The Romantic Trials Of A Transmigrated Empress

Chapter 369: Tracking Netherlight.

The Invisible tavern was not as invisible as the name suggested, it was simply named so because it was hidden out of plain sight from ordinary eyes and those without an invite. It was the tavern in Starfell where mages liked to drink, do party tricks and wave their wands around as they did silly spells.

It sat right next to the wall between Starfell and Doria. Day or night, it was open. Drinks were not the only fluids served in the tavern. It also provided magical ingredients of various kinds, especially the scarce varieties. So, it was a busy place.

All the mages that were passing through Eldoria had a habit of stopping by. For some, it was brief visits and for others, longer ones as they paid for room and board on the floors above.

Lately, it had been a very bus place. More mages than usual seemed to be making stops at the tavern, strange faces that were unfamiliar. Like the woman the female mage that always came down at noon and chose three people whose futures she could predict. Thanks to her, the business of the tavern was booming.

Veylin had been following rumors about the mage that could see the future. She seemed to operate in Doria at night and yet her residence was unknown. She also didn’t stick in one place for long and always seemed to be on the move. But, she always seemed to find time to visit this tavern.

He was standing the doors, waiting fro verification. The doors seemed open and yet there was a barrier against which all unwanted patrons and guests bounced back.

"Password." a gremlin asked him.

He took his wand, pointed it at dull flower and murmured, "Florentis."

Petals unfurled and the flower came to life, blooming vigorously.

The gremlin touched Veylin’s arm and gave him the mark of the tavern, granting him access inside. He grimaced at the touch of a creature he thought vile. It laughed, because it enjoyed arousing the disgust of human mages that found it unworthy.

It looked at Veylin, put its hand over its small mouth and belched. Green mist that smelled awful rushed out of its mouth.

Veylin looked sick as he walked into the tavern. The gremlin chuckled as it looked at its next victim.

Inside, the mage he was seeking was seeking was already sitting at her usual table, predicting the future of an old woman that was sobbing. She was dressed really nicely, and he figured she was a noble.

At her age, which he assumed was somewhere in the eighties or early nineties, what future did she want to know? How she would be buried? When she would die? Or the fate of her children? As he settled into a seat in the corner, he wondered about this.

The tavern had a small stage which was set up for performances. A flutist was playing a lively melody for the patrons of the the tavern. Three dwarfs were tap dancing in a very coordinated manner. It seemed like the group was very familiar with each other.

Veylin had seen more and more dwarfs in the city lately. Why they were rushing into the capital was a wonder. Also, why many of them were rushing to become singers and dancers was a myth to him.

Who wanted to live in the public eye all the time?

"Who do you reckon did in the phantom midwife?" Someone asked.

Veylin’s head turned to see who was asking. It was a mage sitting at a table with three others. As they had the hoods of their cloaks up, he could not see their faces. He was interested in their conversation though because he knew exactly who had killed the phantom midwife.

"Someone powerful." Another replied. "I met that bitch once in a forest and she robbed me clean of all my herbs. Claimed it was to save the life of a pregnant woman. Now I know it was to eat the soul of an innocent baby."

"Drink?" A female dwarf shoved a drinks menu into Veylin’s hands, drawing his attention away from the men for a moment.

"Fox brew." He said in a deep voice that was pulled out of him like he was unwilling to talk.

The dwarf rolled her eyes. Why did mages like to act mysterious? "Are you here to see Netherlight? You have looked at her three times."

Veylin leaned back in the chair, hiding in the shadow, away from the light provided by the rays of the sun. "Just fetch my drink." He threw a gold coin on the table.

The dwarf made a "tsk" and walked away, but not before taking the gold.

Veylin got his phone and sent a message. [Found her.]

***

The message reached Sigrid quickly. She was going through the account books for all her businesses and engaged in a conversation with her ladies-in-waiting and Elarin.

Elarin was rubbing her stomach, a thing that she had been doing from the day she found out that she was pregnant. She was also eating very ripe mangoes with her bare hand.

The juice was trickling down the arm and her maids had to constantly keep wiping them for her.

"Just put a bib on her." Mauve told them.

Elarin acted as if she did not hear Mauve or notice the frown on Mrs. Elsworth’s face which she figured was caused by the unladylike like manner in which she was devouring the mangoes like a starving monkey.

"So, what do you think Lady Florentine plans to do?" She asked Sigrid.

She had been in the room, listening to the conversation between Sigrid and Lady Florentine. It was not her intention to eavesdrop but the two had not exactly been whispering.

And for her, the death of the queen was not such a bad thing. It would make her more secure in her position.

Mrs. Elsworth stopped the maid that was bringing a bib and grabbed a very large towel. She wrapped it Elarin while grunting, making her discontent known to them all. noveldrama

"It is just mango juice Mrs. Elsworth." Mauve pointed out in a light voice that she drew out.

Mrs. Elsworth muttered, "Which could have been squeezed and drunk in a glass instead of being licked as it drips down the arm of the queen."

Elarin smiled. All she heard was that Mrs. Elsworth had called her the queen. Lately, more and more people were addressing her like that. She smiled at the older woman, grateful for the care that she had been giving her lately. "It tastes better like this Mrs. Elsworth."

Suddenly, they heard a commotion outside and saw a knight flying through the air. His body hit a tree and he fell to the ground.

"Are we being attacked?" Christie rushed to the window.