ROTLE- Chapter 190- Melvet (Patreon)

The world boomed into reality like a bright light. It was vastly different from what Elaswit knew of teleportation.

With the disorientation of the world and her very self coming undone, returning was like a slap to her very being. She staggered once, teetered, then fell.

Her uncle’s hand landed firmly on her shoulder, keeping her in place. It was enough. Her knees did not buckle. She did not fall. Her stomach, however, had other ideas. It twisted and turned, churned like a volcano on the brink of eruption.

It must have shown on her face because Uncle Tradis shot her a hard look. “You throw up on these floors you’ll be working for the church for a year.”

Elaswit tightened her throat immediately and beat down the disgust. Besides, it wasn’t as if there was much in her stomach to vomit. The man had been feeding her once a day since they’d left the palace.

It was a while longer before her stomach steadied and there was no threat of vomit.

Uncle Tradis looked at her. “Are we all better?”

“Yes.” She nodded very slowly, hiding even her displeasure at him from her expression.

The man in front of her was not her Uncle. Well… he was. But he was not the Uncle Tradis she’d grown up to love. The uncle who visited once in a while with gifts and trinkets and laughed and played and was the nicest human alive. On a few occasions he’d even helped them do things they were not supposed to do and lied to their father about it.

He’d fought her dad once over being too strict at one point.

That was Uncle Tradis. He was the fun uncle, the loving uncle. The uncle she knew and loved.

The man beside her had been nothing but hard and firm and disciplined.

She’d thrown a tantrum once two days ago and he’d slapped her. Uncle Tradis had slapped her. Even now she still couldn’t believe it.

“Let’s go.” Uncle Tradis stepped off the pavement.

For a moment, Elaswit didn’t move. “Where are we going, Uncle?”

“To the Dirtwater manor,” he answered, stopping to look at her.

“Why?”

“Because Valdan is out doing the gods know what, and he’s not home.”

Elaswit got off the platform. “So how’s the estate functioning?”

“He left a lady called Melvet in charge.” He frowned. “As much as I hate to admit it, she does an amazing job. Better than your mother ever could.”

That was high praise.

“Who exactly is Melvet?”

“His beloved.”

“So why are we going there since he’s not there?” she asked.

“Because there is something important in that house that has been left to Melvet.”

“You think she’s pretending to love him?”

“Nope. She’ll probably die for him.”

Elaswit didn’t understand. “Then what’s the problem.”

“That’s a difficult one.” He pressed his lips in a thin line, as if in confused thoughts. “Something about that woman just doesn’t sit right with me.”

He said nothing else, and they walked through the massive church. Elaswit had one more question, a question she could not keep to herself. It was brewing suspicion in her mind.

“Uncle?”

“Yes, Elaswit.” He did not look back at her.

Elaswit swallowed. The question felt like something she was not supposed to ask. Still, she had to ask it.

“What’s your connection to the church?”

…

Pale grey eyes watched Aiden from beneath pale blue hair that came to stop at her shoulders. Hood down, the woman looked like she was in her late twenties, maybe her early thirties. Aiden couldn’t place her right.

“How do you know that name?” she repeated.

Her hands were out in the open. One was bandaged. The bandage a bright white in the light of the rising sun. She had hard eyes, watchful eyes. They reminded Aiden of a predator.

Sword held in hand,t he kept careful eyes on her. There was no reason to answer the questions of a stranger. Besides, his bigger worry was the clothed weapon on her back. He guessed it was a spear or some such.

Elami moved closer to Ted’s side, Valdan still in his arms. The woman’s eyes followed him, tracked each movement. Her hand opened and closed.

Battle seemed imminent. Meanwhile, the distant battle against Nosrath continued to echo. Dim sounds as people died trying to bring down a monster with great regenerative abilities and a health too strong to simply be trimmed down one step at a time.

“You should be careful,” Elami whispered to Ted. “She looks dangerous.”

Ted scoffed. “You don’t say.”

Anyone with combat experience knew that she was a woman ready to attack. The question was why she was hung up on the name Melvet.

The woman looked in the general direction of Nosrath’s battle, then back at the group.

“I am not a fan of repeating myself,” she said simply.

Aiden’s hold on his sword adjusted. He relaxed his wrist for easy flow of sword strikes. “I will beg you to take your leave. Or better yet, announce yourself.”

The woman frowned. It was surprisingly a beautiful thing, beautiful yet deadly somehow. There was a ferocity to it, like the beauty of watching a snow leopard hunt.

It worried Aiden.

For a moment, they were all silent.

Then her eyes moved. They moved to Fjord who was standing and watching, probably deciding on where to place his gamble. Then they moved to Ted, momentarily ignoring Elami and Valdan. When they reached Oncot, her eyebrows twitched a little, as if deciding if the man belonged or not.

In the end, they settled on Aiden. His arm to be precise.

Recognition crossed her eyes then.

It made Aiden think.

She couldn’t be. Could she?

