We do so much only to find out we can only do so little.

— Excerpt from The Woe of Life, by Scholar Epycurus of the Fallen Star Pavilion

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Despite Molam's order for his guards to be silent, the news of two Titled Ones arriving in JiangXi could not be contained. Daylight had scarcely broken before a runner knocked urgently on the door to his study, disrupting him from all the paperwork he was preparing for Kalle to run the city.

"Molam, sir — Shurra is following around GloomSire and the Whale to request a spar."

Molam swore under his breath. "Lead the way."

After throwing on his cloak, he followed the runner out into the City and arrived to see a large crowd in the City's center. The only break in the circle was a wide berth given to the Whale of ZhiXia, who easily towered above the rest of the gathered throng. When Ji's gaze met Molam's, the man beckoned with a tilt of his head — Molam hurried towards the man as the crowd cheered to the sound of a clash reverberating throughout the center.

When Molam pushed through the crowd to see Ji, he was taken aback by the sight of GloomSire's bandaged figure standing next to the Whale. If GloomSire was here, who was Shurra fighting?

A triumphant roar drew his gaze towards the open space in the center where the crowd had shrunk back. GloomSire's black pixiu pinned a large Northern woman down by an arm and her back beneath its paws, its jaws biting down around her neck and tendrils of flame billowed out from between its gleaming fangs. The Northerner's short blonde hair seemed either singed or covered in mud from the ground.

"Yield." Shurra's muffled words didn't seem to match up with her struggle to push herself off the ground. "I yield!"

The pixiu snarled, swinging its snout around to stare at the gathered crowd, then snorted and stepped off of Shurra. The circle broke as it returned back to GloomSire, who welcomed it back with an affectionate scratch under the jaw. After an approving growl and swift shake of its short mane, the pixiu curled up around the Titled One, its wings buffeting Molam once before being tucked in.

Ji finished off a skewer of colorful mochi. "I sincerely hope this didn't ruin any of your plans for introducing us to the Dao."

"It's fine." Molam grimaced at Shurra as she picked herself up off the ground, patting away the frost clinging to her clothes. "I should have thought of it ahead of time."

"She lasted longer than I would have wagered. Better than your average Northern Warrior." The two watched as the crowd half-dispersed, half-congregated around Shurra. Another small crowd lingered around the three of them, glancing at the two Titled Ones and Molam in addition to the pixiu. A few children struggled in vain against the iron grips of their guardians as they tried to touch the pixiu's bifurcated tail, which flicked in annoyance, but the pixiu did not react otherwise. "Perhaps she could have done better with the guidance of a skilled strategist, wouldn't you think?"

Though Molam ignored the Whale's implied meaning, he was grateful that the Whale had the sense to not publicly reveal his own plans to leave. "I am sure someone who doesn't have my shortcomings can be found. After all, anyone can be replaced."

Ji side-eyed Molam. "And how many people could devise a plan for an auramaster to defeat Yao-ren's bond?"

"Many, I'm sure."

The Whale snorted with derision. "If you ever want to lie to someone with Sight, at least believe your own lie first."

Molam eyed a wisp of orange hair pushing through the crowd. Primrose nodded at his hand signal. "They won't give you any trouble. I need to return as I have left some necessary tasks unfinished, but please follow the directions of the orange-haired woman in the purple cloak. Her name is Primrose."

He turned and threaded his way through the crowd. Behind him, he heard a loud clap followed by Primrose's voice, "I hope everyone enjoyed our impromptu activity to lighten up the dreary days of Winter's Sorrow. Thank you to everyone for showing up to greet our two Titled Ones from Sanctuary, we will be planning further…"

The Whale's words weighed on him. Try as he might, Molam could not shove it to the back of his thoughts.

***

A light knock on the door to his study prompted Molam to say "Enter."

He glanced up to see the two Titled Ones following Primrose inside.

"Shurra?" He inquired at Primrose as the three of them pulled up chairs around the table in the center of the room.

"She's changing clothes."

Moments later, the door opened to admit Shurra who came dressed in a different fur-lined jerkin. Kalle stumbled in last, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, but he straightened up at the sight of the two Titled Ones eyeing him. All took a seat around the table.

