The OP MC 5: God of Winning

by Logan Jacobs

  The music halted as I walked into the room, and all eyes were on me and my entourage. The odor of rich perfumes was heavy in the air, and the room was lit with a countless multitude of candles and lanterns. The space was filled with tables dressed in fancy cloths and covered in silver dishes, candles, and flowers, and seated at the tables were dozens of nobles in colorful outfits made of the finest materials I’d ever seen with my own eyes.

  I prepared myself for the gauntlet of respawns it would take to get to know every single person in the room, but I had limitless opportunities to play with, and excitement bloomed in my chest.

  First, though, I marched straight to the table at the front of the room directly beneath the king’s throne, and I inclined my head to King Frederick.

  “Your Majesty,” I greeted with a flourish of my hands.

  “Ah, Sebastian,” the king replied in a friendly tone, and he clapped his hands together. “We’ve been waiting for you. I have a table arranged for you and your people nearby.”

  “Thank you.” I inclined my head again before I scanned the room and found the empty table. There were plenty of spaces for all of my companions, so I gestured for them to sit down before I turned back to the king. “By the way, I wanted to commend you on the quick repairs made in the city. It’s hard to find any signs of the dragon attack at all.”

  “We couldn’t have done it without you,” King Frederick assured me with a shake of his head. “Sorreyal shall forever be in your debt for eliminating the scourge on our land, but enough talk of dragons and death for now. Please, enjoy the feast.”

  “Thank you.” I moved over to take my place at the head of my table, and Elissa flashed me an excited smile.

  “Everyone looks so pretty,” my wife observed as her emerald eyes scanned over the room full of nobles.

  “I’ve never been to a banquet like this before,” Mahini said as she tucked a stray tendril of her obsidian locks behind her ear in a self-conscious gesture. “I’m not sure what is expected of me.”

  “Just be yourself,” I instructed with a grin. “If anyone doesn’t like it, then fuck ‘em.”

  “We would be wise to be more cautious in how we approach the nobility,” Eva warned. “Etiquette requires we proceed with the utmost civility.”

  “I’m the God of Time.” I shrugged. “If that means I have to step on a few toes, then so be it.”

  “We are fortunate to be in your presence,” Eva replied with a subtle dip of her head.

  “Oh, you’re good at this,” I complimented.

  “Thank you, Great One.” Eva smirked and did a little curtsy. “Would you miss me too terribly if I went to say hello to my father?”

  “I haven’t seen him yet,” I said with a frown as my eyes searched the room for the Duke of Bullard. Then my gaze settled on the back of his graying brown head, and I spotted the duke’s oldest son and Evangeline’s brother, Tobias, a few seats away from his father. “Ah, there he is. I’ll go with you. It’s about time Bullard and I meet face-to-face again, anyway.”

  “Lovely.” Eva smiled, and then we both pushed ourselves up from our seats. The duke’s daughter took my offered elbow, swished her skirt around her legs, and followed me toward her father.

  “Bullard,” I greeted in a casual tone as we approached. “How have you been, my friend?”

  “What? Who said that?” The duke jumped and swiveled to face me, but then his expression relaxed into a pleased smile. “Oh, Great One, it’s you. It’s a pleasure to see you in person again. How are you enjoying your evening so far?”

  “Can’t complain.” I smirked as I flourished my hand to Eva. “Hard not to enjoy yourself when I’m in such wonderful company.”

  “Oh, Evangeline, how lovely to see you,” the Duke of Bullard gushed as he rushed to his feet. He swept his daughter into a warm embrace, but it was a short hug.

  “Father,” Eva greeted with a kind smile when they parted. “I have been looking forward to seeing you. We have much to discuss.”

  “Do we?” Bullard’s eyebrows furrowed as he lowered his voice. “Is everything alright?”

  “Aren’t you…” Eva frowned as she trailed off.

  “What is it?” her father asked.

  “Aren’t you upset at me for the way I left your castle?” The duke’s daughter toyed with the fabric of her skirt as she gazed down at the floor.

  The Duke of Bullard sighed, but a soft smile stretched across his face. “No.”

