Chapter IX

Deciding not to waste her time with the gondolas, Ilirianna Iiji hurled herself up over the walls of the Fifth Ring and used wind magic to facilitate a safe descent down towards the Third. She could sense Ryokumo keeping pace not far behind her, a comforting presence as they hurried in the direction of the protest Ella Cartigan had reported. At first, Ilirianna had worried about how she was going to locate her destination since she wasn’t terribly familiar with the layout of Stellareid and wouldn’t know exactly where the Operon Company headquarters would be. However, that concern was quickly diminished when Ilirianna realized how fitting the term “mass protest” was for this incident. The streets before the five-story building where the Operon Company Lord had his offices were packed tightly with crowds of people, their furious shouting audible even from her position high up in the sky. In fact, it appeared as if the entire working class was present, with at least four blocks filled with protestors, resulting in the entire industrial districts blockaded.

Fricking hell… Ella must have been right… This isn’t something that just happened on the spur of the moment. This was planned out way ahead of time, and with how organized this is, as well as just how many people are involved, I would be shocked if Keskivaara wasn’t the puppet master here.

Controlling the wind around her feet to steady her descent, Ilirianna gently planted herself on the rooftop of an adjacent company building, placing her four-stories above the protest and giving her a clear view of what was taking place down below. Ryokumo landed a second later, hurrying to stand beside her at the edge of the roof, allowing them both to analyze the current circumstances.

The headquarters of the Operon Company stood just behind a large plaza consisting of a beautiful marble fountain, some shrubbery and trees, and a few benches for people to rest on. A large curved staircase led up to this plaza, at the bottom of which was where the protest’s perimeter began. Two dozen armored guards stood between the people and the stairs, some wielding traditional weapons while others had their mana drawn to their hands, clearly prepared to start casting spells if things got more out of control. Ilirianna noted the fact that these soldiers were not wearing the black and gold colors of House Cartigan, indicating they were independent warriors and mages contracted by the Operon Company. For now, the people were refraining from forcing their way past the soldiers, but the fury in their shouts and screams told Ilirianna the lack of violence might not last much longer.

If they're independent then they won’t hesitate to kill anybody in defense of the company. Unfortunately, even with their far superior magical knowledge over the commoners, they’re ridiculously outnumbered. If the people wish it, they could storm this building successfully, though not without mass casualties on both sides. If they did that, Cartigan would almost certainly send his own men to eliminate them, and he would not take mercy. The people would win in the short term, but in the end, the death count would be horrifically high. This needs to be mediated and fast…

Wanting to have a better idea of what the motivation behind this protest was, Ilirianna did her best to listen to the words the people screamed out, while also reading every sign they held. Unfortunately, the reasoning was predictable and not something she could negotiate easily. They shouted about the terrible working conditions, about the hours they spent slaving away for the Company Lords that kept them from their families. Some called out the low wages that barely kept them financially above the water, and as she caught snippets of “Justice for Rala” and “Never forget Haran Rala”, she concluded that somebody must have recently died.

“Well this is a damn mess,” Ryokumo muttered with an almost impressed whistle. “I don’t know what Keskivaara looks like so I can’t tell if he’s here or not. Do you see him, Liri?”

Ilirianna shook her head with frustration. “No, I don’t, but I only know what he looks like from the description of him in the mission briefing. There’s far too many people down there to pick out one man unless he steps forward and announces himself.”

“Do you think he will?”

The princess considered Ryokumo’s question, and recalling everything she had heard about the People’s Mind, she was quite confident in her response. “Yes, almost certainly.”

As she observed, she couldn’t help recalling what Nigreos had said to her just that morning about Keskivaara’s request for an audience, and her lips drew tight with annoyance. If not for her father, Ilirianna would have jumped at that opportunity, but as always, due to the political structure of the Ijirian Empire, she was walking a very thin line with the authority she held. If she agreed, she would not be able to escape punishment from King Markreas, but if she refused, then not only would she potentially be abandoning Neah Noctis, but she would also be sacrificing Keskivaara to the Kosah-Rei. In some ways, she was grateful Nigreos disobeyed the ban on speaking with the People’s Mind, but on the other, she hated the position she now found herself in.

