Chapter 67: Competent Allies

Subject: Caim Location: Maliscade - Protoflora: Envisioned Ecosystems (Gate District)

“Wait, what are you doing?” Gwen protested, but Caim held tightly to her hand.

He was hoping she’d be able to see the results display too, but failing this, he’d try having her make direct contact with the choker next.

“See” wasn’t actually the right word for it, with the phenomenon being nonvisual, but maybe that was how this information was best understood by the brain. His brain, at the very least. Even if he couldn't describe mechanics, he knew what it was like for him.

He could very clearly see a phantasmal map of the city in front of him. When he turned his head, it would briefly flicker, vanish, and then reappear wherever he happened to be looking next.

If he concentrated, Caim could force the map to the background of his visual field so it didn't disturb him while he was focusing elsewhere. This made it possible to multitask.

“Caim, I know you’re going through some things lately, but this is too sudden. I-”

"Huh? Just tell me if you feel anything strange. I don't know how it'll work for you."

At that moment, she saw it too. The words were stolen from her lips and she just stared in awe until she forgot what she was trying to say in the first place.

“I knew you’d see it!”

“Wah! I see it, but what is the ‘it’ I’m seeing?!”

Subject Tag Assigned Tag: Miscellaneous Operator

“You’re seeing what the spell found for me. Don’t ask me how because I don’t know how the spell does what it does.”

Gwen slid down against the wall and continued staring at the space before her.

“Your magic is weird, Caim. Like… really weird. Like, really, really weird.”

“I know Gwen. Thank you for helping me put it to use. It seemed to know what I wanted before I did.”

“What even is a ‘Techlance’?”

Not only were different weapons arranged in a weighted list by price and priority, but some at the top of the list were prominently displayed on the map. The Techlance, whatever it was, was at the top of the list, found at only one location.

“I don’t know, but do you think you could find that out for me when you have some free time?”

“I’ll see what I can do, but you definitely can’t afford this.”

Caim laughed at how true that was. Even with his recent windfall, it was at least ten times any price he could pay. And he was still earning the price of Initiate's contracts.

“I’ll start with something as similar to it as possible, and work my way up.”

Gwen realized that their hands were still clasped together. She withdrew hers.

“Good plan. We can get you started on saving for a weapon while I investigate the shops on this list.”

“Wait. You can’t see the map anymore, right? How are you going to investigate?”

“I figured that's how it would work, so I memorized the shop that had the Techlance in stock and several others. I’ll look at others, but those will probably have cheaper weapons like those you’re aiming for. But… you realize I can still see the map, right?”

This was news to him. He wondered if it had anything to do with the “marking" Vera had automatically activated for him. When he focused for a moment, he could “feel” a new label attached to Gwen.

“Ally, Miscellaneous Operator,” it now read.

“This must be another effect of the power. Can you manipulate the map?”

“Can I what? How? It's a little terrifying when I think of this thing staying forever.”

“Try to imagine the map vanishing. Then, try to think of me, and think of the word ‘Comprehension’. If it helps, the word means the act of understanding something.”

Gwen furrowed her brow, seriously trying to do as he suggested, and then her eyes widened in surprise.

“I did it! This is crazy! If only I could… If I could do things like this— I won’t let you down, Caim.”

“I know you won’t,” he replied, beaming back at her.

This only made Gwen scowl. She shook her head disapprovingly and exhaled a weary sigh.

“You’re too trusting. This is why you need me to drill some sense into that thick skull of yours.”

But he just shook his head.

“I’m not this trusting with just anyone. You continue to prove that you are someone worth trusting.”

She looked up at the hanging lights on the low ceiling from down where they sat, emitting a whining tone in an exaggerated expression of defiance. Finally, she broke down and chuckled. Gwen wanted to laugh and not take things seriously. Hopefully, soon, there would come a time when she could do just that.

“That makes me feel good, like you won’t just toss me away at a moment’s notice. Nina, on the other hand, might. Who knows. It's pretty hard to find a place to belong when most places you're just taking up space.”

She covered her face with her hands and strands of delicate red hair flipped forward.

“Never,” Caim promised, sitting next to her to show he was serious. “I don’t do that to friends.”

