Casual Heroing, Chapter 252

DEATH'S BEHIND EVERY DOOR!!! 💀💀💀

Next chapter comes out on March 20th!

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Chapter 252 – Foul Schemes

Joey could feel the anger boil inside him as he re-entered the ballroom, his mind taken with the thought of Clodia and Camilla's abduction. The room was still full of guests, mingling and enjoying the pizza he had introduced, but Joey's focus was elsewhere.

His gaze suddenly fell on Marcella, who was making her way through the crowd, shaking hands and exchanging greetings with the nobles. A polite smile graced her face. What caught his attention, however, was the figure trailing timidly behind Marcella—Irene.

Joey's breath got caught in his throat. Irene looked stunning in an exquisite dress that could only be Fulvia's handiwork. The fabric shimmered under the soft lighting, accentuating her beauty. But the sight of her with Marcella made Joey's stomach twist.

With determination, Joey strode toward Marcella, the black cloak on his shoulders blending with the shadows. As he approached, Marcella turned to face him, her smile widening before she noticed the cloak and frowned.

"Good evening, Marcella. Do you like my new cloak?" Joey asked with a wide smile. "I think it makes me look pretty cool."

Marcella's smile returned to her face, but the joy didn't quite reach her eyes. "It is an interesting choice, for sure," she replied.

Joey's eyes narrowed. If Marcella had assassins swarming the place, she must know about her daughter's abduction. A chilling thought struck him – with Stan having made new [Druids], the Royal Family could be planning to force Camilla and Clodia to bestow their new class upon others, potentially leading to a repetition of the Day of Blooming.

"Is there anything I can help you with, Joey?" Marcella asked, her voice dripping with false sweetness.

Joey met her gaze, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Oh, no. Don't worry, Marcella. I'm taking care of all my business."

"Are you now?" Marcella's tone was faux-interested, more ripe with mocking than everything else, but she wore a smile on her face that never faltered.

Before Joey could respond, Irene stepped out from behind Marcella. "Joey," she said, her voice cold and distant.

Joey's heart ached at the sight of her, and he wanted to warn her about Marcella's true nature. But he realized that Irene was unaware of the kind of monster she had come to the party with.

"Irene," with a nod, Joey decided to turn away and walk to his people.

...

Back in the kitchen, he was surrounded by Lucinda, Aemilianus, Stan, Tiberius, Quintus, Lucillus, Antoninus, Laurealia, Truffles, Flavia, Amelia, Caelius, and Truffles's parents, all gathered around him.

"Aemilianus," Joey turned to the [Archmage], his voice urgent. "Can you cast an anti-[Scry] spell? We need to make sure no one's listening to this conversation."

Aemilianus nodded, preparing to weave the necessary enchantment. But before he could begin, the kitchen door swung open, revealing Diana Valeria Scarlatta. Her scarlet hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her eyes gleamed.

"What's going on here?" Diana asked, her gaze sweeping over the assembled group.

Joey met her gaze, his expression grave. "Someone apparently abducted two of our friends, milady. They were last seen right after Clodia tried the pizza. No one had seen them since, but Stan had noticed some suspicious people meandering around the two girls all night. We're just having a little chat to figure out how to get them back."

Diana's demeanor shifted, her posture straightening as a fierce resolve settled over her features. She stepped forward, closing the distance between herself and Joey. "Count me in, then. I will not have my guests be treated like this. Plus, I'm in the mood for a hunt."

The room fell silent from the weight of Diana's words. Joey studied her for a moment, trying to gauge her sincerity. He knew that she was not someone to be taken lightly, and her offer of assistance could be invaluable, especially given her particular skill set.

"Are you sure about this?" Joey asked.

Diana's lips curved into a smile.

"I'll take that as a yes?" Joey frowned. "Alright then, let's crank that anti-[Scry] spell. We need to plan our next move."

As Aemilianus began to cast the enchantment, the group huddled closer together. But Amelia suddenly broke away from the circle. Her face contorted with a mix of anger and fear, and her voice rose.

"This is all your fault, Joey!" she shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at him. "If you hadn't come to Amorium, none of this would have happened! Clodia and Camilla would be safe, and we wouldn't be in this rotten mess!"

The room fell silent, all eyes turning to Amelia as she continued her tirade. "You've brought nothing but trouble since the day you arrived. First, the duel with Appius, then the Dungeon, and now this? When will it end?"

Joey stood firm. He understood Amelia's fear and frustration, but he also wasn't ready to take the blame for this.

"Amelia, I understand you're upset," he began, his voice steady. "But getting angry at me won't help us find Clodia and Camilla."

Amelia scoffed, her eyes narrowing. "Work together? With you? You're the reason they're missing in the first place! If you had just stayed away, none of this would have happened!"

Flaminia, who had been listening quietly, stepped up. "Amelia, stop. This isn't Joey's fault. We don't know who's behind this; but blaming him won't bring you your lover or your sister back."

But Amelia was beyond reason. She shook her head, her voice rising to a shrill. "No, I won't stop! He's a curse, a plague on our city! We were better off without him!"

As Amelia's accusations grew more frantic, Quintus and Tiberius exchanged a glance. Without a word, the two men stepped forward, each grabbing one of Amelia's arms. She struggled against their grip, her shouts echoing off the kitchen walls. But Quintus and Tiberius were stronger, and they managed to guide her to the door.

"Let me go!" Amelia demanded, her voice hoarse from shouting. "You can't do this! He's the enemy! Can't you see that?"

But Quintus and Tiberius didn't falter. They led Amelia out of the kitchen, her protests fading as they disappeared down the hallway.

The group was left in a stunned silence. Joey took a deep breath, pushing aside the sting of her accusations.

...

