Resolve, p.3
Resolve, page 3
“Oh, so there are worse ones than a pair of succubus twins?” Sam quipped.
Ava gave Sam a hard look before replying in a serious tone.
“Much worse. We are talking not even giving him a chance to resist, and when they are done with him, he would be changed completely. The methods they use are beyond intense and when they are done, their victims are like putty in their hands.”
Sam and Nicole exchanged a look as they felt that Ava wasn’t exaggerating that much from the look in her eye, and before they could ask any questions, Mia cut in.
“Look, you really don’t want to know. It’s bad and the women we are talking about relish the opportunity to play. Just never let Alex leave our sight in public for any reason and he should be fine.”
The four of them continued to talk after Sam and Nicole let the twins’ warning sink in while they discussed how best to integrate both Ava and Mia into the public eye as Alex’s new girlfriends. It was decided that having him take them out on dates together would work best as it would emphasize the whole idea of him being drawn in due to them being twins. After everything was settled, Ava and Mia left as Sam and Nicole returned to playing ED.
ED year 1, day 321-322.
After logging in, Xeal quickly made his way to the palace where one of Prince Victor’s servants met him before leading him into a side room that was full of tables and chairs that would normally be used for outdoor dining events. A few minutes later, Vanessa entered, dressed in a uniform with her dark hair done up in a bun, making her look more like a maid than the daughter of a Marquess. When she looked at Xeal with her ice-blue eyes, a look of shock and then understanding crossed her face before she spoke respectfully.
“Here I thought it would be someone from my house who I was to meet with and instead I find you, Viscount Bluefire. To what do I owe the honor?”
“You seem different.”
“Indeed, life has been simpler since I last saw you.”
“I take it you have been enjoying it.”
Vanessa looked contemplative for a moment before responding.
“Yes and no. Being with Rufus is nice in that I no longer have to worry about the political games, but he really is a bit of a waste as he has no ambition and quite frankly, is quite simple in his thoughts.”
Xeal frowned as Vanessa talked around the mental issues that were the root cause of Rufus being considered a waste. It wasn’t that he was mentally unstable, just very much simple in his thought process and unimaginative.
“I see. I think you and him may actually be a good match when I think about it.”
Vanessa looked taken aback at Xeal’s words and had a tone of annoyance in her voice as she responded.
“What makes you think that I am the same as him?”
Xeal couldn’t help but laugh as he retorted.
“You’re not in the slightest. It’s just with him you don’t need to pretend and put on airs. Simply show him kindness and he will dote on you for it. Your family has no way of utilizing you while you’re with him and they can’t blame you for anything due to how it was arranged. All together I dare say it is more than you could have hoped for, all things considered.”
Vanessa looked thoughtful as she replied.
“True, though it was quite rough at the start. Now it’s like the world doesn’t matter.”
“Yah, I heard that Queen Eleanor made things difficult for you at the start. That said, your father is making another attempt to end the courtship. Is that something you want to happen?”
Vanessa looked scared as she looked around trying to ensure no one was around before responding.
“Of course it is. I am my house’s daughter after all and my role is to help bring further prosperity to my house.”
Vanessa’s words and actions didn’t match up as she spoke. Her words said yes, she would like it to be called off, but Xeal could see that she was giving him a thumbs down from an angle that only he could see. Xeal wore a troubled smile as he replied to her.
“I see. Well, I am glad you are well. It was truly nothing personal when I set this all in motion and I hope things work out for you.”
“Thank you. It is nice to know that I haven’t been forgotten about, Viscount Bluefire.”
Vanessa curtsied to Xeal before turning and leaving while Xeal sat and waited for a good minute before he did the same, making his way to Prince Victor’s study. When he arrived, he found Prince Victor already awaiting him, and after taking care of the formalities dictated by etiquette, Xeal sat across from him at the table in the room.
“So, what did she say?”
“She is scared, her actions speak louder than her words to me.”
Xeal went into everything that had transpired, including how she seemed to believe she was being watched and had to hide her true reply. Victor took that fact very seriously as it told him that it was likely that the Mercer house had enough of a presence in the palace to make Vanessa believe nothing was private when it was obvious that she had been led to a secret meeting. When they had finished with that topic, Victor shifted to the next task he hoped Xeal could handle in a favorable manner.
“Xeal, the orc settlement that is just outside our eastern borders along the Kursk River needs to be handled. Their presence has the locals uneasy and they pose a threat if they were to attack en masse.”
Xeal thought back to what he knew of the area from his last life and remembered how it was one of the areas Nium absorbed before they went to war with the kingdoms of Habia and Paidhia to unite the continent. He was unsure how, but the orcs had joined Nium as a vassal state and their warriors, both players who converted their race, as well as NPCs, were important to Nium’s victory.
“If I am not mistaken, that settlement is where the orcs rear their young. Have there been any major incidents?”
“Not that can be traced to that settlement, but orc raids have long plagued that border area and the kingdom’s army isn’t equipped to chase them into the wild lands as they slip away.”
Xeal thought for a second as he worked to recall all he knew about orcs.
