Caleb finally let go of the king’s hand. He stepped back and took a mont to regain his composure. A deep breath and an exhale later, he focused on the king.
"This is a first for , Your Majesty." Caleb stated warmly. "I’m glad I got to et soone like you."
"Likewise, Mr. Zane."
"Call Caleb." Being called Mister felt unnatural in this world. "I prefer being called by my first na." He added, walking over to the other side of the altar, stopping just before the commander.
"Commander Lance..." Caleb presented his right hand. "We good?"
"Depends." The commander took Caleb’s hand and stared directly into his eyes. "Did you kill the Count?"
"No." The reply ca firmly. "I’ve never taken a life that is not from the dungeon, at least not yet."
This was both his truth and the old Caleb’s. That might change in the future, but for now, he would like it to remain this way.
"Mm." Commander Lance nodded and let go of Caleb’s hand, inwardly shocked. ’He didn’t even budge! Hell, it was like he felt nothing!’ Lance had tried to tighten his grip on Caleb’s hand, but that was a pointless act.
Paying no heed to the commander’s act, Caleb moved to the other edge of the altar, allowing each man their space.
"With the small stuff out of the way, let’s talk business." Caleb suggested and was ready to move on when the king drew his attention.
"How are you going to deal with the bounty on your head?" The King asked. "With the ongoing propaganda, my hands are a bit tied."
"Oh, you don’t have to worry about that." Caleb smiled knowingly. "No one will be touching anyti soon. Besides, I have a feeling this extre reaction of the nobles to my existence has sothing to do with the recent chaos."
"And this has sothing to do with the business we’re here for..." King Gray thought as much. After all, this was why he wanted to et Caleb. He was in a position where he couldn’t trust most of his nobles.
He needed a new perspective in order to figure things out. This was what he hoped Caleb would offer, and he was glad his instincts were correct.
"Precisely..." Caleb nodded. "And the late Count was in on it. Unfortunately for you, his n were too desperate to save him, resulting in the accident that killed him."
This was the most logical scenario given that Caleb and Jess were not the ones to kill the Count directly. That, or the count’s n killed him on purpose.
’That’s also likely...’ King Gray pondered with a slight frown. However, the more he thought about it, the more he believed it was an accident. ’He would have been able to tell if those n were corrupted.’
"I take it that you’ve heard of my recent decree?" King Gray asked, receiving a nod in return.
"You plan on investigating the nobles involved in the incident," Caleb said and then added. "Don’t you have so suspects already?"
"Actually, we have a few." The king replied, glancing at his commander. "However, we don’t have any proof. Without it..."
"Your hands are tied." Caleb completed with a contemplative look on his face.
"Exactly. I may be the king, but there are so things I cannot do without evidence." He let out a soft sigh. "Additionally, I’m also preoccupied with the recent actions of the neighbouring kingdom."
"What about the demon generals in your custody?" Caleb questioned. "They should know a few things." Even he was curious to learn more about what those generals ntioned before.
"They’re dead." The commander replied instead. "They said nothing after days of interrogation. But then sothing baffling occurred, leading to their demise."
"Baffling?" Caleb echoed in confusion. "I sealed their powers, there should have been no way for them to do anything strange."
"Hence the strangeness..." Lance added, folding his arms over his chest. "Our best guess is related to whoever they answered to."
"Like so kind of link?"
"Mm." Lance nodded.
"I see..." That was a dead end, for now, at least. Turning back to the king, Caleb asked another question. "You ntioned in your decree that you set up an independent council to carry out investigations. How far along is that?"
Once more, the king and commander exchange looks. "That’s why we wanted to et with you, Caleb." The king said.
"That body hasn’t been set yet. We want you to head that council." He added.
"Oh..." Caleb echoed softly, but then furrowed his brows in thought. ’Maybe, this is what the remaining spots are for...’ He glanced at the corner of his HUD, where the rest of the quest was pending.
[1. Interface with the king’s genetic code to reverse genetic damage.]
[2. Interface with Celine’s genetic code to reverse genetic mutations.]
[3. ...]
[4. ...]
"I can’t trust my officials, and my private forces are not qualified for the mission." The king continued. "The Royal family is not the only powerful force in the kingdom."
This was a truth he couldn’t ignore. After all, the ongoing war with the demon forces at the edges of the kingdom took most of its forces from the nobles of the kingdom; he didn’t have all the power.
To remove a noble from power, he needed undeniable proof of treason against the kingdom for the other nobles to accept it. This was the sa for the king.
They could remove him if he failed to carry out his duties. However, what the nobles currently had on him was not enough. It was more of a scare tactic to get the king in line.
King Gray and Lance stared at Caleb, waiting for him to process their proposition. This was very important to them; they needed soone who was not moved by the power the nobles wielded.
Soone who could go and co as he pleased; soone who could be very discreet in his actions if he wanted. Even after many days passed, no word was heard of his whereabouts; that’s how good he was at staying off the radar.
"I accept." Caleb raised his head and gave his reply.
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