Chapter 57: Past Decisions

The atmosphere inside the wagon was jovial as it bounced down the road, Marissa blending in seamlessly with the group. After introductions were over with, she proceeded to retell her journey thus far to the group. She was travelling to the capital of Morgania due to her ailing sister. She worked there as a maid to one of the lesser nobles of the Kingdom and was suffering from a hereditary disease. She had traveled this far from the city of Sorkin, where she lived and worked as an adventurer, clearing out the surrounding forest of what little monsters there were.

"Miss Marissa, what ailment does your sister have? Aren't you worried about having it as well?" Lilly asked, rubbing the cold metal that covered her left arm.

"Nah, I'm the oldest, so if I had it, I already would have gotten sick, and I think it's called... hold on, I got her letter here." She pulled a wrinkled piece of parchment from her breast pocket. "The doctor told her it was called 'Lock Joint'." She explained as her expression turned downcast.

"I've heard of that disease before, it's treatable, isn't it?" Laura asked as she furrowed her brows.

"Yep, that's why I'm going, to help her out. She can't work while she's bedridden and the medicine is expensive." She said, her bubbly attitude returning.

"Well, if you need funding for her treatment, I would be more than happy to lend a hand." Alessandria said with a sympathetic look on her face.

"Thank ya kindly, but it's not life threatening, and we don't want to owe nobody nothin'."

Although they had allowed Marissa to join them on their travels to the capital and introduced themselves, they had not let her in on the fact that Alessandria was royalty. Alessandria didn't press her any further and simply gave her a small bow, not wanting to injure the woman's pride. The topic then moved on to lighter subjects and soon the sound of laughter could be heard from within the canvas cover.

…..

A solid oak door was standing before him, closing him off from what his life was just a few days prior. He reached out with his trembling right hand, he paused. He couldn't just turn the knob and barge in, no, this room was no longer his, it belonged to someone else. He pulled his hand back before forming a fist and knocking, hard, his frustrations transmitting themselves into the wooden door.

The door clicked, opening to allow the former Dean back into his old office. A fat young man was standing on the other side of the door, a smug grin spreading across his greasy face. "Mage Petticoat, please, come in."

A cheerful voice sounded out from deeper in the room, his tone friendly, but it still made Alfred sick to his stomach. He crossed the plush silk rug spread out over the floor with measured steps, scanning the room with his eyes as he did so. He was saddened to see his once splendidly decorated office now plastered with gaudy gold-plated furniture and tacky paintings that only the conceited would call art.

His eyes stopped on a large oil painting hanging over the fireplace. It was framed in precious metals and was seven feet tall and four feet wide, depicting a life-sized rendition of Duke Hutchens holding a valiant pose over the corpse of a massive red dragon. He strained himself in order not to roll his eyes, he'd never seen such narcissism before. He couldn't fault the artist for the piece, it was incredibly lifelike and perfectly conveyed the life and death battle that had taken place.

"Do you like it? I had to stand perfectly still for six hours; it was quite the undertaking." Duke Hutchens commented as he noticed Mage Petticoat's eyes lingering on the centerpiece.

"It truly steals your attention; it is almost as if the artist has captured a moment in time." Alfred gave his honest opinion.

"He better have!" Duke Hutchens said with a laugh. "I paid him a small fortune for the work. You have probably heard of him, Pier Beautist."

"I thought he did not take on commissions?" Alfred said, genuine surprise in his voice.

"For the right price, people are willing to do any number of things. Please, have a seat." Duke Hutchens gestured to a high-backed leather chair.

Straightening out his robes, now Royal Mage Petticoat took a seat. The leather creaked as it took his full weight, still stiff from being just recently made. Mage Petticoat figured that all of the lavish furniture inside his old office was new, there was little chance that a man such as Duke Hutchens would ever tolerate used furniture.

"Clerance, you may leave us now." Dean Hutchens said to his son. "Please tell Agatha to prepare us some tea."

With a smug grin, Clerance gave his father a small bow before smirking at Mage Petticoat's back and leaving the room. His secretary, Minnie, had followed him to the royal court. Although it wasn't customary for a commoner to assist a Royal Mage, he just couldn't bring himself to leave her in the clutches of such a despot.

"I can't thank you enough for all the assistance you have given me over the last several days." Dean Hutchens said, taking his seat behind an exquisitely carved mahogany desk.

"Of course, you are most welcome. I pray that everything has gone smoothly?"

