Camelot was left alone with a small box.
He looked at her.
Then a new brooch.
And in the end, he turned to the painting of the Divine Master.
«So grandpa tried too…»
The silver grimoire quietly opened.
A new line has appeared on the page.
[A new task has been discovered.
]
[ Source: Royal Palace ]
[ Access Level: Royal Artist ]
[Difficulty level: unknown.
]
[ Recommended level: unknown.
]
Camelot slowly smiled.
«Okay.»
He put the box on the table.
«Let’s see what problem you’ve left for me, Grandpa.»
But he hasn’t opened it yet.
Because for the first time, he was really interested in finding out why the man who was considered one of the greatest artists of the Canham family could not complete the task, which now ended up in the hands of seventeen-year-old Camelot.
Camelot slowly raised his head.
Arthur was still in the workshop.
He stood near the family tree and carefully examined one of the oldest branches.
Camelot was silent for a while, and then asked:
«Father.»
Arthur turned around.
«Yeah?»
«What was my grandfather like?»
The question was so unexpected that he just stared at his son for a few seconds.
«Aurelius?»
«Yes.»
Camelot nodded.
«The council said that he was unable to complete this assignment.
I want to understand what kind of person he was.»
Arthur exhaled slowly.
His gaze shifted to the painting.
«What kind of person…»
He thought.
A strange expression appeared on Arthur’s face.
It was as if he was trying to find the right words.
Camelot was expecting to hear about a great artist.
About the wise head of the family.
About a man who possessed incredible magical art.
But Arthur suddenly said quite seriously,
«Your grandfather loved playing chess very much.»
Camelot blinked.
«Chess?»
«Very much.»
Arthur nodded.
«He could spend eight hours at the chessboard.»
Camelot looked at the family tree.
«Is that all?»
«No.»
Arthur came closer.
«There was a woman.»
Camelot was immediately interested.
«Who?»
«Nobody knows for sure.»
«What do you mean?»
«She only appeared in the evenings.»
«Your grandfather always met her in one of the rooms of the old wing.
They were playing chess.»
Camelot frowned.
«And what’s so strange about that?»
Arthur looked him straight in the eye.
«She was wearing green lipstick.»
Camelot was silent for a few seconds.
«And?»
«That’s exactly what’s weird.»
«Why is that?»
«Because in those days, green lipstick was almost not common anywhere.»
Camelot thought about it.
«Maybe she just loved the color green?»
«Maybe.»
Arthur crossed his arms over his chest.
«But after a few meetings, rumors started circulating.»
«Which ones?»
Arthur leaned a little closer.
«It was said that she was a call woman.»
Camelot slowly raised an eyebrow.
«Really?»
«It’s just a rumor.»
Arthur immediately added:
«No one has ever been able to prove that it’s true.»
«And grandpa?»
«I never told you.»
«He even said, who is she?»
«No.»
«Where she lived?»
«Unknown.»
«What was her name?»
«Unknown.»
Camelot is increasingly frowned.
«Then how do we even know that she existed?»
Arthur looked at him.
«Because she was seen.»
«Who saw her?»
«The servants.»
He paused.
«And someone else.»
«Who?»
Arthur pointed at the family tree.
«Your grandfather.»
Camelot sighed.
«Father, I’m asking seriously.»
«Me too.»
There was silence for a few seconds.
And then a silver page appeared in front of Camelot’s eyes.
He froze.
What did you bring me this time?
The book activated itself.
[A hidden story has been discovered.
]
[ A contradiction has been found in family memories.
]
Camelot straightened up.
The next line appeared in front of him.
[Additional task has been activated.
]
[ Green Kiss On The Chessboard.]
[In the past, Rhoda Canham had an unknown woman who regularly met Aurelius Canham at the chessboard.
[Distinguishing feature: green lipstick.
]
[Identity: unknown.
]
[ Origin: unknown.
]
[ Connection with Aurelius Canham: unknown.
]
Camelot slowly read through everything to the end.
And then another line appeared.
[ Task: find out who the woman with the green lipstick was and why Aurelius Canham was meeting her at the chessboard.
]
[ Additional condition: find a chess game that Aurelius never finished.
]
[ Difficulty: Medium.
]
[ Reward: Chessboard, Upgrade some stats.
]
[ Failure Conditions: Is unknown.
]
Camelot slowly raised his eyes.
Arthur was still talking:
«The strangest thing happened after the woman stopped coming.»
«What happened?»
«Aurelius never played chess again.»
Camelot fell silent.
«Never?»
«Never really.»
Arthur looked somewhere in the direction of the old cabinets.
«He ordered the chessboard to be removed.
After that, no one saw her for several years.»
Camelot felt a chill run down his spine.
«And then?»
Arthur frowned.
«Then the board appeared again.»
«Where?»
«In his office.»
«And?»
«There were already figures on it.»
Camelot exhaled slowly.
«Who set them up?»
Arthur shook his head.
«No one knows that.»
The grimoire reappeared.
[The hint has been received.
]
[ “The game didn’t end when one of the players left.” ]
Camelot looked at the closed box from the King.
Then to the family tree.
Then at Arthur.
«Father.»
«Yes?»
«Where is the chessboard now?»
Arthur looked really worried for the first time in the whole conversation.
«I don’t know.»
Camelot smiled.
«Then I guess I have something to do.»
And somewhere in the depths of the old manor, a soft sound was heard.
Click.
It was as if an invisible chess piece had just moved onto the square.
Camelot slowly raised an eyebrow.
He was already beginning to suspect that even the furniture in this house had a habit of talking in riddles.