Gwen leaned against his shoulder and started sobbing. She’d been resisting that label all this time. Caim didn’t much want to make a new family, only to risk losing them again, but that was just how these things went.

A stream of silent tears slid down Caim's cheek, but he quickly stifled it at the thought of Vera somehow spying on him. He didn't want to give her the satisfaction of having broken down. Besides, Gwen needed him to be strong now.

“The three of us are partners now. There are more people I’d like to add eventually but you’ll meet them only when you feel comfortable enough. I use the word ‘partners’, but what I really mean is ‘family’.”

“I left my parents," she suddenly admitted. "I meant to go back to them once I had made enough coin. I love them. I miss them. They are too poor to come here even if I could budget for the price of a letter.”

“When we get established, we will have the resources to bring them here. They could be a part of our family. Not as partners, but as protected supporters of whatever it is we decide to do. I’d like to pay to send a letter to them. How much does it cost?”

“A little more than a medow, depending on how dangerous the roads are, but I don’t want you to!”

He shook his head disapprovingly. That wasn’t that much, all things considered.

“I knew you’d say that, but do you remember what you just did for me? You helped me use my spell. You came up with an idea for how to use it and I know you’ll think of even better uses. Let me do this for you, even if you have to consider it as payment for just now. Payment that I'd rather not end up in the pocket of a Grey.”

Gwen stopped protesting and just continued to lean on him. She’d stopped crying and it sounded like his words had comforted her. For now, they were just going to sit here for a while.

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Subject: Marla Serenity, Paragon of Mercy Location: The Idle Tower

Marla noticed a strand of her golden-brown hair sliding across her face as her head drooped. She was starting to fall asleep as her attendant droned on with his usual reports.

If she'd known it was going to be such a lengthy meeting, or one so lacking in the only subject she wanted to hear about, she'd have pretended to be asleep when this diligent woman knocked on the door.

"Is everything alright, my lord?"

"What? Oh, yes... Well, I suppose I have been wondering how my dutiful Hexaline Knights have been doing. I've been hearing whispers of skirmishes at the border, in-fighting, and even invaders."

Wenn, Marla's attendant, cleared her throat uncomfortably. She wore her wavy hair tied tight in a long twist, dyed white from birth. A rare trait found only in the refugees fleeing the war-torn, Northern atolls during the war.

"I should hope you've been hearing about these things, but do you have to call them whispers?"

"Why shouldn't I?"

She glanced up at Wenn, who tugged the collar of her plain black uniform uncomfortably, slightly shifting the placing of the silver-winged emblem of Mercy on her chest. Marla herself wore an elaborately stitched black blouse, legs folded over in a long black, chain-pattered skirt.

For protection, scores of highly-trained guards stood at attention all around. Magic of the highest caliber was attuned to the fibers of her attire. It was more than enough to keep the average Paragon alive.

"Is this a test? Why, you ask? Because I've been telling you all of these things. I thought I was helping you stay informed while you remain in this tower most of your days, but now I feel like an insect buzzing in your ear."

Well... Marla's patent inattentiveness was bound to bite her from time to time. It was not the first incident of this nature, and it would not be the last.

"Now, now, darling," she soothed, extending a hand. "Of course you also tell me about all these things, but I was referring to other sources. there are others in this tower, you know, and I take walks often. Others make these times sound so dire."

Wenn hesitated before allowing herself to be beckoned closer, lowing her head expectantly. Marla gently patted her on the head in a gesture that many people might find embarrassing. Not Wenn. She was consistently and thoroughly manipulated by this tactic every time Marla tried it.

She must really crave validation. I know life isn't easy for people at her station, but this only proves that we need to treat our people better.

Nevertheless, Marla would use this to control Wenn whenever she became difficult to handle. It started that way, at least. Eventually, she more than pitied the poor girl. If Wenn thought she was insulting her efforts, she wanted to change that.

"I chose my words poorly before. Feel any better?"

Wenn nodded meekly.

"My sensitive Hexknights don't belong on the battlefield, my dear. They are Nosk's beloved children, and they should do their duties without coming to harm."

"I know you feel this way, my lord, but it has long been a tradition that the Temple Guardians, your knights, stand on the frontlines in times of war. In fact, only one of them is ill-equipped for sustained combat. All the others are more than capable of defending Shroud from internal and external threats."