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"Yes, yes, very smoothly. Of course, there has been a few issues but nothing overly cumbersome. Ah, here she is." A knock sounded from behind the closed door, soon, an extremely beautiful woman entered carrying a silver plate loaded with a steaming teapot and cups. She had long slender legs that were shown in all their glory because of a tight-fitting skirt that barely came within six inches of her knees. A pure white silk blouse clung snuggly to her fit body, leaving hardly anything to the imagination. Glossy black hair flowed over her bare shoulders and an enticing floral scent followed everywhere she walked.

Duke Hutchens watched her closely with lust filled eyes, unconsciously licking his lips as she bent over to place the tray on a small table near them. She then began to skillfully pour the amber liquid into the small cups. Mage Petticoat could appreciate a beautiful woman, just like any other man, but the way that Duke Hutchens eyed her made his stomach turn.

"Thank you, Agatha, that will be all for now." Duke Hutchens said, dismissing his secretary. She gave a small bow before turning and leaving the room, swaying her hips with every step.

"Now, the reason I have asked you here... please, try the tea, it's Golden Leaf Tea, very hard to come by." Duke Hutchens explained as he gestured to the rapidly cooling teacup being held in Mage Petticoat's hands.

He waited for his guest to take a sip, smiling as he did so. "Fantastic, isn't it? ... the reason I asked you here is for a simple clarification on one of the recent hires done not too long ago."

Alfred's hand paused for a split second as he was raising the fragrant tea to his lips, before putting the cup back onto the silver tray. "I believe I may know of the person you are speaking of."

"Good, that will save us some time then." He said with a wide smile. "I was auditing the files when I discovered that Professor Kalcifer had not gone through the proper vetting process."

Keeping his perfect posture, Alfred shifted uncomfortably in the stiff leather chair. He hadn't looked into Mage Kalcifer's past at all, taking his skills and knowledge at face value. He was the Dean, he could afford to bend the rules as he saw fit, even though there was a certain process that was supposed to be followed. Normally, if one wanted to become a Professor at the Academy, they would have to go through several interviews along with a thorough background check.

These policies were put in place in order to protect noble and wealthy children from anyone with less that savory goals. He supposed he should have done a better job at hiding the fact that Professor Kalcifer wasn't vetted, but he was the Dean and had no reason to. Now that he was no longer in that position, he had no way to keep it from coming out into the light.

Alfred's face did not betray his emotions as he answered. "You are correct, he was not vetted per usual. It was an expedited hiring; with the death of Mage Arckroft we were in desperate need of an alchemy professor."

"So, you're saying you would have brought on anyone that said they were skilled in a little botany?" Duke Hutchens pressed him with an air of victory.

"Of course not. Mage Kalcifer demonstrated his skills and knowledge before my very eyes, I had every bit of faith in his abilities to teach as well as his personal character."

Duke Hutchens nodded his head, a faux frown appearing on his face. "Unfortunately, due to the proper procedure being circumvented, I have no choice but to remove Mage Kalcifer from the role of professor. I am also forced to confiscate any and all items he has obtained or produce during his fraudulent tenure here at the Academy."

Alfred didn't flinch in the slightest, he had expected something like this to happen. "Is that all? I don't see why you had to summon me here for this."

"Oh, there is a reason. You, being the one who committed this dereliction of duty, are to be held responsible for any wrongdoings that he may have committed under your watch." He said, the corner of his mouth curling up and into a smirk. "Now, not to worry, no disciplinary actions will be taken against you, no matter the results of the investigation. I just thought it would be right to inform you personally of what is happening."

"There's going to be an investigation? Does his Highness know of this?"

"As I said before, there is no need to worry, it is purely an internal investigation. As being an independent body within the Kingdom, we have no obligation to inform the Crown, especially since there will be no criminal accountability."

"Alright, if that is all then I will take my leave." Alfred said, standing from his chair with a bitter taste in his mouth.

"You were always free to go, this was just a courtesy." Duke Hutchens said as he watched Mage Petticoat walk away. "Ah, one more thing. Should we find any major wrongdoing on your part, even though no charges will be brought, I may be forced to strip you of the honors associated with being a retired dean."

Mage Petticoat's steps faltered for a brief moment, before he continued to the door. Duke Hutchens smiled to himself, fighting back the urge to laugh, as the door to his office slammed shut, shaking the paintings hanging on the walls.

"Leaving already, Mage Petticoat?" Agatha asked, hurriedly standing from behind her small desk. "Shall I summon a carriage for you?"

"There's no need." He flashed her a small smile.. "I think I'll walk, I'm in need of some fresh air."

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