The main council hall permeated with restless silence, despite the generous number of individuals in attendance. It was as if the participants were afraid to even shift in their seats. A sense of foreboding settled on the majority, while a notable few poorly withheld their tactless exasperation at the recent events that transpired throughout the capital city of Forgedalk.
First-Rank Field Master Jin Hanlon stared blankly at the long table of polished obsidian. It felt small in the impressive room, but it reserved enough seats for up to fifty people.
During the infancy of the Central Kingdom of Tevilandis, the hall's occupancy reached full capacity only once at the start of the chaotic war against the monsters. Some years following, when the enemy was pushed back to the current western border, a meeting was held with thirty-eight attendees. Granted, these past meetings did not include guild leaders as representatives, but following the attack of a Siren within the capital's walls, forty-seven individuals were present. They consisted of guild leaders, magic professionals from the Spire organization, top-class instructors from Forgedalk's university, high-ranking officers of the army and the official High Council.
They all sat with quiet reservations and furtive agendas as they awaited the arrival of the chief councilman. Their faces, old and young, painted by the stained glass windows of the growing twilight, gave the appearance of dismal sobriety. The high arches above melded into the shadows, making the room feel like a place dropping slowly from existence.
One of the spellcasters managed to remove himself from his ruminations and released a concentrated portion of mana from his hand. The fist-sized gems embedded in the walls, known as caricthmian crystals, flickered faintly to life upon absorbing the residual mana. The black abyss of the table seemed to drain the light and traveled amidst the tiles of the floor and crawled up the walls, illuminating everything as if day still reigned.
The yellow light seemed to act as a signal.
The attendees watched as the chief councilman appeared from a side door hidden by one of the pillars on the dais at the end of the room. He crossed behind the altar, descended the stairs and made his way slowly and deliberately towards the table. The clack of his heels echoed around them.
The glow of the table took on a dull luminescence before receding back to its pure blackness. The walls accepted the solitary task of lighting the great hall.
Jin Hanlon crossed his arms and lounged back in his chair as the chief councilman waved his hand with a flourish to brush part of his heavy robes aside. He ran a hand through is close-shaved hair and adjusted the thick ribbons tied at the front of the robe. He took his seat and laced rested his hands flat on the table. His eyes scanned slowly as if he were analyzing each individual.
What a fucking joke, Jin thought. It was a struggle to keep himself from rolling his eyes.
He might've found it amusing how leaders felt the need for theatrics, even with the most pressing concerns. But in this case, it was a waste of his own precious time. It was as if the High Council conveniently forgot he still had a number of crime scenes that required investigation. They would rather have him attend a pointless meeting without all the evidence and witness accounts in order.
He figured everyone should have read his report by now, but the High Council still urged him to stand before them and read it aloud, as if his words alone would enlighten them to some finer details hidden within.
Jin didn't see himself as much of the cryptic sort. The report was pretty straightforward: an adventurer had his mind attacked by a Siren, and adventurers worked together to kill it. Well, it consisted of more than that, but the summary was a satisfactory enough excuse for the High Council to carry out its countermeasures in response to the incident. Hence, the reason for all the extra security around the city.
They were afraid. The enemy that seemed so far away was now within the walls of the capital.
Jin watched as a speaker wearing heavy black robes rose from his seat near the head of the table. He strode to the side and took his position at a pedestal, body straight with squared shoulders and seeming all-important as he announced the start of the proceedings, “Chief Councilman Ardievca Volkest has acknowledged this emergency meeting of Forgedalk's security and of the Central Kingdom of Tevilandis. All rise.”
Jin rubbed the bridge of his nose. Already leading off with bullshit. 'Acknowledged?' You called this meeting out of fear for your safety. No meeting was called with the countless reports of increased monster infestation in the west. But when it reaches your doorstep, it's suddenly a fucking emergency.
Jin rose, bowed with what little respect he could muster and sat down before everyone else. He winced a bit as an old wound flared up in his leg from the sudden movement. He went back to crossing his arms and propped his leg under the table for a bit of relief. He undid the top buttons of his formal coat to reveal the plain white shirt underneath. He hadn't even bothered to comb his hair or trim the disheveled overgrowth on his face.
An older university instructor gave him a disapproving look as he ran a hand down his long white beard. Jin could tell he was also a member from the Spire organization, thanks to the gaudy rainbow robes laced with silk ribbons. They made him stand out like, well, a rainbow. He couldn't imagine a more ridiculous outfit. Spellcasters with some association in the Spire and university insisted on having every elemental affinity represented in color to indicate indisputable mastery of the magical arts. They could've settled for insignias displayed like those of military rank, or perhaps bar patches on the sleeves akin to the field agents, but they demanded their individuality. Small medals and patches were not nearly noticeable enough either.