His brows furrowed. He gave it some thought. By all accounts, it wouldn’t make sense. It was too far away, too far out.

The woman sighed. The frown on her face softened, turned to worry, then something odd. It was like a mother about to scold a child.

“He was right.” She ran a hand through her blue hair. “Your diplomatic skills are shit.”

Aiden sheathed his sword with a sigh of his own. He was sure of it now.

Fjord looked from him to her. He inched towards Ted. “Am I missing something?”

“I wonder.” Ted looked at Aiden. “Aida? Explanations would be nice.”

Aiden gestured to the woman lazily. “Everyone, please meet the most important person in Valdan’s life.”

Gasps went through the group.

“I thought you were the most important person in Valdan’s life.” Fjord looked positively surprised.

“Yeah.” Ted looked from Aiden to the woman then back. “I was really hoping to find some boy’s love in this.”

The woman raised a brow. Aiden sighed.

“You and I both know that that’s not true,” Aiden said.

The woman shrugged. “He did always fancy young and daring men.” She looked away, slightly embarrassed. “I always tried to curb his desires but… alas, men will be men.”

Aiden paused. He was not alone.

He blinked. He hoped. He…

“I jest,” she said after a moment. “I thought Ted was the funny one.” She looked at Ted. “I’m surprised you took me seriously.”

Ted looked at Aiden. “Who exactly is this chick? Most important person in Valdan’s life? I like her already.”

This was definitely the last thing Aiden needed right now.

“Everyone, meet Melvet.” He scratched his forehead. “First Lady to Valdan Dirtwater.”

Melvet curtsied. “It is nice to finally meet you all.”

“Never heard of you, sorry.” Ted still waved happily.

Melvet shrugged. “Valdan is most oft very quiet about his life. Even his king… former king, probably knew very little about me.” Her eyes moved to Fjord. “You must be Fjord, the [Gambler].” She looked at Oncot. “I do not know you.” Then at Elami, her eyes hardened when they settled on him. “Or you.”

“Oncot,” Aiden gestured at the large man, “he’s a fighter from some enigmatic tribe. And Elami,” he gestured accordingly. “He’s a [Healer] we met on our last run.”

“The crystal cave,” she mused.

Ted paused. “You know about that?”

“That was the last time Valdan spoke to me, before I found out what I know.”

Aiden’s eyes narrowed. “And what do you know?”

“That the man I love is not healthy.” Her eyes moved over to Elami. “Why was the [Healer] hired? What is his motivation for joining you?”

Aiden blinked. She was like Valdan, but without the demanding tone. At least, Valdan before he had learnt to trust Aiden.

Aiden scratched his head. If it was someone else, he would’ve reacted differently. But the most important person to Valdan was almost as important as Valdan to him.

“He just had his reasons,” he said in the end.

Melvet’s expression showed that she was not pleased with the answer. “Can he be trusted?”

“For now,” Ted answered. Elami glared at him and he shrugged. “What? You know its true.”

Melvet sighed. “Let’s just leave this place.”

“Can’t.” Aiden shook his head. “I have something I must do.”

Her eyes moved in the direction of Nosrath once more. “The heart.”

Valdan had really told her everything. It seemed he was not the only one sneaking around and doing things people did not know about. Then again, Ted had gained the [Enchant] skill and he didn’t know.

He really didn’t pay much attention to the others besides leveling them up and making sure they were safe.

Maybe he should change that going forward. He doubted he would do it well.

“I can’t leave without the heart,” he said.

She gave him the most incredulous look. “He said you were arrogant, but this is just outrageous.” She paused, as if considering her words. “Maybe arrogant in the beginning, but you did back it up, so I guess we can call it very confident. But that excuses nothing.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re excused. But you are not taking Valdan with you in a situation such as this.”

Why would she…

Aiden shook his head, it didn’t matter. “I’m not taking Valdan anywhere. They are taking him elsewhere. I will find them when I have the heart.”

Melvet gave it another line of thought. “You will leave him with people he does not trust?”

“I trust my brother.”

She was already shaking her head. “He will not like it, therefore it is not acceptable.”

“He has grown to know Ted over time. He trusts Ted,” Aiden explained.

“Only in that you trust him.” Melvet folded her arms over her chest. “He has his reservations.”

“A smart man.” Ted grinned, showing teeth. “I definitely like this couple. They’re my new power couple.”

Aiden did not agree. Melvet seemed like one of those ladies who fought in the restaurant because they didn’t give her man exactly what he ordered and he was too—for a lack of a better word—introverted to say anything.

Such a woman was amazing for her man, but a problem for everyone else.

“I guess it’s good you’re here then,” Aiden pointed out. “You can go with them, keep him safe.”

“He won’t be happy to know that you were left behind.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“And how can I be sure of that?”

“Because I said so.”

“With all due respect, Lord Lacheart, you are but a child.”

Aiden’s jaw ticked before he could even control himself. “I will still be fine.”

“I cannot allow it.”

Aiden blinked. She could not allow it. She. Could. Not. Allow. It.