  Eva’s eyes shot to her father’s face as though she was testing the validity of his words, but then her gray eyes lit up with joy. “Oh, wonderful. I’ve been so worried.”

  “Eva, I know you had to follow your heart,” the duke said in a comforting tone. “There once was a time I would have been furious if you’d run away from home to chase after a man, but in this case it was the God of Time, so who am I to reprimand you? Now, I wish only for your happiness.”

  “Smart man.” I grinned. “Trust me, I keep her very happy.”

  “It’s true,” Eva chuckled. “Your words bring me great relief, Father. Thank you.”

  “You’re most welcome.” The Duke of Bullard inclined his head, and then his gaze lifted to my face. “Thank you, Great One, for bringing my daughter to see me.”

  “Hey, she insisted,” I laughed. “I just wanted to tag along to say hi.”

  “I’m glad you did.” Bullard nodded. “I hope the two of you and the rest of your companions enjoy your evening.”

  “You, too, thanks.” I smiled broadly. “We’ll talk more before the night is over, I’m sure.”

  We turned away from the duke, and I scanned over the room once more. It seemed like there was still some time before the meal would be served, and everyone was milling about socializing while they waited for the food. It looked like it was time to do my god thing since I needed to know who all these people were and what roles they played in the kingdom.

  If there was a plot being schemed by someone in this room, I’d find out before they could make a move against the throne. Then I’d be rewarded once more, and in the process, acquire more power.

  The room was set up in a bit of a labyrinth of tables, with the king at the front of the room and each of the dukes and the duchess having their own spaces. Then the various barons, earls, lords, and ladies filled the remaining chairs.

  In addition to the nobles who were on my current list of suspects, there were a good thirty or so men and women present who had clout in Sorreyal, so I did my usual chime a few hundred times to learn each of their names, talk with them, and discover all their dirty little secrets like only I could.

  After too many attempts to count, I realized these other, lower-tier nobles weren’t really involved in anything more insidious than trying to sleep with each other while their spouses didn’t know, and I decided to focus my efforts more on the nobles I thought were trying to overthrow the king.

  Namely, the Duke of Edinburg, and the Duchess of Mistvale.

  Other than myself and the Duke of Bullard, the two of them had the most power beneath the king’s rule. If anyone would benefit from a change in the rulership of the kingdom, it would be them. Plus, after the letter I’d found from Edinburg’s wizard to Racine, there was more than enough reason to suspect the duke.

  I reset back to my save point again, got to enjoy my dramatic entrance for what felt like the millionth time, and then set my eyes on my next targets.

  “How are you enjoying the banquet so far, Clara?” I sat down at the Duchess of Mistvale’s table and flashed the gray-haired woman a charming smile.

  “Oh, Great One!” the duchess gasped, and she placed her hands over her ample bosom as a blush leapt to her already rosy cheeks. “What an honor to have you come speak with me. I’ve been working on getting up the nerve to come say hello to you, and here you are before me. My wishes have come true.”

  “I’m glad I could make your wishes come true,” I laughed.

  “Everything has been lovely so far,” the d
uchess finally answered once she’d calmed down from being startled. “How was your journey to the palace? Did you face any troubles along the way?”

  Something about the way she asked had me thinking she already knew the answer to the question, so I narrowed my eyes and scrutinized her closely. At first glance, the Duchess of Mistvale seemed just like the other vain and vapid nobles who filled the room, but I was beginning to get the feeling there was more to Clara than met the eyes.

  “Nothing I couldn’t handle,” I quipped with a grin. “How about yourself?”

  “Ooh, sounds mysterious,” the duchess giggled. “I’d love to hear all about it sometime…”

  “You didn’t answer my question,” I growled in an intimidating tone since I could always reset back to my save point if something went wrong. “Did you face any challenges on your journey to Vallenwood?”

  I expected the duchess to jump in fright and instantly stammer out a reply, but she flashed me a sly smile instead.

  “Nothing I couldn’t handle with a platoon of soldiers around me,” she answered after she held my gaze for a long quiet moment.