“Orcs raid, it’s part of their culture. Getting them to stop is impossible and the last thing that the kingdom needs are orcs on the warpath with vengeance in their heart. They respect strength in battle, but I am not yet strong enough to impress them. This was one of your tasks that I had planned to hold off on until I was much stronger.”
“I understand your hesitation, but this is something that we need to have dealt with sooner rather than later. Right now we fear a coordinated assault from both Habia and Paidhia could leave us vulnerable to an attack from the orcs.”
“And you could see Habia or Paidhia working to cause the orcs to go on the warpath, covertly. I see. Of the surrounding areas with independent settlements that elude the kingdom’s control, the orcs would be the easiest to accomplish that with.”
“Exactly. And we can’t afford the losses it would take to bring them to heel.”
“So, you are hoping that I can figure something out. Hmm I will work on a plan, but it will be three weeks before I can leave for the border area.”
“That is fine. Thank you and let me know if you need anything to accomplish the task.”
“A dragon to ride might help,” Xeal quipped.
Victor just laughed and reassured Xeal that he would be fine before they spent a bit more time sharing information before Xeal left to return to grinding for tier 5 and gold-ranked smith for the remainder of his login. Though he still needed to reach silver rank in smithing before gold.
Morning November 1 to Evening November 3, 2266 & ED year 1, day 323-329.
The next stretch of time went by quickly for Alex/Xeal and his friends. They continued their morning routine with aikido on the 1st, swing dance on the 2nd, and kendo on the 3rd. Sam and Nicole were not very far along, but the sparring was definitely a bad idea so they quietly informed Sensei Kikuchi that they were feeling a bit off and didn’t think sparring was a good idea for them. Alex had already messaged him as well, informing him that both girls were going to be transitioning to non-contact for a while. Sensei Kikuchi gave both girls and Alex a look before giving Nicole and Sam an alternate routine that focused on stretching, with light simulated sparring where they worked on the techniques in slow motion with only their sparring partners ever going to the floor. The thing that had surprised him was when his mom and Amanda joined in the same routine after seeing Sam and Nicole doing it. He figured neither of them had enjoyed all the times that they had been taken to the mats and moved on as he focused on his own mastery of his body’s movements. For swing dance, the only thing of note was Alex was now dealing with a five-person rotation when it came to dancing with him as Ava and Mia had been insistent and Sam and Nicole had ensured that Jessica hadn’t been ignored. Their instructor Samuel had been surprised with the change in arrangements, but rolled with it just fine. For kendo they were still focused on proper shinai control and swings and Sensei Sano was adamant about them all needing to attend lessons in the evening once they had the basics down to begin sparring.
The evening of the 1st of November was both game six of the World Series between the Dodgers and Angels with the Angels up three games to two games, and his first date with Sam since she found out she was pregnant. Alex could tell that she was still a bundle of nerves over the whole situation and just needed time to unwind. So, Alex decided that a nice relaxing drive along Highway 1, parking near Point Mugu to watch the sunset and simply talk for a while would be just right. Sam was ready to go and they hit a drive-through along the way and by 5:00 they were parked in position to enjoy the view while eating some burgers and fries in the back seat, seated so that Alex’s back was against the door and Sam could turn and lie back on him. The two talked a lot about nothing for a good bit until the sunset was only a few minutes away when Sam snuggled into Alex and asked.
“Alex, do you think we will still have time to do things like this once we’re parents?”
“Not as much as we do now, but yah, I think we will be able to make time if we remember to.”
“It’s weird. I’m going to be a mom. Six months ago I would have said no way I’m having any kids before I’m 30. Now I’m sitting here with you and I just feel like everything has turned upside-down, but I’m happy. It makes no sense. Why is all of this happening and why am I not freaking out?”
“Sam, I love you. All I know is that I am happy you’re here with me. Honestly, it makes no sense to me either, but you, me and Nicole just work for some reason.”
“I love you too.”
Sam and Alex enjoyed the sunset before returning to the apartment around 7:00 and returning to ED.
The evening of the 2nd was Sam and Nicole’s first OB-GYN appointment with a doctor who Background Inc. had arranged for them. They had even managed to book them to be looked at together, though it was more of a quick consultation visit where they were going to take blood for lab work and set up a second appointment for December to ensure everything was still going fine. Then they would be sending everything to the OB-GYN clinic that Background Inc. already had lined up in Colorado. Alex also took note of the fact that the Angels had lost game 6 and were playing game 7 tonight. It made him wonder just how big of a ripple he was creating with his actions and just how much would be different moving forward.
