Published at 16th of February 2024 2:21 pm

Chapter 41. House Without An Heir

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Annabelle Oakheart wasn’t used to raising her voice. Her mother and etiquette tutors had taught her to be soft-spoken and gentle, especially around the men in the family. Lessons on social graces and upper-class cultural rites taught her to keep her head down and opinions to herself, especially when around her father or the house’s heir.

Then she went on her first delve. She met people with genuine interest in her ideas and opinions. Annabelle had always thought her magic weak. It existed to support her brother and future husband. Nox and Lillin helped her discover she was worth a lot more. She was valuable and strong in her own right. Despite her classification as a support mage, Annabelle learned she had more to contribute than scouting and warnings for her party. Now, she refused to continue living under anyone’s thumb.

Lord Oakheart failed to hide his surprise when his oldest daughter stood up to him. Annabelle didn’t just refuse to bow to her father’s wishes. She warned her father not to interfere with her new friends’ lives under the threat of cutting ties with the family. Annabelle had inherited enough from her late maternal grandparents to live a frugal but comfortable life without the Oakheart influence.

The ruler of the Oakheart barony caved. He granted his firstborn freedom to make her own decisions regarding her education and finances. More importantly, Lord Oakheart also gave his daughter the freedom to choose how to use her time. So, she skipped weapons training for the afternoon and left to meet her friends.

Annabelle felt proud of herself as she marched out of her accommodation. An escort followed her but retreated when she ordered him to stay away. The anxiety that came with facing her father after Victor’s death disappeared. She knew it wouldn’t be long before the man found a new fiance for her. Even though there were no laws prohibiting it, Annabelle knew a woman could never inherit a barony in their corner of the continent. As the oldest daughter of the household, it would be up to her to secure the house’s future. Her father probably had plans and prospects in place.

When the time came, Annabelle had no intention of behaving like a stepping stone and accessory like she had for Roque. She intended to grow as a mage and make a name as a delver before the time came. The more outstanding her accomplishments, the more strength she’d have to stand freely and act without her future husband’s permission or his house’s agenda.

Annabelle needed time. She hoped Nox and Lillin would help her find it. Keeping their friendship and favor took priority. So, she walked swiftly, hoping to catch them before they returned to their quarters. Even though she had chosen to ignore her mother and etiquette teacher’s training, Annabelle thought appearing at their door uninvited was inappropriate. Some elements of their teachings were more challenging to ignore than others.

“I’m sorry,” Annabelle told Nox as soon as she saw him. It was just after the fifth bell on Seconday, and she caught him exiting his Intermediate Spell Weaving. “If I knew my father was coming to the city, I’d have warned you of something like this happening. The Solstice Festival is a big event on our estate. I didn’t expect him to visit until later in the month.”

“It’s quite alright,” Nox said. He walked briskly, and Annabelle had almost to jog to keep up with him. “I’d love to talk, Annabelle, but I’m in a rush.”

“Aren’t you going to have dinner? I don’t mind eating with you.”

“You’d willingly dine in the paupers' cafeteria?”

“Paupers' cafeteria?” Annabelle raised an eyebrow. “That can’t be the official name.” She paused. “Can it?”

“No.” Nox chuckled. “It might as well be when compared to where you eat, though. Wouldn’t your father mind if you—”

“I’ll be fine anywhere,” Annabelle said defiantly. “Where I dine is none of my father’s concern.”

“I’m just pulling your leg, Annabelle. Lillin and I have too much to do tonight. She’s picking up dinner, and we’ll eat in the workshop. Given her monstrous appetite, there should be enough food for all three of us.” They descended the stairs and exited the research department. “Was there anything, in particular, you wanted to discuss?”

“Not really. I mostly wanted to apologize for my father’s behavior.” Annabelle hesitated. “Mostly.” She grabbed Nox’s right wrist, stopping him. “I’ve noticed how stressed you’ve been, Nox. I can loan you the money if you’re still short on the tuition payment. With Victor gone, I’m the oldest. I have greater access to family funds and more control over how we use them.”

