Several months ago...
"I must say... Good job in orchestrating that meeting. At the very least, the Ozix cult will no longer bother us. And at best, we reunite the girl with me." Temptation felt the brisk wind of the day hit her face. A victorious breeze.
"Master, there's no guarantee he's being truthful about the girl." Kataline walked next to the red-haired girl.
"Well, Shalkona will see to those rumors. However, I'm more concerned about the former part. It seems strange... Wanting to destroy most of the leadership and numbers for your own cult... You take over, but at what cost?" Temptation raised her hand up and grazed her hand upon low hanging leaves. The wind blew her hair back as she turned her head to Kataline. "He seems very self-centered. I think you're making a horrid choice."
"That's just what he's like. I can't expect you to understand what I see." Kataline couldn't keep looking at Temptation. She turned her head away and rubbed her shoulder. Her face grew warm and reflected it on her skin.
"Then, I'll simply call it bad taste." Temptation giggled as she looked all around.
The two of them were encircled in a sea of gray and pink. An army of her cultists. All, if not most of her cult following all gathered together. It was an extremely rare occasion. At least ten percent of her cult was sent to assist with this Ozix cult plot. Another ten percent lay hidden in a network of disguise. This was her usual attitude with them. After all, Temptation very much took the failure of Arrogance to heart. And finally, the other eighty percent was gathered with her here in a rare display. However, they were laying low as best as possible, traveling in three different groups. Temptation knew this meeting could lead to a chance encounter or assassination. So, it was the only time she could remember that she had such a large number of cultists gather.
Much to her own surprise, such a thing hadn't happened before or during the meeting. Though, that could be due to the neutral zone she chose for the meeting. Either way, all that remained now was to regather at the last village they took over and reassess their next move. It remained to be seen if her sister was indeed in the Academy. She trusted that either Shalkona or Yuval could grab her, but wouldn't be surprised if it turned out to be a hoax. However, she knew for a fact that this man wasn’t lying about trying to usurp power. Temptation was her domain of power. And the stench given off from those trying to feed their deep desires was all too pungent.
"Master." Kataline put her arm out in front of Temptation, stopping her in place.
"Something wrong, dear?" Temptation tilted her head and smiled at the girl.
"We've been followed." Kataline looked out to her right. Temptation's smile dropped. The forest of trees all around them rustled with the high wind. The wind seemed to increase in intensity by the second. In fact, it had overlapped with the sound of rushing water. But, both Kataline and Temptation knew there were no rivers nearby...
Suddenly, as if a dam broke, a torrent of rushing water blasted through the forest. The flow of the water swept away dirt, rocks, and even uprooted trees as it passed through right in front of Temptation's face. All the cultists in the area tightened their formation around the two of them, forming a circle. They brandished knives and swords, ready for whoever caused this to show themselves. As the rushing rapids came to a slowed speed and dried up, a long, thick line of mud was all that remained. Both Temptation and Kataline looked back to where they had already walked and were greeted to three figures.
"Seems I missed... Sorry, General." A woman with long, blonde hair tied back in a ponytail knelt on the ground with her fingers touching the earth. Her eyes were a dark blue, and her skin was a fair complexion. Her outfit seemed to be a black coat with a multitude of buttons and pockets. Her pants were much of the same fashion being tight and black. She also wore a pair of blackened boots. A few golden medals were attached to her coat.
"That's quite alright, Lieutenant. Sergeant... You know what to do." A man stood by her side dressed in an almost exact fashion. Black coat, pants, boots... Except, he wore a black cap on the top of his head. His complexion and skin tone were extremely dark, and his eyes were a deep green. He put his hands behind his back and puffed his chest out. As he did, the ringing of several medals filled the air. There were at least thirty medals on his coat.
"Understood..." A figure nodded their head. Their voice seemed masculine and was the only thing to go off of as they were completely obscured in a similar vein to the other two. Completely black outfit with a mask and hood overtop of their head. As they nodded, the figure leapt up into the air and seemingly vanished, leaving only the man and woman.
"Master, it's only three of them. I think we should just kill them." Kataline looked to Temptation whose expression did not inspire confidence.
"Kataline, darling, these aren't people we can just kill..." Temptation gritted her teeth and grinned. It wasn't necessarily fear, but a general uneasiness that overtook her. Kataline could tell by her expression that this was serious. And knowing how powerful Temptation was... Kataline felt just as uneasy.
"Who exactly are we dealing with?"
"That's The General... He's a mercenary who used to be one of the king's best army commanders. I have no idea about the rest... As in what he's capable of or why he's even here..." Temptation narrowed her gaze on the dark-skinned man. He adjusted his cap and grinned.