Not that I didn’t prepare for the possibility that a member of the royal team would ignore direct orders, but I never would have guessed it’d be Nigreos to do it… She furrowed her brow. I have an opportunity here though. If the Princess of Ijiria goes down there and publicly reaches out to Keskivaara, I may be able to calm things down. I could use the excuse that the situation would have deteriorated otherwise. I could tell Father that I had no choice, and he might actually believe me. Cartigan and Viiro would be furious but… She smirked. Since when did I care?

Ilirianna’s eyes shifted back to the plaza, noting that there wasn’t a single person from the Operon Company there to confront the protestors. There were no higher-ranked employees, there was nobody from the Board of Directors, there was simply no one. It seemed as if the Company Lord didn’t see this as a threat, or perhaps he wanted things to turn violent so he and Lord Cartigan could justify their own violence. Either way, the soldiers at the foot of the staircase were the only ones present, but they were silent as statues.

“Kumo,” she began, eyeing her curious friend with a sly smirk. “Shall I intervene?”

Ryokumo cocked an amused brow. “On whose behalf?”

“Don’t ask questions you know the answer to.”

“Fair enough. Go ahead, Liri. Give us a show!”

Satisfied that she had Ryokumo’s support, Ilirianna bent her legs and protoed off the rooftop, angling her descent down towards the empty plaza. As a few people noticed her, there were confused shouts and fingers pointing, with a few guards turning and angling their weapons towards her, so wanting to make sure they didn’t instantly attack, Ilirianna projected her voice with wind magic and ordered,

“Stand down! I am Princess Ilirianna Iiji, heir to the throne of the Empire!”

Landing at the top of the staircase, she rose to a full and confident height, her blue eyes gazing down at the stunned guards below with authority. Everybody who could see her would recognize her emerald hair, and that would be more than enough to confirm she was who she said she was. Since the soldiers most likely had orders to keep everybody out of the plaza, the hesitation in their postures and the way they turned their helmeted heads towards each other, as if trying to determine what their fellow allies were doing, was to be expected. However, Ilirianna knew that in the end, nobody would defy a direct order from an Iiji, so they would not make an attempt to remove her. Nodding her satisfaction, Ilirianna turned her attention towards the now silent, and possibly stunned, crowd of protestors.

“People of Stellareid!” she went on, keeping her voice projected so that everybody would be able to hear her words. “I reluctantly confess that I am not terribly educated on the current state of your Great City, so I do not know the details of why you protest the way you do! That being said, a dissatisfied populace does not make for a great Empire, so I wish to help you in any way I can! I was told that the People’s Mind, Rickori Keskivaara, heads this movement, so if he is willing to talk with me, I would request that he come forth!”

A wave of soft murmurs spread through the crowd, and though Ilirianna could not distinguish them, she could at least identify the lack of unity among their responses. Some clearly didn’t trust her, others were willing to hear her out, and some were simply curious to see how it would unfold with the princess now joining the fray.

My success here is going to completely depend on which camp Keskivaara falls into.

Luckily, Ilirianna soon witnessed her desired answer as the crowd began to part a few dozen yards ahead of her, giving space for the ones approaching the front. Soon enough, those just in front of the guards stepped aside, allowing two men to enter her field of vision, and recalling the descriptions in the mission briefing, Ilirianna instantly identified the one on the left as Rickori Keskivaara himself and the man of the right as the husband of the People’s Mind, Velanor Kinrono. The expressions they fixed upon her were neutral, neither pleasant nor antagonistic, so she wasn’t completely sure what to make of them. That was why it surprised her when Keskivaara and Kinrono dropped to a knee and bowed their heads towards her. The audience was equally as thrown off by the polite actions as another wave of muttering spread through them.

“Princess Ilirianna, it is my pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Keskivaara greeted, rising back up to his feet as he faced her. “As you should already know, I am plenty willing to meet with you. In fact, a simple meeting is all we’ve been requesting of Lord Cartigan for a long time now. That being said, I already knew you were here in Stellareid and I would ask whether my message has reached you?”