He almost barked out a sarcastic laugh.

She could not allow it?

By the greater gods.

Melvet started walking before he could say anything. It served to reset his brain for a moment. He looked at her, a little confused. He wasn’t the only one confused.

“Where are you going?” he asked in his confusion.

Melvet paused. She had been walking in a direction that did not lead to them.

“Nosrath has high regeneration and endurance,” she explained, as if to children who didn’t know much. “The people fighting it will not be able to kill it until the moon rises again.” She took the spear from her back and hefted it. “If I assist them, perhaps I can speed up the process.”

“I heard about this,” Fjord said suddenly. “When two people have a system marriage, they can exchange stats and skills in certain conditions. Their interfaces become one.”

“System-sanctioned?” Ted asked.

Fjord shook his head. “No, system marriage. System sanctioned is when someone with the system rights to marry two people by designation or ownership blesses the marriage. System marriage is like an oath taken between two people binding their interfaces. The system regards them as two halves of a whole.”

Some people who did this made sure that their spouses were just as good as them at using their skills and whatever else they gained.

“That is as romantic as it is worrying,” Ted said.

Melvet nodded. “It is. And we are not.”

“Then how do you intend on speeding up the process?” Aiden asked her.

“I am beloved by a knight, Lord Lacheart,” she explained carefully. “Only a weak man loves a woman and does not do everything in his power to make her capable of independence.”

Aiden cocked his head to the side. “He taught you how to fight?”

“No, Lord Lacheart,” she corrected. “He taught me how to kill.”

“And you mean to hurry up the death of Nosrath?”

“Yes. If I help them, it will die faster. I know more about the creature than everyone there combined. I am something of a reader, you see.”

Aiden nodded as she spoke. It was ludicrous what she was saying, but he was listening.

“If we kill it fast enough,” she continued, “then someone can take the heart and you and I can… how do you call it where you come from?… jump them. Is that it?” she asked Ted.

Ted nodded. “Jump them works fine.”

She even knew Earth slangs. Jumping as a term of ganging up on people was not something on Nastild. Valdan really did share everything with her.

It was cute.

Aiden shook his head. “No.”

“I don’t understand.” She gave him a confused look. “Was that not the plan?” She tilted her head like a child confused at logic she was taught not being correct. “It sounds like the logical and reasonable plan. Valdan said that you were logical and reasonable in your plans, unfettered by things like honor and hubris. It is as much a merit as it is a flaw. His words, not mine. Personally I see no flaw there.”

Valdan really had words about him.

“It is the plan,” he confirmed.

“Then what is the problem?”

“You know when you said Valdan would not be happy to find out that I was left alone to deal with this by myself?”

“Yes?”

“He’ll like it less if he heard that you went to fight Nosrath.”

She paused, silent for a moment. Then she smiled. “This is interesting.” She looked at him. “And who exactly is going to stop me?”

Ted laughed a little. “She’s calling your bluff, baby brother.”

Aiden ignored him.

Melvet looked at Aiden. “You?”

“Valdan will not like it,” he repeated.

“Then it can just be our little secret.”

“That’s not a secret I intend on keeping from Valdan.”

“Oh.” She paused. “So you can be deterred by things like honor and loyalty. I guess he doesn’t know everything about you.”

“Ms. Melvet, please stand down.”

“Will you turn around and leave with me and the rest right now?”

Aiden shook his head. “You know that I cannot do that.”

“Then I will do what I will.”

Oncot took a step forward and Aiden stopped him with a raised hand.

Melvet looked at him like some inconsequential thing. “Remind your barbarian that I am the beloved of a knight. I have often sparred with Valdan. I will put him down before he can think of blood.”

Oncot looked at Aiden and he nodded.

He stepped forward, instead. This was not something that he wanted to do. However, it was going to be easier to explain to Valdan than it would be if something happened to her during the fight against Valdan.

Unstrapping his sword from his belt, still sheathed, he took a deep breath.

Yes.

This was going to be easier to explain

Melvet cocked a brow at him. “Do you spar with Valdan with a sheathed sword?”

“I don’t want to fight with you, Lady Melvet,” he explained, the sound of an annoyed Nosrath still filling the air. “You know this.”

Melvet sighed. “You really are arrogant. Children these days. All they do is underestimate those older than them because they are special.” She looked in the direction of Nosrath once more. “If you think you can stop me, then stop me.”

She moved.

Aiden used [Dash], appearing right in front of her. He’d moved faster than her.

He gave her a pleading look. “Please, Lady Melvet. Stand down.”

“Stand down?” she smiled in a way that looked motherly. “You’re cute.”

“I’m not trying to be.”

She held out her hand, and while there was a clothed spear on her back, the space around her hand crackled and cracked like shattered glass, reflecting the light of the broken dawn.

She had a storage space. He couldn’t say that he was surprised.

“Alright then, Lord Lacheart,” she said, loud enough for anyone listening to hear as a sheathed longsword of her own appeared in her hand. “Stop me.”