Several hours later, he once again demonstrated why he was a ranked Grandmaster tailor. The workmans.h.i.+p was as meticulous as every piece he'd fas.h.i.+oned. I briefly considered trying to poach one of his journeyman a.s.sistants, but ultimately decided it would be bad form to return his graciousness and professionalism with such underhanded tactics.

It seemed sleazy and disingenuous.

"Perhaps it might be best to skip this banquet and leave," I suggested, I wasn't really interested in meeting a room full of Lord Kel's hand-picked toadies, and I was certain Lady Patricia, at least, was going to do her best to embarra.s.s me, if nothing else.

"We could use the discovery of a fated Anam Cara as a legitimate excuse, I'd think?"

"The etiquette for presenting Anam Cara is pretty straightforward," Lohne informed us. "They must be presented, at the earliest opportunity, to the highest Ranked authority in the area."

"Lord Kel is this fief's duly appointed ruler and Ranked. It would be a breach of protocol and precedent to not present Uron and I to him. Do you have concerns about security? I know of your kidnapping and the attempts to murder you while under Lord Kel's protection."

We spent an hour bringing her up to speed. The Olympians and Asgardians. The incursion into the Summerlands. System errors and discrepancies. The findings from Blacksmith Dar. And the conversation I'd overheard between Lord Kel and Lady Patricia.

"I think the biggest concern I have, is one of motivation," I said after Lohne had been filled in, "why are they so insistent on this banquet? Is it really about repairing his damaged reputation?"

"Doubtful," Uron said. "There has to a hidden goal, especially if they are allied with Zeus and Odin as we suspect."

"I think it best we don't allow ourselves to become embroiled in any further plots and maneuvers they may be antic.i.p.ating," I decided. "Instead of attending tomorrow's banquet, we will leave a day early. We can present Uron and Lohne to Duke A'Daoine to satisfy that obligation."

[Mandatory System Quest Generated – Attend Lord Kel and Lady Patricia's banquet. Be vigilant and identify any further evidence that may link their actions with Olympus and Asgard.]

"Did anyone else get the mandatory quest?" I wondered. It was apparent they hadn't from the confused looks on their faces.

"I just received a mandatory quest to attend the banquet and see if I could find any further evidence of a conspiracy."

"That seems awfully convenient," Cedric said thoughtfully. "Do you think the quest may have something to do with the System errors that have been reported?"

"Possible.

"But this seems more targeted. Almost as if someone has managed to gain the ability to influence System.

"Caraid, do you think SYSTEM is interfering?" I asked.

[It is possible. The only other options are that the quest really is a.s.signed by System based on your actions. Or someone else has access to System and is monitoring your actions or has encoded certain responses that will be triggered by System if conditions are met.]

"What would be the consequences of ignoring the quest and intentionally failing a mandatory quest?" I asked.

"It varies based on the importance of the quest ignored," Uron said.

"Are you aware of the divergent timeline theory?" Lohne asked.

"I don't think so," I replied.

"Researchers have posited the theory that the timeline branches when certain actions or decisions are taken.

"Small choices made by trillions of individuals have a c.u.mulative effect, and when that effect grows too large, System generates mandatory quests to keep the time-lines from splitting or diverging.

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"Ignoring a mandatory quest that has been System generated to correct timeline divergence has led to catastrophic results.

"There are a few anecdotal incidents that have demonstrated a causal relations.h.i.+p between ignoring the quest and major environmental events. Tornados, Volcanos, Earthquakes.

"There have also been recorded instances when scientist have attempted to prove the relations.h.i.+p by monitoring events when a mandatory quest was intentionally ignored to understand System response, only for nothing to have happened.

"The divergent time-line correction was finally hypothesized as an eventual theory. If the quest generated is a requirement to ease the bottleneck and keep the Universe from splitting, then ignoring it will force System to respond in a more violent manner to correct the anomaly."

"No real choice then," I said sighing, "Not unless I want to risk being responsible for possible consequences."

"All right. Since Uron, Lohne, and I have to attend, should we bring anyone else?"

"Certainly, you need to include Cedric. He is your first Va.s.sal, and it would be seen as a slight to both him and Lord Kel if he didn't escort you," Lohne said.

"Anyone else would be at your discretion. Did your negotiations include the possibility of additional quests and guards?"

"Prince Mac arranged for six guards and a guest to attend," Henry supplied.

After some consultation, we decided that Cedric, Lohne, Uron, and I would attend the banquet with just four guards. Ril and Gil were selected because of their familiarity with Lord Kel's keep, and their rogue-like abilities. The two additional guards, Dreyken and Cullen who were hired the first day we began building my guards and were most familiar with their duties were also included. They had already begun to train together under Uron's direction and shown real flashes of brilliance when dueling.

What made them well suited to forming a team wasn't so much their weapon of choice, as much as it was that one wielded a weapon in their right hand, the other in their left. Side by side, their field of battle was enlarged simply by positioning them to take advantage of this characteristic.

We also decided to bring a few Aziza. Their small size would allow them to gather evidence and ferret out secrets while we were engaged in hopeful schadenfreude. I just hoped the misfortune wasn't ours.