Chapter 402 - Cadria III

The first thought that passed through Claire’s mind was one of immediate escape. She wanted to flap her wings and fly away, but she knew that it was impossible. The mage’s—Allegra’s—vines would reach as high as the sky, and the winds she commanded assured a fruitful chase. She needed to skip right past the city, the country, and perhaps even the next. But even then, it would likely prove a fool’s errand. She would go down the moment Allegra grew annoyed enough to open fire, and the rabbit wasn’t exactly known for her patience.

In the first place, there was no need for her to run. Allegra was no longer associated with her father, nor even really the government’s affairs. For all intents and purposes, she may as well have retired. Claire remained hesitant to descend regardless, but having been called out by name already, she bit her lips and resigned herself to her fate.

She continued to frown throughout her descent, no doubt in part thanks to the change in Jules’ demeanour. He stared appalled, his mouth flapping open and closed as he looked over the grand magus’ spell. It was still active; Allegra still held control over all the flora in the area in much the same way as an ascended wood elf. If anything, her implementation was superior; she was known for wresting control away from anyone who tried to assault her with the racial trait.

“You’re the people from yesterday.” Mirta, the rabbit girl, opened her eyes wide as Claire and Jules touched down.

“We heard you were getting up to something dumb,” said Jules. “But it looks like we weren’t actually needed.”

The orphan clenched her fists and cast her eyes downward. “I was doing the only thing I could.”

“Bullshit,” said Jules. “You were just throwing your damn life away. If it wasn’t for her,” he pointed at Allegra, “you’d be dog food.”

“I… I know.” Mirta dug her buck teeth into her lips. “But it’s not like I have any other choice. If I don’t get any stronger, the—”

“Doesn’t mean you jump into a bunch of shit like this,” said the clam. “Look, there’s a w—”

Claire flicked him in the side of the face, with the blow carrying enough force to completely distort his flesh. “Take her back to town.”

“The fuck!? Why don’t you do it? You’re the one that can fucking fly! And why the hell did you fucking hit me if you wanted to ask me for something!?”

“I have some business to attend to,” said Claire. Her eyes were on her old tutor.

The clam cocked a brow. He took a moment to look between the two before defeatedly shaking his head. “Alright, fine, whatever,” he said. “You want me to tell the others you’re out?”

“I won’t be long.”

The clam twisted his lips into a grimace. “Fucking Cadrians. Stupid ass warmongering idiots.” He left the pair with a sigh and a wave. “Don’t blame me if you get your dumb ass killed. Doesn’t take a genius to figure that she’s completely out of your league.”

Claire shot him a glare and waited until he was far out of earshot before finally turning back to the woman who was once her godmother and teacher. And perhaps still, she was one of those things.

But even then, both parties remained silent.

It was surprisingly hard to find the right words. And perhaps that was why they began without them.

Allegra slowly walked forward. A large vine rose from the ground and elevated her to eye level, or at least close enough for the rabbit to lay her paws on the snake-moose’s helm. Claire was a little reluctant to let her remove it, but after scanning their surroundings again and pulling the trees a little closer with her vectors, she did away with her armour and turned it into her usual outerwear.

At that, the rabbit smiled, frowned, and grimaced. A dozen different emotions crossed her face in the span of a few short seconds.

Claire, on the other hand, remained perfectly stoic. She maintained her mask, even as her tutor’s fur was dampened by her tears.

“You’ve grown so much,” said Allegra.

“It’s been two years.”

“It really has.” Allegra threw her arms around the lyrkress’ shoulders. “I’m so sorry.”

Claire raised her arms, and after a moment’s hesitation, wrapped them around her tutor. “It was father’s fault.”

Allegra shook her head. “I’m just as much to blame. I saw the signs. I should have known. But I wanted to trust him.”

Claire nodded, slowly, before finally taking a breath. “What are you doing here?”

“I was out gathering herbs.” Allegra chuckled after seeing the confused blink that crossed the lyrkress’ face. “I started an apothecary in my hometown after I resigned from my post,” she said. “I don’t exactly have any disciples or servants to order around, so I’ve no choice but to do it myself.”

“Oh.” Claire paused. “Is it really that close?”

A hint of annoyance crossed the cottontail’s face as she pulled back. “Did you really pay that little attention during my lessons? I swear I’ve taught you at least six years of geography.”

“They were boring.”

Allegra sighed. “They were not.”

“Yes they were.”

“You were just… oh forget it.” The cottontail rolled her eyes. “Why don’t you stop by for some lunch? I’d love to sit down and catch up.”

Claire shook her head. “Father’s spies have likely identified me already.” Her helmet returned to its previous position. “They’ll try to take you in for treason.”

“They can try all they want.” The cottontail scoffed. “They’ll never break through my barriers.”

“And I need to get back to my companions.”

“Just bring them along. I don’t mind.”

“...Fine.”

She knew better than to keep making excuses. Allegra was sure to have a counterpoint to each, and the rabbit had always been the type to overthink everything in the first place. She was well aware of what her actions entailed. Still, Claire had felt the need to ask. Perhaps it was for responsibilities sake, or perhaps it was because she simply still felt guilty, courtesy of the orphaned rabbit. Whatever the case, her godmother laughed it off and started off towards the town with a bit of a smile.

