Chapter IX
“I think you handled yourself quite well today, if I do say so myself.”
Those were the first words out of Ryokumo Caeli’s mouth after they had arrived at his quarters following Eric’s first meeting with the Masters of Ijiria. Eric had only spent another half hour waiting for the Masters to finish the rest of their discussion and once they did, Ryokumo immediately began leading him back through the Citadel. After another ride on the lift and a short walk, they came to a rather large apartment-like room with a living area and a connected kitchen, as well as a hallway that most likely led to a bathroom and the bedrooms. It was a rather average place, reminding him more of Wilham than of what he would have expected the quarters of the Citadel to look like, so Eric only spent a brief moment taking it all in before turning to regard Ryokumo.
“Who are you?” he asked softly. “Why have you been helping me today? You said we have similar goals—that you could bring my friends back. Why? I know you said you were a friend of my mother’s, but…”
He found himself just asking every question that came to mind and so, he paused, taking a moment to gather his thoughts while also waiting to see what Ryokumo had to say in response. He just couldn’t ignore what the Master of Wind said on the lift. He had claimed that they could be allies and that he might be able to help him bring everybody back from the erased realm, but Eric just couldn’t fathom why a Master would say something like that. If not for his sense confirming that Ryokumo could be trusted, he would have believed without a doubt that he was being lied to.
But I don’t think he’s lying. I think I can actually trust him…
“It’s…a long story, if I’m being perfectly honest with you,” Ryokumo said finally. “In fact, I’m still missing numerous pieces of it myself. But what I told you was not a lie. We can bring the erased back.”
Eric nodded. “I know we can. Either convince Album to do it herself, or go inside and destroy the realm. I already know.”
The man seemed to not expect that, but his surprise was quickly replaced by an impressed look. “Do you now? Well that sure is convenient,” he muttered. “Then you know I’m telling the truth when I say I can help. You see, even setting aside my loyalty to your mother, I have goals of my own, and they just happen to align with what you want.”
Eric narrowed his eyes, still not finding any deceit but also hesitant to rely solely on his sense in a place as foreign to him as Ijiria was. “I might know it’s possible to free them, but I also know how hard it is,” he admitted. “Album would never willingly let them go. After all, it’s apparently illegal for them to exist now. But the only way to free them would be if Album erased us, yet from what I know, that wouldn’t do us much good either.”
Ryokumo chuckled to himself. “Well, you know far more than I expected you would. That’s good. However, for the moment, I have matters of my own that I need to deal with. Making a move is going to take some time, so I need you to trust me and be patient.”
“How long?” Eric inquired hesitantly.
The man sighed. “I’m not sure. The past few weeks have been a bit chaotic here so I can’t fully predict where the future will take us. So, for the time being, I would like you to simply abide by the rules of the Citadel. Take your lessons with Master Mackia. Behave loyally. I would even suggest avoiding Nigreos and Album if possible. Just try not to make waves and do your best to gain as much trust as you can. Can you do that?”
Eric took a second to consider Ryokumo’s request. He was anxious to save his friends as soon as possible, but he knew that by being in the Citadel, his chances of doing so were slim. All it would take would be one mistake to get himself killed and lose the others forever. He knew that no matter how impatient he was, he might not have another option but to trust in his sense.
“Alright then,” he answered. “I’ll trust you, Ryokumo.”
***
With sleep still heavy in his eyes, Eric slowly pushed himself to a sitting position, the memory of his first night in the Citadel slowly fading away. He wanted to sleep for longer but also wanted a bit of time that morning to just relax before his lessons began. He exhaled softly, then glanced around the small bedroom he was currently in. His bed was up against the wall and his desk was on the opposite corner. From where he lay, he could see the contents of the previous night’s study session he’d had. Three leather-bound books were stacked on the corner with a fourth one in the middle of the desk, flipped open to a page regarding the First Trovian War, which he recalled very little about due to how tired he’d been when reading it. He grimaced, knowing he’d probably have to reread it or face the consequences of failing his next exam. Eric lethargically rubbed his eyes and crawled out of bed before walking over to stand before the desk.
