“That part of humanity that betrayed the world and was cursed by the Moons as a result,” Veil continued. “It’s all very interesting until you actually realize what it means.”
I thought you knew, Dallion wanted to say. It was hardly a secret, especially since he believed it to have been discussed before. Even if that was the case, the emotions within Veil proved that he wasn’t handling it too well.
“Who told you?” he asked.
“Who do you think?” A ball of spite the size of a melon formed within Veil’s head. “The Moons did. A gift for passing the fourth gate. After you helped me pass through my sealed awakening gate, I swore I’d never make the same mistake. Now, I’m not sure whether staying at ten wasn’t the better choice.”
The Moons did that? Dallion wondered. He knew they were harsh, even heartless, but it didn’t sound like something they’d do, not with their desire for more awakened in the world.
“You know it happened ages ago, right?” Dallion filled his words with joy, trying to diminish the negative emotions within his childhood friend. “It doesn’t mean that you’re a cultist or anything.” Besides, the Star is dead.
Suddenly, a terrifying thought came to mind. What if Veil turned out to be the new Star? He wasn’t an otherworld, although he had seen more than most. The thought was quickly discarded. Dallion would have noticed if there were any void threads within him.
Trial effects, Adzorg said. No doubt about it.
Are you sure?
Dear boy, do you know why blonds rarely ever become nobles?
Because nobles snatch them to become overseers before that?
Because it’s too difficult, the old mage answered his own question. All the baggage they are born with doesn’t just go away. You remember how difficult it was for you to level up near the end? It’s far worse for them.
Aspion became a noble, Dallion countered.
Are you certain? News of a blond noble would have spread even to the Academy. Yes, he was given the title, but as you know that doesn’t amount to much.
True, Dallion didn’t have firsthand knowledge of the fact. He had seen the start of Aspion’s journey in the memory fragment, but not the end. The old man had become a noble, similar to Kraisten, but had he become a domain ruler?
“Having trouble with your trials?” Dallion asked.
Veil’s eyes narrowed. A new burst of anger sprouted within him.
“Why are you here, Dal?” He crossed his arms.
“I know how to help you.” Dallion avoided the question. “Just as before.”
“How? Coming along and passing the trial for me? That’ll only make things harder later on.”
“Not if you have a permanent echo with you.”
There was a long pause. Neither was pleased with the idea. Veil didn’t particularly mind echoes, though he wasn’t in a mood to get more help from Dallion. The option was far from optimal, given how easily the Order of the Seven Moons could take advantage of the situation.
“I won’t lie to you,” Dallion decided to bet on the other approach. “I plan to change the world.”
The words had a much greater effect on the blond than all of Dallion’s music skills.
“I’ve already started.” He continued, maintaining his momentum. “I’ve two settlements in the wilderness, and soon I plan to get more. Soon I’ll have enough that everyone in the world will notice.”
“Taking over the world.” A spark of ambition emerged in Veil’s eyes. “That’s what you really came here for; you’ve come to reclaim Dherma.”
“No.” Dallion shook his head. “Not Dherma. I’ve come to ask you to become my overseer.”
Clusters of surprise filled Veil’s body, made all the more pronounced thanks to Dallion’s music skills.
“Overseer?”
“I need to move about the world, and for that, I need to have someone I trust at my back.”
“Your overseer,” Veil repeated. “After everything that happened, you think I’m a good choice? Or am I the only one you can find?”
“You’re the only one I trust enough to ask.”
This was it. If Veil were to refuse, it would be now. All the negative emotions had subsided, but Dallion knew better than anyone that they were still there, infecting Luor’s domain.
“You’ll leave Dherma, start fresh.”
“When something sounds too good to be true, it usually isn’t.” Veil smirked. “What’s the catch?”
“I’m at war. Nymph scouting parties have found a way through the empire to my settlements. The Order of the Seven Moons is backing me, but there’s no telling if that would be enough. And there’s no guarantee they won’t drop me.”
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“Sounds like fun.”
“There’s also one other thing…” Now came the potential deal-breaker. “The Mirror Pool has come to my town.”
“Forget it!” Veil snapped, turning away.
“There was no other choice. I need awakened for what’s coming and they were willing. Plus, they all agreed to take a Moon vow that they’ll stay in line.”
“Oh, so the whole thing about nearly killing my sister is alright?”
No, Dallion thought. It isn’t.
“I know exactly how it feels, trust me. They almost killed me as well. With what’s to come, not taking them in was the worse alternative. It’s a temporary compromise. Hunters will start coming in. When there’s enough of them, the Mirror Pool won’t be an issue.” I really hate myself right now. “That’s why I came to ask you, not order you like an imperial. I had no idea of the state you’re in.”
“And if you did?” Veil briskly turned around. “Would you still have come?”
Dallion frowned. “Yes,” he said after a few seconds. “I’d still have tried. To change the world, I need people I could trust.”