“What would you like to eat?”

“Whatever you have.”

“I’m going to have to buy a few ingredients either way if we’re planning to throw a party. You can be honest.”

Claire paused. “Beef.”

“Okay, beef it is then. Anything else?”

“Not really. Beef was the only thing I missed.”

“Did they not have any cows down south?”

“They did. They weren’t as tasty.”

“I’m not surprised. Cadrian cattle are special,” said Allegra, with a smile. “They adapted to the cold weather by growing extra layers of fa—”

“Spare me the lecture,” said Claire. Shaking her head, she slowly followed the rabbit out of the forest and back onto the beaten path.

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The road itself made for a straight shot to the city, but they deviated slightly every time the rabbit spotted an herb worth picking.

It wasn’t like Claire didn’t understand. Allegra was simply trying to keep her apothecary as profitable as possible, and it was common for herbalists and the like to pick their own materials, especially when prices were high. Still, the behaviour was off putting. Allegra was one of the nation’s most powerful fighters as well as an advisor that served the previous king directly. Her wages were no doubt as impressive as her titles. And yet, there she was, effectively picking scraps off the side of the road, as would a struggling child.

The behaviour persisted even as they reached the gates. Allegra ignored the guards and nabbed the bright yellow flowers sitting beneath the wall before continuing into the city entirely unperturbed. Perhaps because they were accustomed to the behaviour, not even the guards reacted in any which way. They simply greeted her by name and returned to their posts, completely and utterly unfazed.

The only curiosity that drew their gazes was the way she skipped and hummed. And if that wasn’t enough to evidence her good mood, one could see it clearly from the way she occasionally stuck the flowers into her mouth over the basket she held by her side.

“Which inn are you holed up in?”

“I don’t remember its name,” said Claire. She deployed her wings, flew a few meters into the air, and quickly inspected their surroundings. “Turn right in two blocks. Then left again in three.”

“Two blocks would be Grant Street, and then another left is Ninth? That should be the Grapevine Inn.”

Claire shrugged. “Don’t ask me.”

Returning to the ground, she slowly followed her tutor through the streets. It was almost amazing how the people stepped out of her way. There was hardly a soul in town that failed to recognize her, and even the foreigners followed suit when they noticed the locals’ behaviour. Compliments flew like leaves in the autumn wind; the people worshiped her for power and beauty in kind, though the latter claims were dubious at best.

As her companion, Claire caught a similar number of gazes, but they rarely stuck for long. At most, people wondered what she was doing alongside the national hero before returning to singing her praises and thanking the gods for her presence, in spite of the fact that she had long abandoned her position.

The old innkeeper was no different. She opened her eyes wide when the pair entered the building, nearly dropping the ledger that she had in hand before scrambling into position.

“A-Allegra!” she said. “H-how can I help you?”

Allegra smiled softly. “I’m just here for a brief chat with some old friends.” She lied almost as easily as her pupil. “Please don’t mind us. We’ll all be out of your hair soon.”

“Are you sure you don’t want us to prepare any refreshments?” she asked. “My husband will need a second to get the kitchen going, but it shouldn’t be too long.”

“I appreciate the offer, but we’ll be fine,” said the cottontail.

“Alright. Just shout if you need anything and we’ll be right over,” said the old horse lady.

“Thank you.” Allegra forced a smile before spinning around. “Which rooms are yours?”

“The ones upstairs.” Ignoring the jealous look that the innkeeper shot her way, Claire wandered up the stairs and threw open their door, only to find Jules sitting in front of the bathroom with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

He lightly glanced her way when he walked over with one brow raised, perhaps due to her company, while her fox leapt across the room and straight into her chest.

“There you are! What the heck! I can’t believe you went on your morning flight without me,” said Sylvia. “And who’s that?”

“I’m not really sure that counts as the flight,” said Claire. “And that’s my tutor.”

“Mmmnnn… the one that you said is really mean and is gonna be single forever?”

“Yup.”

“I’m not mean, and I’m not single!”

Allegra drew the dagger that hung from her waist and pointed at its handle. To an outsider like Sylvia, it was likely without any meaning. But while most Cadrians would recognize a crested dagger as a means for a nobleman to ask for a woman’s hand, even the rabbit’s countrymen would have struggled to surmise its precise identity. Because she flew a different banner at war, it was only bluebloods and historians that would recognize it at a glance. After all, the crest inlaid into the dagger’s handle belonged to a house whose blood had long expired.

“I’ve been happily married for…” she paused briefly. “972 years, 4 months, and 8 days.”

“And how long have you been a widow?” asked Claire.

Allegra averted her eyes. “...972 years, 4 months, and 8 days.”

“Uhmmmm… Are you sure that’s right? Isn’t that what you just said?” asked Sylvia.

“Her ‘husband’ proposed to her with his dying breath,” said Claire. “And she never even liked him.”

