FF Chapter 76: Gotthard Wendel (Patreon)

After Gotthard’s declaration, I left the area to avoid getting entangled with the Imperial Guard. Four Aura Masters, two of whom wielding divine power, had just fought one another in a public area. There was no way that the Imperial Guard wouldn’t arrive to deal with the situation. In fact, it wouldn’t have surprised me if the Emperor himself demanded that the perpetrators be brought before him. Rather than get caught up in something annoying and unnecessary, I decided that caution was the better part of valor and fled the scene.

With Sir Kane’s help, I brought Gotthard Wendel and Volkhard along. The former’s leg had been encased in frozen Aura, but he maintained some mobility. To my surprise, he came along without a fuss. When I asked him why he was being so cooperative, he just smiled at me and said that he was just following the money.

Volkhard, on the other hand, was in much worse condition. While my coldfire had frozen some of his Aura, most of the damage he received came from Lady Melitta. She left him battered and bruised. His clothing was tattered, torn, and bloody. While his Aura protected him from most of it, it hadn’t protected him from all of it, especially after she used her divine power. Her final attack knocked him unconscious, which made it easy to take him away.

As for Lady Melitta herself, I saw no sign of her. She must have fled from the scene when my coldfire started to go out of control. I felt both relieved and disappointed by this. Relieved that she hadn’t taken advantage of my distraction to attack me, and disappointed that we couldn’t capture her. If we had, we could’ve forced House Ritter to take responsibility for the incident. Not only that, she could have told us who ordered her to attack Leopold

I already knew who it was. Rather, I suspected who it was. However, Lady Melitta’s testimony would have confirmed my suspicions, or shattered them altogether. There was Gotthard, I supposed, but I didn’t know how much to trust him, if at all. Besides, if it came down to a choice between him and Lady Melitta, I knew who people would believe more.

Once we put some distance between us and the scene of the fight, Sir Kane and I hailed a hired carriage to bring us back to Kaltbrand Manor. We faced some trouble when we tried to enter Haven’s Inner City, since the guards refused to let us in. I solved the problem by throwing my status around. While blunt and unsubtle, it was effective. Afterwards, we faced no obstacles on our way back to Kaltbrand Manor.

When we arrived, we found the manor a hive of activity. It turned out that Lina had arrived before us and warned my birth parents about what happened. The moment she heard this, Mom mobilized the Coldsteel Knights and prepared to move out. However, I arrived just before they left Kaltbrand Manor.

The Coldsteel Knights took Gotthard and Volkhard into custody. The former had attempted to kill a member of the imperial family, and had a history of conflict with Mom. As for Volkhard, he was an enemy of House Kaltbrand as far as Mom and Dad were concerned. In fact, I was surprised that my birth parents didn’t kill him right away. Gotthard went along without a fuss, while Volkhard was still unconscious.

Afterwards, Mom and Dad insisted on having a healer look over me. I said it wasn’t necessary, since Gotthard hadn’t broken through my Aura, but they refused to budge. In the end, I went along with their wishes, since I knew they were just concerned and worried about me.

The three of us met the healer in my study. The healer checked me over and declared me in perfect condition. However, it was too early for me to relax and let down my guard. In fact, that was the beginning of my troubles. After the healer left, Mom and Dad crossed their arms and glared at me. They also released their pressure. In that moment, I faced my greatest danger yet: angry and disappointed parents.

“Wulfram Leonhard Kaltbrand.” Mom said. “What were you thinking, young man?”

I blinked at her in confusion.

“Leonhard?” I asked.

“That was your original name,” Mom explained, “Before I lost you.” She pointed a finger at me. “Stop trying to change the topic in order to get out of trouble.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but Dad spoke up first.

“You caused a public disturbance and risked your life,” he said, “All for the sake of someone who is an enemy of our family.”

I frowned at him.

“Why do I get the feeling that you’re more angry about the latter than the former?”

