Arnault Goldwatch

A gold-masked individual walked through the darkened halls of the Inquisition chambers. The deep, shaded underbelly of the academy served as a clandestine operations hub for the secret police of the school. black obsidian bricks were the primary building material for the entire corridor, consuming almost all of the dim light emitted from the sparse, indigo flames of the few light fixtures in the space.

The gold-masked inquisitor stepped into the cozy office of one of the black-masked inquisitors. Dark mahogany furniture outfitted a comfortable, but practical space occupied by the nameless under-secretary of the inquisitor corps. Rendering a perfect salute, the gold-masked inquisitor reported.

“Inquisitor reporting. The subject has been examined as ordered. Student Isabella Gaffrey was offered [Serial Killer] as a class option. Memory scan indicates the subject likely killed an assailant in an act of self-defense in order to earn the option. Likely threat status: neutralized, student has chosen [Student- Music Mage], and was shocked and ashamed of being offered the murderer class. Recommended actions: counseling support, positive reinforcement.” the masked being said.

Poor girl. I’ll slip a note to her guidance professor to give her a helpful nudge later.

“Excellent work, Inquisitor. Unfortunately, you already have another assignment. You’ll be getting the details from the faculty member directly.” the black-masked inquisitor stated dryly, lacking emotion or descriptive features.

“Understood.”

_____

Stepping out of the glass door, The gold-masked inquisitor looked at the grinning face of the immortal lich responsible for their current role.

Of all the people…

“Greetings, Saint Baphelus of-”

“Come now, Arnault. Is that any way to greet a friend? Take that chrome dome off.” the lich ordered.

Taking off his mask, he felt the bristling sensation of Eudoria’s enchantment fading, allowing himself to feel his identity once more. His long, blonde hair fell out and cascaded over his shoulders, as he looked at the lich with a smile.

“You know, we’re really not supposed to be people while we’re inquisitors. That’s the whole deal with our oaths.” Arnault said.

“I’m aware… but I still think that you all should allow yourselves a bit more time unmasked. It can’t be good for you to be nameless for so long. It’s not as if any of you are being punished or anything.” Baphelus said, sipping his tea.

“Speaking for myself… I think we’re all running from something. Your wife’s magic allows us freedom from the chains that bind us. Being nameless can be an incredible boon if your name is one that comes with baggage.” Arnault said, accepting a warm mug of tea.

“I wasn’t a prince by any means, but I did forsake my old name, many years ago. I understand what it means to have people claim to be related to you to try and eke out some benefit from your accomplishments… I get it” Baphelus replied.

The two sat in companionable silence, letting the conversation lull for a moment.

This is why I love this school. The people who run this school all have hearts of gold… for the most part.

“So… I cannot imagine that you called me up just to have tea, what can I do for the lich of the Manse?” Arnault asked.

“Firstly, I regularly call people up just to have tea. I shall have to invite you more often. Secondly… you’re correct. I want to have you interview my new protege. You’ve got a surgeon's touch with mind magic, and he’s a mirror mage. Before too long, we’re going to be getting to the point in which he’ll be learning some restricted magic. I want to make sure that he can handle it before we get there- either that, or I’ll have to start him on a rather thorough remediation track.”

“Oh? You’ve taken on an apprentice?”

“Yes. I can’t wait to rub it in Marie’s face!” Baphelus said, with childish glee.

_____

Gio

Gio stepped into a criminally dim office.

“Please have a seat.” said the gold-masked inquisitor.

Gio sat, feeling like his chest was about to burst from anxiousness.

What could I have done? Did I break some sort of rule? I’ve been mostly keeping to myself and studying… is this about the dragon again? I thought that was all taken care of.

“... You really need to work on how you seem to wear your emotions on your face. You’re not in trouble.” said the cold, mechanical voice of the inquisitor.

Gio felt slightly better, but also somewhat insulted. Am I really that obvious? I mean i guess i’ve never had a poker face, but this is getting to be a problem.

“I’m going to say a few things, and I’m going to give you the opportunity to make an important decision, so I need you to listen carefully to what I am about to say. Can you do that for me?” asked the inquisitor.

“Okay.”

“Perfect. One or more of your teachers has asked me to interview you. Here at the Crystal Ring academy, we don’t stop students from learning anything that they desire, but we have certain policies in place to prevent teaching students about certain magic and techniques that may deemed harmful.”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Firstly, I am an inquisitor of the Crystal Ring Academy. I am under a magically binding oath to do no harm to students and act only in defense of the academy as a whole. I say this because if you accede to this interview, I will be erasing your memory of this entire interaction.”

“I will be plying you with mind magic so that you will feel more comfortable during the interview- both to get more accurate answers out of you and to make it difficult for you to lie to me. At the end of the interview, I will be asking you some questions that it is in your best interest not to remember. With all that being said, this process is entirely voluntary. You may leave now and face no repercussions. However, if you stay and do well on this interview, I will be able to report to your instructors with clearance information- meaning that they will be allowed to teach you restricted magics… if you pass. I will give you a moment to think about it.” The inquisitor finished.

