Chapter 147: Giantblooded (2/2)

He nodded, and followed the butler to the lounge.

”So, what do you want to talk to me about?” Mike asked once he'd taken a seat and made himself as comfortable as possible in the hard chair.

William stood in front of him, and gave a formal bow. ”I want to offer my sincere apologies for Lady Lilianna's behavior. I know her selfishness was inexcusable, and I thank you for minimizing the damage her actions caused.”

Mike was slightly taken aback, but waved it off. ”Its quite alright, I've only known her for a little while, and I can tell she's a bit of a handful.”

The butler straightened with a long-suffering sigh. ”Indeed, although it's not entirely her fault.”

”What do you mean?”

Looking slightly pensive, William continued. ”It is due to bloodline. Milady has inherited the legendary blood of the Frost Giants, which occasionally appears within the Dovistani royal family. While this grants them incredible strength and endurance, the giantblooded, as we call them, almost universally have an unusual or difficult personality.”

[Is it some kind of recessive trait tied with whatever element of their giant heritage enhances their strength? Is that even how this world works, now that I think about it?]

The butler continued.”In most case it manifests as a violent and volatile behavior. One of Milady's uncles is also giantblooded, and is well known as one of the most dangerous and powerful warriors in Dovistan. However, he is equally well known for his temper, and has caused the family near constant trouble for the people he has injured or killed in a fit of anger.”

”Lily doesn't seem to have that problem, as far as I can tell.”

”That's true. Milady is one of a rare few who have the almost opposite temperament. She lacks the capacity to feel anger. Her unusual behavior and difficulty in understanding others is also a product of this particular manifestation of her blood. Or so the records relate. You must understand, there hasn't been one of her type in a few hundred years.” William spoke quietly.

”I suppose there are worse conditions to have.”

”Once again, Master Mike, you speak the truth. However, I hope you can imagine how difficult life must be if you never felt anger, and were unable to disassemble the motivations of others. It is a vital part of being human. Without anger there is no impetus to defend oneself or the things one cares about. It is the stimulating force which creates change. And its absence has left Lily vulnerable to the machinations of her family.” The butler's knuckles whitened on the table where he was resting them.

Mike frowned at that. ”Is she in danger?”

”No, nothing like that, but I am sure you can imagine how a high noble with a powerful bloodline would be considered a valuable asset. Especially if she lacked the desire to protect herself in any real manner.”

He nodded, feeling a little sick at the idea.

William must have caught his facial expression, ”My apologies, Master Mike. I did not mean to lay Milady's burden on you. In truth, it is not as bad as I make it out to be. Milady has her own drives and desires, as I am sure you are aware. She might lack a great deal of common sense due to her sheltered lifestyle, but there are very few people in this world that could force her to do something against her will. It is merely unfortunate that two of those people are her parents.”

”I see. Although, that is not much better.”

The old man chuckled at that. ”No, I suppose not.”

”So what about the whole Alchemy obsession thing?” Mike asked, wondering if that might be another aspect of her bloodline.

This inspired another laugh from William. ”That's just Lily. Nothing inherited about that behavior, I can promise you. Anyway, thank you for listening to the complaints of an old man. I'm sorry to have troubled you. Have a good night, Master Mike.”

”You as well.” He replied while watching the butler leave.

Leaning back in his chair, Mike looked at the ceiling, thinking about what he heard.

[I'm really starting to get tired of noble politics. It seems like they get worse every time I run into them.]

Standing up, he headed back to the study to sleep. He debated running down to the Adventurer's Guild tomorrow and picking up a quick request. For some reason, he had the sudden urge to kill something.