It took a while but eventually the two men felt that the area was secured enough for their purpose. Perhaps they were slightly paranoid with just how much effort they had put into making sure their conversation could not be overheard, but it didn’t hurt to be cautious. Especially as knowledge was power, often quite literally when it came to magic.
They both sat down around the small table in the middle of the gazebo. Neither one saying anything for a minute until Jack finally broke the silence. “So… What exactly were you looking to hire me for?”
Bartholomew drummed his fingers on the table as he seemed to consider just what to say. “Recently, as in the last month or so, there has been a series of murders that have occurred. And yes, we have of course done divinations to examine the crime scenes with both the Staves and several of our own resources. What we are getting back seems to be… contradictory. In each case whoever the assailant is managed to get into and out of the victims houses without any traces left behind other than the body itself. Nothing left physical nor magical.”
Jack nodded absently at that, doing his best to restrain himself from rolling his eyes in exasperation. He could easily do that same, and he was sure that there were at least some people out in the world like him with a lack of magical potential that could likely do it as well. Really with how overly reliant most of society and security was on mana and its traces it was a gaping hole often overlooked by security systems. Perhaps it was someone much like himself with a near total lack of potential in any of the aspects. He knew that it was easy enough to feel anger and frustration at the ease in which everyone else navigated life in their world. Being looked down on as a cripple and worthless. If Jack hadn’t made the decision to never let himself fall into the despair and become a monster like his…
Jack cut off his thoughts there refusing to even let himself finish. Both because he didn’t want to think about that creature and if he did dwell on her, his mind would once again be trapped within another cycle memories and emotions. He jolted slightly as he realized he had stopped paying attention to the vespers explanations while he was thinking of possible culprits. He shook his head to clear his extraneous thoughts and spoke. “Sorry I was lost in my thoughts on just how someone might be able to accomplish the breaking and entering without leaving any traces like you had said. What was that second part?”
Bartholomew let out a sigh of frustration as he repeated. “I was saying, each victim was killed in a slightly more gruesome manner. Moreover, it also seems that each one has also been with better tools or weapons. What is thought to currently be the earliest one that has been found almost seemed to be made using something rough like claws of a beast or stone. Whereas the most recent? Well, it seems like they used surgical scalpels or something similar. The only reason that we are fairly certain that it is the same perpetrator, or perpetrators, is the combination of how the murder occurred, along with the fact the changes being sequential. Each time showing better tools and more brutal damage.”
The vesper certainly seemed unhappy to be dealing with Jack. Especially with the apparent lack of care that Jack was showing to his prospective client. As the he thought of the disregard that Jack was showing, he couldn’t help himself any longer. It didn’t matter that the man had come recommended by one of their best clients, if this was how he was going to be behaving. With that thought Bartholomew got up to leave.
Jack blinked in surprise at the sudden rise of his table companion and looked around warily. “Is something the matter?”
“Yes, something is indeed the matter. You are the matter. Look I was willing to give you the courtesy of at meeting you, even with how our previous interaction had gone, considering the recommendation that you were given. But you obviously do not care at all about what I am telling you. Really! You think that I can’t tell that you aren’t paying attention at all to anything that I have been saying? And really… your excuse that you were pondering several ways that someone could break into somewhere and not leave any kind of traces? As if you would know better then the security experts that we have on hand? The gall of trying to claim that when it is obvious that you just were staring off into space only serves to show that my initial instinct was right. This and you are a waste of time” Bartholomew growled out.
As Bartholomew ranted Jack’s eyes grew colder and colder. Ah. There it was. More than anything Jack was surprised that it had taken so long before the man’s prejudices had won out over his desire to please one of his branch’s largest clients.
“I see. And just what exactly leads you to claim that I have no care or worthwhile thoughts on the matter?” Jack prompted the man, drawling his word to push the vesper’s buttons.
“Other then what I already said that you could never and would never be able to be better than the security experts our business already has on hand? Well, the fact that you are a mere jack and seem to think that…” Bartholomew stopped himself as he realized just what he had started to say. Jack might indeed be a jack magically but considering the fact that he was related to one of the agerian clans. That connection could easily lead to reprisals against both himself and the Adventurer’s Guildhouse branch where he worked.
“Ah. There we are. The real reason that you have been so frustrated with this whole thing. Oh, I have no doubt that there is a great deal of frustration at the whole situation. Perhaps one or more of the victims have been close friends or family? But then, needing to go and not only apologize but also possibly hire a man such as myself? A cripple? My how that must stick in your craw. One of your biggest and most trusted clients telling you that someone who is fucking gutter trash is better than you and all of your staff.” Jack coldly stated before laughing harshly.
The swirling glow underneath Bartholomew’s skin intensified, glowing brighter and moving faster as the man struggled to hold what little remained of his temper. Just as it looked like he was going to explode he let out a deep sigh and slumped. The glow receded back to its normal level and the patterns went back to their soft slow swirling.
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“Look. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that. I am well aware that even the unblessed have great potential and can oftentimes be those who drive forward innovations in society. You’re right. I have been more then a little frustrated and upset recently as the most recent victim was an old friend and lover of mine. I actually moved here because of him. While we have become more distant than we had been, learning that he had not only been killed but mutilated by a serial killer has… well it’s…” Bartholomew squeezed out in a near whisper his voice broken and defeated, tears starting to cascade down his face. “And I am aware that you wouldn’t be recommended for no reason, I just… I can’t see what you could possibly do that the dozens of others that have been and are working on this case can’t.”
