Arcadia’s Ignoble Knight, Vol. 6

  The Lich King I

  Brandon Varnell

  Illustrated by

  Claparo Sans

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Arcadia’s Ignoble Knight, Vol. 6

  Copyright © 2022 Brandon Varnell & Kitsune Incorporated

  Illustration Copyright © 2022 Claparosans

  All rights reserved.

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  ISBN: 978-1-9519040-0-5 (paperback)

  978-1-9519040-1-2 (eBook)

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  Dedication

  This page is made in dedication to my amazing patrons. Without them, my characters would never get lewded by so many wonderful artists:

  Aaron Harris; Abraham Madsen; Adam; Alarinnise; Alex Burt; Armando Pastrana; Aaron Cortrighr; Austin; Brendan Smiley; Bruce Johnson; Bryce McClay; ByzFan; Casey G. May; Catcrazy9; Chase Corso; Charles Dorfeuille; Chett Nialo; Christopher Gross; Cody Woodard; CosmicOrange; Daniel Glasson; David Bell; Edward Grindle; Edward Lamar Stephenson; Edward P Warmouth; Eric Bailey; Feitochan; Forrest Hansen; Forrest Hansen; G___Sweet; Grant; Green and Magenta Beast; IronKing; Jacob Flores; Jared B; Jason Wilcox; Jeremy Schultz; Jessy Torres; John Patton; Jordan McDonald; Joseph Snyder; Joshua Hasbell; Manny G; Mark Frabotta; Mason; Matthew Wallace; Max A Kramer; Michael Erwin; Michael Moneymaker; Mike Dennehy; Minocho; MrRedSkill; Nathan S; Norodim; Nyxterrynne; Phoenixblue; Philip Hedgepeth; Rafael; Randgofire23; Raymond T; Red Phoenix; Reent Dopychai; Repooc Ilahsram; Richard Garret; Rob Hammel; Robert Shofner; Rooser45; Roy Cales; Samuel Donaldson; Sean Gray; Seismic Wolf; Smudi Corp; Tanner Lovelace; Thomas Jackson; Thomas Lindsay; Thomas Oconnell; ToraLinkley; Travis Cox; Vincent Frosceno; William Crew; Wizard4Hire; XY172; Zach Miller; Zach Strickland; Zak Whiteaker; Zenn Barger

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Interlude I

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Epilogue

  Thank you for reading!

  Afterword

  Sneak Peak

  Manga Page 1

  Manga Page 2

  Manga Page 3

  Manga Page 4

  Manga Page 5

  Hey, did you know?

  Brandon’s LNs

  American Kitsune

  WIEDERGEBURT

  MMG

  Catgirl Doctor

  Incubus

  A Most Unlikely Hero

  Arcadia’s Knight

  Journey of a Betrayed Hero

  Rift

  Executioner

  Follow me!

  Prologue

  Caspian and Elincia stood in Sylvia’s office, in front of the lady herself, who sat behind her desk, a stern frown marring her face. Raven locks of hair framed her delicate features. Her silver eyes gazed upon them with a coolness that was reminiscent of ice. Her body, clad in a dress that was simple yet somehow seemed imposing, barely shifted as she sat with her hands clasped in front of her body.

  As always, the oldest living Sorceress was composed. Her expression gave nothing away. In all the time that Caspian had known her, he didn’t think he had ever seen her smile, not once.

  Behind Sylvia stood D’artagnan, her Knight, the man currently known as the strongest Knight. Glistening armor shone from the sunlight piercing through the window behind him. His hand rested lightly on the hilt of the sword sheathed at his waist, as though he was ready to draw it at any time. He, like his Sorceress, retained a calm composure. Caspian thought it made him look like a statue.

  “We are currently facing something of a crisis,” Sylvia said, and much like her face, her collected voice gave none of her emotions away. She really did remind him of ice. “News that you are an elf has spread, and it has been causing much unrest among the people. They are frightened.”

  It had been about a week since the incident with Davidson since people had discovered that Elincia was an elf. It hadn’t been so bad at first. Many people hadn’t treated her any differently, but the further the rumor spread, the number of people who began showing fear toward her increased. The last time they went out, a majority of the people they walked past had whispered horrible things about her, and a few people had even thrown stuff at her and told her to go back to Fas Seras. Just remembering what happened during those times made Caspian angry.

  Only a few people still treated Elincia like a human being. Mr. and Mrs. Légumes didn’t treat her any differently. They, along with many other people who worked or shopped at that particular open market, had said that it didn’t matter if she was an elf.

  While he and Elincia were grateful for their support, they didn’t want to get those people involved in their conflict. Neither of them would be able to forgive themselves if something happened to the few individuals who still treated her kindly. That was why they had stopped going for their morning walks through that market.

  “I’m sorry,” Elincia said quietly, her shoulders slumping.

