Chapter 249 - Matthew

“I just liked it.” Kai evaded the question. A stroll across the streets of Higharbor wasn’t the time to tackle that conversation.

It’s the name I had in my previous life. You know, the one before I reincarnated on Elydes. Yes, the one I never told you about…

Flynn peered at him, clearly suspicious. “No other reason?”

Did he learn a truth-telling skill? Or am I just that bad at lying?

“It sounded better than Calvin Smalls,” Kai shot back.

“You’re always so hurtful.” He mimed a stab through the heart. “You made up your mind pretty quickly. I thought you’d agonize over the choice for weeks. I had even prepared a list of names to help you.”

So that’s why you looked disappointed.

Flynn rummaged through his pockets for a wrinkled piece of paper and cleared his throat. “Basil Marley, Parsley Greene, Taddeus Thick…”

Please spare me.

“Valela said she needed a name to proceed, so I made up my mind. Uhm… do you know why she was acting so strange?” Kai clumsily attempted to change the topic. “Has she changed in the last few years?”

Flynn watched him with a strange grin. “You mean why she smiled at you and glared at me?”

“I assumed she was just happy to see I’m alive and tired of your antics.”

“Yeah, that must be it.” His smile widened. “It’s nice to see you’re not good at everything.”

* * *

Kai stared at the house where his alleged father had lived. A row of cypresses circled the white rock walls of the villa, from the dirt path to the cliff falling into the sea. His senses spread over the property, easily seeping through its wards.

Aside from rare exceptions such as those in the Vastaire ruins, most arrays needed regular maintenance to work correctly. No one must have touched the crumbling runes for years. It was a miracle they hadn’t collapsed already.

It must have cost a fortune to call an enchanter out here…

There was no human signature inside the ground. His hand rested on the rusty gate of wrought iron. A cloak of ivy had taken over most of the fence. From the untamed garden inside, the other parts of the mansion hadn’t seen much maintenance in recent times.

C’mon, I can’t waste her efforts.

Kai had been leisurely cleaning his cauldron when Valela informed them she had found the perfect cover story. In less than half an hour he found himself on a zeppelin for Mistcreak, and then on a skiff for Katol. The crew left him on a nameless isle a few miles from Pearldive without exchanging another word.

And now Kai was only half certain of what was going on, except this was his best chance to obtain a new identity that wouldn’t buckle under scrutiny.

I can't screw this up. They could get here at any moment.

The metal entrance opened with a strident creak. Kai took the pebble path leading to the main residence. One of the granite steps of the porch was cracked. He ignored the owl doorbell, the black door had paint peeling off near the hinges and a dusty brass pommel.

According to the information Valela left him, the lock should have been left open to allow him to explore the interiors. He understood the necessity of learning more about the place he supposedly grew up in, though it still felt morbid.

I could check the outside first.

While climbing the dirt trail from the beach, he had spotted the glint of green motes in the back of the property. Circling the manor, Kai confirmed his guess. A greenhouse rose amidst all the disrepair—Mana plants were a better start than the manor of a deceased alchemist.

The glasshouse was covered in runes. Nothing particularly impressive, though they looked maintained to a usable degree. The iron key in the lock opened the door with a little fiddling and let the scent of thriving plants and flowers swallow him.

Huh, not bad.

The space had been separated into ten sections to recreate different climates. Crystals set in the ceiling provided different degrees of light and warmth. Kai wandered among the aisles of the greenhouse.

Plants ranging from low red to peak orange stood arranged in neat rows, each in its pot. It was hard to be impressed by mana herbs after the Sanctuary, still, he had never seen such a large collection since Dora left. The old alchemist must have spent a great deal of time and effort on this place.

Kai picked up a leather notebook abandoned beside a vase of purple stalks. The pages were filled with observations and diagrams he couldn’t understand, some kind of research on how to increase the yield of Faery Grass. The man’s frustration was evident in the blotchy ink of the last entries, though Kai couldn’t deduce much more.

How paranoid do you need to be to encrypt your notes when you live alone?

After twenty minutes spent trying to decipher the book, Kai realized he wasn’t getting anywhere—not anytime soon. Reading the deceased alchemist’s notes only worsened his mood. Cultivation and mutations weren’t his area of expertise anyway.

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I gotta move.

