Jin scoffed at the man’s proposal. “Do you truly expect me to just sit down and talk with you? You’re with the pirates that attacked this ship! That attacked me!”
The man eyed the boy from head to toe. “Is that so? It seems that the attacks of my… temporary allies barely harmer you. The most serious of your injuries are self-inflicted. Your control of magic seems lacking. Perhaps you won’t be as much of a threat after all.”
The golden layer around Jin flared up like a flame that had just tasted a moderate dose of oil.
“You better not underestimate me.”
The man smiled and sat down cross-legged on the cold metal floor. “Is that so? You remind me of a certain species of a desert lizard. When threatened, they shift their scales outwards to make them look like spikes. And just like in the case of the reptile, your magic is also all bark and no bite.”
Jin gritted his teeth. He leaned forward for a moment before his own mind managed to stop him. He sighed and took a deep breath. “You won’t provoke me.”
“Not my intention. In fact, it would be better if you’d simply listen to me and have a seat.”
“No, it would be better if you started explaining yourself.”
“Perhaps. But I can see how agitated you are. In your current state, you will not listen. Therefore, allow me to ease your worries a little.”
Darkness enveloped them both. Jin had little time to process what happened. No, it wasn’t just a simple darkness. He could still see the man. He was right there, illuminated by the light on the wall of the cargo hold. Everything else but the two of them, however, seemed to have disappeared and they were now in a place nothing else existed.
“As I suspected. Your defences are weak. Do you understand what just happened?”
Jin didn’t respond. Any response other than a yes would be only detrimental to his current image.
“I mean that as a serious question. If not, I can explain, so you are less alarmed. I assume Manuel Luzardi would not really care to teach you about such phenomena.”
“It’s an illusion,” Jin replied, trying to sound confident in his lie.
“I applaud your attempt. No, you are entirely wrong. You see, auras like yours are too simple. Every wizard can create one. After all, it’s only natural. We are afraid of getting hurt to we protect ourselves. But few ever stop to ask if perhaps we should guard ourselves against the tricks of the mind as well. Right now, your brain is drowning in my magic. Sneaking it into your skull was child’s play.”
Jin desperate gripped the side of his head at the idea.
“Don’t try anything stupid, please. It’s too late. You’re not getting me out of your head anytime soon. No worries though. The current effect is to simply filter out your perception of our surroundings. It’s much more peaceful, don’t you think? Away from all that noise of the storm and screaming pirates?” The man leaned forward a little. “But it also serves as an excellent showcase of the vast pit that lies between our skill levels. Try to attack me and I can make you see way more horrible things than some simple darkness. Now, be so kind, do as I said, and sit.”
Jin stared the man down. He had no idea how to even approach the situation. This was different than simply getting imprisoned by pirates. The threat felt so much more real now. Countless fates flew through his mind. The boy’s imagination was busy coming up with something worse than death that the wizard could curse him with.
Finally, after a long period of hesitation, he slowly lowered himself to the ground.
“Excellent. Now, we can finally begin. My name is Lorican. Last name unspecified for… well, let’s say security reasons.”
Jin pushed back his fear, if only for a moment. “You already know mine.”
“Indeed. Jin Cloudhopper. What a lovely name. Now, I understand that a certain sense of trust has to be built between us before we start discussing the more… urgent matters. So I will give you an honest answer to any single question you ask me.”
The probability of him lying was through the roof, and yet Jin considered his next words with utmost care. In case of the unlikely scenario when the man would tell him the undiluted truth, he wanted to prepare the best possible question.
Few things were clear. He worked with the pirates but not for them, and they did not work for him. He used them without telling them the whole plan, as indicated by their confusion. Jin was apparently one of the reasons the man came here, yet all he seemed to desire is a conversation. There were far too many unknown elements. The question the boy wanted to ask the most was about his friends. Were they okay? Did he harm them? No, those were useless. What would he do with such information? It was anxiety talking. Right now, his question had to be objective and hopefully useful.
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“What are all the reasons why you came here?”
The man smiled. “Interesting choice. I came here to test you and your friends. To see if your powers are developed and to what extent, and in case you’d prove to be a threat to me and my associates, I was tasked with eliminating you.”
It was as if the air itself became heavier, pushing Jin down into that endless darkness that surrounded him. “What did you do to my friends?” he yelled at the man.
“Easy. Don’t be alarmed. I didn’t hurt any of them nor do I plan to. None of you has developed a technique strong enough to threaten us. You are simply far too insignificant. And I don’t mean that as an insult, but rather as a reassurance.”
“Then why are you here? Why do you want to talk?”
“If I remember correctly, I said I would only answer one question. But I was going to tell you anyway, so I suppose there is no harm in this. I believe that simply leaving you alone might still be risky. Especially due to what might happen in the near future. Chances are small, but it is possible that you will turn into a threat after all, so I came here to, hopefully, persuade you to not seek us out.”