Jin promptly ignored the man in favor of observing another spellcaster that sat across from him at the table. The woman stared at him from beneath her hood as her hands formed hidden gestures within the wide sleeves of her robe. The scarlet robe was of the simplest make, which would have already placed her on Jin's good side, but her accomplishments garnered a fair amount of notoriety.
She was a spellcaster bred for combat, and wholly unfamiliar with the secluded lifestyle preferred by most with her pampered upbringing among the nobility.
She was also one of the first volunteers to breach the western lands when the monsters wielded their terror over the villages two decades ago. She'd been with the front-line of spear-men during the campaign, while most support spellcasters kept to the rear. She'd dealt with the bulk of the dirty business during the war, meaning she witnessed the successes and failings of her defensive magic firsthand as soldiers stood strong or fell brutally to the violence. The majority of her colleagues remained blissfully ignorant.
Jin would have taken such stories as exaggeration -- an excuse to boost the influence of those in the Spire organization of spellcasters. But he could tell the stories himself, for he'd been one of those spear-men at the front that benefited from her magic. He was only a lad in his early twenties at the time, and he'd been one of the first through the monsters' breached line. Both of them had stood together during that devastating battle. They'd witnessed firsthand the terrifying elemental powers of demons and other monsters. People were burned alive, maimed and reduced to states that barely indicated they were once human. Nothing prepared someone for a battle with such fates determined by equal amounts of skill and luck.
Friendship and respect was inevitable after sharing such a harrowing experience, and he was also glad to have someone he could complain to about his work.
Jin watched as a small grin formed on Evelyn's face upon observing his amicable demeanor. The scar trailing her cheek and over one eye actually made her smile appear more attractive in his opinion.
Evelyn traced her finger through the air, hidden within the confines of her sleeve. Stray mana particles hovered to form words. Jin masked a chuckle with an exaggerated cough as he read the words: "Don't be an ass."
He merely shrugged and shook his head in response. She knew the translation of his gestures: "No guarantees."
The frown on the fellow next to him deepened as he observed their playful exchange.
Jin didn't fail to notice it. Oh fuck yourself, you prissy bastard.
He diverted his attention when he realized the discussion started to heat up during his silent exchanges.
Formalities were officially swept aside as a Master General voiced concerns with the rounds of the city guard. He proposed measures to be taken against any remaining monsters that might still be hiding within the walls. It was an understandable grievance, since many Spire spellcasters over the years relinquished their duties at the walls and went to hiding in libraries for their personal studies. This left under-qualified spellcasters with the duty of identifying monsters hiding in humanoid form and maintaining the defensive wards spaced atop the walls. The more individuals that passed through the gates, the harder it was to detect a monster's presence. The influx of mana made the task difficult and placed further strain on the wards. All denizens of Hovestile were born with some amount of mana. Too much in one place, and it was like trying to find out who the monster was that decided to take a piss in the ocean of it.
Jin understood that his opinion of Spire spellcasters was a rather bigoted viewpoint. As a result, thanks to this awareness, he couldn't blame the magic users entirely. Much of their manpower was redirected northward with the recent movements of the Northern Kingdom of Xerceld. The High Council was already getting antsy about spies infiltrating the city.
It wasn't much of a surprise. Tevilandis had its own spies in Xerceld as well. Everyone had their spies. Even the mostly peaceful Eastern Kingdom of demihumans.
But that wasn't what he was here to discuss.
Jin snapped to full attention upon hearing his name, “Which is why we will surrender the floor to Field Master Hanlon. You are now recognized, Field Master.”
Here we go.
He let out a heavy sigh, rested heavy hands on the table and picked up the heavy stack of papers containing his report, a fifth of which might be read, if he was lucky. He suppressed a wince as the old wound in his leg protested.
“Thank you for the recognition,” Jin said. He glanced at Evelyn. That smile was there again. She always knew how to keep him in check, and how to lift his spirits.
“As you are all well-aware, around two weeks ago, a Siren was discovered that infiltrated the capital city under the guise of a female adventurer known as Rachel Madraophsta. We are still working to determine how long this monster took up residence in the city, but we have reached a rough estimate based on her acceptance into the guild known as Forward Earth. In case you couldn't tell by the name, their members consist mostly of outworld adventurers.