He had expected his lessons with Iris Mackia to focus solely on studying healing magic, but it seemed that teaching him to be a healer wasn’t the only thing Reigious had intended for her to do. She’d also been giving him extensive lessons on the history of Ijiria and the creation of magic, as well as on the geography and countries of the continent they called “Calkorai”. He’d always believed that the name of the realm he was currently in was called “Ijiria”, but as it turned out, that was merely the name of the country that dominated most of that world. The continent consisted of three other countries, as well as the Sukonese archipelago just off the southeastern coast, though they paled in comparison to the size and might of Ijiria, something the books he read always made sure to emphasize. He was fascinated by much of what he learned, but at the same time, he felt that taking the time to learn all of it was a waste. He was getting anxious the longer he spent idly passing his days while his friends were stuck in the erased realm.
But then again, there’s nothing I can do right now. So, I just need to be a good student and a seemingly loyal subject.
Feeling his stomach growl, Eric turned and headed toward the door, deciding he should get some breakfast before heading off to that day’s lessons. He shuffled out into the hallway and came to the main living room where he found Ryokumo sitting on the couch, reading a book and wearing the same, silk-like gown he always had on, though today’s was a dark orange color with a blue flower pattern.
“Good morning, Eric,” the Master of Wind greeted without looking away from the book. “Sleep well, I hope?”
Eric shrugged as he walked into the kitchen and approached the Ijirian equivalent of a fridge. Something he had quickly noticed was that Ijiria had a lot of similarities to his homerealm of Omaruo, with the main difference being that everything here was powered by magic instead of technology. The ice-chest before him looked almost exactly like a fridge, but what kept everything inside cool was a source of water mana that had been frozen into ice. He had gotten into the habit of calling it a fridge even though it technically wasn’t one.
“I guess I did,” Eric murmured. “I’m still exhausted though.”
Ryokumo chuckled. “Another late night studying, yes?”
“Pretty much,” the boy replied as he reached into the fridge and grabbed a small, purple fruit that Ryokumo told him was called a tillyberry. They were really sweet and had become an odd sort of comfort food for him in the recent weeks.
As Eric turned and took a seat in the chair to Ryokumo’s left, the Master seemed to decide to set his book down on the glass coffee table in front of him before turning to look at Eric with a grin.
“And how have your studies been going?” he asked. “Is Mackia treating you well?”
Eric considered the question before nodding. “Yeah, she’s treating me fine. I mean, she can be a bit weird, but she hasn’t done anything to harm me. In fact, she doesn’t really talk much outside of our lessons. She’s a bit distant.”
“Unsurprising,” Ryokumo muttered. “As you know, Mackia is your mother’s successor as Master of Nature, and before Abi passed, she looked up to her quite a deal, though I know she would never admit it. Not now, anyway. So, it must be a tad weird for her to suddenly be teaching her son.”
Eric smiled sadly. He’d wondered as much during his interactions with Iris. While it made sense due to his mother’s reputation, he still wasn’t used to the fact that everybody he interacted with had known her rather well. He had expected he would be treated differently due to his mother, as well as what happened in Omaruo, but knowing that didn’t make it any easier.
“Yeah, I guess so,” he said softly after a moment, then took a bite of the tillyberry.
He expected Ryokumo to go back to his book, but the Master remained gazing at him for a few more seconds, as if there was something he wanted to say. Eric glanced back at him, wondering what he could want, and it was then that the man finally spoke.
“Is everything alright?” Ryokumo asked. “Is something bothering you?”
The boy shrugged once again, not knowing whether he wanted to answer that question honestly or not. While Ryokumo had treated him kindly ever since his arrival, the Master of Wind was still quite an enigma. He treated Eric as his apprentice and due to their living in the same quarters, they spent most of their afternoons together. He liked him, but despite his sense telling him that he could trust Ryokumo, he was beginning to wonder just what his deal was.
“I’m just…restless,” he answered. “I feel like there’s something more I should be doing. It’s been two months and I’ve done exactly what you told me to do. I’m being patient and I’m trusting you, but I’m starting to wonder if you just told me all that to keep me docile so I don't do anything rash. I’m starting to wonder if you actually have a plan. After all…you haven’t told me anything of who you are or what you’re after.”
As he spoke, he felt as if a weight was being lifted from his chest. He had been wanting to confront Ryokumo about his concerns for a few weeks, but each time, he told himself to keep his cool and trust in both his sense and the Master of Wind. Yet, now that he was given the chance to speak it aloud, he realized that he needed to say it.
When he went quiet, Ryokumo smiled sadly.
