He still couldn't believe it. At this moment, he was in possession of the gemstone from the realm of Batavia. If he delivered this to Randar, he would secure a place in his council chamber. He would have his own chamber in Clarus Castle. From now on, he could begin to govern Borgon according to his will. It wouldn't be difficult to gradually infiltrate more and more spies into the court over the years who would be loyal to him. Eventually, he could even overthrow Randar from the throne and begin to rule Borgon himself. Pivanu would grow faster from that point on, and eventually, their organization would have control over all of Midbad. It was a beautiful prospect, all thanks to five adventurers.
After freshening up, putting on new clothes, and eating something, it was time to leave Uzés. Eugene had already loaded most of the belongings into his carriage. Oudenhuysen only had to retrieve the gemstone from his desk, and they could depart. Despite knowing Eugene for years and never catching him doing anything wrong, he didn't trust him with this gemstone. He trusted no one with it. Randar wanted the gemstone for a reason, very eagerly. If Eugene were to give it to him behind his back, Eugene would receive a huge reward. Everyone who knows Oudenhuysen is greedy, so he trusts only himself to transport the gemstone. Too much is at stake now; this is the moment he can move the Pivanu organization to the next phase.
Then the smile abruptly disappears from his face. The box containing the gemstone is no longer on his desk. This can't be true, could Eugene have kept the gemstone for himself after all? Oudenhuysen rolls up his sleeve and touches his tattoo; Knijster appears immediately.
"Bring Eugene to my desk immediately!"
Less than ten seconds later, Knijster is back in the office with Eugene.
"Search him, Knijster!" After this command, Knijster snaps his fingers, and all the items Eugene was carrying fall out of his pockets. The box with the gemstone is not among them. Where could he have hidden it then? Eugene has his own space in this villa, but they are leaving immediately; it wouldn't make sense for him to hide the gemstone there.
"Ask him if he stole the gemstone, Knijster." "Did you steal the gemstone from Mr. Oudenhuysen, Eugene?"
"No, of course not. I would never steal anything from Mr. Oudenhuysen. I am loyal to the Pivanu organization."
So either Eugene managed to speak untruthfully to Knijster, or he didn't steal the gemstone at all. To lie to Knijster, Eugene would have to have a very high magic resistance. So Eugene had nothing to do with it. Then who? Knijster himself? Or was it the group of adventurers who were here just a few hours ago? Oudenhuysen immediately walks to the front door of his villa and begins to inspect it. His suspicions are confirmed; the door lock has been tampered with. At first glance, it's not noticeable, but upon closer examination, it's clear.
So, they had broken into his place and stolen the gemstone. Did they find out that it was the gemstone from the realm of Batavia? Would they deliver the gemstone to Randar? Or did they steal it simply because it was a valuable gemstone in their eyes? Probably the latter, but regardless, he needed more information about these adventurers.
Where are they from, who are they, do they often travel together? He had to find them because the gemstone was too crucial for the future of Pivanu. They were in his villa about two hours ago, and at this moment, they could be far away, maybe not even in Borgon anymore. To find them, he needed the resources of Pivanu. Working alone would take too long. The longer it took, the higher the chance that they wouldn't have the gemstone with them anymore.
Oudenhuysen saw only one solution: to go to Pivanu's headquarters. He walked back to his desk where Eugene and Knijster were waiting for him.
"It seems those adventurers have stolen the gemstone. We need to get it back as soon as possible. Eugene, contact Bertoldo Vasiri and have him ensure that the criminal underworld of Uzés searches for these adventurers. Describe to Bertoldo in as much detail as possible what the adventurers looked like. Tell him that if they find anyone from the group, they will be rewarded with 500 ducats. Meanwhile, I'll leave with Knijster to the headquarters. I'll stay there for a while, but I'll return here. Eugene, in the meantime, I'll leave you in charge to take care of my villa. Is that clear?"
"Certainly, Mr. Oudenhuysen. I'll contact Mr. Vasiri as soon as you leave."
"Good, it's time for me to leave."
Knijster walked towards him and extended his hand. Oudenhuysen shook his hand, and instantly, he found himself no longer in his villa in Uzés but in front of the entrance gate of the headquarters. They were no longer on the continent of Midbad but on the Bunta island of Filias. Pivanu's headquarters were located in the vast forest of Filias. Knijster couldn't directly bring Oudenhuysen into the headquarters because there was a large magical shield around the base, preventing kobolds from transporting anyone inside.
On the gate and the battlements, various Pivanu members were positioned. Oudenhuysen looked up and made eye contact with the gang member at the top of the gate. This gang member held a large iron rod, tapping it once loudly on the ground. After this signal, several gang members went into action to open the gate.