  Caspian reached over and discreetly held her hand. His emotions flared through their bond. He tried to shower her with the love and affection he felt for her through their connection, which caused Elincia to straighten and her cheeks to flush red. She cast him a grateful smile, and her hands tightened around his. Right now, this was all he could do to support her.

  Sylvia looked down at their hands and frowned. Thankfully, she didn’t say anything.

  “I am not blaming this situation on you,” she said at last. “In truth, the fault lies with me. I should not have kept this secret for so long.”

  Astonishment coursed through Caspian like a bolt of lightning. Had he ever heard Sylvia admit to being wrong? No. Never. Granted, he had rarely interacted with her on his own, but still, the times they had interacted when he was younger, she had never once admitted that she was at fault.

  “W-what? Lady Sylvia?” Elincia looked even more surprised than him, a consequence of her living with Sylvia for most of her life, no doubt.

  When Elincia had been rescued after the rebellion at Fas Seras, the last remaining elven kingdom, Sylvia had brought her to this very mansion. Here, in this place, Elincia had lived. While Caspian, who had also been rescued by Sylvia, had gone on to Arcadia’s Knight Academy, Elincia had never once lived elsewhere. One could almost say that she was a bird locked away in a cage.

  She knew Sylvia even better than he did. That must have been why she expressed even more surprise than him.

  “My original plan called for you was building up a reputation of goodwill first,” Sylvia explained. “My hope was that the people would see you for who you are, rather than what you are. I wanted them to become taken in with all of your good qualities. I wanted them to respect you for your accomplishments and compassion, so that when we finally announced that you are an elf, they wouldn’t care because they know who you were as a person first.”

  In theory, Caspian thought that Sylvia’s plan was sound. If people spent enough time with someone, had the chance to judge them without prejudice, then when they suddenly learned a huge and potentially damning secret, it wouldn’t have mattered. They wouldn’t have cared because their perception of that person would have already been cemented. That was the theory anyway.

  However, theory and practical application were two different things. Caspian wasn’t sure if Sylvia’s plan would have worked even if this incident hadn’t happened. Then again, he would admit that he didn’t have much faith in humanity’s ability to accept people who were different.

  “Now that this has happened, what should we do?” Caspian asked. “Ele can’t do her job if no one will even speak with her. Even worse, the situation might escalate if she goes out. Suspicion and distrust will follow her, and it will only increase as time goes on.”

  “Please address Elincia by her proper title, Caspian,” Sylvia admonished him. Behind her, D’artagnan shuffled his feet. “Since Elincia’s presence is currently a cause for concern, we have decided to send you on a task that will take you out of Casad
inia and return after the situation has settled. This task will likely take several weeks, maybe even a month, depending on how difficult it proves to be.”

  Caspian glanced at Sylvia’s Knight. D’artagnan el Melloi was a middle-aged man with angular features. His face appeared to have been chiseled from stone, further hardened by his intense demeanor. Long bangs framed his face, and a light fringe hovered over eyes of burnished steel.

  He wore light armor. His leather jerkin rustled whenever he shifted, dark brown and freshly polished. The shoulder pauldrons, greaves, and vambraces that he’d donned were made of steel, and they shone brightly underneath the light of the afternoon sun, which streamed in through a window at his back.

  That reproving look he’s giving me…

  Caspian wondered if D’artagnan also felt the irony at Sylvia’s statement. How many times had her Knight told him the same thing each day, that he should address the Sorceresses by their proper titles, or that he should call them “Lady Sorceress” or some such? More times than he could count.

  “You’re sending me away?” Elincia asked.

  Caspian winced. That tone, suffused with such sadness, caused a sharp pain to pierce his chest. It made him want to hold her and never let go. The only reason he didn’t pull her into his arms right then was that Sylvia would have disapproved.

  He had no desire to be lectured.

  “Just temporarily,” Sylvia assured her. “Given the current climate, having you here isn’t a good idea.”

  “You mean that my presence might incite riots,” Elincia said, her voice making it clear that she was on the verge of tears.

  “Yes,” Sylvia admitted. “At the moment, your presence is causing a lot of problems. Just as Caspian said, you can’t do your job as a Sorceress if the people you’re duty-bound to protect don’t even accept you.”

  Elincia stifled a sob, and Caspian, not knowing what to do but wanting to do something, stepped closer and placed his hand on the small of her back. It was a small thing, but he hoped it would help.

  “It’ll be okay.”

  “Caspian?”

  “Everything will be okay. We’ll get through this.”

  “What’s our task?” asked Caspian out loud.

  “Your task will be to investigate the rumors of a necromancer appearing in the northeast part of the Ruudon province,” Sylvia continued, either not seeing or, more likely, willfully ignoring the physical intimacy between him and Elincia. “We’ve received several reports of the dead rising from their graves and attacking the living. Caspian, I believe this task will be of personal interest to you.”