“That’s because I am.” Dad growled. “I don’t care that you caused a public disturbance.” He made a dismissive gesture. “Cause as many as you want. The gods know that I have over the years. However, why would you do it for someone like Prince Leopold? After what he did, he’s lucky that we let him leave the Barrens alive.”

I resisted the urge to sigh. This was proving more difficult than I realized. I knew that Mom and Dad despised Leopold and his family for what they did, but I hadn’t realized it was this bad. Not that I could blame them. The Fallen Leaves interfered with House Kaltbrand’s succession, killed several innocent people, and committed various other crimes in the Barrens. By all rights, I should have turned my sword against Leopold and the rest of his family. However, I was a sentimental fool.

“He is…” I started to say, before stopping myself. “He was my friend. I couldn’t just stand by and watch him die.”

I gave Mom and Dad a weak smile. Their expressions softened somewhat.

“We understand, Wulfe.” Mom said in a quiet voice. “We know just how important your friends and family are to you.”

Dad shook his head.

“However,” he said, “Your past friendship with Prince Leopold doesn’t change the fact that he and his family are our enemies. They committed several grave sins against us and the people of the Barrens. The only reason why I haven’t put them to the sword yet is out of consideration for you.” He paused. “And because it would start a war with House Reichwald.”

I looked between the both of them and realized that they would never support Leopold’s bid for the throne, no matter how much I tried to convince them. Of course they wouldn’t. I was a fool for thinking that I even had a chance. That was nothing more than willful self-delusion on my part.

“I see.” I said in a subdued voice, looking down at my hands.

A beat of silence passed.

“Are you disappointed in us?” Mom asked.

I shook my head.

“No.” I said. “More like I’m disappointed in myself. I thought that…”

I trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

“You thought that maybe you could convince us to support Prince Leopold.” Dad said, finishing my sentence.

My head snapped up and I looked at Dad. He snorted.

“What?” He asked. “It was obvious. You had this anguished and tormented look on your face over the past few days, as if you were carrying some great and terrible burden. Your mom and I aren’t fools, Wulfe.”

I sighed.

“Would you consider supporting Leopold?” I asked. “Aside from Princess Henriette, he’s the… least terrible choice available. Prince Cornelius is, well, an arrogant and overbearing fool. If he becomes emperor, it would be just a matter of time before we faced another Year of Betrayal. As for Prince Jeremias, I’m certain that he still holds a grudge against us after what happened with the Tower of Magic.”

Mom raised an eyebrow at me.

“You and I have different definitions of ‘least terrible’, Wulfe.” She said. “Prince Jeremias may hold a grudge against us, but not an irreconcilable one. I’m sure we can work something out with him if we tried.” She paused. “However, I agree with you when it comes to Prince Cornelius. He is the last person we want on the throne.” She shook her head. “Even so, I can’t in good conscience support Prince Leopold. Not after what his family did. Right, Anselm?”

Mom looked at Dad. However, instead of agreeing right away, he wore a thoughtful expression on his face.

“It’s not impossible.” He said after a long moment.

I blinked at Dad in surprise. Mom, on the other hand, gave him a frosty look.

“Anselm.” She said, her voice low and dangerous.

Dad held his hands out to her in a consolatory gesture.

“Before you say anything,” he said, “Hear me out first.”

Mom just narrowed her eyes further and didn’t say anything.

“Prince Leopold’s family needs to pay for their crimes.” Dad said. “That is the only way I would ever consider supporting his bid for the throne. However, they are members of the imperial family, which limits what we can do to them.” He grinned. “This just leaves one suitable option.”

I waited for him to continue. However, he just gave me an expectant look and didn’t say anything further. I assumed he wanted me to figure it out for myself. It didn’t take me long. Given what I knew about Dad, the answer was obvious.

“You want to keep them as long-term guests at Kaltbrand Castle?” I guessed.

Dad nodded. Mom’s expression eased up a bit, though it still remained frosty.

“That’s… not the worst idea.” She admitted.

