Rules of Biomancy: A LitRPG Healer Fantasy

It took until late afternoon before Elijah could sense the city in the distance. Not seeing it with his own eyes, but feeling it through his magical senses. The waves of power as the buildings were shifted around, the heartbeat of the dungeon as it broke down and built up monsters of all kinds and variants, and just the mere presence of the Tarrasque all helped him make sure he knew they were getting close.

“Really doesn’t get any less creepy,” Jack commented from beside him, as they continued to ride down the road. The horses weren’t happy going towards Kulvik when it finally did get into sight, as the giant beast beside it triggered some kind of natural instinct in the animals. He couldn’t blame them, Elijah felt the same way. “Wouldn’t it be a good idea to just… hide it a bit more? I don’t think any merchants are going to be happily visiting with this thing standing guard.”

“Making others second-guess approaching is the intention,” Elijah replied, though he wouldn’t mind the monster’s removal either. He understood that there were a hundred like it below and that this one in particular was helping keep the country safe, but that didn’t stop him from disliking being around it.

Those two long horns, the toothy maw, the thick carapace, and the endless rows of spikes that covered the body made the Tarrasque an abomination in its own category. Being the size of ancient dragons didn’t help either, and that magical aura it exuded by merely existing permanently put him on edge.

Elijah knew it would only be worse if it was ever brought into combat, that aura of tenseness able to be harnessed into a forced air of fear. Stories of legendary warriors brought to their knees just by being near such a monster weren’t uncommon, and he loathed the idea of having to witness such a thing.

One could only hope that its presence was enough to dissuade any attempts at war.

At the very least, it wasn’t possible to see the Tarrasque once you were inside the city. The walls that surrounded the capital were tall enough to hide its presence when the monster was lying down on the ground, allowing the citizens some minor respite. Not enough to forget about it entirely, but enough that they could go about their days without too many issues.

“Reason for entry, sir?” a guard asked, once they finally reached the entrance into Kulvik.

“Returning from a short vacation,” Elijah replied, bringing out his emblem. Even through the helmet, he could see the guard’s eyes widen. Without having their inventory searched, they were waved through without any further questions.

The perks of authority, I suppose.

He couldn’t order around anybody but his assistants in regards to his job, but he could walk just about wherever he wished. It was a strange experience, though one which also had drawbacks.

“Elijah!”

45 seconds.

It had taken less than a minute of driving through the city before somebody had shouted his name, waving at the group as the horses carried them through the street. He didn’t wave back, he didn’t turn his head to see whoever had called his name, and he certainly didn’t care to notice the dozen other voices calling for him moments later.

“Isn’t that a little rude of you, old friend?” Aleksi asked behind him. Even without looking at the giant, Elijah knew that the man had a shit-eating grin firmly planted on his face. “They’re happy to see you! Shouldn’t you give them a small taste of your attention?”

“They’re going to ask for gold, connections, or information sooner or later,” Elijah countered bluntly, Aleksi laughing at his words. “I could barely tolerate the old woman’s club on our street. What makes you think I’ll humor whatever nonsense these people have to say?”

“The goodness of your heart?”

“You’re delusional.”

They laughed at his misfortune once again, forcing Elijah to just grumble his annoyance away. It’d been like this since the days after the fight against the crown prince. While Vera had tightly controlled what information regarding that altercation could be released, she had allowed Grace to reveal some notable details about her involvement in it all. That had included her saving Elijah, the distraction she’d done to let others close in on the ritual, and how she’d heroically stopped the deaths of the other royals.

That last part was mildly embellished, but it sounded both good and believable when shouted at the top of her lungs inside an inn full of half-drunk idiots. Having it shouted a dozen times each night for two weeks straight likewise changed that stretched retelling into stone-cold fact, and the sizable pile of gold that Vera had gifted Grace and her mother afterward made it all the more believable.

And if Grace had gotten such a sum through just a smaller amount of participation, what must Elijah have received…

Having his name mentioned during those half-drunk retellings had cursed him. Everybody knew of his involvement, of his position as the Royal Healer, and of the gold he was surely hiding from everybody. From what people were shouting his way, some thought him as rich as the royalty themselves at this point, and more than a few were trying to have a cut of that fortune.

People he hadn’t interacted with for decades, and people he’d never talked to at all, were trying to approach him as if they were the best of friends. Obsessive affability without end and without any sense of decency attached. It disgusted him.

But a brutal rejection of anybody who approached didn’t stop the next dozen from doing the same, so Elijah had given up on responding to it at all. Ignoring them was easier anyway, and one could hope they’d give up sooner or later.

At least the amount of people calling his name lessened once they made it out of the middle district and into the upper-class areas. People still caught sight of him, the rich folk staring him down, but nobody let their voices be known. Their previous attitude towards him, the thinly veiled disgust, was still hidden somewhere in their eyes, but the desire to use him to improve their own status somewhat outweighed it.

No wonder Vera is disgusted by you all.

His talks with the Queen about the people close to the castle, who sat in restaurants and perused expensive wares that held no proper function other than aesthetic, made it clear that neither of them had any fondness for these types. Too much gold in too few hands, along with a too strong desire to attain more of that shining metal. It was greed incarnate, and it filled the streets that they traveled through.

