I stifled a yawn as I trudged through the streets of the Eastern Quarter. I had learned a lot this evening, though I still struggled to wrap my mind around some of it. The fact that members of my own Empire had dared to work against me, when I was trying so hard to protect them and their people, was baffling, and it still stirred at the anger that seemed to rest deep in the pit of my stomach almost constantly now.
The Segrids were just the tip of the spear, though. At least, that was the impression I had from the way Aurelion talked. Whether it turned out to be true or not was another question I needed to answer.
There was also the question of who was currently running things in my absence. Aurelion and I had discussed this briefly after my… episode. But we hadn’t been able to discuss it too in-depth, as he had called Ophelia and Felix back into the room to discuss our plans some more.
Plans, it seemed, that might actually get me to take a trip back into the palace sooner than I’d intended to.
After the whole debacle with Kael and the others that first night, a large part of me had been unsure whether I wanted to try getting back into my home again. The fact that Aurelion existed drew more concerns about whether it was even something worth exploring—mostly because I was afraid of what I might find, especially after today’s revelations.
The System still recognized me as the [Empress of Dragons], but I wasn’t sure if that was just a title it had given me, or if it actually had any bearing on who I was in the world now. Even having access to it had changed so much for me in such a short time.
But, now there might be a way I could get a glimpse at what was going on behind the palace gates, while also creating an advantage for myself with the others. If I could see who was pretending to be me, perhaps I could find a way to understand what their plans were. How they planned to use my authority against me.
If they were the person from my dreams, then they certainly had a reason to work against me.
One of the things we had discussed after Ophelia and Felix’s return was how we would get access to the storage that the Segrids were keeping. While we could go in with force, something my pride had hoped we would vote for, doing so would risk more exposure of who we were, while also painting a target on our backs. That wasn’t something we were likely to walk away from unscathed, especially when toying with a family as connected as the Segrids were.
However, Aurelion had another solution in mind. Apparently, Ophelia was good at forging documents, and she thought that she might be able to recreate the Imperial Seal if she had enough time to study it. I hadn’t said it in the moment, but that was just impossible.
The entire point of the seal was to ensure imperial orders were authentic. To make that practical, some of our best magicka wielders had created seals that inlaid magical runes into the wax as it was pressed onto the parchment. Even if she could recreate the exact appearance of the seal, it would fail any basic magicka tests it was put through.
Which meant we’d need one of the real seals if we wanted that particular plan to work. Luckily, they knew someone that could get them one. Even though they didn’t know that.
The downside to going through with such a reckless option was that it could expose me for what I was, at least to some degree. It was unlikely they’d put the full story together right away. But it would absolutely show that I was more than I was letting on.
It was a difficult choice to make, and not one I wanted to make lightly, or on an empty stomach. So, instead I decided to focus on breakfast first.
The trek back to The Slumbering Drake was uneventful. It was actually nice, wandering through the city as the people first began to wake up. It probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to do this more often, though I’d have to figure out how to manage that alongside the clandestine meetings that Aurelion seemed intent on keeping.
The streets were mostly empty, though some people were just starting to rise and wander about. Some hurried to open their shops. I watched several guardsmen going about their business, likely en route to their post, or heading home after spending all night watching the walls of the city.
At one point I stopped in the middle of an open square between houses, my vision drawn to the top of the city walls some distance away, where the first inkling of the sun’s body was just starting to peer over the top of the buildings. Despite the manufactured foreground, the view was breathtaking, the first rays of sunlight bathing the stone and wood buildings in golden light.
I closed my eyes, letting the heat of those rays brush across my face like a warm breath from a lover’s kiss. I caught myself sighing like a lost romantic back in battle academy, and forced the thoughts away. It had been years since I’d taken a lover to bed, and even then, those instances had been few and far between.
Running an empire had left little time for pleasure.
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I shook my head slowly and quickened my pace back to The Slumbering Drake. When I stepped through the door into the inn’s common room, I was greeted with a soft gasp from Irinda, who sat behind the counter where Brin usually waited. She hurried up to me.
“Miss Aria, are you okay? You’ve been gone all night!” She said, fussing over me like a midwife over a freshly hatched dragonspawn. I brushed her away with a wave of my hand.
“I’m quite alright, Irinda. Please, don’t make this a scene. We’ll discuss everything shortly. I’d like a bath, though, and some breakfast.”
She nodded quickly and hurried off to ready the water, curtsying before she left. Her assault at my entrance had been a bit unexpected, though it was nice to know that someone had missed me. I guess my promises of helping her get away from Brin had taken root better than I thought.
I crossed through the room and up the stairs to the second floor where the bath awaited. Serving girls and boys were already rushing to fill the tub, and Irinda stood outside the bath, waiting with a towel. I gave her a grateful smile and stepped inside, stripping down to my bare skin without hesitation. She took my clothes and I climbed into the bath, letting the warmth soak into my bones and muscles.
