Tower of Avarice: A LitRPG story

Chapter 151 – Floor 14: Part 1

Congratulations!

Floor 13: A Kingdom Besieged (Complete)

Summary: As the Ancient Ogre Rath falls dead, the kingdom of Anglia has been freed from the threat of invasion from the north. As its Crown Prince, you have been instrumental in this task.

Reward: None

The words glitched and melted, forming a new sentence below.

Good Work. Come To The Dead Island And Find Me.

The words disappeared, only to be replaced with a new message.

Floor 14: A Daring Rescue

Summary: Far away from the shores of Anglia exists an island shrouded by fog. An island of death where the living dread to travel and most never return. There, deep beneath the surface of the earth, a prisoner awaits your arrival. Travel to this strange and mysterious land and free them from their imprisonment.

Reward: ????

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The triumphant army marched through the streets of Londinium. Despite the late season, the road was covered with thrown flower petals, and the crowds were packed shoulder to shoulder the length of the parade route.

Knights on horseback led the way; their armour shone brightly, and they proudly displayed their House banners. Hundreds of Knights were followed by the Mages; both students and members of the Mage Tower rode side by side; their grey robes were emblazoned with arcane symbols, and the glow of magic surrounded them.

Behind them walked the infantry in orderly rows. Gripping spears and crossbows, they were a formidable sight made more dreadful by the demi-beast skulls they carried arrogantly on the end of pikes and beast furs draped across their shoulders.

Finally came the person that everyone had come to see. The fabled Lost Prince, Aiden who had earned a new moniker to the populace, the Red Prince of the North. His legend had grown immensely in the time he had been gone. But it was his slaying of the Ancient Ogre Rath that had solidified his reputation as the defender of Anglia.

Aiden wore his armour, the distinctive and strange black leather and silver steel that set him apart from others. Over the armour he wore a red and gold tabard that bore the golden griffin. Finally, a purple cloak had been draped over one of his shoulders, a Roman tradition for returning generals after a victorious campaign.

The crowd cheered and screamed his name, and the whole of Londinium chanted.

“Aiden! Aiden! Aiden!”

If they needed further proof of his deeds, the weapon of Rath was carried into the city by cart. The sword was so large that it needed four horses to pull it. It was cracked in half, and the crowd knew why. Aiden had split the weapon with Excalibur during his conflict with the Ogre, and the story has been retold in every tavern and household since then.

The Prince looked on at the crowd calmy from atop his black horse, Midnight. The Magical steed didn’t show the slightest hint of skittishness at the noise; it merely carried its rider toward the palace. Following behind him, at a distance, were his ‘advisors.’

Alfred and Daphne had changed during their time on the campaign. Both had grown more capable and powerful from the Aether. Alfred’s health had improved significantly, although he was still thin and frail compared to other people his age.

The pair were troubled by recent events. Aiden had been more withdrawn lately, barely speaking beyond a scant word, urging them to hurry back to Londinium. Something had happened after the battle with Rath, but Aiden refused to explain; he would just brush them off and tell them he would explain when they returned to the palace.

Now, less than a mile from their destination, the pair were hesitant to hear what had disturbed the powerful prince.

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“I need a ship.” Mathew stated.

After meeting Albrecht and Margrit on the steps of the palace, he had been forced to once again listen to endless speeches and attend another celebration before he could finally get the King and Queen alone.

‘Alone’ was relative, as the room still contained a fair number of people. Apart from the three of them, there were also Alfred and Daphne in their role as his ‘advisors.’ Then there was Enalious and another Archmage that Mathew didn’t know but who obviously was aware of his true identity.

Then there were a half dozen Knights, including Marten, who may or may not know that he wasn’t really ‘Aiden.’ Mathew had a hard time tracking who was privy to that information. Some of them were present when he first arrived on this Floor, but there were a few unfamiliar faces.

It didn’t matter; nothing Mathew said here was going to be a secret for long.

“For the liberation of the Orkneys? Surely, it is too late in the season for the campaign to start. You should rest, and we can discuss this in the spring when the weather is good for sailing.” Albrecht replied.

“No, not for the Orkneys. That would take dozens of ships to transport the army and the supplies needed. If Prince Aiden intended to liberate the Isles so soon, he would have stayed in the north and sent for the ships to meet him. What do you intend to do?” Margrit responded while frowning. The request was odd, but nothing was normal when it came to this representative of the gods.

Mathew stood up from his chair and began to pace. He ran his hand through his hair as he muttered to himself before stopping and turning to Enalious.

“Does a ‘Dead Island’ off the coast of Anglia mean anything to you? Somewhere ‘shrouded by fog that the living dread to travel?” He asked. The Archmage shook his head.

“There are many islands off the coast, and most of them are shrouded in fog, especially in the north.” Enalious replied. He turned to his fellow archmagus, a short and thin old man who had a long, white beard and eyebrows that nearly reached his cheeks.

The old man thought for a moment before speaking to Mathew.

“It would help if we had context. Where is this inquiry originating from?” He asked. Mathew let out a breath and sat back in his chair.

“I have been tasked to free a prisoner from a ‘dead island.’ I don’t know if it comes from the gods; the method of communicating the message was unusual. But I don’t have much of a choice but to carry it out.” Mathew explained.

The old man leaned back in his chair and folded his hands in his lap.

“A ‘prisoner’ on a ‘dead island’ shrouded by fog, that the living dread to travel. That certainly narrows things down a bit.” He said as he nodded his head.

“Baltia was said to be such a place, but it was a difficult route to navigate when they traded in Amber and Aether Crystals. It was said their people were all killed by a calamity millennia ago, and their riches remained. There were many expeditions to find it, but most didn’t return.” The Archmage explained.

“Those that did told of a place of great magic and an even greater evil. I would encourage you not to visit such a terrible place, but I fear you do not have an alternative.” Enalious added.

“Could you provide me with a crew?” Mathew asked Albrecht, who hesitated for a moment.

“I may be able to leverage your reputation to encourage a foolhardy crew. I agree with Enalious; can you resist this endeavour until the spring?” Albrecht asked as he assessed Alfred’s progress. His health was improved, and with another six months, he would be more assured of his younger son's ability to eventually take the role of Crown Prince.

“No. But you don’t have to worry about me being lost at sea in a shipwreck. They only need to put me in sight of the island; I’ll travel the rest of the way myself. I wouldn’t be tasked with rescuing this prisoner if it were something I could not accomplish. The gods can be cruel and merciless, but they won’t give out a mission that you have no hope of completing.” Mathew assured them.

Within a week, Mathew was setting sail on a large, wooden ship that flew the golden griffin of the royal family on its mast. Despite his efforts to dissuade them, both Enalious and Daphne accompanied him on the voyage, along with a contingent of Knights led by Marten.

Alfred had wanted to go as well, but the future of Anglia rested on his shoulders.

Mathew leaned over the railing and looked out at the grey sea. Enalious had scoured the Mage Tower library for anything detailing Baltia and its location. It was said to be Northeast of Anglia, its location marked by a storm that was said to protect the island from would-be thieves and raiders.

But Enalious also found something else in the library about the mysterious island. Or rather, a lack of something. Many books and records had been deliberately destroyed, concealing Anglia’s dealing with the Island of Amber and Aether and any history they may share.

It almost made Mathew eager to travel there and discover what was so important that someone went to so much trouble to conceal it.

Almost. Mathew had learned that when it came to secrets and quests from the gods, they often had a way of trying to kill him.