When Cassandra woke up the next morning she found a letter from Caleb in her letter box telling her to contact him when she was in a secure location without any listening ears. Keane and Autumn were welcome to join, but she was warned against bringing anyone else. It was HOT business. Who had taught Caleb about acronyms? It wasn’t something commonly used in Tethia, so perhaps it was strange that she immediately decoded HOT to mean Heroes of Tethia.
During breakfast, Autumn mentioned something about needing to relay some HOT information of his own. Tobias immediately misunderstood on multiple accounts, as he asked Autumn what kind of guys he found attractive.
“I am a guy!” Autumn exclaimed. He had gotten better at correcting people without freaking out, but it seemed he was a little extra on edge today.
Cassandra quickly swooped in to rescue the situation. “He has been having issues because all of his crushes mistook him for a girl and things became awkward once they found out,” she explained. It would be a little embarrassing, but it was better than Tobias catching on that HOT meant something else entirely.
Autumn immediately flushed but did not deny her words. Oh dear, had that actually happened? Cassandra made a mental note not to bring that up again. Luckily, Tobias bought the excuse and let the subject drop. After breakfast, Cassandra found some time to herself and contacted Autumn and Keane.
“If both of you have some time, we should contact Caleb,” she told them.
The communication charms Caleb and Keane had worked so hard to create were worn as earrings for convenience. They had various modes of function, allowing you to both contact specific people privately or speak to multiple people at once. Of course, everyone involved must have a paired communication charm or the magic wouldn’t work. It was especially convenient that they didn’t have to gather in one place to use it, yet all of the Heroes of Tethia, as Michelle had dubbed them, could have a conversation.
“I have some interesting news,” Maximus told them once everyone had linked into the call, “Something strange is going on in Dyment. The longer I stay here the stranger it gets. Last night I was sure they just hated fae kind, but there seems to be a dark secret to the secret dye production method as well.”
“Did you need help looking into things?” Cassandra asked.
“No, I just wanted to keep you updated. If any of us remember anything important about current events we should keep the others updated,” Maximus replied.
“Actually, I have something that I need to share,” Autumn broke in, “I received a letter from my grandfather today… My grandfather is a vassal of the Empire of Gaia and should have no access to Teber. He shouldn’t even know where I am.”
“Your grandfather is a vassal of Gaia?” Alois asked, joining the conversation, “Is that why you ran away from home?”
Cassandra had expected a background like this when Autumn made repeated mentions of the game heroine’s fate of being exploited as a weapon by Gaia. She hadn’t expected Autumn’s to be so closely related, or for him to suddenly open up about it with the whole group.”
“Just wait until you hear the contents,” Keane told them with displeasure, “It was sickening to read.”
“Is Autumn being threatened?” Wayde asked warily.
“Sort of,” Autumn replied, “When I passed the test to enter Nobility, they gave me an order to use the opportunity to convert others to our cause. My grandfather believes I am faithfully following those orders and you are the ones I have chosen to turn to Gaia. However, he said that some of you aren’t worthy to enter Gaia after Tethia is conquered.”
“That’s what this is about,” Alois sighed, “The Empire of Gaia is full of endless discrimination. I am amazed they would even work with a beastkin like yourself. They must be truly desperate and think we would never expect it.”
“If Gaia has reached Teber, is there a possibility they have reached Dyment as well? That would explain why everyone has an adverse reaction to my wings,” Maximus guessed.
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
“It’s possible,” Keane confirmed, “Keep an eye out. The war with Gaia has already begun from the inside, and we need to do what we can to stamp it out before it is too late.”
“Headmaster Osmond knows about the war from our discussion with his summon,” Wayde recalled, “If he hasn’t betrayed us, then the other pillars of Tethia might be preparing already for the incoming threat.”
As the discussion grew more heated, a small part of Cassandra missed the hectic but safe days attending school at Nobility. It seemed this second semester would be hectic as well, but in a completely different way.
“I am not sure if this is important, but I have news as well,” Cassandra spoke up, “Yuki followed me to Teber without me summoning him. He was waiting in my room when I went to bed last night.”
“Yuki?” Maximus asked, “That fox summon of yours? I’ve never heard of a summon summoning themselves before, but if he exists somewhere in this world normally, he could have just followed you the normal way rather than through summoning magic.”
That was the explanation Cassandra had come up with as well, and it seemed no one had anything in particular to say about Yuki. Perhaps he didn’t appear much in the future after all. Then again, maybe he did and they just didn’t know about it.
“You had better keep Yuki hidden,” Autumn advised, “There was actually a second part to my grandfather’s letter. He is coming to visit to judge my progress. If he thinks I have failed, he intends to drag me to Gaia with him… In the game, the heroine would get the bad ending if she failed to get close to a target by the second semester. I guess this is why.”
“We won’t let that happen,” Cassandra promised, “Maximus, good luck with Dyment’s hidden secrets. It looks like we will have our own set of problems to deal with.”
“Thanks,” Maximus said, “You should be careful as well. If a vassal of Gaia is going to be bold enough to visit one of Nobility’s ten territories during the test, he must have someone backing him. Don’t let your guard down.”
Maximus made a fair point. He had to have at least entertained the possibility that Autumn would choose to report him instead of following orders. This meant he either had a spy on the inside to warn him if such a report happened, someone powerful giving him refuge, or both.
“You should be careful too,” Keane told Maximus, “You already know that the people there react to your wings. It is just a matter of time before you are targeted. Don’t go anywhere alone.”
“I am glad our first long distance test of the jabber jewels is successful,” Caleb butted in, “but I was really hoping we would be discussing a lighter topic.”
“Like the fact jabber jewels is an awful name?” Autumn suggested, a small smile seeming to enter his tone.
Caleb sighed. “Then you come up with a better one. Wasn’t your idea ‘ear sings’?”
“That was one of them,” Autumn defended, “Not my best one, though.”
As the two continued to argue, Cassandra found herself able to smile and relax as well. She was glad that all of them had truly been able to become friends before the danger that would turn them into the Heroes of Tethia struck. There would be no avoiding the path of the future, so she would do her best to embrace it.
“I actually do have one more incredibly serious issue to bring up,” she interrupted, “Where can I acquire cookies in Teber?”
There was a silence that was shortly filled with plentiful laughter. Alois in particular was wheezing as he struggled to answer her with the same false seriousness she had proposed her question in.
“I would imagine you could speak to a knowledgeable merchant and obtain some,” he replied, “but if you happen to be particular about your recipes you should convince the chef of Teber Manor to make some for you instead.”
“I think I shall pursue both of those options,” Cassandra decided, “Thank you.”
“I volunteer as a taste tester!” Autumn called out, managing to escape from his own fit of giggles.
“How about a cookie contest?” Caleb suggested, “Whoever brings Cassandra the best cookies decides the name of the communication charms.”
“I’m in,” Autumn accepted.
“I will join as well,” Keane agreed.
Alois let out a muffled snort. “Oh I am definitely in, but if I win, I’ll call them something crazy like Communication On Order Kindling Innovation Endlessly.”
It was Cassandra’s turn to let out a laugh as she realized what the acronym would spell. “That would be one HOT COOKIE. I approve.”
The contest ended before the day was up, with Caleb’s overwhelming victory. Everyone had put their all into cookie retrieval to prevent the HOT COOKIE from becoming something they would have to live with. Compared to that, even Autumn had to admit that jabber jewels was just fine.