Chapter XIII

Uma Miyon?

Nakoma Taurus furrowed his brow as he regarded the man before him, trying to remember if he knew that name from somewhere. While he didn’t know the names of every single guest at the party that night, he was relatively educated in the higher nobles of the Great Cities, so the fact the he couldn’t recall Miyon’s name meant that he was either not of a terribly high status, or he was some sort of guild master down in Hiriech.

And given his rather weak mana readings, I can only imagine it’s the latter. No baron or minor lord would ever have such a pathetic signal. Honestly, I should just blow him off and go back inside, but for some reason, I can’t help but be a bit uneasy with him. His sense is weak, but it’s not normal. Why? Could it be that he’s related to the incidents in the city and castle?

Wanting to make sure of one thing, Nakoma did a swift and subtle check of the man’s magic, and was able to conclude almost instantly that there weren’t any traces of biological mana in his system.

Which means that he’s not the changeling, nor has the changeling used her magic on him. But then what is going on here? Nakoma subtly tightened his lips in consideration. Well, he wants to talk to me, so perhaps to make sure we’re covering our bases, I’ll humor him for the moment. Liri and the others have the ballroom under control, and she only wanted Lady Yoral checked on just to be on the safe side, so it wouldn’t be the worst thing to set that matter aside for now. Perhaps I can learn something from this Uma Miyon.

“Pick my brain, you say?” Nakoma inquired, putting on as pleasant of a smile as he could in the hopes of making Miyon feel comfortable in his presence. “By all means, ask away. It gives me an excuse to stay out here a little longer anyway so I’m perfectly content.”

Miyon chuckled to himself and moved forward to stand beside Nakoma at the terrace’s railing, his eyes quickly coming to focus on the view of the city down below, sprawled out along the edges of the Siptic River. However, wanting to keep his back to the edge on the off chance that this individual attempted anything bold, Nakoma merely leaned up against the stone railing so that the castle doors and the surrounding gardens would always be within his line of sight.

“Not a fan of celebrations, are you, Master?” Miyon asked, to which Nakoma simply shook his head and shrugged.

“I’m afraid not, but unfortunately, it comes with the territory of being a Master. That’s why I came out here for some fresh air. The night breeze is lovely, and I thought it would be pleasant to watch the fireworks.”

Raising his head to the night sky, Nakoma eyed the display of multi-colored lights but ensured that his attention didn’t stray from Miyon.

“I understand what you mean,” the man commented. “I’m not one for anything involving more than a handful of people. I’m a researcher, you see, so I’ve always spent most of my time in my lab, running tests or toying with a new project of mine. It’s a quiet and lonely existence, but I’ve come to prefer it. I hear Masters dabble with research in their affinities from time to time, so I imagine you must understand what I mean?”

Nakoma nodded, giving no indication of what had suddenly gone on in his mind upon hearing Miyon’s response. A researcher? Could it be…? Is this the man? Mallicent’s notes… It referred to a “Doctor M”! Doctor…Miyon?

“I absolutely understand what you mean, yes,” Nakoma confirmed casually. “I love nothing more than going up to my office in the Citadel and just shutting myself away for hours on end, tearing through book after book until my eyes refuse to stay open. It eases my mind. Parties such as these are too political. Trying to maneuver everything just makes my head ache.”

What are you getting at? Why would a man with such a low mana reading approach the Master of Fire alone? If this really is the same doctor that Mallicent referenced then he should be aware that I’ve read the notes! Is he exposing himself to me on purpose? Does he stand to gain something by being so bold? I can’t imagine he intends to kill me! I don’t sense anything on him, after all.

“That being said, Doctor Miyon,” the Master continued. “I’m curious to know what branch of research you specialize in? What sorts of things do you work on?”

Miyon considered the question for a few seconds. “I…wouldn’t say I specialize in one field or another. I bounce around, you see, but if I had to select any single thing, I would say I’m most fascinated by realm travel and ancient magic. I feel it gets overlooked by the people of Ijiria because it is such a well-known concept, but the idea of a multiverse is just mind-blowing, yes? The Oralian Isolation Act obviously hinders my research, but even with it in mind, I still find things to study.”

