Chapter 7: The Lady of White Stone
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The rhythmic sound of fingers drumming on a polished mahogany table echoed through the silent study.
"Vanessa, how much longer until Finn reaches the castle?"
"Approximately three hours until your fiancé, Finn Arrowhead, arrives, my Lady," Vanessa replied, her voice crisp and professional.
"Ugh," Fern groaned, her voice muffled as she slumped forward and rested her head on the table. "Why does he always take so long to arrive?"
"Well, he is the son of the Grand Duke, and... well, we both know his relationship with his father isn't exactly the best," Vanessa noted gently.
Fern let out a dry, hollow chuckle. "I know that. But he's marrying me; he's going to have to live in this place eventually."
"This place isn't that bad," Vanessa replied, though her tone was a bit weak.
Fern lifted her head and stared flatly at her maid. An awkward, heavy silence stretched between them.
"I... I take back my comment," Vanessa said shyly, quickly looking away.
The region of White Stone was a beautiful territory, fortress-like and secluded. It was guarded on three sides—North, South, and West—by jagged mountains and rich marble mines. However, the East, the only viable entrance into the region, was a sprawling, ancient forest. It was a death trap filled with monsters ranging from A-Rank to SSS-Rank. While these beasts looked similar to lower-ranked monsters, they were set apart by their chilling intelligence and near-total resistance to physical and magical attacks.
"Sigh. I wish he would just get here. This place is so boring, and I don't want to do any more work," Fern said, her head thudding back onto the table.
"I don't know why you're so head-over-heels for him, my Lady," Vanessa said, shaking her head. "From what I've been hearing, he doesn't want a partner, nor does he particularly want to be married."
"That might be true, but..." Fern paused, her cheeks flushing a bright, embarrassed red. "He's nice. He's actually really sweet to me. Plus... he is incredibly hot."
"It seems you've been struck by Cupid's arrow, my Lady," Vanessa replied with a sigh. "But you should probably temper those romantic feelings. He won't go against his father's wishes, but he also won't go the extra mile for... well, anything."
"Just let a girl dream, Vanessa!" Fern snapped, sounding genuinely annoyed. "I still have a shot, so some positive energy would be appreciated!"
"You do realize he doesn't find short women appealing, right?"
"Yeah... but he does like curvaceous women! I have that going for me. Plus, I'm not that short!" Fern rebutted, sitting up straight to defend her honor.
"You are five feet tall, my Lady," Vanessa said coldly. "You may have a beautiful figure—ample breasts and thick legs—but you are still tiny compared to him. He is six-foot-three, so..."
"Vanessa, please leave before I hit you with my tail."
"Yes, ma'am! Leaving right away!" Vanessa scurried toward the door, not waiting for a second command.
The crunch of heavy, enchanted steel boots against the forest floor was the only sound in the oppressive silence of the deep woods. Finn Arrowhead moved with the practiced grace of a seasoned warrior, his knight trailing slightly behind.
"My Lord, should we head back and call for more men to aid the search tomorrow?" the knight asked, his hand resting tensely on the hilt of his blade.
"No, we will find it today," Finn replied calmly. "Its mana signature is weak, so it isn't a high-level monster, but we must investigate the anomaly nonetheless, we don't want a repeat of the disaster that happened 4 years ago, that would be a nightmare to clean up."
"I understand, my Lord," the knight said, falling back into step.
They scanned the dense undergrowth for any sign of a breach until they stumbled upon a massive, moss-covered stone face.
"This is it," Finn said, his expression remaining perfectly composed.
"This is it? But there's nothing here but an old wall covered in weathered runes," the knight noted, sounding skeptical.
"It was an entrance to a Labyrinth," Finn explained, stepping closer to trace the grooves in the stone. "But someone closed it, which shouldn't be possible without a high-ranking mage or a master of the mystic arts."
The knight turned to him, eyes wide with shock. "Are you suggesting the Holy Order is involved?"
"I doubt it," Finn replied flatly, his mind already calculating the next move. "Is there a village in this vicinity?"
"Ah, yes, my Lord. There is one up ahead by the river. Would you like me to lead you there?"
"Yes. Lead the way."
After a thirty-minute trek through the forest, the pair arrived at the village's front gate. Even from the perimeter, Finn could sense something was off. High-density mana signatures were flickering within the village district, powerful, and poorly hidden. They were trying to stay under the radar, but to an expert like Finn, they were glowing like beacons in the dark.
Turning to his knight, the young lord gave his instructions. "Go find the village chief. Ask if they have heard anything regarding a Labyrinth in the forest, then immediately report back to me."
"Understood, my Lord... and what will you be doing?"
"I am going to track the mana signatures I'm sensing," Finn said, pausing to look toward the center of the village. "If anything goes wrong, evacuate the villagers immediately."
"Yes, my Lord, I won't fail you" the knight replied, giving a polite bow before heading into the cluster of small cottages.
Finn stood alone for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he felt the mana signatures shift. They felt ancient, chaotic, and... strangely familiar.
Was it someone he met before? No how could it be, he hadn't met anyone with this distinct mana signature in years, if it was who he thought it was— why would they be on earth... what was he thinking it wasn't who he was thinking about, they were long dead, it had to be some else.