Rise of the Nightmare Crestmaster

Aldrich returned to the nightmare realm of his own accord and started reading the various books in the study.

He had no intention to fight anything today, besides he was sorely lacking in understanding of the nightmare realm, even if these books were from the time before the great change he could still learn many things from them.

He was especially interested in the economic and social structure of this world. Although the nightmare realm was a different world, he found that there was surprising similarities between the two.

The way the Divine cores allowed ordinary people to become extraordinary was so mysterious. If he could get his own Divine core here wouldn't that be really helpful?

That was only a passing thought.

Throughout his stay he had to get as much knowledge as possible, even if he couldn't get much else at least that was going to be of use to him someday.

After that Aldrich stopped reading and focused on himself, inside him there were two types of energy.

First was the Ether which was like smoke, it wasn't hard to control it felt natural. Next there was the new Aurora, this one felt heavy like he swallowed a barrel of lead in his stomach.

Aldrich didn't do anything much besides feeling these energies, as time passed he felt that he was getting used to them more and more.

It's not because he was tired that he didn't want to hunt but because he didn't want to engage in any battle before he got the hang of his newfound strength.

****

The next morning while they were having breakfast and joking about how Frank slept like a log they were visited by a knight who was sent by lord Altemir to invite them for a meeting with the lord.

Frank and Emma seemed to have mostly recovered and so they too had to join in. Huzon seemingly woke up in the middle of the night and went home right away.

The party members felt stiff in the luxurious hall, Aldrich tried to act like he was not used to this too.

They were instructed by a butler to wait.

After being in Ayemon's mansion for so long he didn't feel that this was that great but he had to show the appropriate reaction to blend in.

Soon, a man who looked in his fifties walked in, he had a dignified presence and a sharp gaze. He was followed by a young man in his late twenties, Aldrich and the others met him once.

He was there, in the carriage with the inquisitors. But even if he didn't remember he didn't need to because the two inquisitors walked in right after.

Inquisitor Bernard, and old man along with the young boy all walked in and took seats in the room.

To be honest Aldrich expected trouble but he didn't want to cross the inquisitors again so soon.

He just hoped that they would give a testimony to some guard and that would be the end of it, why make such a big deal out of it?

"So you are the young adventurers? Much younger than I expected. I am lord Garon Altemir." The lord didn't sit, he greeted them first.

So the others had to stand to accept the greeting and return it, "we are humbled to be invited by you, my lord." Aldrich said solemnly.

"Be seated," the lord said "I can't have our young heroes standing for long in my presence."

Aldrich sighed in his mind, at least it looked like the lord didn't hold them in a negative light.

Lord Garon took a seat and motioned for the maids to serve tea and snacks. It looks like the rest of the party was too stiff as they didn't drink the tea no eat, except for Nathan.

However it looks like Nathan didn't do it out understanding but he was just socially unaware, basically he was rude.

Aldrich remember Ayemon's nagging which turned out to be useful at this time. So he took slow sips from the tea and small bites of the snacks in between.

"This is my eldest son, Harry, I understand that you met yesterday?" Lord Garon gestured to the young man sitting besides him.

He already guessed that since he heard them calling him the young lord.

"We did meet," Aldrich nodded, "but we did not say much by way of introduction… there was no time."

"Ah, yes, well today is as good as any opportunity. You've also bee aquatinted with the inquisitor Bernard and senior inquisitor Giltmere Voke."

"Oh, yes we've met."

Before Aldrich could answer, the old man did, he was apparently called Giltmere Voke.

"Although at that time I don't recall this party having a Crestmaster, and now they have two. You must've been through quite the ordeal, what was your name again young man?"

"Yes, it was close call, to be honest. I'm called Aldrich."

Giltmere nodded, "yes you did this town a service. By the way I reviewed the quest's paperwork, everything seems to be alright for the most part."

"But…" Giltmere paused as if in thought.

"No, it's nothing. I was just wonderingly if you want to sell the tentacles and eyes of the Aberrant acolytes? We'll buy them for a premium."

"Sure, I don't think we will find anyone to buy them here." Aldrich agreed.

"Wonderfull," lord Garon chimed in, "I would like to but everything else. The pirates cargo and the loot buried in the cave."

'There was that too?'

"Including the ship?" Aldrich asked.

The ship was one of the things that belonged to them too, after they vanquished these pirates. But it was actually a lump of wood, it was too damaged. This was his test.

"Yes, including the ship. The pirates had cargo of salt, and iron ore. All of it for eight gold, how about it?"

This…

Now Aldrich understood what the lord's intentions were. He wanted to buy their silence. He smiled.

"Sounds like a deal to me."