Beautifully elaborate architecture could only hide so much filth from the eye.

“Halt! Reason for— Oh, hello there, Elijah,” the guard at the entrance to the castle greeted. The rotation of people who protected the entry to the royal area had started to recognize his face nowadays, barely needing a glance his way before lowering their guard. “You’re back earlier than expected. Weren’t you meant to return in two days?”

“Circumstances changed and I had to return earlier than I’d preferred,” Elijah explained.

“Ah, it’s what comes with our positions. No need to worry about it,” the guard assured him. “Let them through, boys!”

From there, they didn’t get any disturbances. Once they reached the stairs into the castle, servants came down to help grab any items left in the wagon, a handler likewise helping move it to the royal stables to be tended to. A luxurious service, all things considered, and it allowed the group to venture into the golden halls at good speed.

Sending off a quick message through the paper about their arrival, Harper came to bring them up the spiral stairs and into one of the larger royal gardens. This one was largely tended to by his assistants, as it mostly harbored non-essential fruits and vegetables that were more for recreational use rather than their medicinal properties. However, the garden also possessed a larger meeting area that was obscured by thick bushes and enchanted to stop any sounds from leaving it. Inside, it was possible to find a round table large enough to comfortably seat ten people, something which was just about needed this time around.

Vera sat opposite the side where they entered, Alin to her right and Harper soon seated on the left. Fade was even further to the right, along with the remaining prince who looked mildly uncomfortable in his seat. The thick stack of documents nearby on the table didn’t make it easier for anybody.

“Oh, good, you all arrived just in time,” Vera commented, accepting a glass from Harper before the Illusionist finally settled down next to her. “Please, seat yourselves. This is going to take a while.”

The four did as asked, being handed refreshments from servants who appeared in quick order. Nothing too extreme, but enough to keep the mind going for a good while if needed. Elijah was rather worried about that fact.

“We cut our free days short because of your message,” Elijah said after sipping his drink. A sugary fruit blend that had likely been boiled, diluted, and then had a few ice cubes added in to keep it cold. Not bad. “While I’d love to hear your recap of the weekly large-scale transactions that have occurred in the country, your row of advisors aren’t here to nod along to it.”

It was just them now, along with Fade and Louis. That the advisors were gone made the meeting a strange one, but that the Dreamweaver and the young prince were here as well made it certain in Elijah’s mind that something drastic was to happen.

“That discussion was finished a few hours ago, though I can have a summary sent your way if you so desire it,” Vera offered, which he quickly rejected. He couldn’t handle more pointless circle-talk than he’d already been forced to sit through. “That’s what I thought. And I already sent along the reason why I needed you back so soon.”

“Ethon has acknowledged the change in Serenova’s royal family in some manner,” he surmised, to which the others nodded. “How bad is it?”

“For now? Nothing too serious,” the newly officiated Queen assured him, pulling out a paper from the stack of documents and sliding it over to him. “We received this letter last night. Take a look for yourself.”

After making sure it wasn’t laced with anything or enchanted, Elijah did as asked and took a look. Even with nearly an entire page filled with beautifully written cursive, there was very little behind the words. An assurance that Vera’s father had been a good man, that he had made his people proud, that Serenova would stand stronger than ever with its new Queen, and that they… wanted to talk about it in person at the country’s port city, one by the name of Melrond.

“The Elven King wants to have an audience with you?” Elijah questioned, a frown quick to grow on his face.

“Oh, no, he wouldn’t dare step out of his fancy forests and its protections,” Vera said with a chuckle. Nobody else found it funny, a certain Earth Mage to her side looking at her with some level of disapproval. “Sorry.”

“The Forest Elves are not prone to leaving their hidden homes, so they have created artifacts that alleviate this problem somewhat,” Alin explained, manifesting a small sphere of perfectly smooth stone in his hand. “They have crystal spheres around this size which allow people to communicate when they’re oceans apart without trouble. An ingenious creation which I’m saddened that we don't have ourselves, but it’s useful in this situation regardless.”

“The diplomat we’ve used for the past decades to keep up talks with Ethon hasn’t suffered any effects from repeated usage as well, so it should likewise be safe to handle,” Vera supplied, though that only caused questions to appear.

“This doesn’t explain why we’ve been recalled early,” Elijah pointed out. “If Ethon wished to get into talks with Serenova, I don’t see how I need to be involved. You already have somebody working as a diplomat, by the sounds of it.”

It didn’t sound like it at all, actually, but he wanted to hear it from her mouth.

“The old diplomat who filled that position was in cahoots with certain people, so they had to be removed,” Vera confessed, the others looking on blankly. Since there was still the possibility of some less-loyal servants being within earshot, they had taken up the habit of being rather vague in their wording when talking about the crown prince and the people who had worked under him. It wouldn’t do well to give out the number of people who had been executed for treason in recent times. “This means that we’re lacking in people that we can both trust and are taught the ways of diplomacy.”

There was no chance of that happening.

“I’m not accepting this role,” Elijah said bluntly.

“We’re not offering you this role,” Vera replied.