"So, you know of me, but not about me... I suppose you'll figure out what I'm capable of soon, but to wonder why I'm even here... That should be obvious. You're just caught off-guard because of how "Woefully" unprepared you are... Pf-Ha-ha!" The General bent over and burst out laughing. He held his hat on his head as he doubled over at his own joke before standing straight once more.
"I understand now. I'm just surprised you would take cultist money at all." Temptation grinned and raised an eyebrow at him.
"C'mon now! Cultist money doesn't stink! It is like all other money!... I suppose if you have any final remarks, now is the time." The General put his arms behind his back once more.
"There's no harm in trying I guess..." Temptation bowed her head and clenched her fist. "Attack!"
As her words echoed throughout the forest, her cultists leapt from their formation and charged out towards The General. The stampede of footsteps and shouts overpowered any other noise in this neck of the woods. Bearing magic, knives, and swords, the cult army rushed towards the two.
"Bad choice. Very well. Face 'The Army of the Night'!" The General crossed his arms as the horde of robed figures rapidly encroached. The Lieutenant stood up and waited patiently. They inched closer...
Suddenly, a mass horde of black clothed individuals leapt out from behind the trees from behind The General. Fully covered by the darkness of their attire similar to The General and Lieutenant's clothes, they made their advance towards the enemy. Each of these soldiers wielded a single sword, unsheathing them in their own charge. As the two armies clashed, it became very clear that the cultists stood no chance.
The blackened soldiers cut down, parried, and overwhelmed the cultists.
One outing could be easily seen by both parties. A cultist brought their sword down in a heavy swing... But, the black soldier put their blade up to match, swinging it up against where the hilt and blade met. This bumped the cultist's sword up and out of its swing. Then, the soldier swiftly jammed their blade into the cultist's chest. As the soldier pulled the blade out, the cultist fell to the ground with a lifeless thud.
Another cultist began to weave mana... And was swarmed by three black soldiers who tackled and stabbed into him with their blades. And even though some cultists managed to fight off the soldiers... It seemed as if their numbers were being replenished in full. More of these soldiers sprung up from behind The General and charged into the fray.
"♪The pride of Tumae, the sun inspires!♪" The General marched behind his advancing forces, folding his right arm diagonally over his chest and keeping his left arm behind him. "♪Risen from Palmenae, the gem of all desires!♪"
"We need to go!" Temptation turned around at a moment's notice and took in a deep breath. Her lungs filled with as much air as they could, and Temptation exhaled it all as pure, searing flames. The fiery breath charred the earth and mud in front of them, changing its composure into a hard surface.
While she had no problem killing several men at once, Temptation recognized that this situation wasn't winnable. She was powerful, but between that blonde girl, The General, and his seemingly endless supply of soldiers... There wasn't an easy way to win this. Not to mention, continuing a large-scale battle like this would most certainly put the eyes of the cult hunters on areas of her operations.
"♪Our army is stronger, our blood is thicker!♪" The General puffed his chest out with bravado. His army had the cultists backpedaling and routing. His ego grew larger. "♪They can hold out no longer, their fire starts to flicker!♪"
The General was all smiles as he felt his forces were unstoppable. Army of the Night... A taxing Shade with tremendous results. The General had the ability to create several clones with similar martial abilities to his own. The number he could have at once easily breached a hundred. Though, he wasn't sure of his actual limitations on it.
"♪Our advance causes them to falter, make them bow to our altar!♪"
"♪Honor preserved, Our victory deserved!♪"
With no hesitation, Temptation and Kataline fled the scene over the hardened mud. Following closely behind were cultists retreating and fighting back against the enemy. However, the black soldiers were clearly too skilled and endless to be repelled for long. With only a small group in tow, Temptation's sect of her cult was in a dire situation.
"♪Enemies surrendered, their spoils rendered!♪"
"♪We'll parade them in the street, subject them to defeat!♪"
The General and his forces followed closely behind. However, he soon figured out that some of the cultists successfully managed to fully retreat from the battlefield. This only became knowledge to him as two other entire groups of cultists began to join the battle from opposite sides. Of course, he knew of these groups, but figured that the battle might already be over. Still, he had many fail-safes. The two groups of cultists met at the center where the retreating group was being mercilessly hunted down and killed. Soon, The General's soldiers were being overwhelmed and surrounded. But this wouldn't last as more of his Shade's soldiers took the places of the fallen. The battle was falling right back into its previous position. But, it meant that his targets might get away. With a simple nod to his Lieutenant, the order was given.
"♪A triumph for our deed, the reward for serving our creed!♪"
"♪Oorah!♪"
"Oorah!" The army of soldiers all rang out in unison among the intense battle.
