Chapter 86 - Joining

He was the only candidate standing.

"Good work," came the words from his front, and for a second, he couldn't reconcile the voice with the face. For some reason, he had expected Mistress Amelia to sound…masculine.

Before he could even acknowledge her words, she turned around and walked back towards the other Kingsman, their voices barely a whisper that he couldn't decipher.

Not that he had the mind to do so anyway. His heart was still pumping a ridiculous amount of blood through his veins, and his brain felt like mush. He staggered over to the parapet and leaned on it before his knees gave way as he slowly slipped down.

Sitting, he closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall. He tried to ignore the low cries of pain of people around him, but it wasn't working so well. That scene from before, that touch, those voices, those landscapes kept coming back to him.

The very thought of what could have happened if he stayed there for another second sent shivers down his spine. A maid offered him water, and he drank all of it like he had been parched for a week.

His hands trembled still, and he gripped one with the other, hoping to get his nerves back in control. The idea of repeatedly using Stability Inducement on himself sounded so alluring, but he held on.

It would pass.

.

.

.

Minutes went by as he sat there, not really thinking about anything in particular. His heart slowed down, and his pulse was normal again. His body stopped shaking, and he wasn't unknowingly clenching his teeth anymore.

Another few minutes, and the amount of moans and cries reduced by a lot. He then finally opened his eyes. Most of the candidates were still on the ground but weren't shaking and convulsing anymore.

That's when he heard some words he hadn't expected, "Akira, only ten or so seemed to have passed the test. How could this lot of Observers be so rough?"

When Vern followed the sound to the source, he noticed the red-headed man talking to Captain Akira.

What do they mean by test? Was this a test?

Vern's mind was still a little overheated, so he didn't bother analyzing further and just waited to hear the Captain's response.

The blindfolded prince looked up at the sky and replied, "No, Roland, you're expecting too much of Observers who enlightened themselves a mere week ago. To be honest, the results are better than I expected. It should be fine to accept them in our fold as long as they wake up within the next five minutes."

The man named Roland seemed unsure but eventually sighed, "Whatever you say, boss." But then he suddenly began whispering, and Vern strained to hear, "Anyways, are you sure we did the right thing? This move is going to make a lot of nobles mad at us. We didn't disclose in the invitation that we'd be thrusting their beloved sons and daughters in the worst nightmare known to mankind."

Captain rubbed his hands together before replying, his words taking on a cold tone, "My only regret is that I couldn't have done it sooner. Do you know just how wanton and reckless the nobility has become? Every day, I get tens of reports of seances, spirit circles, spectral communions, and whatnot from our informants. All committed by these very nobles."

Blowing some warm air on his hands, he continued, "What's worse is we can't even prosecute them because they're protected from us by the Imperial law. So, I had to send a message."

Roland rubbed his chin, "But there's a reason all the latent Observers in the nobility kept the existence of pure subjectivity hidden from others. Are you sure it's not going to cause a panic? I am pretty sure at least half of the failures here will be running their mouth like hell—justifying their incompetence by exaggerating the horror of pure subjectivity."

Captain continued warming his hand and nodded, "Yes, that's my hope, too. It should at least spread in the nobles of this district, and we would be lucky if it gets to others. As for the risks? Everyone should be panicking to an extent. This world's their responsibility, too, after all. Sure, this new rumor won't stop them from being entirely stupid, but many would err on the side of caution when it came to their lives."

Roland stood there, amazed, before murmuring," Just how many birds is that with one stone?"

Captain Akira didn't respond.

Soon, the redhead turned around to leave, only to suddenly stop and point at Vern, who instantly dipped his head in his knees, pretending like he hadn't heard anything. Soon came Roland's voice, "What's up with that one? The guy didn't even scream throughout the whole thing. I was paying attention to him, you know? He seemed so...unfazed."

After a while, Captain answered with an intrigued tone, "Almost as if he's seen something like this before, huh?"

Woah! What kind of logic is that? Just...how? He could have been unfazed because of his strength like other Captains, no? Luckily, Vern's face was hidden in his knees, or his wide, trembling eyes would've given it away.

The problem was that he'd indeed been into situations like these. First, during the Duskfall itself, then the Land of Dark Sun within the Third rune. Both of them had surely expanded his resistance to uncanny to a high degree.

Roland then asked, his voice serious, "What do you mean, Captain?"

Vern felt those eyes boring at him, and his heart went cold. Would he look guilty if he didn't look up? They obviously knew he'd been listening, and they hadn't cared about it. But it would seem suspicious if he acted like he hadn't heard them talking about him.

Taking a deep breath, Vern wiped the shocked expression off his face and looked up, staring at that blindfold with a puzzled expression, sure that the eyes behind the cloth were staring right back.

Fortunately, he wasn't up against those eyes, or he would've cowered almost instantly. The intensity of Captain's face was a sight to behold.

