Location: Mystara, The Verdant Academy City
Mission Objective: Infiltrate the Grand Archives. Do Not Flirt with the Staff.
Curse Status: [SCARRED AUTHORITY FIGURES] | 3 Days, 8 Hours Remaining.
Mystara did not have a standard city gate.
It had a "Vibe Check."
Kaelen stood rigidly inside a glowing circular enclosure at the edge of the city, trying very hard not to move while a cluster of floating crystals slowly circled him.
A faint magical hum filled the air.
Then came the smell.
Old parchment.
Dusty books.
And something that reminded him unpleasantly of Elara's bedroom.
Kaelen resisted the urge to sneeze.
Outside the circle, Faelan stood with his Department of Environmental Tropes badge held up toward the hovering crystals. In his other hand was a clipboard already buried beneath forms.
"Hold still, Ironclad."
Faelan didn't even look up.
"If you flex, the crystal thinks you're initiating a combat sequence."
Kaelen remained perfectly motionless.
"And then?"
"It drops a net on you."
"I see."
A pause.
"How large is the net?"
Faelan glanced up.
"Large enough to embarrass you."
Kaelen's expression hardened.
"I will remain still."
Behind him, Elara sat on top of her pack, surrounded by loose parchment.
"The pacing in chapter three is too slow," she muttered.
She crossed out an entire paragraph.
"Barnaby the Best-Seller just received a massive advance from the Bardic Publishing Guild. If I'm going to secure a digital scroll contract with the netbook Syndicate by the end of the month, I need to optimize this outline."
She scribbled furiously.
"More pining. More forbidden gazes."
"Bard."
Kaelen didn't move his lips.
"If you include the Unicorn incident, I will throw your inkwell into the sun."
"It's going in the climax."
Elara didn't even glance up.
Kaelen's shoulders stiffened.
Brother Oat stood beside him, completely unbothered by the magical inspection.
Nearby, Pud was trapped inside a small quarantine bubble, furiously chewing on a piece of enchanted celery.
The creature glared at the bubble between bites.
Apparently, it had declared war on it.
A soft chime sounded.
The glowing circle disappeared.
Faelan lowered his badge.
"All clear."
Kaelen stepped forward.
"Welcome to Mystara."
Faelan tucked the clipboard under his arm.
"Now listen carefully. You're looking for a way to break a Class-S demonic curse."
Kaelen nodded.
"The only place in the city likely to have information that specific is the Grand Archives."
"Understood."
Kaelen straightened.
"We march directly there."
Faelan's expression soured.
"It's not that simple."
Kaelen stopped.
"The Archives are heavily restricted. They're currently overseen by Chief Curator Vespera."
He paused.
"Head of Magical Security."
Kaelen's posture became rigid.
"How strict?"
Faelan gave him a strange look.
"Very."
Kaelen's voice dropped.
"Does she possess any distinguishing physical trauma?"
Faelan blinked.
"What?"
"From a combat scenario, perhaps."
"Oh."
Faelan thought for a moment.
"Yeah, actually. She was caught in a localized gravity collapse five years ago."
Kaelen's stomach sank.
"Half the left side of her face was permanently scarred by raw amethyst crystals."
He shrugged.
"Looks terrifying. Commands respect."
Kaelen went completely still.
A cold sweat formed beneath his armor.
"Code Red."
Elara looked up.
"What?"
"Abort the mission."
He turned away from the city.
"We cannot enter the Archives."
Elara immediately jumped to her feet.
"We have to!"
She clutched her manuscript to her chest.
"It's the only place that might have a manual on how to uninstall a Demon Queen's glitch!"
"I am willing to remain cursed."
"You don't mean that."
"I absolutely mean that."
Ignis's blue runes flickered.
"Commander Kaelen's survival probability in the presence of a scarred disciplinarian is currently 0.0%."
Kaelen looked at him.
"Thank you."
"I estimate a 97.4% probability that he will attempt to requisition her hand in marriage within four seconds of direct contact."
Kaelen's face tightened.
"I can hold my breath."
Elara stared at him.
"What?"
"If I deprive my brain of oxygen, perhaps the system won't be able to force a dialogue option."
Faelan rubbed his temples.
"Just let me do the talking."
He started walking.
"I have clearance. I'll get you the books."
He pointed toward Kaelen.