“What are you talking about? Who even are you? And who are your associates? Who the hell do you work for?”
“Shhh. Quiet. No need to raise your voice. I will try to be straight with you. We don’t have a name nor am I willing to describe our few members, but we do have a goal I can share with you.”
The man shifted a bit and leaned forward.
“We aim to kill Manuel Luzardi.”
Jin smirked. “Good bloody luck.”
“Of course, you don’t believe we can do it, but truth be told, I think the opposite is the truth. We have already won. And even Manuel knows it.”
“That’s nonsense. He’s the strongest wizard there is.”
“Unfortunately, you are right. And it is also exactly why I know we will succeed. You see, Manuel has never before taken in apprentices. There were some attempts a few centuries ago, but those ended far too quickly. You four are the first he has truly accepted. Don’t you find that strange?”
“Not really. He didn’t want to teach us either. All he wanted was some help with the delivery service.”
“Ah, yes, another one of his little projects. That, my friend, is nothing new. Being all powerful like him brings a lot of boredom. Every decade or so this feeling culminates into another one of his new hobbies. Most of those require companions and an additional work force. Many ask him to reveal the secrets of magic in return for their help. None have ever been accepted into his teachings.”
“So what? There’s a first time for everything. Has nothing to do with you killing him.”
The man put a finger to his lips. “Shhhh. Don’t interrupt me. There is one crucial detail you do not know. Tell me, has Manuel ever told you that he can see the future?”
Jin took a moment to think about his response, but the man was much faster.
“I see he did not. Otherwise you’d reply immediately. But surely, you have noticed, right? That sometimes, he knows things he shouldn’t? That he seems to have his eyes everywhere?”
“I… I suppose,” Jin muttered, trying to recall all the times when the wizard maestro seemed to hold almost frightening knowledge about events that would normally be out of his control.
“Then you have witnessed the effect of that power first-hand. He can see possible futures and plan accordingly to avert them, or increase the chance of them coming to pass. Which, most likely, means that he would see his own death too. He would try to avoid it, naturally, but if that would prove impossible, he’d want someone to carry on with his will. A successor. And more successors would mean more chances that at least one will turn out like him. Hence why he might try to teach four or more apprentices.”
A drop of sweat formed on Jin’s forehead. “That’s… That’s nonsense.”
“But you are thinking about it. Wondering if that is perhaps the reason, right? What other explanation would you have? Do you really consider yourself that special? Please, you can barely use the most simple spells. Someone like you would be of little interest to Manuel. You weren’t even able to detect magic without his help. And of course, the fact that you admire him makes it easier. Your brain is more malleable. More open to his ideals. And your aura looks frighteningly similar. For the purpose of a successor, you are the perfect candidate.”
Jin stood up as if something propelled him. “So what? Why do you care about that? Why can’t I be like him? Why the hell do you even want to kill him in the first place? What sort of messed up thing do you want?” he yelled at the man, who simply sat there, patiently waiting for the boy to vent out his emotions.
“That is what I came here to talk about. You only know Manuel as a hero, because you’ve only ever stood at his side. Never did you have to consider what his reign over the world might bring to other people. You are, simply said, brainwashed by the propaganda of the heroic light wizard who saves the world. Reality, however, is much more bleak, dear boy. I came here to educate you so that you wouldn’t do the same mistakes as he did. That you wouldn’t make life miserable for certain people.”
“Like… Like it was for Rudy?”
“I am afraid I do not know who Rudy is.”
“A demon. Manuel sealed him in a sword after like… a rebellion or something?”
“Ah, then that would indeed make sense.” The man shuffled back a little and leaned against the wall behind him. “You see, Manuel only sees the world in one way. He himself has witnessed countless horrors, which left him traumatised. He despises conflict of any kind. Even the one that eventually helps resolve issues. The entire world is now living in fear. Any act of rebellion, even the tiniest one, is quickly given an ultimatum. Either they cease their activities, or Manuel forces them to do so. Haven’t you ever noticed that he’s often travelling around the world? Has he never told you about fighting against rebels or villains of any kind?”
Jin’s heart was like a drum whose beat resonated throughout his entire body. “There were some goblin usurpers. On some island.”
“Not usurpers. An oppressed culture that was forced to live in the dark underground by the island’s colonizers. Yet Manuel doesn’t see it that way. To him, life is peaceful as long as there is no conflict of any kind. He holds his glowing knife to the throat of the whole world. The entire Grand Lane is in stasis. It has been for several years. Nothing changes. Nothing evolves. Those at the top live like kings while the minorities are still overlooked. While Manuel lives, nothing will ever change. He is not the saviour of this world. He’s its jailer.”