Now that they were all sitting down, Molam marveled at how the two Northerners could look similar in size when compared to the Whale, yet something about them felt smaller. No — Ji simply seemed to be bigger than them despite no discernible proof for the feeling. Molam couldn't quite put his finger on it, but Ji's mere presence always felt larger than anything else in the vicinity, as though the man's physical body took more space than it actually did.

"Thank you everyone for showing up for our morning meeting on time," Molam started, eyeing Kalle. The alchemist looked away to scratch sheepishly at his dark brown beard, an act that always seemed to contrast with his large Northern build. "To cut to the chase, yes, we have the Whale in the room, but don't forget GloomSire from the UnSeen. These two Titled Ones are here from Sanctuary. Yes, Shurra?"

"Are they joining the Dao?" Shurra asked.

"We have no interest when it comes to participating in the day to day affairs of JiangXi," Ji responded before Molam could answer. "We're only here to escort Molam back to ZhiXia when Spring's Blessings comes." Ji leaned back in his chair. It protested, but did not buckle. "In case the Empire decides to take action at the sudden loss of JiangXi."

"Did the Oracle tell you anything about what the Empire is doing to respond to what's happened here in JiangXi?" Molam asked. The question had an immediate effect on the others. Though they had discussed the potential ramifications of the Dao's actions to some extent, Molam wondered if the others felt the pressure of their position intensify when they saw him speak to the Whale about it. "Or can you tell us anything about Techoria?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Molam saw Kalle look down — regret flooded Molam's veins. His secondary question had been foolish.

The Titled One did not respond immediately. "...I suppose you are all worried about a repeat of Kamisukawa."

"We would be fools not to." Primrose spoke up. She looked up at Ji, who did not look down at her. "Every child knows the story of when Kamisukawa tried to break away from the Empire."

The opening of the door caused everyone but Ji to look up, only to see the door close behind GloomSire without a sound.

"I apologize for Yao-ren." The Whale shook his head. "The two of us have painful memories when it comes to Kamisukawa, but his are deeper considering it was once his home."

The tension shifted again as all eyes turned to Ji. There were no recorded survivors of the Massacre of Kamisukawa 84 years ago. Molam's eyes narrowed further as he recalled his history lessons. Ji's original allegiance back then had been to the Empire. What exactly was the relationship between the Whale and GloomSire?

Ji himself continued, seemingly oblivious to what he had just revealed. "To answer your question, I do not know anything about the Empire's plans. If you are interested, you would need to hear of it directly from the Oracle. Do you have a timeline on when you will be returning to ZhiXia?"

"When the roads thaw in Spring's Blessings," Primrose responded. "We've contracted with Mursa Shang's mursashu to go to ZhiXia together."

Molam glanced at Primrose, who seemed uncharacteristically exuberant at the idea they were all returning to ZhiXia together. He had been unable to gainsay her insistence on following him to ZhiXia with Shurra as guards, leaving Kalle and the rest of the Dao to control JiangXi.

"Then it is a simple matter of waiting." Ji sat back in his chair and waved a dismissive hand. "Thank you for hearing me out."

The rest of them eyed each other before Molam took over again to oversee their morning meeting — a delegation of tasks and voicing of the group's concerns so they all have an understanding of the city's problems. At Molam's request, Ji left the room to spread his Domain so that it would cover all of JiangXi. Though he could not See, a blue tint seemed to have been added to the normally gray skies outside the windows. The difference manifested itself later, when Molam found himself shedding an outer layer within the warm interiors of the room.

The Dao's hold over JiangXi progressed as normal. Or, as Molam thought to himself, as normal as a City could conduct itself with the sudden change in management. He considered the Dao lucky that they did not need to spend too much effort ingratiating themselves with the residents, and he had Agytha's poor impression to thank for that. This wasn't to say that all of the residents accepted this change, and the Dao received complaints almost weekly threatening to turn the leadership's heads over to the Empire upon Spring's Blessings.

