Koyuki, the Necromancing Foxkin

CHAPTER 329: A Disturbance

Guests started to arrive and Valeria welcomed them. I did not know everyone but I had seen a few at the academy. There were also some familiar faces from last year's party, like Melina Wyn and Bridget Lupenia. Melina was an elf and I wondered if she was related to Cillian? Then again, the Barkworth duchy was known to have a few elves living there. Was that because of the Korrah Forest?

I frowned as I realised how little I knew about that. The Winston and Harold duchies had more dwarves, because of their proximity to Thorus. Ashfield seemed to have a higher beastkin population but I had no idea why. I knew very little about Payton and Colton.

"How should we approach Bridget?" Cassie asked.

"Huh?" I replied. I had been lost in thought and might have missed something my friends were discussing.

"About the brewery. She is the daughter of the local lord and I will need a licence." Cassie said.

"Right." I remembered now, we had been discussing this before.

"It might help if we ask her to help us find a suitable location." Skadi said.

"Why would that help?" I wondered.

"Because she can make money by brokering a deal." Helena explained. "Nobles like power and influence, if they are involved and profit from such a venture they will more likely approve of it."

"With Cassie and Helena we have two noble families behind it and we have Koyuki. That should be enough but it never hurts to offer them some additional benefits." Skadi stated.

"We should wait a bit until we approach. Business is usually done later at such parties." Helena advised.

"Damn, Leo is here." I muttered as I saw him enter and talk to Valeria.

"Oh no, she is pointing in our direction, they are both coming over!" I noticed.

"Koyuki, Helena, Skadi, Cassie." He greeted us.

"Hello Leo." I said.

"Valeria just told me about the security you provide for the evening. I have brought some undead of my own who can help. After last year's attack against all necromancers we cannot be too careful." Leo stated.

"I will leave you to discuss that, I think more guests have arrived!" Valeria said and strategically retreated.

"While they did use a poison targeting people with a death magic affinity I am pretty sure Koyuki was the target." Cassie stated.

"Clearly they were zealots coming after all of us." Leo replied.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

"Anyway, Valeria asked for our help with security and we have it handled." I said.

Leo frowned. "Really? You need to take security seriously. I have brought my armoured skeleton and two skeletal wolves."

"You forgot to properly dress them."

We looked at Garm who was trotting in our direction.

"I was just outside inspecting the grounds and I have to say, poor wolves." The left head said. "A spiked metal collar? On a skeleton? Simply ridiculous." The right head added.

"Is everything alright? Are there any concerns?" I asked Garm.

"We have Frank at the main gate to the property and Bob at the entrance to the mansion itself to back up the goblins. The living guards check the invitations but our undead provide the security if needed. The cats ensure that no snack - I mean no rat - can infiltrate the party. I can also tell you that several guests started drinking before they arrived and one person is not using the real Rinastis." Garm reported.

"What is Rinastis?" I asked.

"It is a famous beauty product." Leo said.

"Eh, it's an overpriced oil alchemically infused with some cheap plant scent. Good for your skin, I suppose, but overpriced." Cassie added.

"Dry skin seems to be a concern for mortals." Garm said.

I touched my left arm. "I think my skin seems fine without any oils. But when I was trained as a maid we did learn about some beauty products and how to help a future… Mistress. I do not remember ever hearing about Rinastis."

"It is probably too expensive for training." Helena mused. "And you know, I used to apply some oils to my skin but I haven't done so in a while. Maybe our magic is helping?"

"Perhaps your water magic helps with your skin." Leo theorised while staring at Helena's arms.

I wondered if our circulation technique was helping. I also wondered if I should try some beauty products. Maybe Helena would like them?

Suddenly both of Garm's heads looked towards the door. Soon afterwards a guard hurried inside and approached us. "Lady Koyuki, there is a disturbance, could you please follow me?"

"Sure." I said and followed the guard, so did my friends and Leo. Garm did not seem agitated but I mentally prepared my defences anyway.

As we opened the door and stepped outside I could hear shouting from the gate, and I heard a voice I had hoped to never hear again.

"Is that Archibald?" Cassie asked.

"I think so…" I replied as we walked towards the gate,

"I DEMAND ENTRY! THis is my RIGHT! MY FIAnnn Fina fianceeee…"

"I think he is drunk." Helena commented as Archibald kept shouting some words while slurring others.

Cillian was here as well and did not look happy. "He is the son of Duke Francis Winston, your undead have grabbed him as he tried to enter."

"Disgraced son." Cassie added.

"He is not on the guest list." Kaito said, who was standing at the gate and turned his back to the screaming Archibald. Two goblin zombies stopped the drunken fool from entering.

"He is an important noble and you need to…" Cillian said only to be interrupted by Kaito. "I need to ensure the safety of everyone here and this man is a threat. He shall not set a foot inside this residence, no matter how much he screams."

"There is tension between house Barkworth and house Winston, this is a delicate diplomatic matter." Cillian insisted.

"Valeria has hired us to provide security and security we shall provide." Kaito said.

"I fully support my undead." I stated. "It seems like Kaito has this handled."

"YOUUUUUUU…" Archibald shouted.

"I do believe he has spotted us." Skadi noted.

"Is there a sewer nearby we can drop him into?" Cassie asked.

"That would be assault!" Cillian argued.

"It would be the clumsy accident of a drunken fool. But the way he is trying to conjure a fireball right now is assault." Kaito stated calmly, while his hands glowed with frostfire. Just as Archibald's hands erupted in flames, Kaito unleashed his magic. The frostfire won and the noble brat screamed as his hands started to freeze. Kaito walked towards Archibald, who had fallen to the floor and was crying.

"Perhaps someone should escort Archibald to a guard station and make sure that he sobers up, before he brings even more shame to his house." Leo stated.

"I will take care of it, your undead have done enough, Koyuki." Cillian said.

"He summoned fire, this counts as an attack." Skadi stated.

"What? No, he was not even able to unleash it. You can't claim that as an attack!" Cassie protested. Then she shivered. "We really need to get back inside, it's way too cold."

"Good idea, we should tell Valeria about this." I said, she was the host after all and I was not sure how Cillian would spin this. He had made a decent impression at first, except for his dislike of undead. But now I was having doubts about his priorities. Pleasing nobility should not rate higher than protecting your charge.