No matter where you were, people couldn't just start fighting to the death the moment they met, even if they wished the other person would drop dead on the spot.
As long as there had been no formal declaration of war, a certain degree of restraint sometimes had to be maintained. Churches were no exception.
Priest Evan looked openly displeased, but he showed no intention of making a move.
"Sir, this is a private matter of the royal family. Outsiders have no right to interfere." The royal steward had presumably been given authorization beforehand, because he stood his ground with considerable confidence.
"A private matter of the royal family is a public matter for the Rock of Bral. And if it's a public matter, then we, as its trading partners, have a right to know. Otherwise, who's going to guarantee our interests?" Saeljor pointed toward the others, eyes wide and expression animated.
The others gathered around to watch the spectacle. Many of them disliked how the Red Wizards were always interfering in "other countries' internal affairs," but they still wanted to hear what justification he could come up with.
Anser was curious as well. He couldn't figure out what Saeljor was after, but he knew the man couldn't possibly have good intentions.
The royal steward's expression darkened. "This..."
"You're an idiot!" Saeljor cut him off outright, the tattoos on his face making him look downright ferocious. "Who doesn't know that this Chosen-slayer is having an affair with the eldest princess? Are you planning to marry her off to him?"
"Have you even thought about what'll happen? The moment he moves into the Star Palace, the entire Rock of Bral's trade will be finished!"
An uproar broke out around them. The conclusion certainly sounded alarming, but after thinking it over, it wasn't entirely impossible.
If the queen wanted to put either the eldest princess or her young son on the throne, she would need someone powerful backing them. An ordinary alliance wouldn't be secure enough, and a marriage alliance really would be an excellent choice.
But Anser was a Paladin!
No one knew what Sacred Oath Anser had sworn, but his actions leaned toward the Lawful Good alignment.
The Rock of Bral was famously a haven for fencing stolen goods. If a Paladin rose to power, the policies Bral had maintained for centuries could very well undergo sweeping changes.
No one wanted to spend every day under a Paladin's watchful eye, constantly wondering whether they were about to get into trouble.
Anser silently rolled his eyes. The good news was that no one had connected him to the first prince's death. His reputation and standing were gradually becoming established.
The bad news was that he was now being viewed with suspicion because of a completely baseless rumor.
"Enough with the nonsense. I've never even met this so-called eldest princess." He folded his arms across his chest, his tone even.
"Does that matter?" Saeljor looked toward the silent royal steward.
The others barely reacted. Whether Anser knew the eldest princess really wasn't important. What mattered was that the royal family clearly did have something along those lines in mind.
Why else would they have invited him alone?
Saeljor pushed off lightly with his toes and floated more than a meter into the air, making sure everyone could see him. "As far as I know, Lord Anser has just established the Holrewen Federation, encompassing three territories."
"Could it be that you've set your sights on the Rock of Bral as well? If Bral gets incorporated into the Holrewen Federation, will it still have any reason to exist?"
Everyone silently nodded, tentatively accepting his argument.
The Rock of Bral might be small, but at its peak, its trade volume had been staggering. Most of Toril's spelljamming ships had docked here at one point or another.
Others had set their sights on it before, but interference from various powers had thwarted every attempt.
A neutral Rock of Bral was what best served the interests of the majority.
"You're pretty well informed. Is that lich of yours still in the Wood of Sharp Teeth? You'd better hope I don't catch him, or I won't even leave enough ashes for you to scatter." Anser spoke as casually as if it were nothing worth worrying about.
He hadn't concealed the establishment of the Federation. Plenty of people on White Stone Island and in Durlag already knew about it; he considered it advance publicity.
But the fact that Saeljor had learned about it so quickly meant Thay had definitely planted spies in his territory.
"Anyone can talk big." Saeljor let out a strange laugh, clearly not believing him at all.
The others suddenly understood. So there was already bad blood between the two sides.
Thay had even sent a lich to keep an eye on Anser. Judging by how things had turned out, though, it didn't seem like Thay had gotten the better end of that encounter.
A few people in the know also recalled the earlier rumors that the Magic Research Society had obtained an Artifact.
"Rest assured, everyone. I have no intention of marrying into the royal family. Don't you recognize the crest on my chest?" Anser joked.
Since today was a formal occasion, he was wearing ceremonial battle attire embroidered with the crest of Fort Jacqueline.
Iris slipped her arm through his, suppressing a smile.
The people nearby smiled knowingly. Those farther away relaxed as well once they asked around and learned what was going on.
Evan and the others went so far as to stand directly beside Anser, openly showing their support.
A thought suddenly occurred to Anser. Had Thay really stepped in just to prevent him from cooperating with the royal family?
The reasoning seemed sound enough, but wasn't this a little premature? He hadn't even entered the palace yet. Nothing had even begun to take shape.
He stared suspiciously at Saeljor. "Don't tell me you people killed the first prince. Are you plotting something you can't let anyone find out about?"
The others immediately turned suspicious looks on Saeljor. They didn't even need to think too deeply about it.
This was Thay, after all. With its track record, how could anyone not be wary?
Saeljor's expression froze. He swept his gaze around the crowd, anger rising inside him. He had talked himself hoarse, only for Anser to defuse the entire thing with a single sentence.
"You believe everything he says? Can't any of you use your brains?! There has to be a motive behind anything someone does, doesn't there?" he said coldly.
The crowd erupted in laughter.
Normal people had motives for what they did, sure. But in Thay, how many people could really be called normal?
Ordinary people, shackled by lifespan and mundane necessities like eating, drinking, and bodily functions, probably couldn't even imagine what went through a lich's mind every day.
Evan stepped forward and looked at the royal steward. "You heard all that. I'm certain something is wrong here. Go back and report it. We need to enter the palace and investigate!"
His tone was forceful. Ever since the last manifestation of a divine miracle, both his own standing and that of the Church of the Silver Moon had risen rapidly.
"It's not for me to decide whom the queen wishes to see." As he spoke, the royal steward turned his gaze toward Anser. "My lord, the situation is urgent. Please come into the palace with me."
Every eye turned toward Anser.
"Then let's go." Anser didn't waste any time.
"Please follow me." A smile immediately spread across the royal steward's face as he bowed and led the way.
At that point, Saeljor instead fell silent. He had just been about to leave with his people when Nefis, Evan, and the others blocked his path.
Meanwhile, Anser had already entered the Star Palace.
Security inside was extremely tight, with guards posted every few paces. Nearly the entire Royal Guard and all the court wizards were present.
Once they passed the front hall, the guards were replaced by squads of mysterious warriors clad in black-and-gold robes. Every single one of them was a classed individual.
'The royal family really does have some cards up its sleeve.'
Anser was impressed, but he didn't lower his guard. His Truesight swept over every living creature they passed.
Yet even by the time he reached a side hall, he hadn't found any trace of Mind Flayers or undead.
'Was I wrong?'
If they had simply killed the first prince without coming to reap the benefits afterward, then what had been the point?
"My lord, we've arrived." The steward stopped outside the door, clearly having no intention of entering.
The doors slowly opened, revealing only a handful of people inside.
Anser swept his gaze across them. Only after detecting no danger did he step inside.
Everyone in the room rose at the same time. At their head was an attractive, mature woman who appeared to be only in her thirties. Her formal gown was elaborate and lavishly adorned; she presumably hadn't had time to change out of it yet.
Also in the room were a boy, two women, and three elderly men.
"Mr. Anser, I hear you possess two of Vecna's Artifacts. I want to make a deal with you!"
The woman studied Anser closely, her eyes gleaming.
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