time.”

Emmerich rubbed his ear while sulking.

“Do you think we can trust him?” Lina asked me. “Reinhard, that is.”

I nodded.

“Yes,” I said, “At least in this matter, and only in this matter. He is a temporary ally. No more, no less.”

Lina nodded.

“I thought the same.” She said. “In that case, do you mind if I get a little revenge on Reinhard? Don’t worry, I won’t do anything to jeopardize our deal with him. However, he needs to know that insulting House Guld comes at a price.”

I gave her a wary look.

“What price?” I asked.

Lina gave me a gentle smile.

“You’ll find out soon enough.” She said.

I decided against asking for more details. Sometimes, it was better not to know.