Wearing a human form was still uncomfortable at times, though I had begun to get more acquainted with my smaller body over the past few days. There was also no arguing the fact that it made getting around the city easier, at least if you wanted to mostly remain unnoticed. I hadn’t spent much time sneaking, but even the little I had done told me that I’d much rather do it in this body than the hulking mass of my true form.
As I soaked, I took note of the windows that had appeared over the course of the past several hours. The most enticing, of course, was the message about my level up. I focused on the contents of the message, willing it to appear back in my vision, and it did, the window flying into view as if rising out of the water in the tub.
Congratulations. You have reached Level 3.
+3 Attribute Points.
That was the second time that the System had issued a message about attribute points, though I wasn’t wholly sure what they were. I focused on the message, letting the words form in my mind. What are ‘attribute points’?
Nothing happened for a moment, and I wondered if I’d have to speak the words out loud, instead. But, thankfully, the windows finally changed, the text shimmering to display an explanation.
Attribute Points can be used to increase the value of a user’s core attributes, which include Vitality, Endurance, Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, and Wisdom. Users are rewarded new Attribute Points with each level, though they can also be increased, both temporarily and permanently, through buffs and rare magical items.
Interesting. I let the message float in front of me for several breaths. So I could use these Attribute Points to increase my Strength and Dexterity?
That’s useful… now, how was I supposed to do that?
I half-expected the window to change again—for the System to spit out another message. But, nothing happened.
I let out a huffy breath and sunk into the water up to my chin, letting the heat prick at the skin of my neck and cheeks. The window followed my movements, half of it sinking beneath the surface of the bath water, the text elongating and shimmering as it refracted beneath the water’s glossy surface.
I want to use my Attribute Points. I expressed the words in my thoughts.
This time, the window did change.
You have 6 unused Attribute Points. Would you like to spend them now?
Yes, I thought in response.
How would you like to allocate your Attribute Points?
You currently have: 6 Vitality, 7 Endurance, 7 Strength (5 base, +2 from item), 7 Dexterity, 8 Intelligence, and 7 Wisdom.
I stared at the numbers that hovered before me. I wasn’t sure which would be best, but that was mostly because I wasn’t sure what Intelligence or Wisdom affected. Vitality, Endurance, and Strength seemed pretty straightforward, though.
I imagined adding one point to Vitality, Endurance, and Intelligence.
In response my skin flashed with a prickling sensation that fled from my toes all the way up to the top of my head. I let out a little gasp, drawing Irinda and one of the other serving girl’s attentions. I waved them away before focusing once more on the window that shimmered in front of me.
Health increased to 70.
Stamina increased to 80.
Mana increased to 90.
I read through the words as they appeared before me. As expected, Vitality and Endurance had affected the Health and Stamina that the System had granted me. Apparently Intelligence applied to Mana, though, as that had increased, too. That was good to know, but until I gained access to more of my magical skills, having a lot of Mana wouldn’t do me much good.
Probably best to put those points into something I could use more immediately, like Strength or Dexterity. After a little thinking, I decided my next course of action, and thought the command.
I imagined one more point flowing into Vitality and two into my Dexterity attribute.
The System spit out a response, the window before me shimmering as the text changed.
Health increased to 80.
It didn’t mention anything about my Dexterity, though, so it must not be tied to any of those core numbers that the System had given me.
Curious. I’ll have to test that one out myself, I suppose.
With all of my Attribute Points spent, I turned my attention back to my status as a whole.
How much experience do I need to my next level?
Current Level: 3 — Experience needed for Level 4: 50/950 XP
I pushed the window away mentally, freeing up my vision once more so I could focus on my bath.
After a thorough scrubbing, and some time spent brushing out my hair, I retired to my room on the third floor. Irinda made a quick stop by the kitchen for some food, and met me in my room with some eggs, fresh juice, and warm bread. She sat on the edge of the bed as I ate, not saying a word. When I had finished the last bite of my eggs, though, she perked up.
“So what happened?”
I took a long drink of juice and made sure I didn’t have any crumbs sticking to my face before answering. “I was able to infiltrate their operation and make a deal with them.”
She nodded as if she had expected nothing less, so I told her about my elaborate attempt to infiltrate the warehouse, and how I had found Aurelion and the others meeting in their chambers. I also told her how I had barged in on their operation, demanding to have my items returned. Items which, of course, I had completely forgotten about in the haze of information that had been dumped on me.
Of course, she lapped all of it up like a dog given a bowl of warm broth on a cold winter day.
Note at time of publishing: 12/11 - Just as a heads-up to folks who have read the earlier chapters BEFORE 12/10. I made some edits to some earlier chapters of the story to better outline why the MC approaches some situations the way she does (mostly the situations with Brin the innkeeper), as I felt they were not as good at outlining the details as they could have been. This shouldn't SUBSTANTIALLY change the story going forward, aside from some minor mentions to Irinda and Brin's overall reason for co-existing. However, if you'd like to read what changed, I'd recommend revisiting Chapters 5, 6, and 7.