  Caspian felt a chill run down his spine. It wasn’t just what Sylvia had said about their new task being of personal interest to him. A necromancer was a major threat. Caspian knew that from personal experience.

  “Why do you say that?” asked Caspian.

  Sylvia graced him with a grim look. “Because there was a rumor among the reports that the necromancer has taken residence in Parumé.”

  Chapter 1

  Parumé… how long had it been since he had heard that name? Not since his rescue at Sylvia’s hands, he wagered. It was almost surprising how he could remember that name, but then, given his history with it, perhaps he should have realized that he wouldn’t be able to forget his past so easily.

  Caspian looked at his luggage, which, to be honest, wasn’t much; he had a spare set of clothes, several pairs of underwear, his knives, his sword and sheath, and some toiletries like his toothbrush and soap. He didn’t need much. Even if they were going to be away for a couple of weeks, it wasn’t like he had that many necessities to bring along.

  It was still morning. He and Elincia had left Sylvia’s office to get ready for their trip. They would be taking the train to Axium, and then they would take a carriage to Parumé, which had no train tracks running through it. Axium was the furthest out the trains ran in that direction.

  “Caspian?” The door opened and Elincia walked in. “Are you ready?”

  “Yes.” Caspian finished putting his clothing inside of his bag. After slinging his sheathed sword around his shoulders, tucking his knives into his boots, and then grabbing his bag, he turned to face Elincia. “I’m ready. How about you?”

  “Um, I’ve got my luggage ready,” she said in a timid voice.

  Because they would be traveling incognito, Elincia was wearing a long brown traveler’s cloak. It covered her entire body all the way down to her ankles. The cloak came with a hood. It wasn’t pulled up right now, but once they left the mansion, it would go up to hide her face from the citizens. While they might be a bit conspicuous, it was better than the alternative.

  They didn’t want anyone discovering who she was once they left, for obvious reasons.

  “Then let’s go and get your luggage,” Caspian said as he walked to the door that she had entered his room from. It was the side door that led into Elincia’s room.

  “Ah, w-wait!”

  Elincia grabbed his hand, stopping him in his tracks. Caspian turned around and looked at her. The emotions spilling out from between their bond were a jumbled mess, so he couldn’t make heads or tails of them, but that hardly mattered. Her expression told him enough.

  “Is something wrong?”

  After a moment of hesitation, Elincia let go of his hand and took a step back. “N-no… it’s nothing.”

  If Elincia thought she could lie to him, then she must have forgotten about how well he knew her. Still, now wasn’t the time to call her out on it. They needed to get ready.

  “Come on,” he said, taking her hand and pulling her into her room.

  Elincia wasn’t finished packing. Her clothing lay haphazardly on the bed, a mess of different colored shirts, dresses, and socks. It looked like she was going to take five times as many outfits as him.

  “I’ll help you get packed,” Caspian said without complaint as he walked over to the bed. He grabbed the first pair of clothing he could find. He was going to just fold it up and put it in the suitcase that sat on the ground by the bed.

  He paused.

  Holding up the article of clothing in his hands, he realized that there was surprisingly little fabric. The garment in his hands was pink and lacy and didn’t look like it would cover much.

  “Ah…” He blinked. “This is…”

  “Noooo!!” Elincia rushed forward, grabbed the racy undergarment, and yanked it out of his hands before cradling it in her arms as though trying to hide it from his eyes. Her own eyes had embarrassed tears leaking from them. “P-please don’t look at them! My heart isn’t prepared for you to see them yet!”

  As the startling realization that Caspian had been holding a pair of Elincia’s underwear in his hands set in, heat sprang to his face like a bonfire. He tried to speak. He couldn’t. His throat had closed up as his embarrassment reached critical mass.

  “Uh… ah… ah…” Caspian choked for several seconds as he struggled to respond. Then… “Ah… I’m sorry.”

  The pout that Elincia wore, complete with dark red blush spreading across her cheeks, was adorable, but he was too busy dealing with his own issues.

  “I can’t believe you grabbed my underwear. Out of all the clothing you could have grabbed first, why Caspian? Why did it have to be my undergarments?”

  Caspian turned his head. “I didn’t mean to… sorry.”

  “I can’t believe this,” Elincia whined, looking like nothing could embarrass her more than she was now.

  The ensuing awkward silence was nearly deafening. Caspian couldn’t even look at Elincia as she stood back up and walked over to the bed. His face felt hot enough to fry an egg.

  She placed her underwear in her bag, and, without saying a thing to him, began to put her clothing into her suitcase. Caspian watched her for a second out of the corner of his eye. Gulping, he came to a decision and decided to help her. He didn’t say anything. He just walked up to her left side and started folding her clothes alongside her.

  Neither of them spoke another word as they worked. Caspian couldn’t think of anything to say, and knowing her as he did, Elincia was probably too embarrassed to say anything at all. Despite that, the two of them finished folding Elincia’s clothing in record time.