I’ve become just like my grandfather. Initially, there had been hatred between the two, which had changed into friendship after Dallion’s awakening. Now, he was taking advantage of that friendship to convince Veil to effectively become a chainling. The worst part was that he already knew that he had won the argument. The Luor was pretending to be hesitant, but the emotions visible within him had already shifted in Dallion’s favor.
“Overseer of a Mirror Pool town,” the blond said slowly. “What the heck. I’m already at rock bottom. How much worse could it get?”
Internally, Dallion let out a sigh of relief.
“Anything else I should know?”
“You’ll see when you get there. For the most part, trust no one, but pretend you do.”
“Standard family politics. How I’ve missed those.” Veil went to Dallion and slammed his hand on the other’s back. This time, Dallion didn’t budge. “I missed your craziness. Reminds me of the good old days.”
Were there ever any good old days? Dallion forced a smile.
“Give me a few days to make the arrangements. You can talk to your folks if you want. I know your brother has—”
“No,” Dallion interrupted. “There’s a lot of other things I need to focus on.”
“You won’t even see your mother? She’s—”
“The Order is taking good care of her, I’m sure. Besides, I don’t think she’ll be happy to see me right now.”
“Yeah. Right. I might not have your level, but I know a problem when I see one. It’s stupid to talk about changing the world when you can’t see your own family. I don’t know what happened, but—”
“It’s sorted,” Dallion lied. “Just a price I must live with.”
Veil shrugged, not in the least convinced. “Did you visit Gloria, at least? I know you were invited to her wedding before… before things happened.”
In all honesty, Dallion had barely thought about her. There were moments in his life when he thought there might be something between the two of them. There still was a chance that there could have been, but neither he nor Gloria had taken the steps to see it happen. Ultimately, she had married a former Icepicker friend of Dallion’s, who was also a noble. Dallion had watched the relationship develop from a bud to something more, then severed all contact with the two. Of course, that was back during the Priscord-Lanitol war, when it was safer for people not to be associated with him.
“You should go,” Veil added. “They’ll be happy to see you.”
“Maybe.”
“I know you’re different from us—part of one world, living in another. It’s easier for you to form and break attachments, but if you don’t take the time to visit the people that meant something to you, you might never get the chance. Don’t rely on them hanging on forever.”
The same thing goes both ways, Dallion thought. Others could have taken the time to stay in touch with him, but for various reasons, they hadn’t. Only Euryale and his guardians had, which made them closer to him than anyone else. Then again, there was no denying that Veil was right. Dallion could have put in a lot more effort. Maybe the real reason wasn’t that he wanted nothing to do with them, but the grain of fear that seeing them would shatter the perfect image he held.
And I thought I had dealt with my internal weaknesses, he said to himself.
“Get your things in order,” he said. “I’ll go pay them a visit, then come to get you. Don’t tell anyone I’ve been here.”
“I thought as much.”
“It’s not because of my family, it’s because of everyone else. It’s better if people didn’t know I came by.”
“You’re the boss, boss.” Veil let out a chuckle.
“And one final thing. Do people still use the Ogre Gorge altar to awaken?”
“Lately, not that much. Everyone prefers the one in the Order’s shrine, even if it’s a lot more expensive to use it.”
“Good, because we’ll be taking it with us.”
Realty shifted as Dallion left the mug. The stench of alcohol had largely gone, but there was enough to make him not want to be here.
“See you soon,” he said, then flew out of the hall, heading straight for the sky.
You could have stayed a few hours at least, Vihrogon stated his disapproval. Have a drink, reminisce about old times and all that. The life he’s known so far will end in a week, after all.
“It’s better than the alternative.”
I wouldn’t know. Less painful, probably, but would it be better?
“I just have to change the world and make sure it is.”
Falkner—Gloria’s husband—was the heir to the count of Arlera. The third most prominent city in Wetie Province, it had avoided the impact of the civil war, even if the ruler was Archduke Lanitol’s brother.
Dallion had met the young noble during the Icepicker’s admission trial. The boy had specifically been sent to the guild to learn from March while carrying a batch of echoes in his realm, including that of his father. It was by pure chance that he’d met Gloria Luor and fallen for her within minutes. It was almost sweet, despite the difference in social ranking. Even so, the two had stuck together and even married.
You know you’re supposed to bring them a gift, the dryad guardian said.
“My presence alone is a gift,” Dallion replied in an attempt to lighten his mood.
As he said it, though, the strategic part of Dallion’s mind was already considering his next move. With Priscord gone, the province had reverted to Archduke Lanitol, but even now there were rumors that his position wasn’t ideal. Even worse, none of his direct heirs seemed strong or skilled enough to take over. Falkner’s father wasn’t in a very good position, either. While not hearing anything specific about the man in the imperial capital, there was talk that it was time for a new generation to take control of the southern provinces and fix the mistakes their parents had made. While no one expected it to happen in the next few years, Dallion had the music skills to precipitate the decision. Then, all he needed to do was take advantage of his relationship with Falkner and Gloria to have an allied province in the south of the empire.
Back to scary mode, it seems, Vihrogon remarked.
“Don’t worry, I won’t force things.”
I hope so. That’s how it starts.