I frowned. Holding Prince Dirk and his wife, Princess Stella, hostage would give us significant leverage over Leopold. If nothing else, it would keep him from turning against us. Not unless he wanted to risk his parents’ lives. However, this idea came with its own drawbacks.

“Wouldn’t keeping Prince Dirk and Princess Stella hostage make it appear as if House Reichwald was subordinate to House Kaltbrand?” I asked. “I fear that this would foster resentment among the rest of the nobility. The other ducal families may even consider this an attempt by House Kaltbrand to usurp the throne.”

Dad gave me an innocent look.

“Who said anything about holding them hostage?” He asked. “I simply want to keep them as long-term guests of House Kaltbrand.”

Mom and I shared a look, before we both rolled our eyes at the same time.

“You two are no fun.” Dad said. “To answer your question, Prince Dirk and Princess Stella would have to leave House Reichwald. It would essentially be exile, which should have been Prince Dirk’s fate in the first place. The only reason why he remained a member of the imperial family in the first place was because of that ridiculous bargain he made with his brother.”

I nodded. The reason why Leopold had a chance at becoming the next emperor was because of father. Decades ago, Prince Dirk made a deal with then Prince Hilmar, who was now Emperor. The former would give up his right of succession. In exchange, his children would have the right to compete for the throne. Prince Hilmar accepted this deal, thus leading to the current situation.

“If Leopold’s parents left House Reichwald,” I said, “Wouldn’t that nullify his claim to the throne?”

Dad shook his head.

“No.” He said. “Prince Leopold would remain a member of the imperial family. I believe this would legally make him an orphan.”

I frowned.

“I’m not sure if Leopold would accept that.” I said. “Even if he did, I’m not sure if Prince Dirk and Princess Stella would.”

If we proposed this before Leopold joined hands with House Galdur, that would have been a different story. However, as things stood, I didn’t know.

“That is the minimum price they must pay if Prince Leopold wants House Kaltbrand’s support.” Dad said, his expression turning cold. “If they don’t like it, then they shouldn’t have interfered in my territory.” He turned to Mom. “What do you think, Sophie?”

Mom wore a conflicted expression on her face.

“I don’t like it.” She said. “However, as I said earlier, it’s not the worst idea.” She paused for a beat. “I won’t oppose you, Wulfe, if this is the path you want to walk. Your father and I entrusted you with this task, and we will support you to the bitter end.” She grimaced. “Even so, I really don’t like it.”

I looked between Mom and Dad, a grateful smile on my face.

“Thank you.” I said. “You two are far more lenient and generous than I deserve.”

Mom gave me a teasing smile.

“Oh?” she said. “Does this mean you like us more than Duke and Duchess Guld?”

I froze at her question. Dad chuckled.

“You don’t have to answer that.” He said, reaching over to ruffle my hair. “We won’t force you to pick between us and your adopted family.” He grinned. “Besides, I already know that I’m better than that golden-haired spendthrift.”

I gave Dad an annoyed look while I straightened out my hair.

“Now that we have that settled,” Mom said, “I’m going to keep an eye out, just in case any unwanted visitors arrive.”

Dad sighed.

“And I have to return to my own duties.” He said, sounding forlorn. “It’s so difficult, being the Grand Duke.”

Mom rolled her eyes. I said goodbye to my birth parents as they left my study. Afterwards, I remained in my study for a while longer, lost in thoughts.

***

A few minutes after my birth parents left my study, I headed out as well. First I checked in on Lina, to make sure she was alright, before I headed to the basement. Unlike Kaltbrand Castle, Kaltbrand Manor didn’t have a dungeon. However, it still had a few holding cells in the basements, ones designed to contain Aura users and magicians. This was where the Coldsteel Knights brought Gotthard Wendel and Volkhard.

The basement was cool and dry, which I appreciated. The walls, floor, and ceiling were a mixture of wood and stone. The few mana crystal lamps in the area provided dim lighting. This gave the basement a somewhat gloomy atmosphere. The faint scent of dust lingered in the air, making my nose itch.