“Multiverse, huh?” Nakoma cocked an eyebrow. “Well, the Citadel could certainly use more people of your mindset. Given all the restrictions, scientists tend to avoid dabbling in that field. We’ve learned very little since the time of Torral.”

Miyon enthusiastically nodded his agreement. “Yes, exactly my thoughts! We’ve obviously made great strides with inventions such as the QuaerBasim and the Cross-Dimensional Mirrors, but those are only for observing other realms. They have nothing to do with understanding them! What I wish to do is understand realm travel, and that is why I am glad I was led to you tonight. That is what I wish to pick your brain about.”

Realm travel? Well, if this is the same doctor then that’s certainly out of nowhere. What does that have to do with the subject? What does it have to do with the combustions? Well regardless, I don’t have much to tell him anyway, so…

Nakoma shook his head apologetically. “Unfortunately, you won’t be getting much out of me. I’ve never left our realm of Ijiria and there are very few people in this empire that ever will, even among the Masters. Not to mention, there really isn’t any reason to do so. Kaira is a violent hellscape with mages so unhinged you’d think the Noranians were peace lovers, it takes decades to return from Hildegan due to its time discrepancies, Omaruo has nothing of value, and Cansi is a barren wasteland. On top of that, neighboring realms to any of those four are complete enigmas to us these days, their information lost to time because of The Isolation Act.”

“True, true,” Miyon murmured. “But with all of that said, you understand the nature of the realms, don’t you? You’ve read about them?”

“I have, for my own curiosity.” Nakoma narrowed his eyes. “Why? Which realm are you particularly interested in?”

“Cansi.”

Cansi? Interesting. What about that realm in particular has this man so intrigued?

“Why?” Nakoma inquired, feigning disinterest. “Like I said, there’s nothing of value there. Ancient realm theorists might have hypothesized that it was home to a magical civilization that destroyed itself, but we have no proof of that aside from faint mana residue found on its surface. And observations gave us nothing of value back when Ijiria’s mirrors were still operational.”

But Miyon was already shaking his head before Nakoma had finished making his point. “No, I already knew all of that. What I want to know is if the Citadel has ever had records of magical beings that could be traced to the realm of Cansi—even ones that may not have been native to that realm?”

Magical beings? The subject maybe? Could he be thinking that the subject Caeli and Abigail learned about is from Cansi? If so, he’s being pretty blunt here with information. After all the secrecy, why come out and try to coerce answers from me? Maybe he really isn’t the same doctor and the name is just a coincidence? I don’t get that feeling, but… Nakoma grimaced. I do know of a few records of magical relics being found in Cansi, but it was never confirmed whether they were native to that particular realm or whether they came from another realm beyond. That being said, I don’t want to give him anything that could help him.

“Unfortunately, anything the Citadel knows that isn’t available to the public would not be something I could share with you,” Nakoma answered after a moment. “And assuming you’re from Stellareid, you would have an easier time picking the brains of the researchers there as opposed to myself.”

“Yes, I am from Stellareid,” Miyon admitted. “But the scientists there also know very little about realms given that the city’s formation came after realm travel was banned. Oh well, it was worth a try, but I thank you for humoring me, Master Taurus.”

“Of course, I’m always glad to provide aid to an inquisitive mind, and I wish I could help you more.” Nakoma casually glanced to where the doctor was still gazing at the city, his features illuminated by the shifting colored lights of the fireworks above. “But at the end of the day, Cansi is not really a realm with anything of value to us. If you don’t mind my asking, however, what has you interested in it?”

The doctor twisted his lips in thought, absently reaching into the inner pocket of his suit to produce an odd little item that Nakoma didn’t recognize. It was clearly made of some sort of metal, and was curved roughly in the shape of an L. At first, the Master was put on edge by it, but he didn’t sense even a slight trace of mana from it, and was at least relaxed by that fact.

Calm down, Nakoma. Keep your cool and stop being so on edge. If this man could hurt you, you’d be able to sense it.

“What has me so interested in Cansi?” Miyon finally parroted the question. “Hard to say, really. Perhaps its just because it lacks civilization? Or maybe I like the idea that it once had one. Makes you wonder what might have happened to it, especially if it was magical. It could provide Ijiria with information on how to avoid extinction. I’m a curious man, Master Taurus, and I think that about sums it up.”