The leader of said guild is Ruslin Vasiliev. After lengthy questioning, and with the aid of lie detection magic provided by Evelyn Fortellia of the Spire, we were able to determine that Vasiliev had no knowledge that the member he admitted to his guild was a monster; however, this does not excuse him from his lack of discretion and inability to follow proper procedures for ensuring the integrity of his guild.”
“What is this estimated timeframe?” The speaker was a man dressed in a uniform too tight for his burly chest. The lines on his face made it look as if he was in a perpetual state of anger. He rubbed at his goatee with an air of impatience.
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“I was just getting to that, General,” Jin said. “We collected all documentation from the Adventurers' Guild Union. That is to say, only one document concerned Madraophsta. Her guild acceptance letter with signature is all they had on file. All adventurers are required to leave their signature and guild affiliation at a designated Guild Union building when accepting quests. The adventurers taking on such quests also retain a copy for themselves. The copy for the Guild Union is left for record-keeping. We confirmed that no such documents existed concerning Madraophsta, meaning that she never participated in a quest with Forward Earth. We didn't even find solo quests, though she may have changed her name before that time.”
The chief councilman propped his elbows on the table and laced his fingers. “All entry and exit points of the capital city have spellcasters who maintain a magical screen that alerts us to monsters. This is further bolstered by the defensive wards if they attempt to infiltrate by other means. So, what you're saying, Field Master, is that this monster may have rooted itself within the city and potentially remained here for some time.”
“Yes, Chief Councilman, the documents indicate that she joined Forward Earth a little over two months ago. But she may have been in the city under this guise for more than a decade.”
"That estimation is accurate, unfortunately," a Spire spellcaster interjected. "It is a wide window, but every monster has a different essence indicator. Every ward on the wall must receive a live sample in order to match the signature of a creature that passes through. This is muddled from large quantities of mana passing through, since the indicator lies within one's mana pool." He opened a leather-bound book in front of him and flipped to a previously marked area. "According to our records, the wards on the wall did not receive an imprint from a Siren until nine forty-two, After Preservation. As you all know, we currently reside in nine fifty-five, A.P."
Jin gave the spellcaster an appreciative nod, and the man's expression didn't change as he bowed from his seat in response.
Another general slammed his fist on the table. “How the hell did nobody in this guild notice?”
“There are many guild members who don't take on quests,” a university instructor said. He waved his hand in a smug, dismissive gesture. “Some merely act as consultants. It wouldn't be uncommon in this situation if they viewed her as a native adventurer. We do not have stats. I'm sure someone ran an appraisal of her and determined as such. Sirens are also humanoid and appear as 'demihuman' when running an advanced appraisal, which is why the extra mana screens and wards are so crucial. We also know that there are ways to conceal or change one's status through items and gear."
“Yes, they may all be adventurers,” another chimed in. “But being from different worlds, it is only natural that there might be a lapse in communication. We still do not fully understand the outworlders, and information concerning these stats is scant at best.”
Jin watched as some of the outworld guild leaders shifted uncomfortably in their seats. They'd only started coming to these meetings recently as a result of the new Reputation system from quests. Some of them barely had a grasp of Hovestile's history. For all intents and purposes, they may as well be invaders if not for their status as adventurers, but there was no denying that they were more advantageous to Hovestile's plight than a hindrance.
Jin shifted his feet as his wounded leg stiffened.
The chief councilman raised his hand to silence the escalating arguments. “Please continue, Field Master.”
Jin made a slight bow. He waited until the voices died down before speaking again, “Of course. Following the investigation, I leave Ruslin Vasiliev's punishment to the High Council. For the sake of time and import, I would like to mention the three individuals directly involved with the Siren Incident: Evan McCarthy, and his companions, Kirie and Asa Foirena. The victim of the attack was the former. According to witnesses and the latter, McCarthy was in a poor state of mind, prone to high levels of frustration and anger. Asa Foirena also claimed that she and the victim had a recent...altercation.”
Evelyn spoke next. Jin didn't mind her calculated interruption. “He was ripe for the picking,” she said. “Alcohol, poor mental state and a comrade out of the picture due to a possible disagreement. How could a Siren resist such a temptation? Evan claims to have little memory of the attack and what followed. This is fairly common with Siren attacks. They delve into the mind and sift through whatever they can to eventually gain influence. They also use keywords and certain strings of conversation to obtain information. I cast the lie detection magic during the Field Master's questioning, and all of Evan's statements came back clean. I also examined the demihuman sisters. I am confident that none of them present any threat and that this is an isolated incident.”