“Yes, I would imagine you would be feeling that way,” he said. “And I apologize for not being more upfront with you. But I promise you, Eric, that the time will come when we could have a shot of freeing your friends. I do have a plan…or at least the makings of one. I’m still researching certain things, but I am making progress. However, in this Citadel, there are those who can access surface thoughts, and while you’ve been doing a fine job of learning to keep your mind closed, I would prefer not to speak of my plans until the time comes to enact them. Perhaps I’m being overly cautious, but what I intend to do could, if it fails, get the both of us killed. So in my eyes, I need to take the most careful route. Please…just trust me.”
The boy glanced away, looking instead at the partially eaten purple fruit in his grasp.
“You say that,” Eric murmured. “But what reason have you given me to do so? Thus far, you’ve done nothing that would give me the impression that you’re telling the truth. You haven’t even explained to me why you would ever want to defy Ijiria in such a way. You say your plans could get you killed? What could be worth such a risk? I mean, you’re a Master! Could you at least explain to me why? How does freeing my friends benefit you?”
His features tensed up a bit and for a moment, Eric wondered if the man was finally going to explain himself, but to his disappointment, Ryokumo shook his head.
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“Let me think about it. But you’re right. I haven't done anything to earn your trust. Mere words shouldn’t be enough after everything you’ve been through. I honestly understand that. So…”
As Ryokumo trailed off, Eric couldn’t help but narrow his eyes in confusion.
He honestly seems genuine. It really does feel like he wants to help me, but it doesn’t make any sense.
“Look, Eric,” Ryokumo continued. “I have a meeting with the Prince this afternoon. Once that’s over, perhaps we can talk again. But you should prepare for your lesson. You don’t want to keep Mackia waiting.”
Eric exhaled softly. So he still won’t tell me? What’s his game? What is he trying to accomplish by aiding me? If I’ve learned anything about Ijiria, it’s that nobody does anything out of the goodness of their hearts. He wants something from me… That much, I’m certain of.
***
Ryokumo was conflicted.
On one hand, he knew that by keeping his secrets from Eric, he was risking the boy’s trust, but on the other hand, he knew that there was far too much at stake for him to completely confide in him. Despite having lived in the same quarters as Eric Reiner for the past two months, Ryokumo still knew very little about the boy or his past. Nigreos had told him all about what happened in Omaruo, and he had seen Eric in action during his duel with Reigious, but aside from that, he was still very closed off. His sights were set on freeing his friends from the erased realm and Ryokumo knew he would stop at nothing to achieve that goal, even going so far as to risk his own life.
And if I keep him in the dark for much longer, who’s to say what could happen. He already told me that he’s worried I’m lying to keep him from making a move, so if I don’t do something to earn his trust soon, it’s very possible he could try to attack the erased realm by himself.
Ryokumo grimaced as he stepped off of the lift and began striding down the hallway. The truth of the matter was that he didn’t need Eric Reiner to get his answers. He could just as easily leave him behind and go after Album himself. His only two goals were to prevent the Citadel from catching Hannah and the Children of Reiner before they escaped the city, and to learn the truth behind the woman that Album erased. Saving Eric’s friends achieved nothing for him.
But I can’t leave him behind. He’s Abi’s son and I swore to myself that if he was ever in danger, I would do everything in my power to protect him. I already erected that pocket realm and if I wind up being forced to break open the erased realm, saving Eric’s friends and saving that woman become one and the same. I’m going to help him. I have to help him…for Abi.
However, Ryokumo wasn’t stupid. Just because Eric was Abi’s son didn’t mean he was trustworthy. He knew there was a chance that if he revealed too much to the boy, then he might try and use that to his own advantage. By revealing Ryokumo’s treachery, Eric could swiftly gain Reigious and Piura’s trust, thus putting him in a better position to fulfill his own desires. After all, Eric Reiner didn’t owe him any loyalty. It was something the Master of Wind didn’t want to consider, but knew he would be a fool for failing to do so.
There has to be a middle ground, he thought. I need to do something that could earn his trust…
He sighed as he rounded a corner and came to a corridor with a golden door at the end, two soldiers standing on either side of it. Their names were Jax Krispin and Cray Pollik, two of Reigious’s personal guards who were often stationed outside his office. Upon noticing him, the two armored men bowed their heads.
“Good morning, Master Caeli,” Jax greeted. “The Prince and Princess are awaiting your presence.”