Jack let out a sigh himself at the man’s explanation. Rubbing his forehead to help relieve his own tension he replied, “Thank you for the apology. I get it. I do. I’m not really sure how I can reassure you that I would be able to help more then the people that you already have. In part because unless I actually try and work on the case, I don’t know what I would be able to come up with. I wasn’t joking when I said that I had been thinking of a couple theories on just how someone would be able to get in and out without traces left behind. Nor the fact that with my current mental situation I have some trouble focusing. I see no real benefit for me to lie about any of this. Quite honestly when it comes to being an investigator the most important thing is trust. A lot of what can be discovered or even just how things work can often be unpleasant. If you can’t trust the person working for you to tell you the truth then they are functionally worse than useless. You would be better off not investigating at all at that point. So yeah, if you feel like I cannot be trusted to tell you the truth then you shouldn’t hire me. Good recommendation or credentials or whatever.”
There was a brief pause as Bartholomew looked at Jack with an irritated expression. He broke the silence frostily, “Yes, I am aware. I have had to hire investigators, and deal with other contract workers numerous times before. It is in fact one of the main aspects of my job. I was saying sorry for what I said and my attitude, not my reasoning.”
Jack felt his cheeks flush and rubbed the back of his head. He coughed into his hand and apologized. “Sorry. That’s… I’m used to most of the people that have expressed interest in hiring me either be down on their luck financially or being a last-ditch effort. Well, that or scammers. I didn’t mean to claim you don’t know how this all works.”
He let out a deep sigh and started up again. “Let’s both take a deep breath and step back for a moment. I’ll do my best to explain what possible reason that I was recommended. I can’t truly say for certain as nobody spoke to me about anything before you showed up today but… I can at least formulate a decent hypothesis.”
The vesper gave Jack a look and stated, “Okay, let’s hear it. What use can you be that those who are already employed can’t?”
“I don’t… well I don’t really talk about my past much, mainly because most of it isn’t anything to be proud of. I grew up in an unpleasant situation that I am not going to touch, just know that I decided when I was eleven that my best choice was to leave the house that I grew up in. in fact, had I been able to, I would have left that place even earlier.”
As Jack began to spin his tale, Bartholomew sat back down to listen. Eyes boring into Jack’s head attempting to discern any lies or misdirection. Jack’s eyes meanwhile became unfocused, staring deep into something that only he could see as he spoke. “Now, I have made it no secret that I am in fact a jack. What I don’t often talk about is the other aspects of myself, magical and otherwise. More often than not people attribute my struggles with just the fact that I am a jack and don’t really consider anything else. It’s not really talked about just how being a jack works and why they are crippled so any struggles that someone who is a jack has tends to be just lumped in with their poor life choice. And generally, I don’t feel the expound on my life if people already look at me with such derision.”
Jack realized he was starting to get off topic and corrected himself, “Sorry, anyways, what I was going to talk about is my magical aspects. You had mentioned the unblessed earlier. If I remember correctly, those are people within vesper culture that lack any magical talent, correct?”
“Yes, they are the people who are as they are named. Unblessed by our Holy Mother. Unable to access any of the secrets and abilities that she has bound to our people and world.” Bartholomew agreed be hurriedly adding, “As I said before, that doesn’t mean they are worthless. In fact, our history has had several of the unblessed contribute greatly.”
Jack nodded his head. “Well, I don’t know how common the unblessed are in your species, but for those living on Surdyl, especially those with any kind of agerian descent, such a thing is practically non-existent. It’s one of the main reasons that everything, or nearly everything in this world is magically driven. With the exception of jacks, who damaged or destroyed their own ability to interact and use the tools, everyone theoretically has enough potential to be able to activate and utilize the magitech that has developed after the agerian resurgence.”
Noticing the disinterested expression beginning to show on the vespers face Jack hurried his explanation. “Right, so… what I wanted to get at is just how overly reliant our society here has become on the idea that anything and everything living here has a certain level of magic or magical potential. I… well I don’t. I am unblessed as you put it. Or at least as close to that as someone of my heritage could possibly be. My aspects were and are so low that I had been told all my youth that even the simplest magics would be beyond me. Well, when I left home, I needed to find some way to get by, and I sure as hell didn’t trust anyone. I did all sorts of things when I started out. Everything from diving through dumpsters for thrown out food to running errands for gangs and other street dwellers. Eventually, when I was about fifteen, I decided to try my hand at theft. I rapidly found that I have a talent for being able to get through protections and wards without being discovered.”
“Really? And you just expect me to believe you with the idea that while being essentially powerless you can defeat most securities?” Bartholomew had an eyebrow raised skeptically.
Jack snapped his fingers, “You know what? I’ll prove it to you. I’ll bet you that I can break into your Guildhouse branch without being discovered. Give me a week and I’ll have it done. Uh, a week and a half. I forgot for a moment that I’ll be doing that ritual I mentioned earlier in the next couple of days and I am unsure of just how severe the aftereffects will be. One rule though, you have to rely on your security as it is now. Not change and update everything in an attempt to prevent me from succeeding.”
Once again there was a period of silence as the two men sat there facing one another. After a moments contemplation Bartholomew nodded slowly. “Yes. That would work. Very well. You can have this week and a half to prove your worth for the case and if you fail then the Ross-Telipar’s shouldn’t have any complaints.”
With that the vesper rose and held out his hand for Jack to shake. As soon as Jack accepted it, Bartholomew turned and walked swiftly out of the gazebo. Pausing only to drop the wards that had been erected to allow for their conversation to be private.