He exited the greenhouse to finish his tour of the outside before he tackled the mansion. There wasn’t much else of note, wild weeds had conquered the garden to the edge of the cliff. He was about to turn back when he spotted a dirt mound, hidden among the untamed grass.

From the freshly moved earth, Kai didn’t need his skills to know this was the alchemist’s burial ground. Cyrus Veernon, a reclusive mage who had retired on the archipelago three decades before. No family or friends to lay claim to his possessions. His closest acquaintance was the sailor who left the supplies in front of his gate once a month.

I wouldn’t be here if he were a sociable guy…

Valela had gotten wind of his death through her network of informants. Without an heir, the Republic would have swept in to claim everything. The scheme had moved so fast, Kai barely had any idea of what was going on. He trusted the princess and Flynn to know what they were doing. Hallowed Intuition's acquiescence also helped.

This is as good as it’s gonna get for a fake cover story.

Waves crashed on the rocks beyond the precipice, and a gust blew his hair, bringing him back to the present. A teal and beryl sea sprinkled with verdant isles extended to the horizon.

“Hmm… it must have been a pleasant place to live in, if you didn’t mind the solitude.” Kai turned to the tomb. “I’ve no idea who you were, and I know you had no choice in this, but I thank you regardless.”

He grew a small patch of white and red wildflowers over the alchemist’s resting place, hoping the man would have appreciated it. “I’m not sure how it works with the church of Seven Moons, but may your gods guide you to whatever lies beyond.”

“I’m sure he would have liked that,” an aged voice creaked.

Kai jolted. An old woman leaned on a gnarly cane by the corner of the manor, her face covered with weathered wrinkles. He had been so lost in his thoughts she managed to creep up on him.

I guess it’s good, huh… I’m not supposed to be much of a fighter.

“You must be Matthew.” The granny offered a toothless smile. “It’s nice to see such a thoughtful young man.”

“And you must be the housemaid.” He dug into his memory. He only had time to read Valela’s information once. “…Belaria?”

“Belalia, but you can call me Bel. I was never really a maid. Cyrus hired me because I was cheap and did a bit of everything: house chores, cooking, tending to the garden.” She waved her cane to the wild grass and broke into a cough. “That was before my health got me. I retired more than seven years ago, but the old clam refused to hire anyone else. You see, he didn’t trust people easily…”

The granny looked at the tomb as if annoyed the alchemist wasn’t alive to hear her complaints. “He called me through one of his magic stones when his last moments were near… I had to wake my grandson in the middle of the night to row to the island,” she muttered. Then her cloudy gaze snapped on him. “I don’t want to waste your time with the ramblings of an old lady. Come, I’ll show you inside. The enforcers should be here in a couple hours.”

Bel ambled toward the front porch without looking back, forcing him to follow. “It was such a lovely place. I wish you could have seen how this was.” She opened the black door without much ceremony. “Don’t just stand there. This is your house. I promised Miss Hightide I’d take care of this, and I intend to keep my word.”

“Yeah, sorry. I’m coming.” Kai walked into a dark hall that might have looked welcoming in its heyday. Now all that was left was stale air, chipped furniture and strained red velvet chairs.

“That stubborn fool… He never listened to anyone.” Bel went to open a window. “Come, I’ll show you around.”

He hurried to follow the old maid through half a dozen rooms full of knick-knacks, mold and dust. It looked like Cyrus Veernon was a hoarder besides being a recluse. Less than a third of the house was livable, half of that because Bel had cleaned it.

Burned pans and unwashed dishes covered every surface of the kitchen—including the floor. In the study, piles of papers and books climbed twice his height, with sheets full of arcane ramblings nailed to the walls. Lastly, the laboratory was perhaps the worst of all. It housed an unholy clutter of glassware that stank of rotten and burned alchemic waste.

Mat went in alone, listening carefully to Hallowed Intuition to avoid any biohazard. He moved a few things around to create a smaller, cleaner space that might have belonged to him. He placed a couple tools in his ring and left a few of the papers he had sketched on the way here.

That should be good enough.

Valela would organize someone to empty the house and erase any evidence once he officially signed a sponsorship with her. He only had to pass the inspection of the enforcers if they decided to snoop around.

“And this is your room.” Bel showed him to a door on the second floor. “It was originally a guest room, not that Cyrus ever had any. I mostly used it when I worked here.”