Not long after, the gate opened, and Oudenhuysen walked inside the headquarters with Knijster. A gang member quickly approached Oudenhuysen.
"We didn't expect you back so soon, Mr. Oudenhuysen. Your chambers are being prepared. Can I assist you with anything in the meantime?"
This gang member's name was Yarich. He had been a loyal member of Pivanu for more than fifteen years and had never disappointed Oudenhuysen.
"My chambers can wait, Yarich. I am heading to the council chamber with Knijster. When I arrive, it would be pleasant if tea is ready. Inform Duriël and Ryko that I have arrived. I would appreciate it if they stop whatever they are currently doing. I expect them to come to the council chamber as soon as possible. I want to speak with them. During this conversation, I do not wish to be disturbed by anyone."
"Very well, Mr. Oudenhuysen. I'll get to it right away."
In the courtyard, as always, there is a lot of activity. Recruits are engaged in their training. At the moment, targets are set up, and recruits are practicing with bows and arrows. In the distance, Oudenhuysen sees another group of recruits practicing with their nunchucks.Recruits undergo extensive training. The headquarters serves partly as a school to prepare their members as effectively as possible. They receive training in various combat techniques. They also learn about the different herbs and poisons on the planet Mysterix, how to behave in social circles, and the art of disguise. They learn the political structure of Mysterix with one goal: to increase Pivanu's influence. After years of training, recruits leave the headquarters. They become part of a political house and serve there for years. However, they have a secret agenda: to advance Pivanu's goals.
The best recruits don't join a house. They stay in the headquarters and are sent on specific missions to subtly change the political balance on the planet Mysterix. The organization gradually grows in power, but according to Oudenhuysen, it's too slow. Finding the gemstone will allow for more targeted efforts. He needs to make Duriël and Ryko understand that finding the gemstone is crucial for Pivanu's interests.Oudenhuysen, accompanied by Knijster, reaches the end of the courtyard. They arrive at two large doors built into a mountain. The headquarters primarily utilizes the mountain. There's the entrance gate with a stone wall guarded day and night. Then there's the courtyard where recruits train and horses are maintained. All other Pivanu activities take place inside the mountain. This entrance is guarded by a few sentinels, mainly in case an organized gang manages to breach the walls.
Very few people are aware of the existence of the Pivanu organization, let alone the location of their headquarters. However, there are a few groups that pose a real threat to them. Pivanu is not the only organization with its headquarters on one of the Bunta Islands. Several ninja orders have their bases on the islands, where they train recruits. Due to ninjas often operating in noble courts to carry out their missions, several orders have crossed paths with the Pivanu organization.
According to Oudenhuysen, there hasn't been any order that knows the location of their headquarters. However, he must not be naive; just a few hours ago, he hadn't thought it possible for a group of adventurers to steal the gemstone from him. How naive he had been to leave the box with the gemstone on his desk. No, he could no longer afford to be naive. He had to assume that there was a ninja order somewhere that knew exactly where they were. That order was undoubtedly devising a plan on how to best infiltrate this base. They might even be on their way already. Security at the two large doors, the gate, and on the walls would need to be increased. Another point he would try to convey to Duriël and Ryko.
Once inside the mountain, Oudenhuysen's feet instantly feel pleasantly warm. This is due to the machines that run at full capacity day and night. Oudenhuysen is still amazed at the discoveries they have made in this mountain and what they have done with them. Oudenhuysen looks in admiration at Knijster; Knijster was born thanks to those machines. Every leader in Pivanu has their own Kobold, and for Oudenhuysen, that's Knijster. However, these kobolds are not like other kobolds. Pivanu created these kobolds themselves. Oudenhuysen still doesn't know the details of how they managed to achieve that. The kobolds came into existence thanks to Ryko, and he hasn't shared the details even with Oudenhuysen or Duriël. The only ones who know are those working with the machines in the depths of this mountain.
The kobolds are loyal to their master, obeying every command given by their master. Knijster is connected to Oudenhuysen thanks to the tattoo on Oudenhuysen's arm, which was placed on the day Knijster was born. Ryko himself tattooed Oudenhuysen's arm. A kobold possesses powerful magic, and Knijster has proven useful in many situations. However, Knijster is useless in one place, and that is in the headquarters. There is a magical shield around the headquarters, with its core deep within the mountain. For some reason, Knijster's magic disappears the moment he is within its radius. That's also the reason they arrived at the main gate and not directly in the council chamber.
Meanwhile, they are almost in the council chamber. After entering the mountain, they have traversed various steps and corridors within the mountain. Every person they passed knelt on one knee. The recruits and official members are well aware of who the three leaders of Pivanu are.