A sudden laugh echoed through the council hall when she concluded her last statement. Everyone turned to the source of the sudden outburst. A young man, somewhere around his early thirties, sat near the head of the table with his arms crossed in a lowered posture.
The young councilman drummed his fingers on the table and leaned forward deliberately. He wore a full set of silk robes with a gold clasp at the neck. The robes assumed a similar appearance to the chief councilman's, but with more muted colors, while still somehow appearing more garish thanks to the irregular placement of his rank insignias. Not a bit of hair on his head was out of place and none seemed to move on his face as he stroked his beard.
He made it a point to observe Evelyn, despite his disparaging remarks and questions being directed mostly at Jin. “So, are we just going to gloss over the fact that an outworld adventurer has two demihumans for a party? They may as well be monsters themselves. Not to mention he just recently established a guild. Nobody does that anymore. Does no one else find this strange?”
Jin did well to hide his mounting frustration. Of course, the son of the chief councilman makes his debut. Must be nice having a father with power.
He was surprised when the disgruntled instructor next to him spoke up. The man didn't bother suppressing his obvious distaste for the young councilman as he continued to stroke his white beard. “Demihumans are not entirely uncommon. Many walk our city, though in comparison to the population, they don't even make one percent. Tensions are high because of their rarity and their brethren hiding beyond the mountains -- with good reason mind you, considering how a maniac from our own nation nearly wiped them out. I also read in the field master's report that these two demihumans were kept hidden to avoid unwanted attention. I'd say that is some sound reasoning. And in regards to them making a guild so recently, forgive my bluntness, High Councilman, but who rightly gives a fuck about that? There is no evidence to indicate they harbor any ill will towards anything but monsters. As a matter of fact, I looked into their records myself. In just the span of a month they dealt with high-level quests that would put some larger guilds to shame with their individual averages. I daresay that GRIM will grow into a top-tier guild if it should receive enough like-minded members with similar commitment.”
The chief councilman rose from his seat to draw all eyes towards him. The harsh words directed at his son seemed to add a bit of a tremor to his voice.
Fortunately, the outspoken instructor's words were reasonable, and there was no rebuttal.
A plain sneer crawled along the young councilman's features as he looked at Jin and the instructor. Jin hoped the brat saw the two of them as allies. It was far from the truth, but what rests on the surface may be enough to convince a man with the aptitude of a troll.
“Enough. I'm sure that'll be sufficient to convince us of the real problem that needs addressing,” the chief councilman said. “Our city is vulnerable. We will increase patrols and double the screenings at all entry points, including those reserved for guardsmen. I also want instructors of the university and Spire members to assist in conducting random monster screenings throughout the city. Furthermore, the High Council has deemed it necessary that quest rewards be increased for jobs concerning settlements within a twenty-mile radius of the capital's walls. This will ensure that adventurers take on some quests that were previously undesirable. Now, let's move on to the next topic concerning the western border...”
Jin sighed. He was pleased to hear about the joint operation between the High Council and the Guild Union, but most of these measures wouldn't help much.
Well, at least it's a start, Jin thought.
If only they had decided to act when the monsters pushing from the west increased in number. If there really were more monsters hiding in the city, then they would likely hunker down or retreat to avoid detection. It was too late to catch them.
The meeting continued with little order. There were intelligent individuals among the fools, but they seemed drowned out for the most part. The glorified speaker at the podium spent most of his time trying to diffuse arguments with little success. The chief councilman left the speaker to his fate and verbally isolated himself.
Jin realized most of the guild leaders, native and outworld, sat together in a line at the same section of the table. They conversed amongst themselves as the leaders of the city and nation argued and fumbled into pointless bickering. To make up for the harsh din echoing in the hall from the disjointed ramblings, the guild leaders wrote notes on pieces of parchment and passed them along.
Jin found himself in awe of them. No arguments. Gesticulations held no bitterness. Their words were calm and purposeful. These were true adventurers.
The guild leaders, outworld and native, found something else that they could agree on besides the importance of killing monsters. Whether it was Earth or Hovestile, talking usually amounted to nothing when it was from the mouths of those sitting in comfortable incompetence.
When the meeting finally reached its conclusion, Jin made it a point to follow the disgruntled instructor wearing the rainbow robes.
The man seemed to sense his intent and waited off to the side, stroking his long white beard with that permanent scowl on his face.