Caelius, the [Captain] of the [Princess]'s Royal Guard, stood in the corner of the kitchen, trying to process the events of the evening. He had watched in awe as Joey, the Human, had stepped up to save the [Princess]'s reputation when the catering had been sabotaged. It was a move that had caught everyone off-guard, including himself.

As the [Captain] of the Royal Guard, Caelius had always been wary of Joey. The Human's reputation in Amorium was far from stellar, and Caelius had been prepared to step in and protect the [Princess]'s honor if necessary. But what he had witnessed tonight had shaken his beliefs to the core.

Joey had not only saved the [Princess]'s honor, but he had also admitted his own shortcomings in the process. It was a move that had earned him much respect among the nobles, but it had also shown a level of humility and honesty that Caelius had not expected from a Human.

What troubled Caelius the most, however, was the conversation he had overheard between [Prince] Brutus and [Princess] Laurealia earlier that evening. The [Prince] had warned his niece that Joey was out to embarrass her, undermine her authority, and make her look foolish in front of her subjects.

At the time, Caelius believed every word. After all, [Prince] Brutus was known for his intelligence and ability to navigate the complex world of politics. He had even used his well-concealed truth stone to prove his sincerity, and Caelius had never known the [Prince] to trick his own family member.

But now, as he watched Joey and the others huddle together, Caelius couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. If [Prince] Brutus had been telling the truth, then why had Joey gone out of his way to save the [Princess]'s reputation? It didn't make sense.

Caelius knew that truth stones could be fooled with powerful artifacts or skills, but he couldn't think of any reason why the [Prince] would want to deceive his own niece. Unless, of course, there was something else at play, something that Caelius couldn't see.

The more he thought about it, the more he began to doubt his own loyalty. He had always believed that the Royal Family had the Elves’ best interest at heart, but now, he wasn't so sure. If [Prince] Brutus was willing to lie to his niece, to sow discord between her and the Human, what else was he capable of?

Caelius shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He knew that he needed to focus on the task at hand—finding the two newly-minted [Druids] and bringing them back safely. But he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something bigger going on, something that he couldn't quite put a finger on.

As he watched Joey and the others make their plans, Caelius made a silent vow to himself. He would do everything in his power to protect the [Princess], to ensure that she was not being manipulated or deceived by anyone, not even her own family. And if that meant questioning his loyalty, then so be it.

...

As soon as Aemilianus finished casting the protective spells, layers of magic enveloped the group, and Joey's demeanor shifted. His expression grew serious, and his words sent a chill down the spine of the [Captain] of the Royal Guard.

"There are [Assassins] all over this place," Joey revealed, his voice low and urgent. "I didn't know, but there's an entire Guild worth of them. Maybe they’re stationed near Amorium. I think Marcella's got them under control—the cloak I'm wearing is from an [Assassin] that got killed barely an hour ago."

The room fell silent, a collective gasp of surprise escaping from everyone's lips. Everyone except for Diana. She stepped forward, her scarlet hair flowing behind her as she spoke.

"I've seen some [Rogues] scutter along our walls," she admitted. "I thought it was my grandmother's security and some other nobles with paranoid bodyguards. [Assassins]? And working for Aureamanus? Well, that makes a whole lot of sense now."

[Princess] Laurealia's brows furrowed, confusion etched into her face. "How does this make any sense?" she asked, confused.

Diana's eyes met the [Princess]'s, a flicker of understanding passing between them. "Because my grandmother has always been rather afraid of Marcella. She never told me why, probably to protect me… it's likely that Marcella also tried to ruin the feast, [Princess]. I don't know why she'd do that, though."

Caelius, the lone Royal Guard in the meeting, felt a shiver run down his spine. As the pieces fell into place, a sickening realization dawned on him. The implications were treasonous, and he found himself torn between his loyalty to the [Princess] and his duty to the crown. The thought of either the [Princess]'s family or himself being guilty of such a crime made his stomach churn.

Flavia, her voice trembling with worry, asked the question that weighed heavily on everyone's minds. "Why would they want Clodia and Camilla?"

Joey's response was resolute. "What matters is that we catch those bastards, Flavia. I'll get your sister and Clodia back. Stan?"

The giant Elf nodded, his expression grim. "Grigio is following their scent. They've left lots of tracks. I—I… Joey, you know."

"Yes. No violence for you. Just tell us where they are," Joey acknowledged, his tone serious.

Turning to Aemilianus, Joey began to ask, "Aemilianus, would you be open to—"

The [Archmage] cut him off, a glint of excitement in his eyes. "Oh, Joey, I hate [Rogues]. I'm happy to go kill a bunch."

"I wouldn't mind having the Scarlett Hunter cover my back either," Aemilianus added, glancing appreciatively at Diana.

Joey squared his shoulders, determination etched into his face. "I'm coming as well."

[Princess] Laurealia stepped forward, concern evident in her voice. "This might be a trap to get you, Joey."

Truffles, who had been listening intently, spoke up. "I'll go," he stated calmly. "Camilla is very smart; I like her."

Tullia, Truffles's mother, interjected, her voice laced with worry. "Dear, I don't think that's a good idea."

But Truffles remained steadfast. "She's my friend," he declared. "And I have the secret—"

The room fell silent, all eyes turning to Truffles as he stopped mid-sentence, realizing his slip-up.

"I have no secret," Truffles amended, his expression innocent.

Chrysantus, Truffles's father, turned to his wife. "Darling, how about we take a look and keep these youngsters company? Or maybe I go, and you look after our son?"

Tullia was about to nod in agreement when another member of the Royal Guard entered the room. The armored figure knocked on the bubble surrounding the group, prompting Aemilianus to temporarily retract it.

"Your Highness," the guard said, his voice echoing in the suddenly quiet room, "Aureamanus requested your presence."

A heavy silence fell over the group as they exchanged worried glances.