In light of these threats, Shurra and Primrose elected to restrict distribution of warming stones to these individuals. Kalle protested, and Molam agreed with Kalle on the basis that now was not the time for the Dao to be anything but generous. Instead, he arranged for an invitation with the most vocal detractors to have an open discussion with Primrose and the Dao would guarantee their safety. Having delegated the planning of that issue, Molam followed Kalle to the alchemist's workshop and storage rooms, where the Dao were hard at work creating and distributing warming stones.

"I'm grateful." Kalle began as the two of them walked about the workshop, overseeing the creation and tallying of the warming stones for distribution. The alchemist had grudgingly agreed to train several members to do basic rune engravings, but he insisted on personally inspecting samples before they went out.

"Grateful for what?" Molam asked.

"I would have been disappointed if you had sided with Shurra and Primrose about restricting distribution of warming stones. To be perfectly honest, I wanted to speak up when you ordered Primrose to influence the negative rumors. People should be allowed to think what they want." Kalle sighed as they sat down at the table next to an accountant. "And so, I am grateful that you aren't anything like Agytha."

"Ah, yes. Well, try to avoid putting me in a position like that next time."

Kalle looked up from a warming stone. "A position like what?"

"A position where I'm forced to use my authority," Molam pressed down the lid of a crate of warming stones that had passed Kalle's inspection. "Or didn't you realize?"

"No?" Kalle set down the stone in the pile to be reprocessed.

"Think about what happened. Shurra and Primrose wanted something. You disagreed. I took your side and you got your way."

Kalle frowned. "You're the leader. You have final say."

Molam chuckled. "We all think that until we need to lead. Considering you will be left in charge of JiangXi soon before the others return, here's a hint: if I had sided with Primrose and Shurra, it would have felt more "fair" to everyone involved — even you."

Kalle picked up another stone but his blue eyes were glazed over as he inspected it, deep in thought. "Because," he said slowly, "it would have been a majority."

"I'm glad you see it. By siding with you, it became two votes for either outcome. The only reason there was a tiebreaker was by my authority. Do you see now? Even though they both accepted the result, it can feel as though their votes did not matter, and from there, it feels as though you receive too much help from me or that I must favor you."

"That's… very perceptive of you." Kalle looked down. "I never thought of it that way."

"There's no need to be ashamed. It's not something we tend to think about. The only reason I think of it this way is because I met a few people in positions of leadership during my travels. All of them made mistakes, or voiced regrets about how they've wielded their power." Molam paused, then added, "I'm only telling you this because you will need to think of more than just the problem at hand when you are the one leading in my absence. You understand?"

Kalle cocked his head wryly. "Thanks for reminding me about you pushing your task onto me."

"You're very welcome. When you're the one responsible for assigning the budget, you can then decide if you have the leeway to fund those instruments you asked for or whether I am the monster you think I am." Molam beckoned a young man to come take the crate before he turned back to Kalle. "Consider it my thanks for helping me with … " He glanced at the accountant nearby, Cholani, then said, "Everything I ask you to make."

"Oh," Kalle waved his hand, "Don't think too much about it. You always give me a chance to work on something new and I just…" Kalle's eyes drifted from the stone he was inspecting, before flicking back up to Molam's gaze. "I create to help people."

"How noble." Cholani snorted from the side. Molam frowned. The round and soft-skinned accountant hunkered over their desk, penning with one hand and manipulating an abacus with the other. The steady rhythm of the abacus' beads flicking to and fro had melted into the background of their conversation, but now it seemed deafening in Molam's ears as he turned to glance at Cholani. He marveled at how the swift manipulation of the abacus did not travel up from Cholani's wrist to disturb the elegant purple robe they wore.

"We're talking here, Cholani." Molam warned.

"I know, I know," the accountant didn't even look up. "But with that mindset, the alchemist should stick to Techoria."

Molam frowned. He had instructed the Dao to not bring up the topic of Techoria with Kalle, but Cholani was not one of the Dao. Perhaps he could only blame himself. He had assumed that no matter whom he chose, the mursashu would be relaying everything they heard back to the Mursa. With that in mind, Molam had chosen Cholani specifically because they were uninhibited with their thoughts and talkative for a mursashu in the hopes he could learn something of his own. A shame that he did not realize Cholani did not see him as their superior, only treating it as a temporary assignment.