After another few seconds, Captain looked back at Roland and responded, "Oh, nothing. He's a Fundamentalist, after all. They've seen things we'll probably never witness in our lives."

A look of realization appeared on Roland's face, and he tapped his fist on his other palm, "Right. That makes sense. Good for him, I guess."

Roland then brooched a few more random questions before he left Captain alone and found someone else to chat with at the far end of the tower. Vern felt like Captain Akira was still watching him, but he dipped his head back, not wanting to confront him unless necessary.

His heart had picked up the pace again in this veiled interrogation. Captain had clearly deflected Roland's question with a secondary explanation, and he knew more about Vern than he let on.

Vern wondered if that was a bad thing. He didn't like the idea of anyone knowing about his secrets, but he wasn't about to go full paranoid either.

There was a silver lining in this situation—Captain hadn't really done anything to hamper Vern, and nor did he try to put him down. He had instead assigned Vern under a legendary Kingsmen and was treating him the same as every other candidate.

So what if he knew more than he let on? He probably knew a lot about everyone. Vern recalled both Captains' conversation before it took a turn towards himself. Roland had asked a great question, 'How many birds is it with one stone?'

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

This simple demonstration of pure subjectivity had first acted as a test to weed out the weak-minded. A little extrapolation of matters also suggested that having fewer nobles passing the Captain's test meant he would have more leverage in the next meeting with the Emperor.

Beyond that, he sent a very personal message to the nobles of the city. These candidates were clearly heirs and heiresses of noble families, and by showing them the truth behind the veil, he had forced the secret out in the open.

It was a very delicate balance. He hadn't revealed it to the general public—avoiding outright hysteria, but instead demonstrated it to the chosen few who had a lot of weight to their words. So when this information spreads, it won't be dismissed easily.

This should garner more support for Vigil's noble cause, all the while reducing the reckless tainting of reality by the nobility who they couldn't prosecute directly. This should cause the people participating in rituals and seances to be afraid.

The more he pondered it, the more layers he found in each of the man's actions, and he couldn't help but be awed. It was a very simple move, but the subtle control of information and intention was just…genius.

If he had to put it in his own terms, the man had struck a perfect balance between stability and instability. The timing, scope, and audience of information revealed would destabilize the societal structure of the city just enough to achieve his goals of hammering home the dire state of the city, stop people from dabbling in risky practices, and give him a better negotiation position in the future.

It was…fascinating.

But suddenly, a novel feeling of…correctness spread through Vern, and a weird notion surfaced in his mind. It felt like he had comprehended something important about his Viewpoint, but he couldn't put a finger on it.

It was different than having a new Insight blossom within his Thought Space. It was like he understood balance…better? As if he grasped his viewpoint more clearly.

But he couldn't revel in the ecstasy for long. It was gone as abruptly as it came. Unsure what to make of this, he peered into his Thought Space and was pleasantly surprised.

Many new insights had blossomed within his Thought Space. And not just in one octant, they had cropped up everywhere—in all eight octants of his mental Insight sphere.

No, this isn't right, he mused. He was pretty sure these new insights hadn't blossomed just now. What just happened was some form of deeper internalization of these Insights. Also, his reflection a second ago was related to stability and instability of societal 'structure,' his primary octant, not all eight of them.

So that could only mean one thing.

These new insights developed when he was observing pure subjectivity.

Yes, that has to be it. he concluded. He was too focused on surviving to realize any changes in his Thought Space.

This was to say, he had two distinct advancements in a very short period of time! That had to be a good thing, right? Only if he understood the bigger picture of progression as an Observer.

He sighed, Just a while longer. Yes, the library here was going to give him all the answers he needed.

Feeling a little more at ease, Vern shook his head and pulled out his notepad. He should write it down before he forgot the details.

Minutes passed by, and other candidates began waking up one by one. Some had pale faces, while others had bloodshot eyes. But the general trend was that once they woke up, they weren't shaken for too long.

Did they not have the same experience as me? That could be the case because that thing at his back only took notice of him once he used Stability Inducement on himself. If others didn't use their Visions, it was possible that they didn't run into the same problems as him.

But things could have gone way worse if I had held back, he added in his heart. He didn't regret his choice but still wondered how others managed to survive without it. Or maybe the unconscious ones were in that state because they used their Visions recklessly?

CLAP CLAP

The five minutes were over. Butlers and maids helped carry out the ones that were still fainted, and the tower soon cleared up. Vern got up and joined the twenty or so candidates.

Captain Akira dusted his coat, looked at the bunch that was worse for wear, and started, "My dear Observers. All of you have proved yourself worthy by surviving the nightmare that's pure Subjectivity. You're the ones that hold the key to change the fate."

He waited for the Observers to take in his words and continued, "However, I believe there's some lack of communication between you and your archons regarding this situation. So, let me fill you in on what Vigil has in store for you if you decide to join."

The tired and scared faces perked up, and the man continued, "It's an opportunity. Vigil isn't just a frontier that will fight against the horrors of our new reality. It's a gathering place for Observers to come together and hone their Viewpoints as the sharpest blade of mankind."