The room was relatively large, though quite plain, with the floral wallpaper wrinkling from water damage and mold in one corner. There was an old wooden desk, a single window and a bookshelf filled to the brim with alchemy volumes. A collection of common minerals was the only semi-personal touch.

“I furnished it the best I could with what I found from the library. I also borrowed some of my grandson's old clothes to fill the space and prepare your luggage.” The old woman pointed to a bag lying beside the bed. “Nothing fancy, but it should be fine even if the clothes aren’t a perfect fit. Cyrus never went shopping himself and you’re supposed to have never left the island.”

That was quite thoughtful, she couldn’t have gotten much longer than a day to set this all up.

“Do you mind if I add a few things of my own?” Kai lay down the backpack, mainly as an excuse to use his ring.

“Go ahead.” Bel plopped down on a chair with a heavy sigh. “These old bones aren’t used to this much movement anymore. Mhmm… guess I should tell you more about your father. I knew Cyrus better than anyone alive, which is not to say much. He was quite a difficult man. He suffered some kind of betrayal in his youth, though he never told me the details. He never explained much in general. Oh, except for his research, he always rambled about that nonsense. It was the only thing he cared about, much more than people…”

Kai listened to Bel’s random anecdotes while he added a few personal effects to the room.

If Cyrus ever discovered anything noteworthy in his research, he didn’t publish it. He was honestly the perfect candidate for his new identity, the alchemist lived on an island isolated from everyone. Perhaps because he was a mage, all sorts of colorful rumors about him had spread in Pearldive over the decades.

Some said he would grant the wish of anyone who knocked on his door when the moons aligned, others that he ate children to prolong his life. Among all the wild stories, a secret child was one of the mildest rumors. Gossipers would probably be disappointed there wasn’t more to it.

I get why Valela was so impatient to send me here.

This was indeed a perfect opportunity for him, being half-native would be all the proof most people needed to confirm he was Cyrus’ son. The genius child of a recluse mage who studied alchemy and magic from a young age. Valela would ensure the Republic accepted the explanation without looking closely enough to find a flaw.

Mat would still have to play down some of his abilities, but he would have done the same even as Kai. The story fit so seamlessly, he suspected his Luck must have played a part.

It would be weirder if 80 Favor did nothing…

Truthfully, there was only one issue. “Does it not bother you that I'm using Cyrus’ name and house without permission?” Kai blurted out, perfectly knowing it would be wiser to keep silent. Even if Cyrus was dead and above mortal concerns, he couldn’t pass off the man as his father without caring at least a little.

Bel interrupted her ramblings to look at him with her cloudy gaze. “Do you know what he asked on his dying bed?”

Kai shook his head.

“He asked that I burn down his estate to not let the Republic have it.” Bel cackled aloud. “I know I shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, but Cyrus cared little for anyone besides himself. And it’s certainly not thanks to the pittance he paid me that my grandsons can afford an education. If it’s any consolation, the old fool would probably get a good laugh out of this.”

It does make me feel a tiny bit better.

“Thank you for your help.” Kai spotted three figures walking toward the main gate outside the window. “If there is anything I can do for you just let me know. They’re here.”

“I’m not a beggar. Miss Hightide has already insisted on paying me despite the debt my family owes her. I don’t need anything else.” Bel stood up with a proud look. “Let’s go greet our guests.”

Mat nervously paced. This was the most critical stage of his deception. “What if they have a lie detection skill?”

“Those abilities are much easier to trick than they want you to believe. Don’t worry, I’ll do most of the talking. If anyone gets suspicious, I’ll just stare at them dumbly and ramble about my grandkids till their ears bleed. One of the few advantages of my age is being underestimated.” The granny chuckled, her cane thumping down the stairs without a worry.

I wish I had half her confidence.

The enforcers were already waiting on the porch when they opened the door for them. Three men, all wearing immaculate uniforms, though one man wore blue instead of black. He also was a good head taller and more heavily built than the other two.

An officer with a silver hawk stepped forward, eyeing Kai with obvious surprise. “Good morning, we’re here to confirm the passing of Cyrus Veernon. And you are…”

“I’m Belalia, the one who called you in. You sure took your time to get here,” she grumbled without regard and patted his back. “This one here is Mat, Cyrus’ son. He’s a bit shy, you know his father…”

Mat lost the next exchange, too busy staring at the burly man. Something in his pensive green eyes rang bells in his memories.

Lou…? How did you get even bigger?