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"Oh. Right." Cholani didn't even look up from their parchment, writing down numbers and glancing at their abacus. "I suppose there's only Zaem now, right? The City you Techorian alchemists hate."

"Cholani." Molam warned with a steelier tone.

"No, let them speak." Kalle frowned. "What did you mean, I should stick to Techoria?"

Cholani looked up, meeting Kalle's gaze with a raised eyebrow. "You're the type of alchemist that wants to help people, but didn't Flangel the Wise tell you Techorian alchemists to be careful of whom you help? You're mighty lucky that the Dao hasn't bled you dry."

Kalle folded his arms. "I trust the Dao. And it was Master Flangel that told me to join them."

"Be that as it may," Cholani shrugged, "I've seen types like you. Stay with the group you trust, because you wouldn't make it far elsewhere. Exabell or Oasis, for instance. Definitely Oasis, in fact. The people there would slaughter your bankroll. Though, hmm, I suppose you alchemists refer to it as a budget." Cholani's lips pressed together in thought, then they shook their head as though the thought didn't matter. "Either way, you'll never amass any wealth worth mentioning."

"You think I do this to become… rich?" Kalle's voice took on an icy edge. "Do you really think that money is a solution?"

"There are few problems that money cannot solve," Cholani answered mildly. "And those that are in a position to complain about those problems are fortunate indeed. Anything you can't solve with money can be solved with attitude."

"If you think simply putting your mind to it could fix some of the —"

"Come, Kalle." Molam placed a hand on Kalle's wrist to get the man's attention. "I just saw some people carry another crate to the storage room — we wouldn't want a batch uninspected by our Master Alchemist to slip through." Molam stood up and signaled for Kalle to do the same. "Thank you for the warning, Cholani. I am sure Kalle appreciates it."

"Oh anytime, of course. Consider that advice to be free." Cholani waved them off without looking up from their abacus. "I'll be here, but I don't think you will have any need to come update my numbers."

Molam didn't respond as he walked towards the door. He closed the door behind them as they walked towards the storage room and Kalle's hand grabbed onto his shoulder, making Molam turn around. The alchemist's bushy beard had grown wildly during this time, but Molam didn't need to see Kalle's mouth to see the worry in the alchemist's blue eyes.

"Why am I here, Molam?"

He blinked, thrown off by the question. "What do you mean? You're our Master Alchemist. The city needs what you've made to survive Winter's Sorrow."

"And then what?" Kalle leaned against the wall, looking down at the ground. "What are we trying to do? What part is there for me here?"

Sensing something amiss, Molam tried to be tactful. "That sounds like you've lost sight of what we're trying to do here. Is something wrong?"

"Wrong? Is something wrong?" Kalle looked at Molam. "For all we know, Techoria is gone. Gone! And with the loss of communication from Winter's Sorrow, I won't know about it until Spring's Blessings. You ask me: 'Is something wrong?' How about my home," he paused painfully, "— a place I have fond memories of is possibly in ruins — or destroyed. What if I go back and all I see are charred ruins like Kamisukawa?"

Glad that he had closed the door behind him, Molam gazed sadly at Kalle. He thought that at least Primrose had talked to Kalle, but this sudden display clearly indicated otherwise. For a brief moment, Molam was surprised at his own sense of empathy with Kalle's unresolved sense of loss. Molam hesitated at his own train of thought; why was he feeling so much sympathy and empathy for Kalle? Wasn't he simply trying to address this to leave the Dao and JiangXi in an acceptable state before he returned home?

Or was it more? A thought flickered in his mind and Molam shoved it away before it could take root. No. He could not allow himself to become any more invested than he needed to be. He could not consider Kalle a friend — the shadows flickered at the edge of his sight, a reminder of the last time he had trusted. He was only here to do his duty and give the Oracle little reason to keep him in the human realm any longer.

But… it couldn't hurt to further stabilize the Master Alchemist's state of mind before Molam washed his hands of this matter. In fact, it would help him leave, knowing he had done what he could to leave the Dao in good leadership.

