Norbert left the table and the maps, removing his weapons and leaning them against the sack. His money pouch on top, he does not want his coins mixed up with Obsius's.
Heading to a free cream couch, Norbert felt the fabric upholstery, two-toned with a floral pattern, flowing over the entire couch. Sitting down on it, Norbert turned to Vivienne as he relaxed, the muscles he didn't even know being tightened for hours now that he could adequately relax and not need to be whisked away somewhere with no warning.
"My actions earlier today spark any of this?" Norbert asked her, starting to get worried that he was the cause of what Vivienne had said before.
"You're not that special. No group is backing you, just some individuals like myself, so it wouldn't cause two nations to attack", Vivienne said as she looked up at the ceiling. Norbert leaning back as he also looked there, not seeing anything specific. It was just a plain white ceiling with no pattern, either with paint or physical.
"Everyone's moving their pieces around. You just gave the Kreevss an excuse to interfere in everyone's business. But if they find you, they will still make an example of you. For Honour." Vivienne told Norbert.
Nodding his head in response, Norbert asked, "Anything to cause the tension?" He asked her.
She shook her head. "I only dip my toes in the upper echelons of society. You've done mighty fine yourself in that regard. Say, how long have you been here?" She asked him.
The hairs on Norbert's back crept up as he wondered what to say, thinking the truth was the best way to circumvent the question. "Nothing much happened; I just lived in the village. One day picked up the power in an ancient temple, that's when everything went haywire. Probably around then is when Luck took an interest in me. And that’s when I started, as you called it 'dip my toes in the upper echelons of society.'" Norbert explained to Vivienne.
Vivienne just nodded as she thought about what Norbert had said to her. Norbert is thinking likewise about the sudden turn happening and the tension rising. Something just on the grasp, a memory tickling in his mind as an ember of thought wanted to turn into a blazing inferno of realisation. But no matter what, nothing was happening.
Leaving it alone, Norbert just stared at the ceiling, wondering what the next move would be.
"That's enough postulations for one day." Vivienne said as she exited the couch and walked back towards the table. Norbert followed her with his eyes, remaining on the couch. Vivienne returned to looking at the maps on her massive table in her large mansion.
Norbert wondering himself that, "Why would someone with this much wealth ever work as a waitress?" Norbert asked the former waitress.
Vivienne turned around, taking her eyes off the map to look at Norbert and the question that he asked. "Ever heard of charity work and getting back to your roots so you don't lose sight of your goals?" She asked him, staring at her as she raised an eyebrow before looking back at her maps again.
"You don't seem like the type to do charity work, Miss, disappearing off with my candy and not helping any children, leaving your partner stranded with the guards." Norbert jabbed at Vivienne, moving his eyes from the ceiling and watching her for a response.
Seeing her grin slightly, he remembered Norbert's predicament. "Well, I did give you the candy later," Vivienne responded to him. Norbert shook his head in response as he stood up from the couch, walked to the table again, and looked back down at the maps.
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"When do you think it will blow up, become catatonic and war gripping everyone by the throat?" Norbert asked Vivienne, hoping it would be far enough away for it not to impact him.
"Realistically, every day it doesn't happen is a blessing from the gods." She responded, fumbling with her left wrist as she rubbed her right hand against it. Looking down, Norbert did not see anything to catch his eye as his thoughts wondered what to do. How tight of a rope they were currently balancing on. Looking out to where the Colosseum would be, Norbert could not see it with the walls in the way he thought of how many people had no clue what would go down.
"And does this item help in any way?" Norbert asked her, turning his attention back to the map and quickly scanning the areas of both large maps. The important details to him were the connection paths between the two of them, having found the green dot that should be the Pudgy Patron there.
"Not at all. If something as simple as a single item would stop it, others would be vying for it way before now. No, everyone in the game seems precedence to going in this direction." Vivienne said as she took a piece from the table and slowly spun it in place. All I can do is prepare the best I can." The wind went out of her breath in final admittance.
Nodding his head in understanding, he said that when things started moving way beyond your control, there was little that could be done. Hold onto the ship going through the storm for dear life and hope you don't get knocked off or the ship doesn't sink.
"This thing has the highest chance of turning up in the armoury. Why not just go and win the tournament? Nobody seems to be overly difficult," Norbert asked her, remembering the battles he had done within the arena that were not seemingly overly difficult for him.
"That's because it's rigged. Knock out the easiest competition with the hardest ones," Vivienne said to him. Norbert opened his mouth to reply, only to be cut off by Vivienne raising her hand. The teams are decided by each country and given a ranking. The ranking gets verified and then matched up—weakest against strongest," Vivienne explained to Norbert.
He nodded his head in understanding, realising that they would get harder and harder the longer he battled in the tournament. He was thinking back to the first fight with Finikus, in which nobody could defeat everyone when Morena's ranking was decided but had to do a team wipe. Speaking his thought, Norbert pondered aloud to Vivienne, "Then how come in the battle I saw in the box with you and the others, the dark mage was nearly defeated? Somebody that no one could beat in the Morenas when people's ranking was decided."
Vivienne looked up as she pondered for a moment, remembering the fight that Norbert was referring to. Finally, she remembered and nodded her head, understanding Norbert's confusion about what happened. "Oh, that's when personal interest gets in the way of a fight," Vivienne said to him.
Norbert looked at her in confusion, not understanding her quick explanation of what happened. "Care to explain in greater detail?" he asked the woman.
Vivienne left the maps alone, having metaphorically smashed her head against a brick wall enough. "Someone wanted that person or that group eliminated. Why else would you have a dark mage of that calibre go up against Grimm? And before you ask, I have no clue what group it could be," Vivienne said.
Norbert nodded as he looked at the globe in the corner of the room. Looking to the other side, Norbert sees a horn coming out of a box. Pointing to it, Norbert asked, "Is that a music box?" He asked her, the brass horn and wooden box connected to it reminding him of a classical music box where the vinyl would be spun hand-cranked before letting the music be played.
Vivienne nodded her head. "That it is. I'm surprised you know about it. Mr Village boy." She said to him as she walked over to it, brushing her hand against the box. Norbert heard it come alive as the music started coming out of it. No voice, just instrumental, slowly came out, long and drawing out the single note for as long as possible.
Walking towards the couch, Norbert sat back down on it when he landed the second instrument, joining in with the first, this one sounding deeper than the last. Slowly, Norbert closed his eyes, letting the music continue to soothe him, his eyelids getting heavier and heavier as he remained closed.
Sitting there letting the music play Norbert relaxing once more, a thought came to him as he bolted upright. Vivienne looked at him, alarmed momentarily by his sudden movement, watching him as he ruffled around in the sack. Norbert picked out the book Granny gave him, and he returned to his spot on the couch, sitting up and opening it to see where the tassel was. The music inspiring him to read the book, something that he knew he should be doing more of.
Something he could do when he had more time back on Earth and not when people were after his neck for calling them a lizard.