Server Lost 19 『Fealty』

This had been the first time witnessing the flight of an angel, for all the mortals in the room not part of Jack's party, as they had joined him in flight once before.
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Ca.s.sandra, Lord and Lady Carmichael were in awe having seen his wings put to work. They weren't just for show, they weren't just cosmetic. They actually worked, which further amazed them.

"I would like to speak with you in private now," Jack turned his head to Lord Carmichael as the servants were beginning to enter the room.

Lord Carmichael nodded lightly and turned to his wife. "We will be going to my study to talk, be sure to set his group up with the guest rooms."

"Yes, Husband..." Lady Carmichael didn't sound all that enthused as she narrowed her sights on the other members of the party. Especially when she saw the two elves, a skeleton and multiple other women. She began thinking about whether or not this angel have a 'healthy lifestyle.'

Runa pursed her lips hearing Jack and the Lord talk, wondering what exactly Jack's approach to this was going to be. He already used Divine Fealty on three people so far. Could he be planning on usurping the Kingdom, or attaining limited control over the City?

She couldn't ignore the fact that the world outside the castle itself, was in pretty bad shape. And compared to the interior here, it looked as if this Lord and Lady were keeping all the wealth to themselves. Was that what he was going to talk about with the Lord?

Many questions were going through her mind, and none of them were going to get an answer, not right away. Runa would place her index finger against her chin as she looked towards Vivian.

Vivian was standing idly beside Kokei, looking over his boney fingers rather casually.

Kokei was just watching her, his eyes focused on the top of her head. Why was she so interested in his bones? As he listened to her as she began whispering, it sounded as if she was reciting the names of each piece of his hand and down his arm as she began pointing to each part of him.

"Princess Vivian?" Kokei asked as he slowly took his hand away from her grasp..

"Yes Kokei?" She looked up at the telepathy using skeleton.

"What're you doing?"

"Counting and naming your bones." She seemed to smile brightly up at him.

The Skeleton stared at her silently for a few seconds before saying, "Oh? By the way how old are you..." The skeleton was curious about her age, considering the fact that she was only a level ten.

"One hundred and thirteen summers," Vivian chimed as she looked side to side, her gaze wondering over towards Runa who was just now approaching.

Freezing slightly at the age and irrelevance to her level, it started to look as if she had been purposely kept weak. His fiery blue bead-like eyes moved towards Jack who was glancing over his shoulder towards him. Apparently he was listening as well, though it didn't mean much from what he'd hear.

It was likely Jack had seen what she had gone through by just using the Character Appraisal spell.

If not, it was definitely just told to him straight up. Not that Jack could hear the telepathic part of the discussion, but he could make a.s.sumptions.

Jack and the Lord began making their way out of the reception hall, towards a smaller northern door behind the throne for a visiting King.

When they reached the door, the old man would press it open with his hand, the two would find themselves in front of a U-shaped flight of stairs.

"Huh..." Jack stared up from the center of the staircase, all the way up towards the top. "That's a lot of stairs..." His eyes then shifted down towards the Lord who was looking up at him.

"Yes it is… I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem to… Fly, yes?" Carmichael was smiling awkwardly to Jack, as if he really wanted to fly, similar to how his daughter had been brought up to the seventh floor within seconds.

"I see," Jack would tuck his fingers into the Lord's chest plate since he was still wearing his half-plate armor. "Hold onto my arm, would you? Wouldn't want you to slip out," the sarcasm was definitely evident in his voice.

"Ah..." Just as the Lord went to grasp at the other man's arm, Jack leaped from the floor with a mighty push from his wings. With the speed in which they ascended, he found his arms being pulled down to his sides before he could fully grip onto Jack. "Holy!"

Shaking his head slightly, Jack would reach a hover at the fifth floor, "Which floor was it…?" He asked as he'd look down at Carmichael with a brow raised.

"The Fourth..." Shaking his head slightly as he was holding onto the torso of his half-plate armor. He wasn't ready to fall to his death or become a cripple, even if it'd be temporary.

Nodding, Jack would lower to the forth floor and stand on the rail, before dropping him onto his feet on the floor. He then stepped down himself and followed the Lord into a hallway which was directly above the reception room, even overlooking it.

Jack stared down as he followed the human, his eyes grazing over his party members who were following the Lady Carmichael. However the one thing he noticed was, the daughter was no longer down there. Where had the daughter gone?

Listening to his surroundings intently as they were continuing on their way, he could hear foot steps in the stairwell behind them.

It seemed the daughter was following them.

The two would enter the study after a few minutes of transversing the halls. It was clear that the daughter was keeping close tabs on their progress.

Every time Jack had glanced over his shoulder, he could see her shadow hiding behind a corner or behind a door that wasn't open before.