Knowing that he was referencing what Nigreos had told her that morning, Ilirianna gave her affirmation. “Yes, I was made aware of your request.”

“And?” he pressed, though with a calm tone that almost made it seem like he didn’t expect much out of her.

She wished she could defy those expectations, but as it stood, she could not so easily commit to such a thing. However, since she was already defying the rules by standing where she was right that minute, she realized it would do little extra damage to be honest. “Dr. Keskivaara, I must admit I am torn. If I had it my way, I would have walked to your door the very second I arrived in the City of Starlight, but I am inhibited by the orders of my father, King Markreas, and the desires of Lord Cartigan.”

Boos and sneers erupted from those behind Keskivaara, as well as a few “Fuck Lord Cartigan”. This widespread disrespect for the lord proved how poorly Cartigan was handling the current problems of his city, but she was grateful that Keskivaara swiftly raised a hand to silence them.

“And yet, My Princess, you stand here before me,” he pointed out. “If King Markreas doesn't approve of a private discussion, then I highly doubt a public one would be well received. Does that not seem contradictory?”

Ilirianna chuckled wryly, knowing he wasn’t wrong in the slightest. “Let’s just say I’m taking advantage of the situation. As it stands, my father may not like you, but he would like an uprising in Stellareid far less. Should this protest turn violent, it would cause great problems for our country, so I am using my own judgment and making an attempt to mediate.”

“You want to mediate, eh?” Kinrono parroted with a doubtful smirk. “Then why stand in front of us? Why not turn around, march through those doors, and demand the company obey you? There is little you could give to satiate us other than exactly what we demand.”

The princess nodded in concession. “That’s true, but Mr. Kinrono, if you’re at all familiar with the structure of the Great Cities and their governments, you would know that my jurisdiction here is weak. I could confront the Operon Company all I like, but if Eganno Cartigan disagrees then nothing will change. Trust me when I say I’ve expressed dissatisfaction with the Lord’s policies, but since King Markreas is on his side, my dissatisfaction is meaningless.”

The blonde man snorted. “Then forgive me for wondering just what you think you are doing now? If you’re powerless, then what does anybody gain from this performance? You seem plenty ready to lecture us!”

“I have no intention of lecturing you,” she assured him. “Rather, if I am to petition my parents, I wish to know exactly what has happened. I have heard your shouts about a Haran Rala, so I request you tell me what has sparked these actions today. Would you do me the respect of telling me your struggles?”

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Kinrono was still obviously skeptical, but Keskivaara finally stepped back in and gave her a gentle smile. “Haran Rala was an employee of the Operon Company, but more importantly, she was a beloved member of our community and a mother of four, whose husband passed away from a degenerative disease years ago. In an effort to support her family, Haran worked herself to the bone. Her wages were unfair for the hours she worked, and she was forced into unpaid overtime against her will. She made barely enough to get by, and rarely saw her children. Operon had a recent deadline for a project they wanted to publish by the solstice, so they increased her already ridiculous hours and she ran out of strength. She was found dead in her office chair last week, killed by sudden cardiac arrest brought on by a lack of sleep and too much stress.” As Keskivaara finished his explanation, a flicker of anger went across his eyes. “She was the sixth person in the last month who met this fate.”

Ilirianna had already come to a conclusion close to that one, so she was unsurprised by the story. Bowing her head not only before Keskivaara, but also the people themselves, Ilirianna said, “You have my deepest condolences—”

“Condolences don’t bring back the dead!” Kinrono spat. “Condolences don’t stop there from being more victims! Actions prevent tragedy! So raise your head, Princess, and tell us what you are going to do for us!”

Trust me, if I could save you all, I would do so in a heartbeat. I hate the state of my country. I hate the way those around me look down on people. The attitudes of those in power are what caused the Kosah-Rei’s violence to be embraced by the commoners, and I truly do fear that the very same ignorance is going to do the same to Keskivaara.