"You stand in the back."
Then he looked him up and down.
"And try to look like a bodyguard."
Kaelen nodded solemnly.
"Understood."
"Come on."
The Grand Archives
The Grand Archives looked less like a library and more like a cathedral dedicated to paper.
Floating bookshelves drifted through the vast interior like clouds. Spiral staircases made from hard-light stretched between hundreds of levels, while books moved through the air on their own, flying from one shelf to another.
The faint whispers of studying mages filled the enormous chamber.
So did the smell of parchment, ink, and ozone.
Kaelen stared upward.
The place was massive.
Faelan led them toward the central circulation desk.
It was built from black marble and elevated above the main floor, giving whoever sat behind it a commanding view of nearly the entire library.
Kaelen noticed that immediately.
'Excellent defensive position.'
Then he saw who was sitting there.
Chief Curator Vespera was stamping books with brutal efficiency.
She wore a pristine, high-collared black uniform. Every button was aligned perfectly. Her dark hair was pulled neatly away from her face.
Her posture was flawless.
And Faelan hadn't exaggerated.
The left side of her face, from her cheekbone down toward her jaw, was covered by a jagged formation of violet amethyst crystals.
They caught the soft library light and shimmered like polished gemstones.
Kaelen stared.
DING!
The familiar bell struck inside his skull.
This time, it felt like a battering ram.
[ SYSTEM ALERT: APEX TARGET ACQUIRED ]
[ CRITERIA: SCARRED AUTHORITY FIGURES ]
[ MATCH RATING: 99.9% ]
[ ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT: SHE CAN AND WILL EXPEL YOU ]
Kaelen's heart lurched.
Forty beats per minute.
Then sixty.
Eighty.
One hundred.
One hundred and thirty.
His heart hammered against his ribs.
The library disappeared behind a haze of pink light.
The floating bookshelves became soft silhouettes.
A glowing targeting reticle locked directly onto Vespera's crystalline scar.
[ INITIATE SUBMISSION/SEDUCTION PROTOCOL ]
'No.'
Kaelen clenched his fists.
'Not again.'
Faelan noticed the change in his expression.
"Stay behind me."
He stepped toward the desk.
"Curator Vespera. Ranger Faelan."
Vespera continued stamping.
"Yes?"
"I need access to the Restricted Section."
She stamped another book.
"Demonic curses. Subsection Biological Overrides."
Vespera finished stamping.
She aligned the book perfectly with the others.
Then she aligned her inkpad with the edge of the desk.
Only after everything was perfectly straight did she look up.
Her eyes were sharp.
Cold.
Focused.
Kaelen's heart rate increased again.
"Ranger."
Her voice was crisp and authoritative.
It carried naturally across the desk.
"You know the protocols. The Restricted Section requires Level Four clearance or a direct writ from the Arch-Dean."
"I know."
Faelan leaned closer.
"But this is an emergency..."
"Rules do not bend for emergencies, Ranger."
She cut him off without raising her voice.
"They exist to prevent them."
Behind Faelan, Kaelen made a strangled noise.
Faelan's eyes closed.
'Please don't.'
The HUD flickered.
[ DIALOGUE OPTION DETECTED ]
«Option A: Apologize for breaking the rules.
Option B: Ask for detention.»
Kaelen grabbed Ignis's stone arm.
"Ignis."
The golem looked down.
"Break my legs."
"Negative, Commander."
Ignis's voice remained strangely gentle.
"That would create a disturbance in the library."
Vespera's eyes shifted.
She looked past Faelan.
Her gaze landed on the towering knight sweating beneath his helmet.
"And who is this?"
Her voice hardened.
"Unregistered mercenaries are not permitted inside the Archives."
She looked him over.
"Are you armed, soldier?"
Kaelen's body moved before his brain could intervene.
He gently pushed Faelan aside.
"Commander..."
Kaelen stepped toward the desk.
His gauntleted hands slammed onto the marble.
Several nearby students looked up.
He leaned forward.
"I am armed with a litany of infractions, Curator."
His voice dropped into that deep, resonant rumble that had already ruined several people's afternoons.
"And I am deeply, severely unregistered."
Elara covered her face.
Faelan stared at him in horror.
Kaelen continued.
"I also have a complete disregard for the Dewey Decimal System."
Silence.