“I appreciate the support,” Jin said as he approached him. “I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your name at the meeting.”
The instructor's frown deepened. “Because I didn't give it. It's Bevka. Don't misunderstand. I don't care for you, but I care even less for that pampered prick. Diverting attention from the real issue out of some childish sense of vanity is disgraceful.” He turned his back to Jin and left before he had a chance to form a response.
Jin stared after him until he disappeared around the corner. Well, at least he isn't totally against me. And damn, he has quite the mouth on him.
He glanced to his side as an individual in a familiar robe stepped next to him.
“Seems you made an ally,” Evelyn said. She pulled out a thin smoking pipe from the confines of her robe. She lit it with a small bit of fire magic and blew a ring of smoke. Her other hand disappeared into a deep pocket as she assumed an air of calm.
“I wouldn't say that,” Jin commented.
“Bevka doesn't stand up for anyone unless he holds value in what they say. He knows about everyone. Well, whatever is written about them. He never attends meetings, and barely even talks during his lessons.” She took another puff and shifted the topic, “So, are we just letting this young man go?”
Jin nodded and started walking down the hall with his slight limp. “For now. Evan McCarthy is a victim to more than just the Siren. Word spreads fast among adventurers. He'll never be looked at the same. I really feel for the poor bastard.”
“You can empathize,” Evelyn said.
“Aye, that I can. Sometimes, it doesn't matter what you've done, what you've said or anything in between. People will still...” He trailed off and held out his hand. Evelyn handed him the pipe. He took a deep drain of it and let out a stream of smoke. “Well anyway, I'll get one of my guys to observe him.”
“The High Council will have their own eyes and ears.”
“Yeah, they're the ones I'll be watching.” He handed the pipe back to her. “Need to keep them honest.”
He reached into his pocket when they entered a closed-off courtyard. An abundance of plants stood tall and reached for the domed ceiling with squares of glass implanted symmetrically to admit a suitable amount of sun. A few specks of stars shown through with the moon hidden somewhere behind a thick layer of clouds.
Jin revealed a copper coin with the depiction of some strange tiger-lizard creature. A tongue spiraled from the mouth hungrily.
Evelyn narrowed her eyes as she examined the piece. She didn't move to take it from him.
“Judging from your reaction, you know what this is,” Jin said.
“That's Korv's symbol,” she answered.
“Korv?”
Evelyn took the coin with the tips of her fingers, as if she were retrieving a hot bit of food dropped in a fire, and quickly hid it away in the pocket of her robe. “A demon who was once a man. When his regiment fell, he resorted to unfathomable magic that brought monsters under his command. He was responsible for the near-genocide of the demihumans out west, during the early years of the Eastern Kingdom. You probably know him by a different name.”
Jin stared at the floor as his mouth slowly opened. “You mean, Devolio Malkin? The Deranged General?"
Evelyn stared wistfully at the sky beyond the glass above. “Yes, the poor things. The demihumans had monsters to the west and a kingdom they deemed hostile to the east. They didn't stand a chance."
Jin remained silent. He remembered the chaos that followed after the breach. The monsters scattered. Adventurers entered dungeons to rout the remaining survivors. Soldiers continued pushing back the border with thousands lined up. The cleanup lasted years.
The Deranged General received his name after the destruction of several demihuman villages following the western war. Many of his surviving soldiers had wondered if something snapped in his head. Hundreds were slaughtered. After his regiment collapsed to mutiny, he disappeared for a time. When he returned, a few who saw him and lived claimed that he had the looks of a man drained of all sanity. He was no longer the strong, charismatic leader they once knew, but an insane, sickly thing with a desire for bloodshed. The creatures he swore to destroy became servants and killed humans and demihumans in equal measure. The hundreds turned into thousands.
It was a catastrophic time in the nation's history. There were a number of vastly differing accounts, and many of them were suppressed. All nations held a darker side they weren't proud of. Jin figured this was why only a few had ever heard of his new identity.
“Korv was confirmed dead," Evelyn said, purposefully avoiding the former general's original name. "I'm going to assume that this Siren is one of the stragglers. I'll look into it regardless. You should question Evan and the demihumans again. I can assist, if you'd like.”
“Yeah, that would be great.”
Jin still believed that Evan and his companions were just random victims. The lie detection magic from a top-tier spellcaster such as Evelyn was nearly flawless. He considered bringing up Korv's name to them. There was a chance the Siren said something about its deceased master.
Goddammit. This just got real complicated.