Tower of Avarice: A LitRPG story

Chapter 133 – Floor 12: Part 2

Mathew emerged from the elevator's white light into a stone chamber. The room was drafty, the air carried with it a chill and dampness, along with a the smell of Aether and magic.

He wasn’t alone. There were men and women surrounding in at the chamber’s edges, holding weapons and watching him warily. The ‘Buzz’ didn’t activate, letting Mathew know that these people weren’t particularly powerful. He could feel the mana within them, weak and chaotic.

They wouldn’t have lived long against the Anti-Life.

There were two people close to Mathew, each with significantly more mana within their bodies than anyone else in the room. The man on the right was older, and with his robes and staff gripped tightly in his hand, Mathew took him for a wizard or mage.

There was a connection between the robed man and the runes carved in the stone floor beneath his feet. Clearly, this man had been the one responsible for this summoning array’s creation. Mathew had seen them in several of the past Floors, a way for the locals to beseech the gods for help and to have a Player come to fix whatever problems they had.

Ignoring the mage, Mathew turned his attention to the well-dressed nobleman directly in front of him. Dressed in formal clothing elaborately worked in gold and with a cloak on his shoulders topped with a white fox fur collar, his outfit screamed ‘Royalty’ to Mathew’s eyes.

If Mathew were in a better state of mind, well rested and able to better deal with the sudden shift to a new Floor, he may have been more polite and capable of dealing with people. But he had just been ripped from a hellish Floor where he had descended into caverns deep below the surface, facing horrors that these people would never understand.

He had killed a man less than an hour ago. Someone from Earth who had entered the Tower to fulfill a wish or dream. And because of a stupid choice his companion had made, Mathew had been forced to put him down like a monster.

He wasn’t in the mood to entertain the locals of the 12th Floor.

“What do you want?” Mathew asked, his tone tired and cold. He watched as the Nobleman jerked slightly at the disrespectful words, and Mathew expected him to grow angry and say something. But to his surprise, the Noble seemed pleased at his attitude!

‘What have I gotten into this time?’ Mathew thought as the Noble cleared his throat and began to speak.

“Blessed Champion, We have beseeched the gods for your help. We thank you for-” Mathew interrupted the man before he could continue.

“Look, I’m not in the mode for pleasantries and to listen to you sing the praises of the gods. Tell me what you want in plain and simple English.” Mathew stated, holding up his hand to halt the Noble from speaking.

Next to him, the mage seemed to grow irritated by Mathew’s attitude. A quick glance from Mathew and a slight flare of Mana circulated through Mathew’s body silenced him. He could hear the shuffling of feet and the desire to put him in his place from the people ringing the room, but Mathew ignored them.

“Very well. I will be direct. We…I… need your assistance.” The Noble replied, and Mathew nodded, indicating that the man should continue.

“I am Albrecht, King of Anglia. I want your help protecting my son.” The King explained.

“Is someone looking to assassinate him?” Mathew asked, and the king shook his head sadly.

“No. Alfred’s constitution is naturally frail. He has difficulty taking in the Earth’s ambient mana, and his body lacks the martial abilities to enhance his health through training and dedication to a Knightly regimen.” Albrecht stated; he paused before Enalious continued.

“The King of Anglia is more than just our ruler; he must also be a leader of Knights and a bulwark against any possible invasion, be it from Demi-Beasts or other nations. Alfred is unable to fulfil that role, and the King has no other living relatives to take up the mantle of King. There is no need for an ‘Assassination’ of Alfred; our enemies know that he cannot become King.” Enalious finished.

“Yet. He can not take on the crown as of yet. There is still hope for Alfred; he just needs more time. With the proper herbs and remedies, he can grow stronger.” Albrecht retorted.

“And you want me to guard him until he gets better?” Mathew asked in confusion.

He wasn’t sure exactly what they wanted of him. If no one was looking to kill Alfred because he was too weak to become King, then why did they need someone from the Tower of Avarice to come to this Floor?

The King and Mage shared a brief look before Enalious explained.