You’re lying. I can tell. The subject… Did he find something in that realm? But no… Erika has a monopoly on realm daggers, so he wouldn’t have the means of crossing over into Cansi to find anything in the first place. Should I just be blunt and force the information out of him? No! If I did that, I would just be a hypocrite after all of my lecturing toward Liri and Caeli… Just observe! That was the king’s orders!

“I suppose I understand that,” Nakoma muttered. “I just…”

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

The Master of Fire frowned, having heard a sound that blended in oddly well with the fireworks. In fact, any normal person might not have noticed it at all, but somewhere in the distance, it sounded like an explosion had taken place, and instantly, Nakoma’s instincts were on alert.

That sounded like it came from the castle! Could something have happened in the ballroom?!

Nakoma did everything in his power to not make any sudden moves or to indicate that he had heard anything as he glanced sidelong at Miyon to try and determine if he had noticed the sound. And just when he did, he realized just what the discrepancy in his mana signature was.

He didn’t have one.

The mana that Nakoma had been sensing was no longer coming from where Uma Miyon stood, rather he sensed it just in front of him despite there not being anybody standing there. Had he not spent his entire life sharpening his instincts, Nakoma Taurus would have died in that moment, but he was able to react just in time as the thin blade of a glaive appeared out of thin air, aimed directly at his heart. With the terrace to his back and Miyon to his left, Nakoma could only dart to the right, the glaive missing him by mere centimeters, and realizing that the weapon almost certainly belonged to the red knight that tried to kill Ryokumo, Nakoma brought his mana to his hands, prepared to fight…

…only for three loud bangs to erupt throughout the night, louder than the fireworks with their close proximity, and Nakoma felt a burning sensation in his chest as he lurched backwards. Blood began to pool up in his mouth as he frantically tried to figure out what hit him. He had kept his senses focused on both Miyon and the knight, but neither had drawn magic that could have struck him from a distance. Yet, when he caught a glimpse of the doctor out of the corner of his eye, he saw the L-shaped item aimed at him just as the booming sound erupted two more times. The attack was so swift that he didn’t have time to put up Nex before he was struck in the torso yet again, and he could feel his internal organs being ripped apart.

What the hell is that thing?! It’s not using magic?!

The distortion spell falling, Nakoma caught just a brief glimpse of the glittering red armor of the massive knight charging him with the glaive at the ready, and realizing that he was in mortal danger, Nakoma did the first thing that came to mind.

“Get back! He’s going to destroy the terrace!”

“Infernus.”

The Master of Fire didn’t have time to wonder how Uma Miyon knew exactly what he was going to do before he had done it, but the spell had already been cast and unfortunately, both Miyon and the knight dodged back as powerful flames exploded from Nakoma’s hands, blasting the stone terrace to pieces. He had hoped to at least kill Miyon with the sudden attack, for even though it would harm his own body, he had believed that this weak man would not be able to escape. Nakoma could only curse himself as his body was launched backwards and over the cliffside along with the rubble of the terrace.

Damn it all…!

While Nakoma’s prime affinity was fire, any Master worth their title was at least proficient in two other affinities, and one of those was often wind due to its versatility. As he was plummeting towards the forest below, Nakoma put as much strength as he could into manipulating the air around his body and slowing his descent.

“Ventus,” he choked just in time.

His fall slowed, causing the pieces of the terrace to hit the ground long before him as he gently soared through the canopies of the trees, using his magic to shift his position so that he wouldn’t hit any branches and could come to a gradual stop on the forest floor away from the rubble. The moment he had landed, he coughed up more blood, frantically pressing his hand against the numerous wounds on his chest and sending nature magic deep inside of him in a desperate effort to at least heal his wounds.

Ah, fuck me! How could I let myself get jumped like that?! He had been played like a fiddle and it infuriated him that, even though he had been so alert, he had still failed to act fast enough. That man didn’t have a mana signature! That means he’s magicless! How?! If that’s the case then he came from Omaruo or Hildegan, but that means he used a realm dagger?! Nakoma clenched his teeth with pain, trying to keep his body upright as his body put itself back together. I always rely on my magical senses, but Miyon was magicless and had a magicless weapon, so he used that to trick me?! I was outwitted by a damned magicless?!

