Page 70 of I Ran Away to Evil #3

Survive Season Three

Gerda

It wasn’t every day that I dropped half of my stolen dungeon wealth in a single morning, but that wasn’t the only reason I was itching to properly toll my bridges again.

It was a constant nagging on the periphery of my mind. I controlled a lot of bridges, and they all let me know in vivid distraction when someone was crossing unimpeded. This notification, however, was special. And timely.

“To save your king, you’ve gone through strife.

What would you give me for his life?”

The unicorns rarely used the road, keeping to the deeper parts of the forest in enchanted glades by crystal river streams. All the stuff of fluffy fantasy novels.

The exception to that rule stood in front of me; Brightstar, a unicorn prince. Two other unicorns I didn’t know, but recognized from Carter’s oracle, stood behind the prince.

“Bridge troll,” he neighed, walking forward until he was at the edge of my domain. My [World Player] ability translated his words to me. “I was told that you are Madame Potts—”

“That is not the answer to my riddle, prince,” I scolded, crossing my arms in front of me.

“Of course. Thank you.” He shook his head and chuffed. “I would offer this.”

Another unicorn approached. She was an older mare with a black coat with four white socks on her hooves and a white star on her forehead. She bowed low, and when her spiral horn touched the road, the offering appeared.

It was a dark-blue unicorn horn with light blue tinting the ridges of the spiral. It shone faintly.

“I accept. Here.” I stepped forward to meet them, bending down to pick up the horn. When it disappeared into my storage, I summoned one of my two phoenix feathers into my palm. Brightstar’s horn glowed, and the feather vanished.

“You need to give it to your father before the sun sets, or it will be too late,” I told the unicorn prince. That was when the Guardian of Death would come and lay the unicorn king to rest. “And as a favor to me , tell Carter that Chloe looked amazing in her wedding dress. His loss.”

Brightstar shifted his weight from left to right, anxious. “I will do as you ask, troll.”

“He won’t shoot the messenger.” I tried to alleviate the unicorn’s concern. Many feared the chosen of Death and treated the man with the utmost respect.

I did not.

I announced ominously, “Now go, before it’s too late!”

Living in a magical realm meant you embraced the dramatic sometimes.

The unicorns did not have to be told twice; they kicked off, racing back into the forest through the field of flowers that stretched out north of my bridge. With this unicorn horn, I’d almost collected every treasure from season two. And season two was at an end.

I sighed; there were three other bridge notifications.

I popped out to intercept a little lizardkin boy carrying a hurt flying pig near Kith Bog, and then a merchant caravan on their way to Drendil.

I chose the same easy riddle for both.

“What can I see below my feet

But also way up high?

A single piece rough in my palm,

Where many blot the sky?”

Surprising no one, the boy got the riddle, and the merchant just tossed me a small bag of copper. I would’ve accepted a few different answers: rock, stone, dirt, earth, or anything of the like. The boy said that dirt becomes a mountain, so I let him go on his merry way.

The assassins weren’t going anywhere, so I decided to leave them for later.

I would’ve felt bad for abandoning Julian for so long, but he’d invited himself, and the bridges were a welcome distraction from the duke of the North.

I was hiding it well, but there was only so much I could put up with from my handsome travel companion before I started to get a bit … feral .

Calm, Gerda. You got this .

I popped back into the kitchen; he was still sitting there.

“Are you all done?” Julian asked, undisturbed that I’d left him for almost half an hour sitting alone in my tiny cottage.

“Technically, no. I’m ignoring the assassins for now,” I informed him, sitting and picking up my cold tea.

“Will you leave them there?” he asked.

“No.” I sighed and shook my head. “They are high enough in level that they’re costing me an exorbitant sum every time they cross my bridge.”

“Then why wait?”

“It might take a while to handle them all. Bridge troll etiquette means I can’t just throw them into the river and walk away.

I have to issue a riddle.” I explained, adding further, “And since they’re looking for trouble I’ll actually have to activate my abilities—some of which can’t be undone until the mana runs out or the riddle is answered. ”

Julian frowned, but nodded, seeing my point.