“The King must have an heir, especially in times of turmoil. The Demi-Beasts have been stirring on the northern islands. A Beast Tide is coming, and it will be up to the King and his Knights to protect the people. The Nobility will not allow any uncertainty in the succession. If Alfred is unable to fulfill that role, the crown will transfer to another House.” Enalious clarified.

“So? Let it.” Mathew replied with an indifferent shrug. He had no interest in letting an old King keep his crown unless there was a real purpose aside from pride and vanity. Enalious seemed shocked at the words and flushed red with anger when Albrecht placed a calming hand on the mage’s shoulder.

“Peace, Enalious. He doesn’t understand. The House most likely to take the Crown, House Rosen, has a fearsome reputation. But their power is undeniable, and I am unable to investigate their activities properly.”

“Alright.” Mathew said, holding up a hand to stop the King. He didn’t care about the politics; he just needed to know what he needed to do to pass the Floor.

“What do you want from me?”

“Alfred is too weak to be my Heir. I…had another son. Aiden. He was the eldest. Strong, intelligent and brave.” Albrecht’s voice cracked, and he stopped speaking, overcome by emotions. Enalious took the lead in explaining what they wanted from Mathew.

“When Aiden was a child, he was sent to the Americas with the King’s brother for his protection. It was something we were loathed to do, but there had been many attempts on the child’s life, and it was thought that distance would provide additional safeguard. We were wrong.”

“The ship was lost, and Aiden, along with the crew and the King’s brother, perished at sea.” Enalious finished.

“He would have been your age, in his early twenties. His death was never confirmed; there was no body to recover.” Albrecht added, taking a deep, steadying breath.

“I have asked the gods to provide a young man of similar age as Aiden, with the power to defend himself and silence my critics, to assume the role of my son and Heir until such time that Alfred is able to take up the responsibility.” Albrecht said, his grey eyes piercing into Mathew’s own.

Mathew was surprised at the request and was stunned for a moment before he burst out into laughter. Great guffaws that echoed off the walls. The surrounding Knights made their displeasure known, gripping their weapons and grumbling at the disrespect that Mathew was showing.

“You want me to pretend to be your son? Are you insane? I don’t know anything about your country or this world. Not to mention, I don’t look much like someone related to you or sound anything like someone from ‘Anglia.’ How can you expect me to pull this off?” Mathew asked loudly.

That outburst was the final straw for the Knights. They could handle a certain level of disrespect from this stranger, but Mathew had just crossed the line. A half dozen of them pulled swords from their sheathes. They knew their King would forbid them from killing Mathew, but they could beat him into submission.

Mathew felt the hostile intent immediately. After fighting the Anti-Life, the Undead, and a host of other monsters and creatures over the decades he spent in the Tower, his senses were honed to a keen edge. Mathew flared his mana as soon as he heard the first footfall approach and the sound of a sword leaving its sheath.

Cycling the energy through his body, Mathew released a small portion of it. Like a storm descending, the air swirled around him violently. It felt as if a heavy weight was pressing down on everyone present, and Enalious was forced to shield himself and the king from the oppressive energies.

“Earthbind!” Mathew shouted, using the Blessing to bind the Knights with yellow energy. Like roots growing from a tree, the Blessing climbed up their legs and bodies, tightening like ropes until they couldn’t move.

“Enough! No one will move until I order it so.” Albrecht shouted. The remaining Knights halted immediately, but they watched Mathew warily.

“It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are from. If I say you are my son, Aiden, then no one can question it. With power like yours, you will be a perfect cover for Alfred while he grows stronger. I don’t need you to learn our ways or act as we do. The more you don’t fit in, the less attention there will be on Alfred.” Albrecht stated, and Mathew ceased cycling the mana inside his body.

The storm around him subsided, and everyone in the room breathed a small sigh of relief as the oppressive nature of Mathew’s mana retreated.

“Fine. I’ve been ordered by the gods to fulfill your request. So, if you want me to be ‘Aiden’ and put up with this charade, that’s what I’ll do. But I’ve spent decades fighting monsters that you couldn’t imagine. I’ve killed and almost been killed more times than I can count. Don’t expect me to fit into ‘Noble’ society easily.” Mathew cautioned, and Albrecht smiled for the first time since Mathew had arrived.

“You’ll be perfect.”