Raw fury flowed through the Master of Fire as he slowly pushed himself to his feet, his body moderately healed for the moment, but given how deadly the wounds had been, he was far from at his best.

I have to get back to Aquesen! Something happened in the castle! I know it! And these two—

Nakoma gazed in surprise at the sight of Uma Miyon casually sitting atop a tree branch roughly twenty feet above him, silently watching over the rims of his glasses, a sadistic and excited smile on his face.

And though Nakoma’s first instinct was to send a burst of fire straight for the smug bastard, he felt the arrival of the red knight fast enough to dodge out of the way as the armored man smashed into the forest floor right where the Master had just been. As Nakoma rolled back to his feet and turned to face the knight, he knew as a fact that if he wanted to get back to Aquesen and the royal team, he would have to kill the two of them first.

***

Leiolai Sartella held her breath, the Omaruan weapon Uma called a “gun” still clutched in both of her hands, and her eyes never once shifted from the still body of Nyx Rana. She had been confident that she would be able to approach the inn’s door without alerting the Master of Water simply because she was skilled enough in biological magic to completely replicate Abigail’s mana signature. It was a feat so complex that Leiolai had been certain Nyx wouldn’t once suspect that she was anybody but who she appeared to be. On top of that, because the gun was created without the use of magic, Nyx wouldn’t sense any mana at the ready to attack, and would have been under the impression that she was safe. With all of those variables taken into account, it was no wonder that Leiolai was able to put a bullet in the Master’s head without her ever suspecting a thing, and yet…

She’s dead? Just like that, I killed a Master of Ijiria? I mean, I knew I wasn’t going to die, but…

Still disguised as Abigail, Leiolai cautiously crept into the room, stepping around Nyx’s collapsed form. She kept her senses on high alert, wanting to be prepared for what seemed the inevitable reveal that the Master of Water wasn’t dead, but even when Leiolai knelt down beside the corpse, Nyx didn’t so much as twitch. There was a hole in her head where the bullet pierced her, and her pale eyes were wide open and blank, not a sign of life within them. Her silver hair was stained by the blood pooling up under her head, and when Leiolai gently pressed a hand to her chest, she couldn’t feel a heartbeat.

She’s…actually dead. Doctor Miyon wasn’t kidding! Magicless weapons really do give you the upper hand over people trained to fight magic! I’ve just killed the Master of Water!

Leiolai jumped to her feet and returned the gun to the holster at her hip, having hoped that the ruckus down in the bar would prevent anybody from distinguishing the shot from the fireworks. However, there was no guarantee that every room surrounding them was empty, and even though anybody that stumbled upon the scene would only see Abigail crouched over the body, Leiolai still wanted to get the hell out of the inn as quickly as she could.

Alright, that went exactly as I hoped it did! If Uma and Barron can pull off the same trick with Master Taurus, then we can eliminate two Masters in one night. And by now… Leiolai briefly glanced over her shoulder and towards the window across the room. I would imagine the reckoning has begun. The nobility of Hiriech should be no more…

Smiling softly to herself, Leiolai darted back into the hall, shut the door behind her, and swiftly glanced around, satisfied that not a single one of the nearby rooms had been opened. A quick sensing of the area around her more or less confirmed that the occupants of the floor were either at the bar or in the city, though she did sense two individuals just around the corner ahead, but she recognized and expected them, for they were the backup that had been sent to protect her should the assassination of Nyx Rana turn violent, as she had assumed it would.

The two members of the city guard stalked into view, and though they had abandoned their armor in an attempt to blend in as average cityfolk, Leiolai knew they had chainmail just under their leather jerkins and that their efficiency in magic would provide them with enough power to defend themselves. They stopped upon noticing her, their expressions clearly surprised when Leiolai merely grinned.

“Went off without a hitch,” she announced smugly. “Everything’s taken care of here, so let’s return to the castle.”

“Y-you’re serious?” the young man on the right stuttered. “I mean, I heard the sound from down the hall, but I never would have thought it’d be that easy.”

