During wartime, teleportation between countries was shut. One had to cross the border physically before using one of the cities near the border to teleport to other cities within the country.
With upgraded Pandora, it took Jack only one day to cross the vast border. He then landed near a border city. Using his orc disguise, Iamanorc, he teleported to the zone portal of Messephyria, the capital of Hydrudond. This was around the time when the two forces of Hydrurond and Liguritudum were getting ready to clash with one another.
The soldiers guarding the zone portal halted him when he first appeared. This made him nervous. Was his cover blown?
The guards used Inspect on him and asked him several questions. Questions such as what his purpose for coming here was and where he came from. Fortunately, he was let go after his data and response were recorded.
Jack was puzzled but he just chalked it up to this capital having a more stringent security procedure.
This was not the first time he visited Hydrurond's cities, but he was still amazed by the sight. The buildings in Hydrurond's were always tall as if trying to reach the sky. The ones in this capital were even more exaggerated. Every building had flying buttresses and pointed arches. Jack felt as if he had entered a gothic city.
The palace was the most impressive because it was the tallest building in the capital. It soared up into the sky as if a sword piercing heaven. He wondered if the throne room was up there on the top. He pitied the palace dwellers if it was so. He couldn't imagine how many staircases one had to climb to reach the top of that palace.
He had been in contact with guild members who frequented this capital. Queen Frorryntiar rarely showed herself in the public. It was also too risky for him to infiltrate the palace. Even if he could do it, he doubted such an act would inspire confidence that he was an ally.
In this case, he had no choice but to go through an intermediary. Unfortunately, neither he nor his guild members knew any of the upper echelons within Hydrurond's monarchy. However, his guild members informed him that Queen Frorryntiar had a daughter, Princess Aldryth, who regularly came out of the palace to meet the people of the capital.
She was a figure more loved by the people compared to her mother since she often reached out and helped the common folks. She was also very devout and always traveled to the grand cathedral of the Church of Creation to attend its mass. Today was one of the days when she attended such a mass.
Jack checked his map. After making sure of the grand cathedral's location, he headed there.
The grand cathedral was also a very tall building. Not half as impressive as the palace, but it was still impressive. There was already a crowd gathering outside the cathedral waiting for the mass to start. The entrance to the cathedral was barred and entry was only permitted a few minutes before the mass started.
Jack circled the cathedral to check for other possible entrances. Members of the church of creation loitered around the building. They were not exactly guards, but they might as well. There didn't seem to be a blind spot where he could sneak in. Even if he flew from above, he was sure to be spotted.
He sent a message to a guild member whom Jeanny had introduced before he came here. After several back and forth of messaging to locate one another, he finally found the guy.
The person's name was Easycome. He was a draconian player who had been sent into this capital after the tutorial period, so he knew this place the best.
Easycome was a level 56 priest. Despite his low level, he was accepted as a member of Everlasting Heavenly Legends because of his good connection with players and natives in the capital. This made him a good go-to person when the guild needed something done here, like what Jack was doing now. Unfortunately, his connection with the natives wasn't high enough to let Jack get to the queen.
His low level was also the reason he didn't join Jeanny who was about to fight Liguritudum's invading army. He was not a battle-savvy person and was not originally a gamer.
"Easycome?" Jack greeted after locating the man.
"Boss," Easycome greeted back.
"Got any chance for me to talk to the princess?" Jack asked.
Easycome gave Jack a solemn face. "I'm afraid that will be difficult, if not impossible. The princess always has a team of bodyguards following her. The mass will only start after she arrived. She will be let in first so her guards can set a perimeter inside the chapel. This way, the crowd that came in later could be kept away from the princess."
"I thought the princess is known to make contact with the people? There should be a time when common folks can approach her, shouldn't it?"
Easycome smiled upon hearing. "Making contact with common folks are rather dress-up words," he said. "Don't get me wrong. I have a good opinion of the princess. She is one of those royalties who aren't acting all high and mighty. But even so, the common folks that she has contact with are influential people. Business owners and community leaders or such. Her bodyguards don't exactly let the real common folks get anywhere near her."
"Crap… So, there is no chance for me to get close to her?" Jack asked.
Easycome gave Jack a thoughtful gaze. He said after a moment of silence, "There might be a way, but it isn't exactly safe. It might draw the ire of the Church of Creation and make me lose membership in the faction if something goes wrong…"
"Tell me," Jack said. Any idea is welcome at this moment.
"It is a common procedure if an emergency happens during the mass, the VIP guest will be brought to safety into a safe room next to the chapel. The princess is no doubt considered the top VIP in this mass. If you are in this safe room in advance, you will get the chance to speak with the princess when she is brought into the room."
"The bodyguards will follow her into this safe room, won't they?" Jack asked.
"I can't set it so that only she is allowed into the safe room," Easycome said.
"You can?"
"My level might not be high, but I'm a high-ranking member of the Church of Creation," Easycome said. "I also have a native contact of higher rank inside the faction, but he might need some persuasion to help us."
"What kind of persuasion?" Jack asked.
Easycome made a gesture by repeatedly rubbing his thumb over his index and middle finger.
"He wants coins?" Jack said in surprise.
Easycome nodded.
Jack was speechless. It seemed bribery was as effective here as in the real world. "How many coins are needed?" Jack asked.
"Two hundred coins should do the magic, but we might need to prepare three hundred just to be sure."
Jack took out four hundred coins and gave them to Easycome. "Let's do as you suggested."