Ryokumo smiled. “Good morning to the both of you as well.”
With that brief greeting, they moved aside and allowed him to open the door and enter into the silver room on the other side. It was just one extra precaution to protect the prince with its numerous charms put in place to immediately kill anybody who entered with the intent of harming Reigious. Tensing up at the overwhelming magic, Ryokumo quickly crossed the room and pushed open the door that led to the prince’s personal office.
The office was large, with windows on both the right and left walls, allowing a large amount of natural light into the room. There were four banners with the green flame and golden shield, the royal crest, hung on around the room, and on the wall directly ahead of him was a large painting depicting the royal family. It showed King Markreas standing tall and confident in his gold and green robes, and in front of him was a young Piura and Reigious back when they were sixteen and fourteen respectively. Ryokumo’s eyes then briefly shifted to the late Queen Toranei Iiji, but he only allowed himself to look upon her for a second before he turned his attention to the desk just under the painting.
Reigious Iiji was sitting in his golden throne just behind it, and looked up at his entrance, as did the two others present: Anna-Piura Iiji, who was standing beside the desk, and Sinna Cartus, who was directly in front of it. Based on the irritable expressions upon both Reigious and Sinna’s faces, Ryokumo already had an idea of why he was called there.
“Good morning, My Prince, My Princess,” he greeted with a bow. “You as well, Cartus.”
Sinna merely grunted her reply while Reigious motioned for him to stand beside her.
“If only it were a good morning,” the man said with a sigh. “Unfortunately, there has been another attack down in the city.”
Yeah, I had a feeling that’s what this was about.
“What did Hannah and Kirisan do this time?” he inquired, ensuring that his expression remained neutral and unreadable. All it would take was a single mistake and everything he was working toward could come crashing down. For the time being, everybody in that room was under the impression that Hannah Lynn had betrayed him and escaped from the Citadel after freeing the Children, but in reality, Ryokumo was the one who allowed her get away and for the past two months, had been carefully doing everything he could to prevent them from getting caught. If Reigious and Piura found him out, there was no doubt in his mind that they would have him executed on the spot.
“Apparently, they attacked a group of merchants entering the city with gems and weapons for the blacksmith guild,” Piura replied. “They surrounded the wagon, killed the escort, then stole it and fled back into the slums.”
Ryokumo cocked an eyebrow. “They stole the entire wagon?”
“To an extent,” Reigious answered. “They only took it a few miles into the slums before taking what they needed. Then, one of them rigged it with an inferno stone so that when our guards finally found the damn thing, it exploded, killing most of them and injuring the rest. Now we don’t even know what they took.”
He internally chuckled. Well played.
Outwardly, the Master of Wind furrowed his brow in faked irritation as he pretended to think about the situation. “That is an issue…especially if there were other inferno stones in those crates. It might not be enough for them to escape, but they’ll certainly be able to do some damage.”
“Unfortunately, it’s very likely,” Piura said. “The blacksmith’s guild master informed our men that there should have been at least four in that order.”
“So they’ve got three of them,” Ryokumo muttered. “Great. I knew Hannah was talented, but I never thought it’d be this much of a pain in the ass to take her down.”
Reigious leaned back in his seat and scowled. “And to add to make matters worse, we even had one of the Korrei-Tarr stationed to protect this wagon, whose body was found in the middle of the road about three miles west of where the wagon was abandoned.”
“A Korrei-Tarr?” the Master of Wind parroted. “Well, had they not attacked that wagon, I would have believed that to be a tad excessive.”
Piura shrugged. “Under different circumstances, I might have agreed, Caeli, but the longer Arisa Kirisan avoids capture, the more of a problem she could become. They’ve already made attacks on the gate and they failed, so it’s only natural that they would seek to arm themselves. Unfortunately, it seems one Korrei-Tarr wasn’t enough.”
For a few seconds, the room went silent, giving Ryokumo time to consider all he had been told. He was proud of how well Hannah was holding her own as the Citadel did everything they could to track her down, but he knew that no matter how strong she was, she couldn’t hide forever. Sooner or later, she would be taken captive and killed, and if he wanted to prevent that, then he needed to find some way to smuggle her and the Children out of Erika.
“So I don’t imagine we were called here just for this,” Sinna said, speaking for the first time since Ryokumo arrived. “How do you want us to handle this? If Kirisan and Lynn have inferno stones then they’ve only become more dangerous.”