Now standing in the Study, Jack closed the door almost all the way behind him, but didn't latch it shut. Lord Carmichael lead him to the center of the room, surrounded by book shelves on all sides. Expensive busts and several suits of armor.

This place was definitely worth several hundred gold coin on its own, if not thousands, easily.

His eyes turned towards the Lord as he had gotten done observing the vanity that surrounded the two. "Quite the place you have..." Jack wasn't smiling or giving much of an expression, his tone didn't seem all that pleased with it despite the words being akin to a compliment.

"I'd like to ask, before we get down to business, what do you think of my daughter?" Lord Carmichael folded his arms across his chest with a cheeky grin across his lips.

Jack narrowed his sights on the man as he brought up his daughter all of a sudden. Then his gaze drifted away, his eyes collecting data on the rug under their feet. "Talented...? Is she your only child?"

The Lord nodded, seemingly prideful of the that.

"Why are you trying to marry her off?" Pursing his lips, he looked over the man, curiously wondering why he would be trying to sell off his only daughter.

Carmichael's gaze moved to the ceiling as he was asked what could only be considered a tough question, at least for him of all people. Yet it didn't take him long to give an answer, "For her protection," so it seemed he believed.

"Ah..." Jack could hear the door move ever so slightly, dainty feet slipping into the room before the door was moved back into place.

From the corner of his eye, he could see the invisible shape moving about the east side of the room, pressing against a bookcase.

"In any case..." Jack would walk over towards the door of the study, finally latching it shut, locking it with the use of magic.

Carmichael furrowed his brow at the action Jack had taken, especially when the lock gave a light green glow for a split second. "What are you wanting to talk about exactly?"

Jack didn't turn his whole body to look at him, but instead looked to the man from the corner of his eye as his head turned to the side. "Your loyalty, Ivan, your loyalty," he then shifted to face him completely, blocking the exit of the room, he didn't address him as he did before.

"My Loyalty…?" Carmichael was becoming slightly confused onto where this conversation was going.

With a swift flick of his wrist, Jack would cast a spell known as 『Silent Night』and the entire room gave a light blue glow. He had just sound proofed the room, no one was going to be able to hear them outside the room!

Panicking, the daughter appeared still in her in her short satin blue nightgown, "What're you doing…?" Her eyes filled with fear, as she figured he already knew she was there.

"Ca.s.sandra!?" the Old man looked to his daughter, "What the h.e.l.l are you doing in here!?"

Jack rolled his eyes slightly, reaching out with one hand, using telepathy to beacon her throat into his hand. He held her a couple feet off the ground.

Ca.s.sandra stared at him, her hands grappling at his wrist to no avail, she couldn't pry him off. Yet he wasn't squeezing either, she could hardly feel his grip despite being unable to escape!

"Lemme…! Lemme go!"

"As she is your only offspring, this makes her your only heir, correct?" Jack narrowed his sights on the man, wondering if the bloodline meant anything in this world.

The old man seemed to nod at this, "That… That is correct… Can you put her down? Please?"

Jack just gave this blank gaze of his before looking to Ca.s.sandra as she was kicking her feet and squirming in his hand. "If I was going to hurt you, I would've already done it."

Ca.s.sandra briefly stopped struggling, her eyes becoming as sharp as her mothers as she glared at him. "I don't like being manhandled!"

Jack's jaw slackened slightly as she said this and he tilted his head to the side. "Such a brat…"

"I am not!"

"So are," Jack retorted as she argued against being called a brat. "How're you able to argue so easily when I have your life in my hands?"

Ca.s.sandra blinked a few times, "You said you weren't going to hurt me."

"No, I said if I was going to hurt you, I already would've." Jack corrected her as he held her a few more inches from the ground.

Ca.s.sandra stared through him now as she was trying to make sure of the difference in her mind. Then she shook her head and just looked him over, still holding onto his wrist with her hands.

Jack's eyes moved towards Carmichael who was dropping to his knees.

"Please don't hurt her… I'll do anything!"

Jack simply shrugged at the predictable action of a parent in front of a more powerful being, capable of threatening the lives of their children and way of life. "I'm not threatening you, Ivan."

Carmichael blinked a few times when he was a.s.sured that his daughter wasn't being used to threaten him. He quickly returned to his feet, rubbing his hands together nervously, "T-then what l-loyalties are we talking about?"

Jack would cast『Divine Fealty』on his daughter, causing the girl to glow gold in his hand before he dropped her to her feet.

Ca.s.sandra however quickly lost her footing the moment she landed on the rug and plopped onto her b.u.m. "Ow… What just happened?" She looked at her hands and her feet, nothing seemed different until her thoughts centered on Jack. Her eyes flickered up towards him, he seemed to glow more than usual and she couldn't help but smile at the sight of him.