It was true. Temple Guardians were soldiers through and through.

"And which one is the outlier?" she asked, feigning ignorance.

"Galar, my lord," Wenn reported in a frustrated tone. "I've repeatedly reminded you that we have armories full of plate-mail of varying metallic compositions. The Hexknight's build will not sustain such equipment, but his knights were drawn from the communal pool. The last report was that his... ability... is still proving difficult to control."

Marla hopped to her feet and danced around behind Wenn, giddy with the news. She placed her hands on her attendants shoulders and whispered into her ear.

"I don't know about you, Wenn-Wenn, but a knight that can't be killed is a pretty attractive asset. Tell me more about him."

She noticed Wenn's ears turning red. It could have been the pet-name or the act of whispering from behind. If any of the maids saw this they'd be mortified.

"You surprised me."

"Only you know the real me, Wenn."

"We should keep it that way. In fact, maybe I should move into the tower with you so I can keep an eye on you. I have many underlings who can gather intel in my stead."

What Marla really wanted was that knight to move in with her. It didn't matter if his squad came as a package deal. Anything to watch that curious boy discover the wonders of the world. The thought of those meathead knights squandering the privilege was maddening.

A Paragon living under the same roof as their Hexaline Knight was unheard of. The people put her up on the pedestal and exaggerated the qualities they wanted to see in her. But she saw a very real ignorance in the people.

The world was cruel.

"I need you right where you are, my dear. Could you tell me more about this outlier knight? What has he been up to lately? I want to assess the value of my investment."

That was the official cover for her favoritism. She was investing in a curiosity, whose strange ideas would become a boon for her. It was very possible that there was more than a grain of truth in the fabrication, but it didn't matter to her.

"Hexknight Galarious, nicknamed the Nosk's Child, is definitely an oddity. He knows nothing about the world and abhors violence. This makes utilising his power difficult. What good is being able to reflect aggression back at an attacker if the host of the power fears its effect?"

"Nosk also abhors violence. Perhaps it is a blessing that cannot be separated from the personality quirk. What kinds of things does he like? That could provide insights into how we can use the power to our advantage."

How can I make him happy? she really meant.

"What does he like? All kinds of things, but only in passing. He will jump from one subject to the next as he encounters each new thing along the way to his next destination. This is actually interfering with the completion of his duties, the progress of which has almost entirely stalled."

"Oh, leave him be."

"There is one fascination that seems to have lingered."

Marla hung on Wenn's every word, fighting the urge to let the full intensity of this eagerness show on her face.

"Flourishflora," Wenn answered.

"Flourishflora?" Marla asked for clarification.

"Yes, flourishflora. Galarious is enthralled by the things. His knights waste their time procuring samples for him to study, though they die before he can get his fill. Were it not for his orders to remain within the Facet Domain's inner walls, he would have pursued them into the wilds. This obsession is unhealthy."

No, it is perfectly healthy. If he wants flourishflora, I'll grow a garden fit for the Channeler himself. I'll make it so he never wants to leave that garden. But the garden will be mine and only those in my company will be allowed to enjoy it.

"It's a sign from the eternal. There must be some strategic value to flourishflora that we don't see. I seem to recall that the plants produce for flora and fauna, sustaining entire ecosystems."

Wenn held up a cautioning hand to quell her lord's enthusiasm.

"Yes, but efforts to grow them have proven to be hardly worth the investment in technology and manpower. I looked into it myself as soon as I noticed his behavior."

I'll find an expert.

"I'm invoking my divine right. On the authority of I, Marla Serenity, Paragon of Mercy, I order that a new wing be constructed on my property. This land will be holy land, and it will include a laboratory fit for the best flourishflora specialist you can find. Make sure they have no ties to any Shroud officials."

Wenn heard the words 'divine right' and dropped to kneeling salute.

"My lord, your will is mine to uphold, but what timeframe do you desire for this endeavor?"

"You utmost haste. This is my priority right now. In addition, see to it that the specialist's living quarters are isolated from mine, and that an additional guard barracks be established adjoining this new building."

"You mean to invite Galarious's squad to stay on your property? I-"

"I will not hear and protestations. This is my command."

"Yes, my lord."

Wenn left Marla to brood impatiently.