LRAB Chapter 200: Chapter200-Duke Faris
Chapter 200: Chapter200-Duke Faris
"I added a bit of honey. It doesn't affect the efficacy but makes it less bitter-a custom formula."
"No wonder... But I feel like I've seen you somewhere before. Is it just my imagination?" Sherry stared intently at John for a long time before finally shaking her head with a wry smile.
"Sorry, just ignore my ramblings. Didn't mean to trouble you."
"No problem."
In less than five minutes, the effects of the advanced HP potion became evident.
Sherry's wounds began to visibly heal, and her complexion improved significantly.
From initially leaning against the wall, she was now able to stand on her own without support.
The results were impressive.
Seeing this, the guards exchanged glances and then said, "John, your skill has clearly passed the test. Please, go ahead."
"Before I go in, can I ask a few questions?"
"Well... we don't have the authority to answer your questions. You'll need to find someone inside to help you with that."
"Alright."
With that, John didn't press further and walked into the walled area.
Elaria and Lily were already out of sight, presumably having entered the palace.
As John proceeded down the pathway, the magnificent palace that had stood underwater for countless years finally came into view.
In truth, John was not unfamiliar with this place.
He knew the patrol schedules, the shifts of the guards, and the layout of the palace like the back of his hand.
In his previous life, he had managed to infiltrate and stay in the palace for a long time without getting caught.
Of course, now without the skills of an assassin class, John's methods of moving in and out of the palace had greatly diminished.
He could no longer blend in as easily as before.
Following the guards' lead, John entered the palace.
As soon as he stepped inside, he noticed that the place was quite crowded.
A quick estimate suggested there were around seventy people, mostly female players.
It made sense, considering that Priest was a class not particularly suited for combat, thus not typically chosen by male players.
Male healers were a rarity.
"Wait, hold on. When did I ever say I wanted to rekindle anything?"
Elaria pouted, "With the way you were lost in thought earlier, who couldn't tell you still have feelings for her? Lily and I were just trying to help, and now we're the bad guys?"
John felt a headache coming on.
"Stop fooling around. Last night, I sensed the presence of a Divine Emissary. We're still not out of danger, and this is not the time to be concerned with such matters. Besides, this doesn't match my memories. I don't remember Dolores ever being seriously ill. Something's not right here."
Hearing this, Elaria and Lily's expressions turned serious. "What should we do now?" Elaria asked.
"I'll go gather some information. You two stay put and don't do anything that might alert them. I'll see if I can find out why things have suddenly changed."
Unfortunately, after dealing with [gluttony] and Miles, Deception had left. Otherwise, getting information would have been much easier with him around.
"John, be careful and stay safe," Lily urged.
"Don't worry. I'm very familiar with this place. I'll be fine."
After reassuring the two women, John waited for a moment when the guards weren't paying attention and slipped out of the room.
He knocked out a guard around the corner, put on the guard's armor, and started wandering around the palace.
Aside from this incident not matching his memory, everything else seemed unchanged.
The layout of the palace and the guard positions were very similar to what he remembered.
It didn't take John long to find the entrance to the royal bedchambers.
The only problem was the guards stationed at the entrance.
Forcing his way in would surely alert them, so John needed a different approach.
This was where the importance of his Trickster class came into play.
Following Deception's approach, John crafted a quick plan in his mind and confidently walked up to the guards. Before they could stop him, he spoke up first, "I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, but it really is you two! Don't you remember me? It's Leonard! We took the guard exams together! Unfortunately, I didn't make the cut, but you two did.
I didn't expect to see you here!"
"Leonard? Oh... I remember now. You were the one who almost cried when you didn't pass, right?" one of the guards said.
"Hey, let's not bring that up, my friend. Looks like you two are doing well, working as royal guards. Unlike me, still stuck in the inner city. If it weren't for this temporary draft, we might not have seen each other for many years."
John walked up to them in a familiar manner, but the next second, two spears were pointed at his chest armor simultaneously.
"Hey, what's this all about?"
"Leonard, friendship is one thing, duty is another. The bedchamber is off-limits. Don't make things difficult for us."
"Misunderstanding, I didn't intend to go in. I just wanted to say hello! Come on, put those things away. We're all friends here, no need for this."
"...You better not try anything funny. It's a sensitive time now. Don't do anything rash."