Mind magic? That’s terrifying… but I’m really curious as to who is trying to teach me restricted magics. Probably Baphelus, right? But he just started teaching me… Professor A maybe? Damn… my curiosity is kicking in. Maybe I should accept just so that I don’t remember being told this.

I think I just need to accept here, right? Someone is trying to teach me something. I’m at a magic school. Pretty much everyone I’ve met so far has been serious about helping me… so a little leap of faith here should be fine.

“I accept,” Gio said, feeling his stomach drop out from under him.

“Excellent. I’m going to begin. You’re going to feel like you’ve been inebriated, and the effect will intensify as the interview goes on.”

The Inquisitor raised a gauntleted hand to Gio’s head, and he felt bubbly. Gio nearly started giggling, as the anxiety nearly melted away from him. His perception shifted, and he felt himself sink into the chair, just now realizing how comfortable he was.

Whoa. I can see why this is… concerning. But I feel lovely. This is just… beginning?

“To start with, what is your opinion on the school?”

Gio fought away a fit of giggles. This interview is gonna be a cakewalk. Cake sounds great.

“That's easy. I’ve been waiting for years to come here, I love this school. Everything here is magical, and I’m lucky to have this opporunity- I mean- opportunti- opportunity”

“Excellent. Next, what is your opinion on the Ringed Cty?”

Gio thought for a moment.

“Well, It’s home. I don’t like how people who probably haven’t even visited the Copper Ring seem to think that it’s like… a wasteland or something. My family doesn’t have the most money, but they love me, and I love them. I mean, the royal family probably has issues too, right? They still haven’t found that crown prince, can you believe that? I bet Headmaster Vespert- I bet she could find him easy.” Gio said, feeling drowsy.

The inquisitor shifted in their seat slightly. Gio thought he might have perceived a chuckle, but it might have just been the mind magic.

“But you don’t feel any animosity for the leadership of the Ringed City?” The inquisitor continued.

“Nahhh, not really. I read that magazine that we’re not supposed to read- Ringed City Culture. I think that everyone in the city is just trying their best, right? Obviously there’s a bit of a… what is it called… wealth disparity? I think I read that somewhere. Like- you get it, the poor people who don’t live in the pretty rings are way more poor than the poor people on the inside. That’s weird. I also wish I could just get magic easier! I think some of the rules are stuuuuupid.”

“Excellent. We’re at the part of the interview where I’m going to hypnotize you. Things are going to be very disorienting for a moment. When you wake up, you won’t remember anything. For what it’s worth, It’s been nice interviewing you, Giorgio. You remind me a lot of my little sister.”

“Whoa, you have a sister, gold person?!”

The inquisitor chuckled, and put their hand on Gio’s head, causing him to fall unconscious instantaneously.

_____

There was a boy in the middle of an empty room.

Another boy walked in, and they both knew that they looked exactly like each other.

“You’re twins.”

We’re twins.

“And what do you think about your twin brother?”

He’s my brother. I love him because he’s my brother.

“Your brother is mad at you.”

My brother is mad at me… I should ask him what I did wrong.

_____

A young man was in the middle of an empty room.

A copy of him walked in, and he knew that it was a copy of him.

“Are you the original or the copy?”

Why does that matter?

“Are you the original?”

I feel like the original.

“And do you trust your copy?”

Why wouldn’t I trust a copy of myself?

_____

A man cowered in fear, in the middle of an empty room.

All around him, clones of him grasped towards him, reaching out with identical hands.

“Are you real?”

I don’t care if I’m the real one. If I were the real one, I’d treat my copies better than this.

The man fell asleep.

_____

Saint Baphelus

“So? How did it go?” the lich asked, preparing for the worst but hoping for the best.

Taking a long pull from his mug, the banished former prince of the Ringed City looked up, staring at the open sky above the heart of the Manse.

“I’m clearing him for all duplication techniques, up to and including quantum immortality.” the golden-haired man said.

Baphelus stared at him, wide-eyed. What?

“What do you mean? We normally require training for that kind of clearance.” The lich uttered, his blue eyes glued to the man in front of him.

“He’s had training. He just didn’t know it was training. I scanned his memory, and one of his old prep teachers taught him a lot of stuff, mostly useless training aids. I did a quick bit of research, and it looks like the prep teacher was a retiree from the Ring Guard. He worked under Javier a couple of years back… retired to the copper ring after seeing some traumatic stuff in the villages outside the Obsidian Ring. I guess he drilled the kid pretty thoroughly on how to adjust his mentality.” Arnault said.

And some retired ring guard gave him the tools for this clearance level? No, that level of clearance has personality requirements, too.

“He’s also just good-natured. He wasn’t specifically trained for this if that’s what you’re asking me. In the last scenario, when we present the applicant with a sea of hostile clones, he just thought “If I were the real me, I’d treat my clones better.” You basically can’t train that. Even the most thoroughly prepared applicants usually break and either attack or defend reflexively at that point. So, you’re gonna teach him how to clone himself?”

“Well… that’s the plan.”