Then maybe he won’t decide to help Vesh! Rennigan has agreed to speak in Keskivaara’s favor to Kloras, and I know Luna and I can turn Noctalus into an ally for him! If Princess Ilirianna, the future queen, were to reach out a hand, then what reason would he have to go down a path he clearly doesn’t want to take anyway?! We could prevent this alliance and potentially save Neah in the process!”

Ilirianna did as Kinrono demanded, raising her head as Nigreos’s words echoed through it. Vesh was trying to recruit him, and the only thing she could do to prevent it was accept his request. So she sucked in a breath and made her declaration not only for Keskivaara and Kinrono, but everybody who could hear her voice. The people, the guards, the Company Lords, and anybody from Castle Saientia who happened to be nearby—she wanted them all to know what the stance if Ilirianna Iiji was.

“Very well then! You want action, I shall give you action! Dr. Keskivaara, you have asked time and time again to negotiate, so I will give you that chance! I accept the request you have made of me, and though I am not as powerful as a princess should be, I will be your ally! I will do everything I can to convince Lord Cartigan and King Markreas that the people of our country are what make it powerful! I will be your queen someday, and it is not befitting a queen to turn her head away from the struggles of those she is supposed to rule! I wish to be an ally of the people, and I understand that I must earn your trust! Let me do that! Let me earn it!”

She put all of the genuine passion and emotion she felt into her words, and she was happy for the surprise on Keskivaara and Kinrono, for they truly must not have expected her to say such a thing. She could see the People’s Mind staring into her eyes, trying to determine the truth in her words, so she gazed right back, allowing him to see as deeply as he wished to.

“Your words do not seem deceiving, Princess,” Keskivaara finally said. “I do hope I am a good judge of one’s character. I accept your proposal, but if negotiations are not to my satisfaction, then my people and I will not humor you again. You were already given the time and place for where I wish to speak. I will see you tonight?”

“You will.”

She could still see a bit of apprehension in Kinrono’s eyes, but Keskivaara was firm in his agreement. “Very well! Princess Ilirianna Iiji offers us her hand, and I think we would be a fool to not take it! Do not disappoint us, Princess!”

With that, Keskivaara turned and walked with Kinrono back into the crowd, calling out orders to the people as he requested they pack it up for the day. The trust they had in Rickori Keskivaara was made very clear as, despite the anger and frustration the people felt, most did as he asked and began to depart the Operan Company Headquarters.

Ilirianna let out a relieved sigh, actually quite impressed she managed to prevent things from escalating. Yet, the work was not over for her, rather it was only just beginning, for now she would have to return to Castle Saientia, look Cartigan dead in the eyes, and tell him she was completely and totally ignoring him.

Great… This is going to be a long night…

***

Since wind magic didn’t have spells of a high enough power level to fly back up to the Fifth Ring from the Third, Ryokumo and Ilirianna instead opted to proto their way towards the nearest gondola line then began their ascent by propelling themselves from one carriage to another. This method allowed them to reach the Fourth Ring, upon which they sought out a second line and used the same means to reach the Fifth. As they traveled, Ryokumo couldn’t help but smile in awe at the princess and her actions, for as weary as he was of Keskivaara and his potential alliance with the Kosah-Rei, he couldn't deny a certain sympathy for the struggles of the people and their beloved Mind. In fact, had Keskivaara not confessed his consideration of Vesh’s offer to Nigreos then Ryokumo would have been fully on the man’s side. That simple consideration was the only thing casting doubt on Ilirianna’s meeting with him, but given that he had already expressed these feelings to her, he knew that the princess was fully taking them into account.

The one thing that gave him the most comfort, however, was what Ilirianna had said to him before they began the trip back to the castle.

“I’m not foolish enough to meet with this man completely on his terms, and certainly not alone. Kumo, I would like to request that you accompany me to this meeting and act as a bodyguard of sorts…though it’s not like I need one.” She added that list bit with a sly tone and a playful wink. “In addition, I’d like your opinion on everything he has to say. I trust your judgment.”

