It was hard to think about preparing for anything when her duties as the territory manager and lord began in earnest. If Rena hadn’t been her direct assistant, Cassandra was certain she wouldn’t have been able to get anything done. Rena was a bit blunt at times, but she was skilled as a Tear and loyal as a friend. She was glad that they had become part of the same faction.
One week passed with no news, then two, and half of a third. Just when Cassandra was beginning to wonder if Autumn’s grandfather had only bluffed about his visit, Juliane entered the office with news.
“A visitor just arrived, and he claims to be closely related to Autumn. What should we do?” Juliane asked.
“I will meet him,” Cassandra said, “Personal visits aren’t allowed during the territory test, so I will treat it as an official visit instead.”
“I will guide him to the parlor,” Juliane reported.
As soon as Juliane was gone, Cassandra activated her jabber jewel. “He’s here. Autumn, let me know if you want me to send him away. It’s not too late to change the plan.”
Since they had some time to prepare, they had decided on a plan to try and get as much information from their unwelcome guest as possible. The main problem with this plan was that it involved Autumn talking to him alone, with his jabber jewel activated to act more like an eavesdropping charm. None of them wanted to put Autumn in danger.
“No. I will do it,” Autumn replied, “I am ready to face him.”
With Autumn’s assurance, Cassandra proceeded with the original plan and met his grandfather in the parlor. Despite being tall and obviously human, the older man waiting in the parlor resembled Autumn far more than Cassandra had expected. His graying hair had hints of the cream color of Autumn’s own, though the edges had turned truly white.
“You must be Cassandra, the acting lord of Teber,” he greeted once she arrived, “I am Frost, an vassal of Gaia who oversees the border and ensures peace between our nations.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir Frost,” Cassandra replied, “However, I can’t help but mention that Teber lies at the border of Beraud, not Gaia.”
“My apologies. I have come here for personal reasons,” Frost admitted, “I have not seen my precious grandson in quite a while, but I heard he was staying here.”
“Your grandson?” Cassandra asked, “I am afraid if he is a student, I cannot allow personal visits. It is against the rules of Nobility.”
Frost looked to the ground and covered his face with a hand. “I had no idea. This must have put you in an awkward position, Lady Cassandra.”
Something about his movements and tone gave Cassandra the impression that he had definitely known this rule beforehand, but pointing it out would ruin the plan. Instead she pretended to feel guilty. “I’m sorry, but I cannot let you meet him in this manor,” she told him, “However, if you tell me who your grandson is, perhaps I could arrange a secret meeting in town.”
“You would do that for me?” he asked with the glistening eyes of someone who got their way pretending to be touched, “Thank you. My grandson’s name is Autumn. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you in return.”
“There is no need for that,” Cassandra told him, “There is a garden here in Teber with special rooms that many merchants use for private meetings. I will have Autumn meet you there.”
Frost thanked her again before going on his way, Juliane taking the duty to escort him out. With that, the first step of the plan was complete. Cassandra had to be sure that the meeting took place somewhere safe, not under Gaia’s control so she had sent Keane to research what the town had to offer. The manor, unfortunately, could not be considered one of those safe places. She may be the acting lord of Teber, but everyone treated Tobias as the true lord.
“He accepted the meeting place,” Cassandra reported through her jabber jewel.
“I will be accompanying Autumn,” Keane replied, “Someone needs to be nearby in case things take a turn for the worst.”
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
“I agree,” Maximus said, “Unfortunately, I won’t be able to help much with the way things are here in Dyment. I haven’t made much progress in uncovering mysteries since I have had to spend all my time forcing them to acknowledge me as the acting lord.”
Cassandra also wanted to go, but she knew that she could not. “I will have to stay here to not arouse suspicion,” she told them, “He seemed to know far too much about us and Teber so I suspect there is a spy here in the manor.”
“That would make a lot of sense,” Autumn agreed, “Nothing happened until we arrived here.”
“I will see what I can do to set a trap for the spy,” Cassandra told them, “Good lukc with your grandfather.”
“Thanks. Maybe I can get him to spill the spy’s identity too.”