"Wait in the corridor, Knijster; this conversation is between Duriël, Ryko, and me."
When Oudenhuysen opens the door to the council chamber, he sees that it is still empty. However, a large tea set sits on the long oak meeting table. Oudenhuysen takes a seat at the table and waits for Duriël and Ryko. During the wait, he sips his tea. After waiting alone in the council chamber for thirty minutes, the door finally opens.
"François, I thought you weren't planning to visit the headquarters for several weeks?" Duriël closes the door and holds a thick, old book in his right hand.
"I thought I asked you to come to the council chamber immediately? I've been waiting here for thirty minutes. Any idea where Ryko is?"
"Ryko is training some recruits. Their training will end in a few weeks, and it will be time to let them infiltrate. My apologies, François, but I was still reading this book here. It's about trolls, very interesting reading. Did you know that trolls are descended from Ents?"
Duriël may be the smartest of the three, but he gets too absorbed in the history of this planet. History won't help them with their current problems. Duriël's books won't aid him in finding the gemstone.
"Has anything happened in the meantime while I was away?"
"Not really, François. Everything is quiet at the moment, almost too quiet. Of course, we still have the issue when it comes to capital, but that's not new news." Here goes Duriël again, subtly jabbing at him.
"The reason I'm here is not to discuss our capital, Duriël. Besides, at the moment, I have several interesting trade relationships. There is good cash flow, and as far as I know, we have no debts. You shouldn't worry about capital; that is ultimately my task. After all, I don't interfere with what books you read."
"Of course, François. I just thought that, given your sudden presence here, our current situation regarding capital had worsened."
"The reason I'm here has nothing to do with my trade relationships, Duriël."
Then the door opens, and a sweaty Ryko enters the meeting room. Once again, he deemed it unnecessary to clean up after his training with the recruits.
"It's been a while, François. You're not bringing bad news, are you?"
"I'm afraid I am, Ryko, and it's crucial that we act quickly. Sit down and listen to what I have to say." The expressions on Duriël and Ryko's faces change. Their laughter disappears.
"I had a conversation with the king of Borgon. This is no longer Ugmar Brenner, nor his eldest son Timel. Timel Brenner disappeared about two years ago. There is almost no information about his disappearance. I've asked a few recruits, but they couldn't tell me what happened to Timel. He might still be alive, but that seems unlikely.
His father, King Ugmar Brenner, lived for another year after the disappearance. In the last months of his life, he invested a lot of effort in various search operations, all without success. Officially, Ugmar died of old age. I suspect he became depressed, and that accelerated his decline.
Now, his youngest son, Randar Brenner, sits on the throne. He has been king for about a year. This new king invited me to his castle to make me a proposal. I couldn't pass up this offer; I was curious about what Randar Brenner had to say to me. However, what he spoke about was something I could never have imagined. Randar asked me to deliver the gemstone of Duke Jordaan Frasier to him. You should know that the Borgon realm functions differently from the other realms on the Midbad continent.
Borgon is divided into three duchies, but the locals refer to them as realms. This is because they used to be realms before Midbad was officially divided into the current thirteen realms. The three duchies or realms of Borgon are called Winsard, Jura, and Batavia. Each realm is governed by a house that has a specific object as its emblem. The Winsard realm is governed by the Hemelsdag family with a grail as their emblem. The Jura realm is governed by the Electus family, and they have a medallion as their emblem. Finally, there is the Batavia realm, which was governed by the Gurton family for generations.
However, Maximiliaan Gurton passed away a few years ago and left no heirs. He appointed Jordaan Frasiër as the new duke. Jordaan took over the emblem from the Gurton family, which is a gemstone. The objects on the emblems are real.There is nothing special about these objects.
Nevertheless, the local population of Borgon has an ancient tradition based on these objects. Whoever possesses one of the objects becomes the new duke or duchess of the realm that the object represents. It makes no sense that Randar is asking me to steal the gemstone. Randar Brenner has no use for the gemstone because he is already the king of Borgon.
The duke of the Batavia realm must, in any case, listen to him. Why Randar wants this gemstone is something we need to figure out. I want to know his motive. However, what he offered me in exchange for this gemstone, I could not believe at all. He told me that if I delivered the gemstone to him, he would give me a place in his court. I would become one of his advisors, with my own room in his castle in Clarus. He expects me to be present whenever he negotiates with someone outside Borgon. Do you realize what this means?
Thanks to this proposal, we can focus on the Borgon realm! We can easily infiltrate more and more recruits throughout the realm. We could practically govern it within a few years. Once this reality is achieved, we can slowly conquer all of Midbad with the power of Borgon. Our end goal is in sight!"