Ryokumo’s heart had swelled with more pride than he had ever experienced upon hearing that request, so he accepted it without hesitation. Getting the chance to join the talks between Keskivaara and Ilirianna meant that if anything went awry, he would be able to stand by his princess and provide whatever support she needed.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn’t fully processed that they’d arrived on the Fifth Ring, and as they hopped off the last of the gondolas and landed just outside the platform where they docked, Ryokumo caught sight of a group of five getting off of the most recent arrival, so he grinned broadly and raised a hand in greeting.

“Abigail! Glaus! Others! Fancy meeting you here!”

“Don’t demote us to others!” Jessi instantly protested as she, Faye, Hiro, Rennigan, and Abigail began heading towards them, their expressions all full of confusion.

“Caeli, were you jumping on the damn gondolas?” Rennigan demanded, though the sharpness of his tone quickly faded as he noticed Ilirianna standing just behind Ryokumo. “Er, I mean, what are you two doing out here? Has something happened?”

The wind mage laughed loudly and clicked his tongue in a teasing fashion. “Why yes it did, but Liri and I have more than taken care of it! You guys missed all the fun! Anyway, how was the conversation with Omorossa? Glaus, I’m sure the two of you got along quite well given that you’re both clowns.”

“For one, I am not a clown,” Rennigan snapped. “And for two, don’t just brush the issue aside without telling us what happened! Is everything alright?”

Ilirianna rolled her eyes at Ryokumo’s approach to the situation before motioning for everybody to follow her on the walk back to Saientia. As they did, she gave them a quick rundown of the protests, filling them in on what had caused it, as well as what she did in response. Ryokumo was surprised that she so bluntly told the other team how she had confronted Keskivaara and announced her intention to cooperate with him, but then he realized that Ilirianna didn’t have the option to be secretive. She had made her declaration in the middle of a crowd, so informing Rennigan and his team really didn’t change anything.

“B-but Princess,” Faye began, clearly a bit hesitant to question Ilirianna. “Is that really okay? I mean, I wouldn’t want you getting in any trouble with your father and Lord Cartigan.”

Ilirianna shrugged casually, giving the rock mage a pleasant smile as if to assure her she was free to speak her mind. “I’ll handle it, Rio, so you guys can just keep doing what you’re doing. Stellareid got very close to descending into chaos today, and I’ve prevented that. If Cartigan has something to say about it, then he can go right ahead. Truth of the matter is, he should be grateful to me. Now, if you wouldn’t mind, fill me in on Omorossa. What’s the state of that investigation?”

As Faye, Jessi, and Hiro began telling Ilirianna what had happened, Ryokumo trailed behind and fell into stride with the silent Abigail, having realized that his good friend didn’t say a word after they met up. Abi had chosen to accompany them late the previous night, so Ryokumo didn’t know she would be going to the Fourth Ring until after he woke up. He did have a pretty solid guess as to why she had suddenly opted to join the others.

“What was Omorossa’s reading?” he whispered under his breath, snapping Abi out of her thoughts as she glanced at him.

“Oh, right… Dangerous.”

Abi responded with a single word that told him all he needed to know, so he followed up with another question. “Do you think he’s in league with the Kosah-Rei or is he just an asshole?”

“Hard to say,” she muttered. “At the very least, he’s being cooperative with Faye and Rennigan, and since his actions are in a very stark contrast to my sense’s readings, I can’t help being a bit worried. Of course, I told Faye what I felt, so she’s staying vigilant with him.”

So the damn clown is a potential threat, huh? That’s curious, though I do think him being Kosah-Rei is unlikely. Hakelades Omorossa is rather famous in the south, or at least according to Ella Cartigan, so it would be odd for him to risk such a successful business for the sake of attacking Stellareid. On top of that, the Kosah-Rei don’t have much of a presence in the regions around Krato, so I can’t help concluding he’s just your average corrupt capitalist. More likely than not, Abigail is just registering some shady business practices and nothing more.