He paused, surveying the room with a solemn gaze, and his voice suddenly turned grave, "As we all know, most Observation Records we have nowadays are erroneous or incomplete, which means the majority of us have no hope of advancing beyond a certain shade."

Vern's eyebrows furrowed at this assertion. That was unexpected. For some reason, he had expected these Observation Records to be a one-all and be-all path to becoming a powerful Observer. It appeared things were more complicated than that.

Others around him also seemed quite down at the mention of this fact, which seemed to suggest this was quite a common problem.

Captain's expression softened slightly, a glimmer of hope entering his eyes. "But as much as not having Objectivity is lamentable, it opens up many doors that were closed before. Multiple ruins of the previous era of Subjectivity, which used to be impossible to track down, have finally been located. That is to say, lost knowledge will resurface, and there's hope for us to mend those broken paths."

This proclamation instantly caused many to stand straighter, their eyes shining with a newfound light.

He began to pace slowly, his hands clasped behind his back, "And at Vigil, the contribution of its members doesn't go unrewarded. Weapons, Perceptual artifacts, Memory Packets, even Observation Records that we find are up for grabs if your exploits warrant the reward."

He stopped and faced the crowd directly, his eyes scanning the faces before him. "We have talented Observers in our midst with multiple shades that can aid you in the comprehension of your Viewpoints. We are here to provide you any kind of aid you might need to fight off the terrors that haunt the city better. Anything you will need to progress far in your Shade Sequence as an Observer, Vigil has it."

The Captain's voice suddenly hardened, his gaze turning intense. "But all of this comes at a cost. You have to be willing to do everything in your power to save this city from the horrors that threaten to end our very civilization as we know it."

He let those words hang in the air for a bit before roaring, "So tell me, Observers. Do you understand the gravity of our situation?"

"YES, SIR!" thundered the crowd, and even Vern knew what to say this time. He had long made up his mind. He wasn't exactly in it to save the city, but his personal goals aligned well with the general direction of this organization. So he would give it his very best effort.

"Are you willing to fight for the Vigil?"

"YES, SIR!"

"Are you willing to fight for this city?"

"YES, SIR!"

"Are you willing to fight for humanity?"

"YES, SIR!"

If it meant gaining a deeper understanding of the essence of Balance, he'd gladly fight for the cause.

The atmosphere was charged with fervor and passion, and a beautiful smile bloomed on Captain's face. Letting out a deep breath, he rested one hand on his heart and bowed to the crowd, "Then I welcome you all to the Vigil of Duskfall."

Vern, alongside everyone else, bowed back in solemn respect, each chirping with their own form of greeting, turning it into an incoherent mess.

When the former prince stood back up, he commanded the ones behind him, "Captains, choose the candidates you think will best supplement your teams. You already know their Viewpoints and potential. I trust you to nurture them and employ their uniqueness to the best of your abilities."

Everyone but Shinsei rushed into the crowd, and Vern let out a sigh of relief, feeling a mix of excitement and…anxiety? After all, he hadn't taken on such a grand-sounding responsibility before.

But he had to quickly push these thoughts to the back burner because Lady Amelia was walking towards him. And well, it made sense. She was the Captain assigned to him, after all.

So he took the initiative to meet Mistress Amelia halfway. He had been hoping to express his gratitude for a while now. So the moment she was within his range, he bowed formally, "Thank you, Mistress Amelia, for agreeing to teach me the ways of Kingsmen. I—"

She interrupted him with her serene, flaccid tone, "Don't worry about it. Meet me in the training ground by four."

His eyes lit up, and he nodded seriously, "I will." That was about two hours from now.

Before he could say anymore, she extended her other arm, and all he perceived was a zipping sound and a blur before she was gone from the tower. That was not all. The other Kingsman who was talking to Lucian a little distance away also disappeared with a brandish of his arm.

Lucian walked towards Vern right after and grinned ear to ear, "Do you think they left us here because they couldn't bother waiting for the elevators?"

Vern shook his head, not keen on going down such a line of thought. So he ignored that question and asked with a chuckle, "So, did you pass the 'interview'?"

Lucian smacked him lightly on the shoulder and replied, "Very funny coming from you. Why the hell didn't you tell me you were also assigned under a Kingsman? And Lady Amelia at that!"

Vern shrugged, "Well, you didn't tell me either. How was I supposed to know things would end up like this?"

He tilted his head, his blonde hair pivoting with it, "Enhh. Whatever." Then he squinted his eyes and rubbed his hands, "Anyways, do you think our unique status is going to give us some points with the hotties in our group?"

Vern rolled his eyes and ignored him again, "Did your master call you for training, too?"

"Yes! I'm pumped! Though, I don't know where this training ground is."

Just then, a new voice cut through their conversation. "Well, then, let me show you friends around," announced Captain Shinsei, stepping forward with a warm smile.