  It seemed the soft squishy duchess wasn’t as easily intimidated as I first assumed, but I didn’t want the lasting impression of me to be of a hard-ass, so I reset back to my save point again.

  Chime.

  This time, I approached the Duchess of Mistvale with a flirtatious energy. With how ample and elderly she was, I was sure it had been a while since anyone had hit on her, but it was worth a shot anyway.

  “Why, hello, gorgeous,” I breathed in her ear before I took the empty seat beside her. Then I scooted my chair closer to her and wiggled my eyebrows. “You look absolutely scrumptious tonight.”

  “Oh, Great One,” Clara purred with a flutter of her eyelashes. “How lovely to see you again. You are looking quite dashing yourself.”

  “Thanks.” I grinned. “I brought my personal seamstress with me to custom make my clothes specifically for this occasion.”

  “I didn’t realize you were so fashion forward.” Her eyebrows rose in surprise.

  “I had to bring my A game if I was going to impress you, right?” I chuckled. “You were wearing the most beautiful gowns when we first met, and I wanted to match your level of commitment.”

  “You flatter me, Great One,” the duchess said, and she waved a dismissive hand before she dipped her head in a small but graceful bow. “It is I who should be trying to impress you, Your Grace.”

  “There are definitely ways you could do just that,” I informed her in a conspiratorial tone. “If your aim is to please me, it is easily achieved.”

  The Duchess of Mistvale giggled like a young girl, and color rose to her cheeks as she caught on to my subtle double meaning. She didn’t speak for several moments while she fought to regain her composure, but then she cleared her throat and met my gaze with steady eyes.

  “How may I please you, O Great One?” There was a twinkle of desire in her gaze, but also plain to see curiosity.

  “Tell me more about yourself,” I urged. “Your holding lies in Mistvale, but you spend most of your time in Vallenwood. What draws you to the palace of the king?”

  “I have sworn to the king that I would assist him in finding a bride,” the duchess informed me in a low voice. “He is currently unwed, and though he has mistresses, not even a bastard son has been born. A king without an heir… Well, I’m sure you understand. Anywho, I am here to fix all that. I screen the potential wives from the herd of nobles throwing themselves at the king’s feet.”

  “How long have you been doing this work?” I asked in a curious tone.

  “Oh, for years,” the duchess bragged with a wave of her hands. “The king is rather picky, you know, and we can’t have just anyone becoming the next queen of Sorreyal, now can we?”

  “I suppose not.” I frowned. “What happens if the king never has an heir?”

  “Why, the throne becomes vulnerable to attack, of course.” Clara fixed me with a shrewd look. “I assumed you would already know the outcome given your level of power.”

  “It’s not like you’re going to remember this anyway,” I pointed out with a shrug.

  “What do you mea--” she started to say, but I reset back to my save point before the words fully left her lips.

  Chime.

  I respawned a few more times to talk to the Duchess of Mistvale about the different women she had lined up as potential wives, but she skirted around any mention of Arginold or the Duke of Edinburg. It seemed as though her focus laid solely on the throne and getting as close to it as she could. As the royal matchmaker, she could put her own puppet at the king’s side, and no one would be able to undo it.

  The duchess didn’t seem to be in a big rush to get the king married off, though, and I wondered if she had stronger motivations to slow the process down than to perform her promised role. Being without an heir left the king vulnerable, and if he died now, the throne would be vacant.

  It would be a free for all. The perfect opportunity for someone to swoop in and snatch up all the power in Sorreyal.

  “There you are, husband,” Elissa said as she came up from behind me, and then the tiny goddess slid into my lap like she was a sparkly green liquid.

  I’d been talking to the duchess for most of the banquet, but I’d completely ignored the food as it had been served in front of us. As I looked around to take in the feast, I spotted whole roasted pigs, several platters of duck, turkey, and entire chickens. The king had even brought some veal out among the other fancy dishes I couldn’t identify. There were fruits from kingdoms beyond Sorreyal in weird shapes, sizes, and colors, as well as sauteed vegetables.