He exhaled. "I suppose I never asked, but when Flangel the Wise told you to join, he didn't mention anything about what you can expect?"

Kalle sighed. "Not really. Master Flangel told me that I can't fix what I want to fix by staying in Techoria."

Wracking his memory, Molam ventured, "Fixing… society?"

Kalle gave a wan smile. "I see you remembered."

"I did. And let me remind you: aren't you doing that here?" Molam gestured around them vaguely. "You want to know why you're here, but I ask you: Why are any of us here at all? We're all wondering if we are where we need to be and that's normal. Let me tell you then, Kalle: you're exactly where you need to be. Look around you! Look at the effect you have where you are." Molam wished they were outside, in the city, overlooking the landscape as he spoke these words. But this dingy little hall would need to do. "I think that's what Flangel the Wise would tell you — we know we are where we need to be when we are needed. Think about it; without you, how would JiangXi have survived Winter's Sorrow?"

Kalle seemed deep in thought, so Molam continued to the storage room as he beckoned. "I understand you're feeling a sense of loss. Techoria is your home, not mine. I can empathize even though I can't fully know what you're feeling. But… I lost a home once. I promise you I know the feeling. We all want to belong somewhere."

Seeing no reaction from Kalle as they entered the storage room, Molam added, "Before I stole into Crimson City's Palace, I also struggled with a sense of whether anything I did mattered when I was only doing it at someone else's behest. I think Flangel the Wise sensed it in me when I consulted him, and I'll pass his words on to you now: 'To change your life, go where you feel wanted. To change the world, go where you feel needed.'"

After a moment, Kalle finally stirred. "That does sound like what Master Flangel would say."

"He held his Title for a reason, yes?" Molam smiled encouragingly. "I'm certain he told you to join Primrose for a reason too. I understand you might feel needed elsewhere right now, but I can assure you that right now, you might be where you need to be." He gestured around them now, surrounded by boxes upon boxes of warming stones. "Look at what you've accomplished here. Is this not what Flangel the Wise meant for you?"

"I think I understand what you mean. I just need time to process and understand what this means for me."

"We all do, at times." Molam paused, then added, "A lot has happened for us — for you. I don't know your struggle, but I know you are struggling. Too often, we push ourselves to accept things before we are ready and then find ourselves worse off for it. So, take your time, Kalle."

Kalle raised an eyebrow. "Is that also from Master Flangel?"

"No, that would be from my mentor. It was one of the first things they said to me."

"They sound quite wise themselves. I would very much like to meet them."

Molam chuckled, looking away from Kalle. "Perhaps one day. My mentor lives in a place that is hard to reach."

"I see, I see." Kalle glanced around. "Well, I don't see an unmarked crate here. Are you sure you saw someone carrying a new crate of unchecked warming stones?"

Molam blinked, then chuckled. "That was a lie, Kalle."

The alchemist paused, brows furrowed. "Then why did —" Kalle began, then realization set in and he exhaled a long sigh as his beard twitched. "Ah. You just wanted to move us away from Cholani."

"They do a good job at accounting, but a poor job of staying silent. You told me to practice tact."

"I'm not sure that qualifies," Kalle scratched at his beard. "But maybe because it feels like you cheated by lying."

"What's the difference?"

"I don't know. It feels different when you do it. As though it doesn't occur to me that you would lie like that. I just —" The alchemist's hand laid on Molam's shoulder again, but the gesture was far gentler than earlier. "Molam. You once asked me what Master Flangel told me about you when you went by 'Carlton,' didn't you?"

Molam didn't pull away. "Why are you bringing this up now?"

Kalle's blue eyes met his. "Master Flangel told me that, like me, your heart is in the right place. He never clarified, and I don't know what it means for this sense of meandering loss of direction I have right now, but the reason I follow you is because of that." The hand squeezed Molam's shoulder. "You're right. This is what I can do, and it feels nice to be doing all this here instead of Techoria, where the others don't seem to understand why. But this —" he looked meaningfully around them at the boxes, "— this is all I can do."