"This all sounds very promising, François, despite the strange circumstances. The disappearance of Timel and the reason why Randar wants the gemstone must be investigated. I will delve further into this case; I will likely find the answers to these questions. However, you mentioned bad news?"
"You heard correctly, Duriël. Randar had contacted someone else for me. He reached out to Kurt Holger, whom you probably don't know, and with good reason. Kurt Holger was the leader of the Schatzenheimer gang, a thieves' gang based in the city of Uzés. As you know, I have a villa in that city, so I had heard of Kurt Holger before. He offered Kurt Holger a substantial sum of money to obtain the gemstone. However, after assigning the task to Kurt, Randar heard nothing more from him. He decided to contact me and make the offer.
I immediately began searching for this gemstone. The first thing I did was contact Erik Salveux. Erik has been in the city of Morala for a very long time. He witnessed the death of Maximiliaan Gurton and is friends with Jordaan Frasiër. At present, he is one of the key knights there. Erik performs his task perfectly; no one suspects that he works for us. He informed me that the gemstone had been stolen from the castle.
Jordaan was furious and took immediate action, sending a group of knights, including Erik, to find the thieves and the gemstone.Erik did not find the thieves or the gemstone. However, he did discover a corpse that appeared to have died from a highly virulent virus. I suspect that the deceased person was Kurt Holger, and the cause of death was the gemstone. A few years ago, a fourth of Morala's population died in a single day due to a virus. I believe all of this must be connected. However, this did not make my situation any easier. I still had to be able to bring the gemstone to Randar. To ensure this, I had my kobold Knijster enchant a wooden box, allowing me to transport the gemstone without any issues.
After speaking with a criminal gang member who works for me in Uzés, I was almost certain that the gemstone must be somewhere in the thieves' network there. However, I was still reluctant to retrieve the gemstone. A deadly gemstone leaves behind corpses, and I did not want to end up in such chaos. I decided to hire a group of adventurers to acquire the gemstone from the thieves' network.
However, here comes the bad news. I have never seen the adventurers again. They left my villa but never returned. However, some contacts assured me that they had safely come out of the thieves' network and had the wooden box with them. Yet, they outsmarted my contacts, and we lost track of them. It is, therefore, of utmost importance that we find these adventurers! The future of Pivanu depends on it!"
"How long ago was all of this, Oudenhuysen? With our resources, we need to find these adventurers quickly. What are their names?" When Ryko asks this question, he can almost sink through the ground with shame.
"I don't know their names." Duriël and Ryko look at him in astonishment; clearly, they expected more from him, and Oudenhuysen expected more from himself as well.
"However, it all happened just a few hours ago, so they can't be far from Uzés yet."
"They can be, François, and you realize that too. Uzés is not far from other realms. It is virtually adjacent to Midgorn and Bolivië. They could be on their way to Lorengorn or further south into Borgon's realm itself. In the worst case, they could be heading to the Jura realm in Borgon, specifically the city of Lisinië. If they take a boat there, they can be anywhere in no time. Or they could take a boat from the harbor village bordering the capital of the Jura realm, Borania."
"It's okay, Duriël. We all know that you are well acquainted with the realms and cities of Midbad. I'm not asking you to list where they could be. I mainly want to work towards a solution to find these adventurers as quickly as possible."
"We currently have some people employed in the realms of Lorengorn, Midgorn, Bolivië, and Binkendorf. We will need to contact them as soon as possible. However, we do have a problem concerning Borgon itself. In the Jura realm, we currently have no recruits. If the adventurers are headed there, finding them will be much more challenging."
"I might have a solution for that problem, Duriël. Before I arrived here, I was training with a promising recruit. Her name is Veronica Tivani, and I believe she can advance to the next phase."
"Alright, send her to Borania. She will need to try to make contact with the Electus family in that city. She should attempt to get a job as a servant. If she performs well, she can work her way up as one of Esmeralda Electus's confidants. If successful, we'll gain a good understanding of what's happening on that side of Borgon. Additionally, she will need to leave quickly and inquire about any rumors regarding the stolen gemstone or the adventurers. If she comes into contact with any of the adventurers, she should get in touch with us as soon as possible."
"Alright, Oudenhuysen, I will inform her immediately. Can you continue the meeting without me?"
"Of course, Ryko. Meanwhile, while you brief Veronica, François and I will focus on informing the recruits in the vicinity of Uzés. The rest of this meeting will have to wait. It's crucial that we act quickly; we need to get our hands on that gemstone!"
Oudenhuysen watches as Ryko and Duriël leave the room, pleased that they are taking this matter very seriously. However, they shouldn't know that he had the gemstone in his hands for a few minutes. He wants to eliminate these adventurers as quickly as possible so that no one discovers his significant failure.