An eyebrow rose.

“Did we actually skip breakfast and lunch for this?” Jack questioned. “We’ve been on the road for ten hours today to get back here quickly. Please tell me you didn’t stop our vacation just for this.”

“I promise you I didn’t,” the Queen assured him. “I am, in fact, giving you the chance to see more of the country.”

To travel after the need for a diplomat to visit the port city in the west-most part of Serenova, but we aren’t given that position ourselves?

… Elijah supposed he could see why the young prince looked so uncomfortable now, along with why Fade of all mages was present at the meeting.

“While we might have been on dangerous roads in our youth, working as bodyguards for your brother isn’t something we’re built for anymore,” Elijah said. He didn’t like how she smiled at his words. “And, frankly, are you sure he is a good choice for keeping good relations with the elves?”

“You do realize I can hear you, right?” the prince in question asked. Elijah just stared at him. “I’ve been formally trained in elven customs and their traditions, and I have received extensive training in diplomatic relations.”

Oh, there was no question about that. Elijah had looked through the records of just about every important person left in the castle. He knew their old ailments, their old relationships, what kind of treatment they had been given, and what teachers they’d had for what subjects. While one would think that Vera or the late Crown Prince had been the ones to have gone through the most teachers, that would be wrong. Even with the rather blunt comments and complaints, Louis Newell was very well-taught.

This didn’t stop him from having a lackluster ability to act properly in front of anybody important. Even if the rumors had been exaggerated, the prince was able to act normal on occasion, that quick temper wasn’t a lie.

And yet… while Elijah could see the prince trying to kill him with his eyes only, the adjacent shouting and rising from the chair wasn’t to be found. Louis Newell, the short-fused royal, was holding himself back.

Curious.

“We’re in need of somebody who’s loyal, and my brother has proved he fits within that category,” Vera added on to push the tension away. “And, before you ask, it was him who asked for the position. I didn’t start this.”

Now that was a surprise. Elijah hadn’t doubted that Vera would be crazy enough to suggest a thing such as this, but that the prince himself was behind it… Maybe he had misjudged him somewhat. That air of anger around him, that desire to respond to any provocation, was still there to be seen, but it was being suppressed actively. Not enough for Elijah to miss it, but enough that somebody unused to Louis’ presence might miss it.

Not a diplomat, however, and certainly not elves who’ve had centuries to practice reading faces.

He had to know more.

“With the way you have acted in recent times, I don’t trust you,” Elijah told the prince matter-of-factly. While the eyes briefly widened in anger, nothing came after. “You’ve been irrational, I know you’ve struck hundreds of servants through the years, and now you want to put the relationship with another country that’s vital to the survival of Serenova in your own hands? I didn’t think you were so arrogant.”

…

Huh.

The palms of the prince were still on the table, the eyes were still unwavering, the body was still as calm as it had been a minute before this all started, and… that anger had vanished entirely.

I don’t trust it.

Elijah didn’t let his eyes waver, staring the prince down until it finally came. A small twitch in the neck, the tenseness in the jaw, and the slight curling of the fingers. Still as angry as expected, holding it down well, but it couldn’t be held down indefinitely.

A longer fuse than what had been seen some weeks ago, but the core personality still remained steadfast.

There was progress, however, he couldn’t deny that.

“I… am not good enough for his position yet,” Louis admitted, much to the surprise of most at the table. Discussing his own faults usually came in a much louder voice, but that calm tone was still here somehow. “I have been trained for diplomatic jobs my entire life, but that was with the idea that I would be under another’s wing for the first decade of taking up the role. The chance of that happening is gone, we need somebody, and everybody else that has the qualifications for this is either preoccupied with other positions or they’re not trustworthy, which makes me the best choice.”

Elijah locked eyes with Vera who nodded at the words. She truly believed her brother to be who they were going with? He supposed he couldn’t force another to take the position but to move through the land with him? It was a risk.

“Fade will accompany you, to help with both bodyguarding Louis and smoothing any stressful situations,” Vera continued. “If you decide to go with them, your main tasks will be to accompany him on the roads, send back reports about the state of the places visited, and help keep my brother safe if absolutely necessary. In return, I offer you more of that gold that you dread so much, along with the opportunity to see more of the country and perhaps meet some interesting people. I know Jack has previously mentioned wanting to talk with some of the elven folk.”

So this is how you want to play it? Fine.

Even if he hadn’t been fully comfortable with the risks attached, Vera’s words won the others over. Jack and Sasha had both wanted to leave behind Kulvik in search of something else, and the opportunity to see a forest elf certainly had the young man interested.

And as for Aleksi… Though it took an entire discussion done through eye contact only, the giant made it clear he saw this as the safer path to take. More people meant more protection, and it would likewise allow them to travel out further earlier than previously thought possible. Even with the risk of witnessing a royal meltdown, nothing stopped them from simply leaving at that point.

“If it’s what we think is the best choice, I suppose I’ll have to go along with it,” Elijah finally conceded, much to the jubilation of the others. That happiness did leave them soon after when they learned the amount of adjusting that had to be done for their extended leave.

Vera’s warning about the meeting becoming a long one hadn’t been unwarranted.