“So I thought we could finish our tea, I’ll send you back to Fell, and then I’ll go deal with the assassins.” Unfortunately, I didn’t capture the bridge in Fell, I simply walked across it, which meant I couldn’t connect the cottage to it and let Julian leave at his leisure through the front door.

“How often do you toll bridges in a day?” he asked, leaning on the table.

“As often as I wish,” I shrugged. “Which is three to four hours a day on average. I could do more, but I usually stick to the bridges on the Great Road. That keeps me busy but not annoyingly so.”

“And how do you plan to keep doing that while you’re in the North?”

“I’ll cheat,” I stated.

He looked at me. I fiddled with my stir spoon.

“I realized during the Spring Ball … that I can just make my own bridges.” It was a system oversight, but it was true. “I can build up an ice bank, lay down a makeshift bridge, and voilà !”

“ Voilà ?”

“It’s for emphasis.”

“So you can just make save points”—Julian’s eyes gleamed—“anywhere, any time?”

“Don’t look at me like that,” I said, waving my spoon at him.

“I have to admit, I’d like to take advantage of your power.

But only if you agree.” He lifted both hands in mock surrender before resting them on his lap.

It was a very nice lap. “I’m looking for a dungeon in the Northern Ice Fields, and it’s been a nightmare to locate.

If we could leave a save spot to portal back to, it would save us so much time . ”

I looked out the window at the setting sun. There was less than half an hour until night fell.

“I’ve a proposition for you,” I broached, turning back to Julian. “You won’t like it, and I don’t expect you to say yes … But if you did, it would have to be now. I wasn’t going to even ask, but since you’re here and we’re alone and the timing is right—”

“Gerda”—he reached a hand over the table and touched mine—“what do you need?”

Quietly, knowing I was probably making a big mistake, I said, “Your locket.”

He didn’t withdraw his hand. “Why?”

I decided to just be honest with the duke.

“I have until sunset to complete a quest that requires the scepter in your locket. When I learned how important it was to you, I gave up, but …” It was the last treasure I had to find …

but the accomplishment wasn’t worth risking the trust I’d built with Julian.

I knew that. I knew it, but I said it anyway.

“I don’t need it forever, mind you, only until sunset.

I was going to offer to help you find your hidden dungeon in exchange, but—”

“Alright,” Julian agreed, letting go of my hand. He reached up to unhook the chain around his neck. Without another word, he dropped it into my palm and used his fingers to close mine around the locket.

“What do you mean ‘alright’?” I asked, my voice catching.

He smiled. “You said you’ll give it back. So alright.”

“But I’ll have to break the glass to retrieve the scepter!” I squeezed the locket in my palm.

“I didn’t even know it was a scepter,” Julian replied.

“I’ll still have the locket when you’re done.

I can carry around the scepter on my belt or in my storage, or ask mother to put it back inside the locket if need be.

It’s a small price for Madame Potts to help me find the dungeon I’ve literally spent my life searching for. ”

“I would’ve done it anyway. You’re escorting me, and you paid for my travel supplies—”

“I don’t mind.”

My hands were shaking. I popped the locket open, and there was the picture of young Julian and his family. The other side was only a broken piece of crystal behind a thin pane of glass.

I swallowed and asked one last time. “If you’re sure?”

“Break it.” The words were firm, and I pressed the glass with a green thumb, exuding more and more pressure until the barrier splintered.

A bright light erupted from the locket, and then a large scepter appeared overtop. It had looked like crystal, but it turned out to be shimmering mithril imbued with aura.

I hurried to catch it as it dropped, and a notification let me know this was exactly what I’d been looking for.

[Quest: Season Two Treasures Found 10/10

Nova’s Celestial Pendant: An opal pendant that glows near celestials and darkens near demons. +5 Charisma with Divine.

King Kraken’s Heart: A ruby pendant that allows you to breathe underwater. +5 Charisma with sea creatures.

