Harem Multiverse Challenge

Ch 6. Hyenas and Wolves

The fire in the furnace burns fiercely, and the iron shavings start to sizzle as the heat rises. Aslan stares at the furnace in silence, his eyes locked on the fire. He watches the flames rise and fall akin to his breath. 

“Where are you going, Wrenn?” he asks just as I am about to leave the smithy. “Aren’t you going to finish up what you were working on? I need those weapons.”

His voice is softer than before, even though his words are still as sharp as a knife. I stop in my tracks, feeling guilty for having left him alone. 

Do you remember when I mentioned Wrenn had a sad past? Well, his mother died when he was young, and his father is the king who never recognized him. So Aslan took on the role of father for him. Not only did he teach him how to be a blacksmith but also how to be a respectable person. 

Brushing aside the guilt, I take a deep breath and decide to face him head-on. I’m not Wrenn, nor a respectable person at that.

“I have some personal matters to attend to,” I say, resuming my pace toward the exit. “I’ll be back late, so don’t wait up for me.” 

“Don’t mess with politics, Wrenn. They will only get you killed. There’s no place for an innocent boy like you where only hyenas and wolves can survive.”

“Don’t worry about me, gramps. I can take care of myself now.”

As I step out of the door, I look back at Aslan, who caresses his ponytailed beard and whispers, “Gramps?”

His expression amuses me, but there’s no time to waste around the old master blacksmith. My goal is to become the next king of Zhenaria, not the best blacksmith in the land. 

***

The Avery manor can rival any other in the city. Rumors have it that the interior is nothing short of a palace. 

The decorations are elaborate from the main gate, where I stop for a moment and admire the structure, my head tilted back to get a good view of the intricate carvings embellishing the arched windows of the upper floors. 

Except for the royal palace, no other building reaches that height. The manor’s roof, lined with golden tiles, is as tall as the palace’s outer towers. 

Taken by surprise at my arrival, the guards stationed at the entrance call for the butler—the lord of the house can't be disturbed by such an unimportant visitor.

After the penguin-dressed butler greets me with a cold glare as if his status is way above mine, I hastily pull out the letter that was sent to Wrenn from lord Avery himself. 

To be on the safe side, I bring it forth with the broken sigil on top. No need for the butler to know the contents or who I—Wrenn is. Being looked down on by someone doesn’t bother me much. I know my worth. 

[Overestimating yourself as usual, daddy]

Okay, I’ll admit it! A voice inside my head scolding and mocking me is definitely not helping boost my self-esteem, so I have to cover it up and praise myself more.

In fact, you’re the odd one, System. In the few web novels I read, I have never seen a system not being helpful. It was like its primary directive to assist the user and not hinder them.

[If you dislike someone, would you help them?  I doubt it]

So my system’s personality overcomes other aspects. Interesting…

Still glaring at me, the butler finally spits out a response. “Follow me.”

With more than a head taller than the penguin servant, I scan the surroundings over his neatly arranged hair. He shows me the way to the manor’s entrance but takes a detour to the back of the house. My clothes aren’t fancy enough for the front door.

After passing through several hallways, the butler opens a door leading to the staircase to the upper floors. The spiral staircase turns in an ever-narrowing circle, making my head spin. No lord would ever use these steps. So I guess I’m not worthy of getting on the main staircase either. 

When we finally reach the top, the butler motions for me to follow him to a large room with several cozy chairs and couches. It looks like a waiting room for a doctor or a lawyer but with a lot more comfort and luxury. 

“Wait here,” the butler says. “Lord Avery is in a meeting.”

Since he neither gestures for me to sit nor says anything, I remain standing. My ass is not worthy of the cushions. 

The penguin servant disappears through a massive wooden door. After a few seconds, he returns and escorts me inside. 

The spotless marble shines as if it were a mirror, the ceiling is painted white and gold, and a tremendous chandelier hangs from the center of the room. A huge fireplace is surrounded by two massive bronze sculptures of a man and a woman, both wearing the Avery family crest.

Three men dressed in formal suits sit in comfy armchairs near the fireplace, sipping wine from fine crystal goblets. I would have never guessed that I would be received when lord Avery has guests.

One of the men stands and steps forward to greet me. He is tall and lean, and his blue eyes pierce through me.

“I’m Grand Duke William Avery. You must be Wrenn, right?”

“How did you know?”

“I’m close to the king, and you just happen to look quite alike.” His eyes narrow as he studies me. “Except for your bulky physique. Working in a smithy makes you look quite intimidating.”

“Intimidating and straightforward.” I step closer to him and whisper, “I’ve come to talk about your proposal. I have some questions, though. You must be aware of the danger we will face if we proceed.”

“No need to whisper.” Avery turns to the other two men. “These are my friends, Lord Robert and Lord Oliver, both of whom have a great deal of experience in the kingdom’s politics. We were discussing your future.”

“Yes, indeed,” Lord Robert says. “I have taken a great interest in your case. Your mother was a distant cousin of mine. I was sorry to hear of her death, and it pained me greatly to find out about your circumstances.”

“Thank you, Lord Robert. I appreciate that. But I’m more interested in the present. I would like to know what your plan is.”

“If you had decided to accept our offer a week ago, you would have been married to Kaya, the Princess of Manderia, by now. But she’s already accepted Prince Theodore’s proposal, and his foothold in the kingdom is secure.” Avery moves near the fireplace and leans against the mantel. “He even threatened me with being exiled after his coronation. He’ll let me live in the city only if I make sure you won’t ever stay in his way. Guards!”

The doors open, and three guards rush into the room. They surround me.

“I’m sorry, Wrenn. I wish things worked out different.” Avery’s eyes look sad. He gazes at the other two lords.

Lord Oliver remains silent and just smacks his lips in displeasure.

Lord Robert leaves his seat and heads for the door. “Wrenn, I hope you understand. This is politics,” he says without looking back. 

“Throw him out,” Avery orders.

A fourth guard enters the room and opens the doors to the balcony. 

Understanding the true meaning behind Avery’s words, I push the guards away. One of them falls to the ground, but the other two tighten their grip after a moment of surprise. The guard who opened the balcony comes to help them out as I struggle to get free. 

Now four men are holding me, dragging me toward the balcony. My hands are held behind my back when they push me against the railing. The wind blows in my face, nothing stopping it at this height.

I exhale all the air from my lungs when I realize the little ants I see below are actually people.