A nearby librarian slowly lowered the book she had been reading.
Vespera blinked.
Her perfect posture faltered for half a second.
"Excuse me?"
Kaelen's eyes locked onto the amethyst crystals covering her face.
The rational part of his mind screamed at him.
He ignored it.
"I don't know where the Restricted Section is."
He leaned closer.
"But I suspect..."
His voice became softer.
"...you're going to have to personally escort me out."
Vespera stared at him.
"By force."
A faint smile touched Kaelen's lips.
"Feel free to use magic."
The entire library went silent.
Even the floating books seemed to stop moving.
[ CRITICAL HIT! ]
[ ROMANCE POINTS +75 ]
Vespera's pale cheeks turned bright pink.
The contrast against the violet crystals was almost absurd.
She opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
For perhaps the first time in her career, the Head of Magical Security had no response.
"I..."
She swallowed.
"I am going to call security."
Her commanding tone had completely vanished.
Kaelen rested his chin against one fist.
"You are security."
Vespera froze.
"Arrest me, Vespera."
Kaelen's voice softened.
"Throw the book at me."
He glanced toward the shelves.
"Preferably a heavy one."
Faelan snapped.
"That's it!"
He reached into his utility belt.
"Sorry, Curator!"
He threw a handful of silver powder directly into Kaelen's face.
The powder exploded.
A magical gag formed over Kaelen's mouth.
His next seductive sentence became an angry, muffled growl.
"Mmmpff!"
Faelan grabbed the front of Kaelen's breastplate.
"He has brain damage from an Orc club!"
Vespera stared at him.
Faelan gestured wildly.
"He thinks you're a medic!"
Kaelen's eyes widened in outrage.
"Mmmpff!"
"Ignis!"
"Deploying tactical extraction."
Ignis stepped forward.
His massive arms wrapped around Kaelen's waist.
He lifted the seven-foot knight off the ground.
Kaelen kicked helplessly.
Faelan grabbed one arm.
Together, they began dragging him toward the exit.
Elara followed behind them, still clutching her manuscript.
"I'm sorry!"
She bowed toward Vespera while walking backward.
"Very sorry!"
Vespera remained frozen behind the desk.
Kaelen's eyes met hers one last time.
Despite the magical gag covering his mouth, he somehow managed a slow, deliberate wink.
Vespera's face turned an even deeper shade of pink.
Her hand loosened around her stamp.
It slipped.
Clack.
The stamp rolled off the desk and landed on the floor.
Nobody moved.
Then Elara sighed.
"Well."
She hurried after the others.
"At least we didn't get blasted with a fireball."
She glanced back toward the Archives.
"But I think we're going to have to find those books somewhere else."
The doors slammed behind them.
Kaelen finally managed to tear the magical gag from his face.
He stumbled forward and leaned against the base of a statue depicting some famous Arch-Mage.
For several seconds, he simply stood there.
Then he buried his face in his hands.
"Three days."
His voice was muffled against his palms.
"Three days."
Elara stopped beside him.
"Technically, three days and eight hours."
Kaelen slowly lifted his head.
"That isn't helping."
Ignis approached.
"Commander."
Kaelen looked at him.
"What?"
"The mission was unsuccessful."
"I am aware."
"However, we have discovered an alternative."
Kaelen straightened slightly.
"What alternative?"
Ignis pointed toward the academy district.
"According to city records, the Archives are not the only location containing restricted magical literature."
Elara's eyes widened.
"You mean..."
Ignis nodded.
"The Academy's private faculty collection."
Kaelen stared at the enormous towers beyond the courtyard.
Then his gaze drifted back toward the Archives.
Somewhere inside, Chief Curator Vespera was probably still standing behind her desk.
Kaelen shuddered.
'Never again.'
He turned away.
"Lead on."
Elara smiled.
"Where?"
Kaelen looked toward the academy.
"Anywhere that doesn't have a scarred librarian."
A distant bell rang.
Kaelen froze.
He looked up.
The HUD flickered.
[ NEW OBJECTIVE: LOCATE ALTERNATIVE CURSE RESEARCH ]
[ WARNING: ACADEMY FACULTY DISTRICT ]
[ POTENTIAL AUTHORITY FIGURES DETECTED: 17 ]
Kaelen stared at the notification.
His face slowly fell.
"...I hate this city."