==========
Autumn had talked a big game over the jabber jewel, but in reality he was still terrified. His grandfather had raised him after his parents had passed, even though he was the very reason they had died in the first place. His father was once a citizen of Gaia, but had moved to Tethia to marry his mother, a catkin. Such marriages were impossible on the empire’s soil. The details of their deaths weren’t clear since Autumn had been too young at the time, but his grandfather had never hidden that he had been behind them.
Ever since he was little, Autumn had always been told he was lucky to be alive. If it weren’t for his incredible magical talent that Gaia found useful, he would have been cut down as a traitor with his parents. Had he not remembered the otome game and his past live on Earth, he may have lost his mind and become a slave to these words. He shared the same name as the heroine, and even looked just like her. His only hope was to take her place and attend Nobility, or her bad ending would be his as well.
Unfortunately, when his grandfather agreed to his plan to attend the prestigious school, it came at a price. He would take his chance at the test where all of the pillars of Tethia gathered and kill them, securing Gaia’s immediate victory. When Keane had helped Autumn to fail that task in a way that wouldn’t make things too suspicious, Autumn had been given orders to recruit others at Nobility, and convince them to surrender to Gaia when the time came.
That had been the last message Autumn had received from home until arriving in Teber. Since then, he had received several, but he had only been brave enough to tell the others about one. The one from his grandfather. The letter had been lengthy and difficult to conceal from Keane, who was always by his side.
Those other messages were part of the reason Autumn was afraid. He had never gained the courage to bring them up, but there would be no avoiding it during the conversation with his grandfather. The small slips of paper had carried clear instructions for things to slip into his ‘work’ in Teber. Most of it involved trying to gain control of the magic Keane was using through him to turn Keane into Gaia’s puppet.
Keane accompanied Autumn to the secret gardens of Teber as he mentally squirmed under the weight of his worries. Keane stayed at the entrance as Autumn went inside to meet him. He activated the jabber jewel as promised so everyone would be able to hear everything that happened around him. His grandfather kept up the kind and caring act until they were alone in one of the secure private rooms with a lovely view of the gardens through the windows.
“You did well to meet me, Autumn,” he said, “I have always told you that the only way for you to survive is to make a great contribution to Gaia. Tethia will fall, and you must be the one who makes that happen.”
“Yes, grandfather,” Autumn answered obediently, feeling the intense pressure in the old man’s gaze.
“I have been receiving reports about your progress. You did well to split your faction between Teber and Dyment, however I wish you would have traded that beast girl for the magician boy,” he continued, “Everyone else in Teber is perfect. Continue to win them over to Gaia’s side. I especially liked the girl who greeted me. She seemed smart, but still went along with our play. You did well with her so far.”
Had Cassandra somehow managed to act so well his grandfather was convinced she was a supporter of Gaia? That was good for the plan and his immediate safety, but it would be bad for Cassandra later if Gaia outed her as one of their own.
“Why did you wish to meet me, grandfather?” Autumn dared to ask. He wanted to quickly get this over with. He wanted the others to save him, but he couldn’t let them do that until he got something useful out of the old man before him.
“You have done well, Autumn,” he said, “but it is time to come home. You will not be able to achieve the glory Gaia needs from you at Nobility. Let others finish the wonderful work you have begun.”
Autumn’s heart clenched as panic set in. Go home? Had he made a mistake somewhere? Was he going to have a bad ending after all? “I can still do it,” Autumn pled, “The princes and princesses visit the school often and I can take out the headmaster too.”
“That won’t be necessary,” his grandfather replied, “Headmaster Osmond is on Gaia’s side. That is why I am certain you would be better served on the battlefield. You can even bring that partner of yours along. He is a useful tool in controlling your magic.”
Osmond was a traitor? He had sided with Gaia? Did that mean his grandfather already knew everything about the reincarnation and their pasts? Autumn’s thoughts had been thrown into complete frenzy with the new information.
“No!” he shouted, backing away, “I can’t go with you.”
All of his instincts screamed at him to run, but before he could, a silver haired man with a mask caught his arm. “Do you like my summon? I have had to use many magic tools to control him, but his usefulness is unmatched. Now, Autumn, let’s go home.”