Menlomin’s Horn: The king of the unicorn’s horn that will Purify anything it touches.

Calisto’s Personal Magical Elevator: An enchanted box that can rise ten stories into the air while carrying up to four people.

Valarian Royal Mantle: +3 to Charisma when equipped. 6/6 set pieces found.

Valarian Royal Breastplate: +3 to Strength when equipped. 6/6 set pieces found.

Valarian Royal Shield: +3 to Constitution when equipped. 6/6 set pieces found.

Valarian Royal Crown: +3 to Perception when equipped. 6/6 set pieces found.

Valarian Royal Sword: +3 to Dexterity when equipped. 6/6 set pieces found.

Valarian Royal Scepter: +3 to Intelligence when equipped. 6/6 set pieces found.]

[Congratulations! You have completed the Valarian Royal Set . When equipped together, bonus modifier per item is elevated to +5]

I whistled. That was a disgusting amount of points. When hit points were based on strength and constitution, and mana was a multiple of perception and intelligence, that plus five in each was broken.

To better understand the ridiculous buff that was the Valarian Royal Set … Every time someone leveled up, they got two points to allocate to their attributes, and the set granted thirty points. It was equivalent to fifteen levels in stats.

“On its own, the Valarian Royal Scepter grants you three points to intelligence,” I told him, hefting the treasure with one hand. I handed back the locket with its collapsed glass shards. Julian snapped it shut, shards and all, and put it back around his neck.

He asked quietly, “Do you know what was in my sister’s locket?”

“Ah … yes.” I summoned the mantle from my inventory. “The Valarian Royal Mantle grants a three-point charisma bonus.”

Julian’s fingers twitched. “Where did you get it?”

“I pulled it from the wreckage of the Spell Script Collegium. It boosted Julia’s paladin abilities just long enough to keep them alive under the rubble. She’s lucky her build is strength and charisma based.” I stared out the window in the kitchen. “It won’t be long now.”

We fell into a tense silence, both watching the night creep over the world outside, each window in the cabin reflecting the fading light from a different location.

My notification tab blinked.

[ Quest Complete: Survive Season Two of Dungeon Delves and Debutantes]

[Welcome to the World of Valaria, an Open-World Battle Otome RPG for the ages.]

100% Scenarios Completed

100% Map Explored

100% Hidden Treasures Found

99% Characters Found

[In Season Two, our Heroine survived the rise of corruptions from the Dark Enchanted Forest and found a partner she could depend on to bring to the Masquerade Ball … but is she ready for the hardest challenge yet?]

[Come back to your favorite characters with even more Dungeons, Dragons, and Debutantes!]

I immediately read season three.

[Quest: Survive Season Three of Dungeon Delves and Debutantes]

[Welcome to the World of Valaria, an Open-World Battle Otome RPG for the ages.]

[Previously, our Heroine Henrietta worked to defeat the Dark Overlord, King Monfort, and the new Lich Queen, Chloe Watercress, who turned the minions of the Dark Enchanted Forest into a legion of undead.]

Error : Previously, our Heroine Henrietta worked hard to win the heart of the Dark Lord, King Keith, and defended the Dark Enchanted Forest against invading Blackfog.

[But a new challenge awakens in the dark wood. A beast of legend is stirring, and Henrietta will have to face her toughest battle yet before she can find her true Happily Ever After.]

Error : But a new challenge arises, for the Dark Enchanted Forest is being overrun by spies, an annoyance to trade and transportation that stirs the ire of the Dark Horde and threatens her new Happily Ever After.

[Season Three features two new ikemen love interests, new dungeons, access to Baldorin and the Empire of Sands, and new crafting material!]

[Can our Heroine Henrietta complete all of the quests, or will she have even more at stake than she bargained for?]

2% Scenarios Completed

60% Map Explored

10% Hidden Treasures Found

35% Characters Found

[Come back to your favorite characters with even more Dungeons, Dragons, and Debutantes!]

The experience points hit me, and I leveled up.