  I told myself to thoroughly enjoy the food on my final run through, but I was happy enough to have a bottomless chalice in my hand. I was careful with my alcohol since I didn’t want to be too inebriated to pick up on subtle clues, but there were a plethora of options for drinks as well.

  I didn’t know whose seat I was occupying, but no one complained the entire time I was there. The duchess definitely wasn’t complaining, and she flashed me lovestruck glances every so often. The rest of the table whispered about us and the other high-ranking nobles, but they kept to themselves.

  “Hello, my love,” I greeted the red-haired goddess sitting in my lap, and I grinned proudly as I returned my gaze to the duchess. “Clara, this is my wife, Elissa Addington.”

  “If she is your wife, she would have your last name,” the duchess pointed out.

  I wasn’t about to have me or my wife be embarrassed at the banquet, so I reset back to my save point with a wave of my will power.

  Chime.

  This time, when Elissa went to slide into my lap, I was expecting her, and I opened my arms at just the right time to sweep her off her feet an instant before she sat down.

  “Clara of Mistvale, please meet my wife, the Archduchess Elissa Fletcher of Bastianville.” Now that was more like it. Thanks to my title, my wife had a fancy name just like all the other nobles in the room, and she could hold her head up proudly in the company of kings.

  “It is a pleasure to meet you,” the duchess cooed, but a flicker of disappointment crossed her eyes as my focus turned to the younger, prettier woman. “Your dress is lovely. Is it also custom made?”

  “Everything we’re wearing is,” Elissa confirmed with a nod. “Bellona Uriel is our seamstress. She does such amazing work, doesn’t she?”

  The pride in my wife’s voice was obvious, and I was glad I wasn’t the only one who wanted to show off the awesome people in our entourage. Other nobles could spend their time separating themselves from their people if they wanted to, but I wanted to shake things up in this medieval fantasy world. I would turn the power structure on its head and make the peasants just as important as the king.

  During my final run through with the Duchess of Mistvale, I left her stupefied with my knowledge of her household and about her role in Vallenwood. I even volunteered to interview some
of the potential candidates to give my opinions on the future bride of the king.

  Then I promised her a dance later in the evening before I departed from her table to speak to my next target, the Duke of Edinburg.

  I couldn’t flirt my way into friendly territory with the impossibly old duke, but I had a feeling I would figure out how to get him to talk to me, even if it took me a thousand lifetimes.

  I scanned over the densely packed table where Edinburg sat, and I began to notice the family resemblance among the occupants. They all shared the same curly mop of hair regardless of color, and the beaked nose that split the center of their faces was definitely hereditary. There had to be twenty relatives of the duke, all men, crowded in seats around their elder, so it was difficult at first to find a place to sit.

  I snagged the only empty chair available, but I moved it around to the head of the table where the Duke of Edinburg picked at his food with a bored expression on his wrinkled face.

  “May I?” I asked with the chair in my hand and a pointed expression on my face.

  The slightly less old man sitting next to the duke shot me an insulted look before recognition dawned on his face.

  “Oh, Great One, it’s you.” The gray-haired man beside the duke hastily scooted his chair over enough for me to sit next to Edinburg. “Please, join us.”

  “Thanks.” I smirked.

  “Your Grace, it is an honor to enjoy your company,” the Duke of Edinburg croaked out in a hoarse voice that sounded like it hadn’t been used in a decade. “Sit wherever you would like.”

  It seemed being the God of Time and the Archduke came with some advantages, and I could just use my clout to maneuver my way into the right conversations.

  We chatted about the weather and the food for a while as I contemplated how to segue into interrogating the duke about his involvement with Arginold and Racine. There was no easy way to ask if someone was guilty of treason, but I was determined to figure out who was behind the plot against the king.

  Instead, I learned all about the other people at the table with the duke. The impossibly old bastard had been busy, and everyone seated was related to him directly. There were ten sons, three brothers, two grandsons, and even four great-grandsons who were barely old enough to hold a sword. The Duke of Edinburg was more than capable of producing an heir, but the next in line to his holdings sat to my left, the duke’s oldest son, Eurikson. He was named after his father Eurik and took after him closely.