The holding cells were located at the far end of the basement. There were three in total. Gotthard occupied one, while Volkhard occupied the other. The doors to each of the cells had a little slit that allowed people to peer into them. Metal slide panels covered the slits. A pair of Coldsteel Knights kept guard. The knights saluted when they saw me. I gave them both a brief nod each, before using the slits to check the occupied cells.

Volkhard was still unconscious, though it appeared as if a healer already tended to him. His wounds were bandaged, and his clothes had been replaced. Gotthard, on the other hand, lounged about in his cell with a carefree expression on his face. He looked fine, if a bit worse for wear. The frozen Aura that once encased his leg was now gone.

I opened the door to Gotthard’s cell and entered.

“Ah, there he is.” He said in a cheerful voice. “I was starting to wonder if you had forgotten about me, kid.”

I gave him a hard look.

“I’m not here for idle chatter.” I said. “We had a wager. You lost, and I’ve come to collect my prize.”

Gotthard snorted.

“I didn’t lose,” he said. “Our fight ended in a draw.”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“If our fight had continued,” I said, “You would have lost.”

Gotthard grinned.

“But it didn’t.” He said. “Therefore, I didn’t lose. As I said, it ended in a draw.”

I studied him for a moment.

“Very well.” I said. “In that case, I shall take my leave.”

With that, I made to leave the cell. Gotthard remained relaxed and watched me. However, when it appeared that I would actually leave the cell, he dropped his carefree expression.

“Wait.” He said.

I started to close the door behind me.

“Hold on!”

I stopped and poked my head into the cell. Gotthard scowled at me.

“What is it with you northerners?” He grumbled. “You people can’t even take a joke.”

I stepped back into the cell and closed the door behind me.

“Joke?” I asked, letting out a derisive snort. “You mean your attempt at extortion. By calling the end of our fight a draw, you planned on claiming that we either both lost, or that we both won. That way, you could get more money out of me.” I raised an eyebrow at him. “Am I wrong?”

Gotthard regarded me for several moments, before he shrugged.

“I am a mercenary.” He said without an ounce of shame. “Can you blame me?” He sighed. “Besides, after what happened, I am going to need the money.”

I crossed my arms and glared at him.

“Tell me who hired you.” I said. “Depending on what you say, I may or may not pay extra. However, don’t worry. No matter what, I’ll honor the terms of our wager.”

Gotthard studied me for a while before nodding.

“Very well.” He said. “The person who hired me was a man, though he never gave me his name. However, I could tell he was a noble from the way he spoke and the way he carried himself.”

That did little to narrow it down. There were hundreds of nobles in Haven, and several times that number throughout the entire Reichwald Empire.

“What did this man look like?” I asked.

“Tall,” Gotthard said, “Tanned skin, short blonde hair, and blue eyes. If I had to guess, I’d say he was born and raised in the Crownlands. He was handsome, I suppose, in a soft and spoiled sort of way.”

Wait a moment. This sounded familiar.

“A bland kind of handsome?” I asked. “If you saw him in a crowd of nobles, he wouldn’t stand out?”

Gotthard blinked at me in surprise.

“Huh.” He said. “I hadn’t thought of it like that, but yes.”

“Was this man an Aura user?”

Gotthard nodded.

“Yes,” he said, “An Aura Expert to be exact.” He raised an eyebrow at me. “You know this man?”

“If he is who I think he is,” I said, “Then yes.”

There was one man I knew who fit the description that Gotthard just gave me: Sir Alwin Bretz, a knight in the Imperial Guard. I met him when I first arrived in Haven, when I went to the imperial palace in order to meet with the Emperor. Sir Alwin hindered my progress, as part of some asinine plot to intimidate me, and Knight Commander Bennett punished him for it. That was the last I heard of him.

From what I remembered, Sir Alwin was one of Prince Cornelius’ supporters. If he was indeed the one who hired Gotthard, then that proved my suspicions correct. Prince Cornelius was the one behind the assassination attempt on Leopold.