“I appreciate the offer.” Nox smiled. “But I can’t accept it without having the means to repay you. Two hundred gold is a hefty amount. There’s no telling how long it will take me to get my delving license back. My alchemy endeavors haven’t proved particularly fruitful either. Besides, don’t you think your father will get suspicious if you give me so much coin so soon after he interrogated me? He clearly suspects foul play.”

Annabelle didn’t have a suitable answer to the question. Even though her father hadn’t broached the subject, he clearly suspected something about Victor’s demise. The late heir’s martial and arcane training started young. He had proven himself as a cautious combatant and prioritized mobility and avoidance over direct head-on confrontation. His charging a superior foe at close range and then falling for a straightforward frontal attack sounded improbable. However, loss, grief, and rage clouded one’s judgment. Besides, Annabelle believed there was more to her brother and Roque’s relationship than they claimed. It was likely her father had similar suspicions.

Whenever Annabelle thought about the delve, she wondered whether hatred for Victor and Roque blurred her memories and clouded her judgment. Despite the answers she had given Lord Oakheart and the family’s inquisitors, she couldn’t deny that her brother’s death raised many questions. Annabelle was glad both men were gone, but the circumstances felt too convenient. Since an unexpected headwound had rendered her unconscious, she couldn’t confirm Nox and Lillin’s claims.

Even if they killed Victor, is it necessarily a bad thing?

When it came to Victor, Annabelle felt little beyond hatred. He was a vile man. She’d seen her brother beat servants nearly to death and then had his aides cover it up from her father. When his amorous activities with young women in the family estate or the city resulted in unwanted pregnancies, and they refused a healer’s services, Victor had his lackeys murder them. Annabelle believed House Oakheart would fall under his rule.

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For several days after the delve, she had pondered the possibility of Nox and Lillin causing his death. Annabelle wondered whether the pair meant her any harm. Just because they had brought her back alive from the delve didn’t mean they’d do the same in the future. However, Annabelle’s Danger Sense told her that neither of the pair meant any harm.

No one—neither her tutors nor the delving party—knew of the latest developments in her magic system. Her passive spells didn’t just warn her of danger. She had dipped her toes into minor divination. It would be a while before she upgraded her star and built a planet dedicated to it, but she no longer just relied on Danger Sense. Annabelle now had a channeled active spell that directed her toward good decisions, intelligent choices, and safe bets. It was far too expensive to keep active constantly, so she used it sparingly. It didn’t tell her much about Lillin but advised her to stick close to Nox for a chance at a better future.

Annabelle had heard about the conditions in the accommodation closest to the campus walls. The buildings were old and poorly maintained. Moss grew on the external walls while damp stained the ceilings. Annabelle smelt mildew the second she entered her party mates’ semi-basement apartment. The smell grew even worse as she passed some of the doors, and not showing her disgust proved challenging.

Fortunately, the odor faded when they descended a second flight of stairs to a level with no windows or natural light. Mana lamps lit the floor, and the hum of air-ventilation enchantments filled it. After growing up in a family that produced and supplied ingredients for alchemical bases, she was familiar with alchemical workshops. Annabelle couldn’t help but feel impressed by how efficiently Nox had set up the space with minimal equipment and despite the lack of space.

It wasn’t just Lillin that awaited Nox but a short, tubby man, too. Annabelle couldn’t think of any nice adjectives to describe him. Even pig-faced felt generous. She instantly felt bad about herself for such thoughts. It was a description her late twin would use.

“Pudge, meet Annabelle,” Nox said, introducing the pair.

“Research and production.” Pudge offered her his hand.

Annabelle shook it. “Dungeon studies and war magic.”

“You’re with the war magic department?” Nox raised an eyebrow.

“Just for a couple of courses,” Annabelle answered. “They have quite a few classes on divination and information gathering. There are also a few mind magic modules that intrigue me, but I’m not sure if I want to go down that path yet. The students and professors don’t give you any grief as long as you don’t wear your delving badge in their buildings. I keep to myself mostly, and they leave me alone.”