"This isn't —" Molam began, but Kalle interrupted him.

"You might need to leave JiangXi in my care, but everyone in the Dao has seen you salvage this city with efficiency and tact. A change, beyond these…" the alchemist wrinkled his nose, "... mere trinkets and small solutions." He clapped Molam's shoulder with his hand again as he looked around at the boxes around them. "As your friend, I want you to know that I think Master Flangel meant the second half of his words for both of us, or you, at the very least. I can see why the Oracle gave you the color of her approval. This is where you're needed." Kalle's eyes wrinkled above his bushy smile. "I hope you never lose your way."

Molam tore his gaze away from Kalle's trusting blue eyes. He looked down feigning bashfulness, swallowing down a dizzying combination of self-loathing, relief, and to his surprise, gratitude. "It heartens me you think so, Kalle."

"Now," Kalle opened the door for the two of them, "If there's no crate for me to verify, my workshop calls. I won't have as much time to tinker away when you've foisted JiangXi's administrative work onto me when you return to Sanctuary. You mentioned those children that are unable to circulate their aura, yes? I have something in mind, just in case we lose the protective Domain of our new… defenders."

They left the storage room, Kalle humming to himself with a new lightness in his step. But as Molam thought about how he never planned to stay, Kalle's words burrowed deeply and took root in his mind in ways he could not immediately dismiss.

Kalle thought he was needed here? But this was not where Molam wanted to be. This place, where he could not sleep comfortably in fear of being dragged out of bed in the middle of the night? This place, where he wondered if those smiles were merely masks to lower his guard? This place, where he ate each meal wondering if it was his last?

This place was where he was needed?

He didn't want to change the world. The only place he wanted to be was home. But if he was needed here and he didn't stay, was that selfish?

Kalle's light steps to his side felt discordant with the heaviness of Molam's thoughts. He had alleviated Kalle's worries and only deepened his own.

Why was he here? Only one place had ever made him feel wanted, and it was not here.

***

Molam's Study

When Molam entered his study, he saw Primrose leaning against the wall behind his chair, her purple eyes deep in thought. His eyes flickered to the note sitting innocuously on his desk, easily out of place since he normally cleared the deskspace whenever he left.

"I assume you read it already," he shrugged off his cloak, hanging it up on the inside of the door. "Who is it from? Is it good or bad?"

"Mursa Khan." Primrose stretched as Molam walked over. Her red-orange curls fell untamed down around her shoulders, decorated with blue satem flowers. "Whether it's good or bad will depend on how you view it."

Molam frowned as he sat down, reaching for the note. The wax seemed unbroken; how Primrose opened it, he had no idea. He unsealed the note and opened it to be greeted with just a few words.

Techoria destroyed. Prince in slumber.

The thoughts raced in faster than he could stop them. Molam set down the note, pinching the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed. Techoria destroyed… he had been ready for that possibility. Or at least, Kalle had made it very clear.

But the Prince in slumber?

He looked up at Primrose. "Who else knows?"

"That I know of? Only you, me, and Mursa Khan." She paused, then added, "I suppose the mursashu may know, depending on whether or not he shared it with them."

"Tell the Mursa to keep it that way." Molam held the note to the candle, watching as it burned. "And if his caravan already knows, then tell him it is my request that the mursashu remain silent, for now. The city doesn't need to know this yet."

Primrose nodded, but her eyes did not leave Molam's face. "And what will we do about it?"

"I don't know what you've seen that makes you think I can resurrect a fallen city."

She leaned over his desk, glowering at him. "You know that's not what I meant. The Bloody Prince has fallen into slumber. This is an opportunity."

"To…do what? Attack him with the meager members of the Dao? Do you really think that the Empire would just leave the slumbering Prince unguarded?"

"Perhaps take another city."

Molam shook his head. "We've done what we can for now. Taking JiangXi should be an ample thorn in their side. Let's not push our luck while they're distracted with the Prince's situation."

Primrose's face said she was not fully convinced. "Are you content with not taking the initiative in this?"

