Chapter 161 - Disconcerting news
The continued discussions with Dean Godwin went relatively smoothly, all things considered. Scarlett and the man went over what to do with the deceased dragon lying in her courtyard and the remaining artifacts and items from Abelard’s mansion that hadn’t yet been sold off. The Dean agreed to have Elystead Tower acquire a significant portion of it at a premium price. Furthermore, the archwizard showed a keen interest in getting his hands on the keys that Scarlett had used to activate the portal in Lord Withersworth’s cellar. Since she no longer needed them, they struck a deal where she would sell them in exchange for some additional favors from him.
For one, she had taken this chance to inquire more about magic in general and gain insight into what he knew about pyrokinesis and hydrokinesis that could be of help to her. Although the man hadn’t witnessed her abilities firsthand, he had apparently heard of Scarlett’s rather unorthodox use of magic, courtesy of Adalicia. Additionally, he had assured Scarlett of his immediate assistance with the dragon’s disposal, along with arrangements for the Loci.
At some point in their discussions, Empress had seemingly grown disinterested and sauntered off. Scarlett didn’t really think the cat needed her supervision, and she doubted Empress would cause any trouble—hopefully—so she didn’t pay it too much thought.
Upon concluding their negotiations, Dean Godwin accompanied Scarlett to the mansion’s courtyard. Several staff members were busy cleaning up what they could of the dragon’s remains, which primarily meant removing the blood that was seeping into the stonework and storing it in temporary magic containers brought from the city.
There, Scarlett had observed as the man skillfully used his magic to carve the dragon into smaller, more manageable pieces—he was kind enough to warn those faint of heart to leave before he started, because it had not been a pleasant sight—that he then stored away with some sort of spatial spells. According to their agreement, he would ensure the dragon’s materials were properly harvested and then return them to Scarlett before deciding what would go to Elystead Tower.
Once the courtyard was clear of the massive carcass, the staff was left with an even more significant cleanup task. Scarlett instructed the head servant, Marlon, to hire whatever extra help they needed—there was no point in trying to keep all of this secret from outsiders for long—and inform them they would be getting a bonus. After that, she led Godwin to meet Evelyne and briefly introduce him before taking him to the back of the estate and the garden where the Loci was located.
One of his first requests had been to analyze and inspect the artifact. Since he would also be helping her in improving it, she allowed that much and left him to his work. She had offered to assign servants or find an experienced mage from Freybrook to assist him, but the Dean had politely declined. Apparently, he preferred working alone.
Considering everything she had heard about the man, that did not surprise her.
Afterward, Scarlett decided to seek out Fynn and found herself standing outside his quarters in the eastern wing of the mansion. She raised her hand to knock, fully aware that he was likely already aware of her presence.
As expected, the door swung open at the mere touch of her knuckles against the wood, revealing Fynn with his bright-white hair in disarray and his clear, yellow eyes peering at her with a searching look. He tilted his head to the side. “You don’t usually come to my room.”
“There is a matter I wished to briefly inquire with you about,” she said, glancing past him into the room. “May I enter?”
He stepped aside to allow her inside.