“Eat,” Lillin said, placing a sandwich on the counter. When Nox cleared his throat, she glared at him for a moment before taking another out of her coat. She pushed it towards Annabelle. “It’s just roast beef, cabbage, and horseradish. Simple but satisfying.”

“Thank you.”

Annabelle accepted the meal hesitantly. Grease stained the paper packaging. Sauces and meat juices had rendered the bread soggy. The other three dug into the sandwich without hesitation. Unwilling to stand out from her peers, she ate the humble offerings. Much to her surprise, the taste didn’t match the appearance. After the first couple of bites, Annabelle found herself attacking the meal with the same gusto as Nox and Pudge. After spending all afternoon on mana exercises and weapon training, she was ravenous and finished before them. Then the livestock milling about the workshop got her attention.

“Don’t you need a sterile environment for your work?” Annabelle asked. “Why do you have livestock in your workshop?”

“We’re testing new products,” Nox replied, spraying crumbs.

“On live animals? Isn’t that cruel?”

“It’s better than testing products on people,” Nox replied. “Besides, Pudge can heal any damage they suffer and wipe the memory of any pain and discomfort from their minds.”

The idea still felt wrong to Annabelle, but she didn’t express her displeasure. It wasn’t uncommon for alchemists and mages to use wildlife as their test subjects. Her family did the same with criminals. She found solace in the fact they had someone to ensure the animals’ well-being after the experiments. It was better than exploiting the poor and desperate.

“What are you making?” Annabelle rose from her seat, peeking inside the three boiling cauldrons on the central workstation. Then the many containers of top-shelf skin creams, cleansers, hair serums, rouges, and mascara caught her eye. “Are you brewing makeup?”

“We noticed the boutiques selling these products charge an arm and a leg,” Nox replied. “I’m trying to reverse engineer their products with local ingredients.”

“So you can undercut them and make a profit?”

Nox nodded.

“We’re making contraceptives, too,” Pudge said. Warmth blossomed at the bottom of Annabelle’s stomach when he spoke. Then her Danger Sense activated, and whatever was tugging at the corners of her mind faded. She retreated from the man until she was back at Nox’s side. It was his presence that usually put butterflies in her stomach.

“Contraceptives?”

Nox nodded, pushing a journal toward her. “The products currently available in the market are pretty awful. I’m trying to produce something easier on the stomach and not scar the insides. We’re struggling with sourcing some of the materials and trialing substitutes.”

“That’s pretty amazing,” Annabelle said. “You could genuinely improve quite a few lives with something like that.” She frowned, piecing together an idea. “I know you don’t want to accept a loan, Nox. You’re right. It might make my father suspicious. But how about an investment? You can register a company with the city government, and I can invest in it. Your alchemy business will be legitimate, and my father won’t be as suspicious of the expenditure.”

All eyes in the room shifted to Annabelle. She felt her cheeks and earlobes warm. She wasn’t used to being the center of attention and would need to overcome the issue sooner than later. So, Annabelle held Nox’s gaze. Her insides warmed further, and she felt her pulse in her temple.

“That might not be the worst idea,” Nox said. “Are you sure about this? I can’t give you any guarantees. My recipes could fail. People might refuse to buy from an unknown. Competing alchemists might try to have me shut down. A lot of things can go wrong with a new business.”

“I’m sure,” Annabelle said. “Servants in the house and our tutors have already heard about your brews and their potency. Victor and Roque spoke a fair deal about them. I’m sure my father found out about them when he had you investigated, too. I won’t need to lie about where the money went and its purpose.”

“I can’t afford standard interest rates or—”

“It’s an investment. I’ll claim dividends on your profits until I recover my investment. You’ll offer beneficial rates and discounts in exchange.” She kept speaking even when Nox tried to interject. “I use these products, Nox. I know the market and can help you build a client base, too. Accept the offer. Please. I don’t want to go looking for new party members.”

“Fine.” Nox sighed. “Thank you, Annabelle.” He took Annabelle’s hand and squeezed it. “You have no idea what this means to me.”

“To both of us,” Lillin said before hugging her.

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