“I-I liked him enough to honour his final wish,” said the cottontail.

“You’re only ‘honouring his final wish’ because it keeps other people from proposing.”

Again, the rabbit avoided the judging gaze. She turned to the rest of the room’s occupants with her lips twisted into a smile.

“Oh, right. Where are my manners? It’s nice to meet all of you.” In the end, she chose to pretend that none of it had ever happened. “I am Allegra Cedr, Awakened Runeblood Cottontail. I’m Claire’s tutor and godmother.” Ignoring the cold stare needling its way into the back of the skull, she greeted the brigade with a gentle smile.

The rest of the party quickly ran through their introductions as well, with everyone but the non-present Krail—he was apparently taking a cold bath in the room next door—listing their names and races, as per the usual etiquette.

“It is a pleasure to meet a mage of such great renown,” said Arciel. “Might I inquire as to the purpose of your visit?”

“I was hoping to invite all of you over for lunch,” said Allegra. “And maybe discuss your future plans.” She took a breath. “I might be able to be of some assistance.”

“Alright, now hold on just a fucking second,” said Jules. “You’re Cadrian, aren’t you? How the hell do we know this whole thing isn’t a trap?”

Allegra tapped a foot against the floor whilst rapping her paw against her chin. “Hmmm, that’s a tough one,” she said. “It’d probably be easier for you to accept if you understood the current political climate. So to start, Cadria has never quite been entirely unified. The nation has always lived by a warrior culture, but we’ve also been divi—”

“Stop it. No lecturing.” Claire wrapped her tail around the rabbit’s face and cut the lecture short. “Just trust her,” she said. “I never want to hear another three hour rant about something entirely inconsequential ever again.”

“Are you certain it is wise to accept this invitation?” asked Ciel.

Claire nodded. “She wouldn’t need to rely on cheap tricks to take us down.”

“I suppose not. I have heard the rumours, and gazing upon her in person, I must admit that I am beginning to believe them.” The vampire squid’s eyes were fixed on the rabbit, or more specifically, the rabbit’s glowing eyes.

They pulsed with magic every time her heart was pushed to action. The very flow of her blood activated the circles burnt into her irises. Ciel was unable to decipher them, even with an extended look, but the one on the left seemed to affect her perception, while the one on the right was so intricate and complex that it was too small to parse. She could have easily dismissed them if they were native, a consequence of the rabbit’s ascensions, but the neat nature of their construction suggested that they were not; Allegra was actively maintaining both in real time, even though one looked like it would need a full minute to cast.

“And if Claire has vouched for you, then I am happy to accept your invitation,” said Arciel. “Let us gather our things and depart.”

“Hold on,” said Jules. “I mean, sure, we can write off our trust issues and whatever if we want, but we’ve still got another problem to solve.” He pointed at the bathroom. “She’s still getting cleaned up, but we’re gonna have to figure out what we’re gonna do with her.”

“We are?” Sylvia tilted her head.

“We’re the ones who got her in this shit in the first place,” said Jules. “It’s only right we see it through.”

“Uhmmm, I’m pretty sure you’re the only one that got her into anything,” said Sylvia. “The rest of us kinda just watched.”

“Yeah, and I’m one of you, aren’t I?”

“Mmmnnn…” Sylvia raised a paw to her chin. “I guess?”

“...Did you really have to think about it?”

“What’s this problem, exactly?” asked Allegra.

“It’s the kid you saved,” said Claire. She quickly summarized the previous night’s events to her tutor before quickly going over everything that happened in the morning. It was a cut and dry explanation, listing only the key facts, but perhaps being used to it, the rabbit refrained from asking for details.

All she did was look at Claire and frown.

That was enough for the lyrkress to avert her eyes. She was responsible for almost every part of the problem.

It wasn’t just the attack on Tornatus. By eliminating the province’s governor, she rattled the chain of command and put a temporary halt to the accompanying administrative work. Under normal circumstances, the orphanage’s lack of space would never have been overlooked. If the town lacked the funds to cover an expansion project, the province surely would have stepped in to make up the difference and see that the necessary work was done.

The transition that was Porcius’ rise to power was already a rough patch where things got piled up. Too many of the important officials had been erased and any calls that he made went largely unrespected. When the new government finally stabilized, it was only to head to war; civil duties were overlooked in the name of the old lord’s vengeance. But even that group was eliminated. Almost all of the people familiar with government work or otherwise trusty enough to be assigned to it were slain in a matter of months.

The Pollux march was left in a horrid state of disrepair with nearly all of the social systems meant to support the common folk either mismanaged or in decline. The work to see it repaired ultimately ended up falling on the king, but it was only recently that he picked it up. There was still so much for him to go through that it would be some time before he wiped the backlog clean.

“I can provide her with some additional funding for now if she doesn’t mind swearing off combat,” said Allegra, “but the best way to see this problem addressed will be to stop by the capital and mention it there.”

The truth was that, even if they ignored the problem, it would likely go away with time, but Allegra knew that, with Claire preventing her from explaining the government’s workings in detail, the foreigners would likely prefer if there was an action to take.