As they moved, the gates of the castle came into view just down the road, but Ryokumo’s eyes wandered to where Rennigan was silently walking slightly apart from the others.

Oh Glaus, what’s the deal with you? I’ve always thought I’ve had you figured out, but I can’t quite wrap my head around what you did last night? You not only refrained from selling out your rival’s illegal plans, but you went out of your way to help him. Nigreos said you offered to speak in Keskivaara’s favor to that vile creature you call your father, but why?

Ryokumo wasn’t in the mood to press him about that matter in public, but he made a mental note to do so later as they walked through the gates of Saientia. The second they crossed into the adjacent courtyard, four armored guards who had been waiting there swiftly corrected their postures and hurried over towards them with a clear purpose, instantly giving Ryokumo the bad feeling that they had been anxiously waiting for their return.

“Princess Ilirianna, your presence, as well as that of the rest of you, is urgently required in Lord Cartigan’s private lounge.”

Ilirianna frowned with concern at the guard’s sudden report, but she recovered quickly and demanded, “Why? What’s happened?”

“My Lord will explain it himself upon your arrival, but in short, Lady Lunara Noctis of Noctalus arrived at the gates an hour ago, begging to be admitted to the castle and claiming she had some critical information for you and the Masters.”

Ryokumo’s eyes went wide as he traded panicked looks with Abigail. Luna’s here in Stellareid? Why? She was supposed to stay in Noctalus until the end of the winter break. Could something else have happened in her Great City? B-but if she’s here now, then she left only a few days after us… Is she here alone? There’s no way Lord Nogara would have let her travel here unaccompanied. What the hell is going on?

To Ilirianna’s credit, she didn’t let any concern show on her features as she thanked the guards and hurriedly began leading them to the indicated lounge—the very one in which they had gathered on the night Uma Miyon was interrogated. Nobody spoke despite everybody certainly having loads of questions on their minds, but they all knew that answers could only be gained by speaking with Lunara Noctis herself.

They reached their destination within a few minutes, being admitted the second Ilirianna was recognized by those standing watch outside. Ilirianna rushed into the room first, followed by Rennigan and his team, with Ryokumo and Abigail taking up the rear. Once he stepped inside, Ryokumo swiftly took count of who was present, noting Lord Cartigan sitting in his personal chair before the hearth and Ella beside him, Album, Eko, Nigreos, and Iris taking up the couch, Viiro and Acostav on their feet and Lunara herself standing beside her father. The girl looked exhausted, her eyes droopy and her body swaying ever-so-slightly, almost certainly a product of the trip she took to get there. At the very least, she didn’t look hurt, but that was all Ryokumo could garner before Abigail suddenly collapsed to the ground.

It happened so abruptly that Ryokumo hadn’t processed that his friend was on her hands and knees before she had emptied her stomach onto the rug.

“Abi?!” he exclaimed, hurrying to his knees to try and help her. “Abi, are you alright?!”

The cry drew everybody’s attention towards Abigail as she convulsed on the ground, her body barely being held up as she threw up a second time. The mana within her body was roiling around without her fully drawing it to any of her appendages, and though he had initially feared that this sudden incident may have been due to her pregnancy, he swiftly pushed that possibility aside. This was very clearly something else, though he couldn’t put his finger on what.

“Mackia! Help her!” he commanded, snapping Iris out of her shock as the Kotonorish girl hurried to Abigail’s side.

Iris instantly began to put healing mana into Abi’s body while everybody else anxiously stood around, telling Ryokumo that nobody in that room had any idea what was going on. However, when the wind mage turned back to look at Abigail’s face, he noticed just before her eyes flickered shut and she fell unconscious that she had been glaring with fear and confusion at somebody in the room. An answer forcing itself into his mind, Ryokumo frantically followed Abi’s brief gaze towards the person she directed such negative emotions towards, and the individual he found caused only more uncertainty within him.

If this reaction was caused not by her pregnancy but by her sixth sense, like what happened when she read Mallicent, then I would conclude that this is a violent and forceful warning about an imminent danger to her life. So why was she staring at Lunara unless…?