Reigious nodded his agreement. “I was thinking of sending the both of you down into the city to speak with the blacksmiths guild. They haven’t been terribly cooperative with our soldiers so perhaps sending Masters to their doorstep will loosen their lips.”
“And what is it we need to learn from them?” Sinna inquired.
“Just the details of that order,” Piura responded. “We want to know who it was for, where it came from, and how Kirisan and Lynn could have learned of its existence. Just talk to him…and get as much information as you can through whatever means you deem necessary.”
The Master of Rock bowed. “Understood, My Princess.”
It was then that an idea occurred to Ryokumo. It was something he had already been considering, but this gave him an opportunity to actually go through with it. It was definitely a risk, but it was one that he might have to take. In fact, it could potentially deal with two problems at the same time.
“If I may, My Prince,” he began. “Would it be alright if I brought Eric down to the city with me?”
Sinna immediately looked back at him as if he’d gone crazy, but she didn’t speak, instead waiting to hear what Reigious had to say.
“Why?” the prince inquired.
Ryokumo smiled pleasantly. “Well, to put it simply, Eric hasn’t left the confines of the Citadel. He’s focused only on his studies and it seems to me like he’s slowly being burnt out. So perhaps it would do him some good to get some fresh air, as well as some field experience. After all, he is my apprentice and this would have been the sort of assignment that Hannah would have accompanied me on.”
Reigious considered his request for a moment as he folded his hands together atop his desk. Instead, it was Piura who responded.
“Normally, I might agree, but do you really think it is a smart idea to involve the boy seeing as this relates so closely to the Children of Reiner?” She frowned. “After all, we are still uncertain as to how trustworthy he could be, and I fear what might happen should he come into contact with Arisa Kirisan.”
“Yes, those were my fears as well,” Sinna said. “Caeli, this is exactly the type of issue we should keep him away from.”
“Perhaps,” Ryokumo conceded. “But it’s not like we’re actively going after the Children. We’re just speaking to the blacksmiths guild. Not to mention, Cartus, the two of us will be there to keep a close eye on him. And if it makes you feel better then by all means, bring Alucian.” He then turned to face the royal children again. “I think by allowing him to go into Erika, we can show him that he isn’t a prisoner here. It’ll do us some good to earn his trust as well. In fact, I was also considering bringing him to his mother’s monument. I’m sure he would like to see that.”
Reigious sighed, then ran his hands through his emerald hair. “Let me think on it. I understand your point, but at the same time, Sinna and my sister aren’t wrong. I’ll let you know by tomorrow morning. With that said, you both are excused.”
Sinna and Ryokumo bowed once more then turned and departed the room. Once they were back out into the hall with the prince’s chambers far behind them, the Master of Rock scowled and shook her head.
“I will never understand you, Caeli,” she growled. “In what world is it smart to allow Eric Reiner to be involved in our hunt for the Children? Do you not think he would align himself with them if he ever got the chance?”
Ryokumo firmly shook his head. “I don’t. I’ve already spoken with him about the Children and he knows their days are numbered. The boy is focusing on his studies with Mackia and is adjusting quite well. I trust that he wouldn’t be foolish enough to get involved with Kirisan…and by bringing him with us, we show him that we believe that.”
Sinna snorted. “You trust him, huh? Just like you trusted his mother and that traitor of an apprentice?”
“Third time’s the charm, they say,” he muttered bitterly. “I don’t intend to make that same mistake three times. And for better or for worse, Eric Reiner is my responsibility now. I want to take care of him and show him that Ijiria is not his enemy… That we can work together.”
“Perhaps,” she grunted. “But there are other ways of doing that. I, for one, don’t trust him in the slightest. Anger is a dangerous emotion, and Noctis and Luz left him with plenty of it.”
Ryokumo shrugged casually. “Then this little outing of ours could be beneficial. Get to know him, Cartus, and perhaps you will feel differently. He’s a good kid…who’s just been through a lot.”
Sinna didn’t reply, instead just sighing and turning to look away from him. Knowing Sinna Cartus like he did, Ryokumo didn’t expect her to ever truly trust Eric Reiner, which made her dangerous. She would always be on her guard, and that would make it tough for Ryokumo to do what he needed to do.
But I’ll deal with her however I can. I’ve made my decision. I know what I need to do, and so I’ll take whatever risks necessary to accomplish that.