Leiolai shrugged, motioning over her shoulder with a sharp jab of her thumb. “Neither would I, but what do you know? If you don’t believe me, by all means, go check for yourself, Lassen. Ijiria’s gonna be needing a new Master of Water now. Too bad Rana didn’t have an apprentice.”

“No, no, I believe you, Mistress,” he said with a shake of his head. “Good job. The others will certainly be pleased.”

With that, Lassen and his partner, Cedrick, turned and began walking back the way they had come, and though Leiolai had already verified that Nyx Rana was, in fact, dead, she still couldn’t help but glance over her shoulder and give one last look at the closed door of the Master’s room before turning and following after her allies. Leiolai had only taken a single step before she stopped in place and swiftly spun on her heel, mana coming to her fingers as her body tensed up.

I could have sworn…I closed that door…

The door to the Master of Water’s room was wide open, but there was no sign of anybody in the vicinity.

Am I just losing my mind? Did I only think that I closed it? But no, I wouldn’t have left it open for anybody to just stumble upon the corpse! I absolutely closed it! I know that for a fact!

Leiolai shivered, feeling suddenly really cold, and despite herself, she still called out, “Lassen, Cedrick, hold on a moment! I just want to check—”

She stopped mid-sentence and couldn’t help but frown as she realized that something else was strange. Despite it being a warm late-summer night, she could see her breath rising up before her like it was winter, and as she shivered again, goosebumps spreading along her skin, she realized the chill she felt wasn’t merely from her fear. It was actually cold in that hallway, like the temperature had suddenly dropped into the negatives, and just as that realization hit her, the firelamps all extinguished at the exact same time.

“Mistress?!” Lassen exclaimed, but Leiolai was quick to shut him up.

“Hold on! Be ready for anything!”

Not wanting to rely on the magicless technology this time, Leiolai prepared herself by sending biological magic into her eyes, allowing them to morph into the yellowed, narrow eyes of a cat’s, giving her a much clearer view of the hallway. Feeling more prepared, she began carefully creeping back toward the door, knowing logically that there was no way Nyx Rana could have come back to life, but still wanting to check a second time anyway. Something was clearly going on in that corridor, and she had to know what it was. She continued moving, taking each step slowly and carefully, her heart pounding so hard in her chest that she feared whatever was there could hear her.

And she now knew something was there. She could sense it.

Yet she still wasn’t prepared when that something showed itself.

Bursting from the room without making a single sound, a large shadow swung around the side and latched onto the wall, its long and twisted limbs pulling it up onto the ceiling with ease, and without stopping for even a second, the shadow began to skitter towards her like some sort of four-legged spider. It moved so quickly that it had reached Leiolai within a second, and with her eyes no longer hindered by the darkness, she could make out the monstrosity as if it were broad-daylight.

It was Nyx Rana, but she couldn’t sense even a fragment of humanity in what she was staring at. Her face was that of a nightmare, the tips of her mouth starting at just in front of her ears, her jaw just barely hanging onto her head by a thin sliver of pale white skin. The hole in her forehead was gone, but her silver hair remained stained with blood, hanging down over her face like a bloody veil, but even so, Leiolai could still perfectly see her eyes—or rather, her lack thereof. Instead, they were just empty sockets, but even without anything there, it still felt like the creature was staring at her. For the first time in a long time, Leiolai Sartella felt like screaming. She had never witnessed such a horrifying being, and in that moment, despite knowing as a fact that she could not die on that night, she still had the most overwhelming feeling that she would.

But even so, Leiolai was abruptly wrenched backwards by Lassen, who pulled her out of the way just as Nyx propelled herself off of the ceiling, her jaw dropping open so wide that Leiolai got a horrific glimpse of the three rows of jagged teeth, long thin tongue, and the pitch black saliva within that maw of hers. Lassen’s fists began to glow red with fire, the only affinity he was strongly practiced in, but the cold of the hallway seemed to extinguish that flame before it had even begun. Right before Leiolai’s eyes, Nyx’s jaw clamped shut around his neck, concealing his entire head from her vision just before the Master of Water wrenched it free from his body, and with one violent gulp, she devoured it whole.