As Alex, Sam and Nicole entered the OB-GYN clinic, they found themselves in what could only be described as luxury. Quite obviously Background Inc. had taken Alex at his word that price wasn’t an issue when it came to getting Sam and Nicole the best care possible. It hit all three of them at that moment just how much they had stepped into a different world from the one they had known all of their lives. Even Alex had never entered into this world in his last life as even as a vice guild leader for a successful workshop, he only ever made around 1,000,000 credits a year. That was enough to be considered well off and be able to easily live a comfortable life if you weren’t stupid with your finances, but not enough to live like a true king. The three of them were interrupted by the receptionist looking at them questioningly and asking them if she could help them. Alex recovered the quickest and informed her that they had an appointment to see Dr. Beckett and gave her their names. Once their appointment was confirmed, the receptionist led them to an exam room that was split in two rooms such that one room could act as a private waiting room while the physical and well woman exams took place. The following hour had the three of them meeting Dr. Beckett, who was an older woman with graying hair and reading glasses that hung from her neck. When she learned that Alex was the father of both babies, she gave him a stern look but kept any comment to herself, thankfully. Both exams went by quickly as Dr. Beckett didn’t find any issues and they left with some pamphlets and instructions on what Sam and Nicole should and shouldn’t do. This included things like which prenatal vitamins Dr. Beckett recommended. Alex, Nicole and Sam stopped by a store to pick up several of the suggested items before returning to the apartment and logging in for the night.
On the 3rd, Alex, Sam and Nicole all logged out early to allow them to be in game for the entirety of Founding Day in Nium as they were expected to play a large role in the day’s activities as new nobles. This was especially true for Alex who needed to spend the entire day with the royal family. Alex’s parents had been okay with shifting their visit and had logged off early as well to spend their Saturday family time together. They ended up spending the time eating a simple meal and playing a board game together before Alex, Sam and Nicole left together around 4:15 and logged in just after 4:40. Alex also was relieved to see that he had won his bet on the Angles even if it took one more game than it should have. Seeing 150,000,000 credits headed for his accounts he smiled. He kind of laughed as he thought about how that would be just enough to handle his tax bill when it came due next year. In the meantime, it was time to invest it and let it grow for a fair bit first.
Xeal spent the week worth of time in ED continuing his grinding as well as doing prep work for the upcoming Founding Day. This meant he had to attend several rehearsals to go over exactly how everything would play out for the announcement of his courtship of Princess Enye, who was enjoying every minute of time this caused them to spend together. Xeal found himself smiling at just how much Enye was acting like everything was right in the world. When he wasn’t resting, rehearsing, grinding or smithing, Xeal was looking up all the information he could get his hands on about the orcs and the area surrounding them. He had a few ideas on how to complete the quest and he was sure it was possible as it had been done by a tier 5 player in Xeal’s last life through some unknown means. The question Xeal was working to answer was if he could accomplish it before he reached tier 5, or if he would need to wait. The good news was that his guild had unlocked a nearby town that was only a few days’ travel from the orcs the week prior to Victor asking Xeal to take care of the issue. This was also advantageous as a level 80 to 89 leveling area was between the two and Xeal reached level 75 before he logged out on day 229. This made their current area completely obsolete as he would no longer receive the boost from Behemoth Slayer and the area Xeal had originally planned to use was not as efficient as the one there. It was a forest map that specialized in plant and insect-type monsters. With his plans made, Xeal was ready to execute them and reach tier 5 before day 390, or year 2 day 25 in ED.
ED year 1, days 330-331.
Xeal awoke just after 8:00 in the morning of Founding Day in Nium, leaving him just under an hour to meet up with the royal family. He would spend the first half of the day acting as Victor’s right hand. This would show that Xeal had his favor. While Xeal was with Victor, Aalin and Gale would be acting as ladies in waiting for Princess Enye, showing that she accepted them and they accepted her as the head wife. By the time early afternoon arrived, everything would be set for the official announcement of what most of the royal court would be aware of by that time, if they were not already. After which, Xeal and Enye would treat the remainder of the day as their first official courtship date. It all sounded simple and easy when Xeal thought of it like this; however, he had been warned that this would be the last chance anyone who wished to prevent the courtship would have to do so. None of them were aware what would be tried, but they all agreed there would be at least one attempt before it was official.
Xeal ate his breakfast quickly, after giving Midnight the first bite as always. As he ate, he couldn’t help but think about the possibility of using Midnight for his companion slot that would open up at tier 5. This slot was typically used for a mount of some kind to increase the speed at which players could get to grinding locations, but it allowed other options as well. The rules of the companion were simple. The creature must belong to the player, the player must have a set location for the creature to reside while not summoned, and the creature could not assist in combat. In later tiers, more slots would open that allowed creatures to assist in battle. There were even classes that focused on taming extra creatures and were allowed to have more companion slots at the cost of skill points. If Xeal used Midnight, it would increase the drop rates of monsters significantly at the cost of mobility. He would also have to ensure that Midnight survived, as while Midnight couldn’t attack, he could be attacked by monsters. It had been common for companion creatures to be killed off when the mechanic was new in Xeal’s last life as many players forgot to unsummon their mounts when battle started. With Midnight, Xeal wouldn’t have to worry for a long while as matagots were known to be elusive in Xeal’s last life. There had only been a few players who managed to acquire and use one as a companion to Xeal’s knowledge, and all of those players had been considered experts, reaching the peak of tier 7 at the very least. Xeal couldn’t think of a better companion that he could acquire between now and tier 6 unless he prioritized speed of travel. With these thoughts, Xeal finished his breakfast and made his way to the palace.