"What'd you do to my child?" Ivan rushed on over to his daughter, resting a hand on her shoulder, inspecting her before looking up to Jack as he placed a hand on the Lord's head.

"Nothing much, just making her more faithful," Jack replied with a nigh-innocent smile across his lips, casting the spell 『Divine Fealty』upon the Lord as well

Ivan froze for a moment after the golden glow which surrounded him faded away. He took in a deep refreshing breath, before looking around. He seemed… So much lighter than before, his eyes then shifted towards Jack. "What did you just do to me?"

"I instilled faith upon you," Jack pitched his head in affirmation, before walking around the room, his hands folded behind his back. "True Faith."

The Lord contemplated the Words of Jack, nodding slowly, a brand new understanding opening up to him. "So, This is what you wanted to share with me?" Less nervous, the Lord seemed to have gained more confidence after having his allegiance altered.

"Yes… For the sake of the City, I'm going to need you to fix it."

Ca.s.sandra sat there on the ground for several moments, watching as Jack walked around them. "You want to improve the lives of the commoners and those who live under us? Right?"

Jack's eyes settled on her for a moment before nodding, "It's the only way this city will survive a war," he believed he saw one coming considering the treatment of Vivian and the outlook on elves and other species. There was no way they were going to avoid it.

People who saw others as heathens, would cross entire oceans just to murder others far away from themselves, that was the curse of sentient lifeforms.

Ca.s.sandra would stand up from the floor and run over to him, face planting into his torso as she crashed into him. "Hah! My father always thought it was a foolish endeavor to enrich the people!"

Jack stared down at her as she was looking u pat him, her chin firmly planted into his runic half-plate. "Why are you hugging onto me?"

"Because you're a more suitable Lord than Father!" She grinned up at him as she made the declaration, "And by far, much more powerful!"

Jack didn't take her eyes off of her as he began to notice the freckles on her pale skin. The more he inspected her face, he could see there was little bags under her eyes. Perhaps it was from over use of magic, or the studying of magic without much rest.

His gaze traveled into her hair and before he knew it his hand began to comb his fingers through it, as if petting a cat, tucking a strand behind her ear. His eyes drifted to his hand as he inspected it for a mere moment before looking over towards Ivan, his lower left eyelid twitching.

"You wanted to have your favor with the King improved, did you not?"

The Lord took a step back as he heard the very words which left Jack's mouth, he wasn't expecting him to say anything of the sort. "You heard?"

"Aye… Go and fetch Brother Tonic would you…"

Nodding without a word, Ivan Carmichael rushed out of the room, unlocking the latch with his key from a pouch on his hip and heading out. The door naturally closed behind him.

Once he was gone, Jack turned his gaze back towards the girl who was still clinging to him. "Ca.s.s, get off." He shortened her name as he pressed a finger against her forehead, hard enough to push her back.

"Heeeey!" She put her hands on her forehead as she stood a few feet away from him, pouting up at him.

"Don't Hey me," Jack chuckled and snapped back at her, shaking his head. Taking out a pair of scissors, he looked her over, "Turn around."

"What're you doing with those tiny sheers?" She curled her toes into the rug under her feet as she waddled to and fro, turning her back to him as requested.

Taking a step forward, she would feel his hands grasp her hair, pulling on it slightly.

"Ow, gentle!" She went to turn her head, but his hand planted itself on the top of her head, forcing her to look forward. "Hheeey!"

"Stay still," Jack ordered as he released her head as she was starting to fidget. He then began to cut her hair so that it was at shoulder level. Once he was done, he pulled a comb out of his inventory, and started to layer her hair.

Carelessly he littered the floor with locks of her dark hair.

Ca.s.sandra was frowning as she could feel how light her head was. Though the feeling of someone else doing her hair felt amazing almost. She had always brushed it out herself, but she had never cut or trimmed it. If anything, she always took pride in her long hair, but being groomed was a new experience. She licked her lips slightly, before blowing a raspberry as hair got into her mouth.

"Ew.." She muttered quietly, wiping her mouth on her forearm.

Soon enough he was puling her hair back again, leaving some strands for her bangs, as he made a short ponytail with a shiny black ribbon in the back of her head that g ave the illusion of chin length hair.

Inspection the sides of her head before working on her bangs, Jack would be standing in front of her, making sure everything was partially appealingly asymmetrical.

Once he was finished, he slipped his two hair items away into his inventory. He then grasped the sides of her face, maneuvering her head around. "Looks like you're done..."

Ca.s.sandra raised a brow slightly, "Do… Angels usually have the skills to work hair?" She'd inquire her two different colored eyes following him as he released her head, before narrowing her eyes on the small mirror on the corner of her father's desk. "Woah..."