"Yes," replied Molam, grateful she did not argue further. "One thing at a time. Let's stabilize what we have in JiangXi and move the World Tree's elderwood to Sanctuary." Not wanting to make Primrose feel as though he was only dismissive of her thoughts, he added, "And after that, there may be a chance to consult with the Oracle on an appropriate course of action. Her position gives her an understanding of what is happening in the world so we can proceed without blindspots. We can only guess at what the Empire wants to do now, but we should consider that there are many things we don't know."

"Let's finish what we started here, then." Primrose turned away, heading for the door. "I'll continue focusing on making sure JiangXi is ready for Kalle to take over during Spring's Blessings."

When the door closed, Molam rubbed a knuckle against his temples. He hadn't lied, not in front of Primrose's Sight, but he certainly didn't want to get dragged into something more. With the World Tree's elderwood in hand, all he needed was to ensure it reached Sanctuary. Then he could talk to the Oracle and return home, washing his hands of this matter.

And yet… the nagging feeling that none of this was something he could ignore. The Prince was in slumber; recovering from an injury that had almost taken his life. Molam hoped the Prince falling into slumber would take the Empire's focus off of their actions in JiangXi, but nothing was ever certain.

At the very least, there was one other person that may have known, and now Molam needed to go speak with him. Just to confirm things.

He sighed, pushing aside the paperwork he had planned to read. If only the Whale of ZhiXia "answered" to him too.

***

City Lord's Mansion, Crescent City

"We're not turning on JiangXi?"

"Ruskru says it's not important while the Prince recovers." Jett leaned forward against his desk, reading the letter. "Spring's Blessings couldn't come fast enough," he murmured, blowing at the parchment. It burst into flames, disintegrating into ash. Jett brushed the ash into a nearby tray.

"I hadn't read that yet," Rei flicked a peanut at him from her slouched position on a nearby couch. "I hope you remember what else it says."

Closing his eyes, Jett leaned back into his chair as he recalled the contents of the letter. "Shoss is joining Ruskru so they can protect the Prince while he recovers. You and I are to manage affairs internally and externally in the meantime while Sophisyas and Kymja search for the Prodigy."

"The Prodigy?" Rei frowned. "Why is she important?"

"We don't have the SunFlower yet," Jett replied testily, "Or have you forgotten? And since we don't know if the Prince extracted the design from Flangel the Wise, Ruskru wants to get ahead of that and find the Prodigy. She's still alive, somewhere. With the SunFlower's design."

"Well then, if the Prodigy is so important perhaps my talents shouldn't be kept here," Rei said innocently. "I can join Kymja and Sophie — conducting a search from the skies would certainly yield better results."

"No, you won't. Our job is to keep everything running as smoothly as possible while the Prince recovers. You should consider this your chance to ensure your loss of JiangXi doesn't further impact the Empire's trade and finances."

A peanut shell flew over, just missing Jett's nose. "They can take JiangXi for a while. They can't hold it. Don't blame me just because you're stressed about papers, Jett."

"I'd be less stressed if you bothered to help me look over the ledgers, Rei! And what do you mean, don't blame you? You are the one that lost JiangXi! You are the reason I need to figure out all these new logistics! You think I want to sit here, going over the numbers on whether Crescent City can afford to send salt and flour to HaiFeng without running out themselves? The least you could do is come help me look over the numbers."

Rei cracked open another peanut, inspecting it in her fingers. "Is that all that has you in such a mood? The great WildFire is daunted by paperwork and ledgers?"

"If you considered learning how to govern, perhaps the Prince would take your opinions more seriously."

"We have accountants for that."

"And as the Prince reminds us time after time, accountants can make mistakes or worse; be corrupt. We should always check their work."

Rei waved a dismissive hand. "The corrupt ones are always found out. It astounds me to no end that any of them would dare lie in front of us." Rei popped a peanut into her mouth before pressing further, her eyes glowing green. "Was there anything else in Ruskru's letter?"

Jett's voice took on a frigid turn. "No, and you should know me better than to lie to you about that. Ruskru is interim leader, for now. Which means," he added, pointing to the stack of papers on the table near Rei, "You have work to do. We wait for news of the Prodigy, and then we act. Do you understand?"