As Temptation and Kataline moved forward while the cult was buying them time, they were stopped in their tracks by the blonde woman who somehow got ahead of them. She closed her eyes and pulled an arming sword from off her back. A small stream of water curled and wrapped itself around the length of her sword as she reopened her eyes.
Kataline clenched her fist and stepped in front of Temptation. As she unclenched her fist, a set of three needles were visible in between each of her fingers on that hand. Black liquid oozed and dripped off of the tips of the needles.
"I'll take care of this, master." Kataline locked her eyes to the Lieutenant's own.
"Aw. What a sweet sentiment... However..." Temptation brushed past Kataline and meandered towards the woman. "My devotees are already buying us time. And you are as pivotal to my goal as I am to yours. So, allow me to clear our path for us... Lest you forget my pedigree and the power that it entails."
"From what I know... You're a Fire magic user... Which means that there's no way you can hurt me like this." The blonde woman stood with a stone cold expression as a blue hue rose up from below and encapsulated her body. This was then followed up by a veil of water then acting as a shield while slightly obscuring her. "It's to my advantage, witch! I hope you're ready to die!"
Temptation stopped in her tracks ten feet away from the woman. She was tall, muscular, and had a long reach. She was a much bigger physical specimen than Temptation. But, this mattered not to her as Temptation grinned and raised her left arm up. The palm of her hand pointed to the Lieutenant. With no words or gestures, a pillar of orange flame shot outwards towards the woman.
The fire made contact with the watery shield. As it hit, it was doused and produced a small amount of steam. It seemed like her attack was having no effect whatsoever, but Kataline knew better than to doubt her master...
"Your fire is ineffective. Looks like I'll-" The Lieutenant stopped mid-sentence as the flames shifted into a blue color. The velocity and intensity of the flames ramped up and brimmed past the woman and her shield. The sound of dousing fire grew louder and more frequent. She scoffed for a moment as it seemed that this witch was weak and dull-minded... But the fire was getting hotter.
Bounds of steam billowed and filled the battlefield. The vision of all people in the immediate area became obscured past a certain point. More steam was coming off and soon the woman realized that her watery shield was being evaporated and thinned out. Even her blue glow, which was another defensive measure, was crumbing over the extreme heat. So much steam was coming off of her... As she took a breath during this... She felt her throat and lungs choke up.
The Lieutenant coughed and wheezed as she desperately tried to breath. She was panicked and dumbfounded. She knew that Water magic users could breathe underwater for some time... But the sheer temperature of the air and water vapor around her was making her body instinctively choke up. She had the ability to breathe, but her mind was rejecting it.
The blue hue began to dissipate as well and she felt her blood and organs begin to boil. She wanted to scream out in agony as she was being cooked alive, but her lungs were crying out already. All that came out were grunts and whimpers as her body could make no other noise. At this rate, she was going to die...
The Lieutenant's eyes felt as if they were going to pop from the heat. They trembled as her sight was laid bare to Temptation. She had just a simple expression on her face. A mere smile. A smile that held a childlike wonder which seemed fitting for her appearance. To think that someone could take such joy in torturing and cooking someone alive like this... It sickened the Lieutenant to her core. If this kept up for any longer, she was dead.
With the water still wrapping around her sword, the Lieutenant braved the fire and lurched forward. Temptation tilted her head as she watched the woman step towards her. The witch giggled to herself as the flames sputtered out and she lowered her arm.
"Unfortunately, I just really don't have the time to indulge in these charades." Temptation shrugged as her smile grew wider. "I'd hate to kill you here. It is a rare sight to see a Water magic user with such potency and power. To summon up such a ferocious attack... Do yourself a favor. Do you wish to live?..."
"She's invoking her power..." Kataline watched with suspense. The battlefield around them seemed to quiet down to a mere buzzing. Though the fight raged on, it seemed as if the only thing that mattered was what would happen here. The Lieutenant pushed herself forward again. Her skin was red and blisters adorned her complexion. Her clothes were charred and singed as were the tail-ends of her hair.
"If so, lay down on the ground. Or, you could even kneel down for me. Do so, and I will spare your life. You have so much to live for, don't you? Why let your life end here? There's nothing wrong with self-preservation." Temptation pointed her finger to the ground as her vision remained locked with the woman.
However, the Lieutenant gripped her sword with both hands, bringing it overhead. And, she charged straight towards Temptation. The witch sighed, having wished that her assailant chose the other option. The Lieutenant used what little strength she could muster among the searing pain to bring herself to the witch. All she had to do was slice down... Bring all her power and force down to stop this...
But it was quite strange. Suddenly, the witch wasn't in front of her anymore. There was a certain heat that emanated from her... And that heat was now behind the Lieutenant. She wanted to turn her body and swing the sword at her... But she couldn't do it no matter how hard she willed it. Her entire being was unresponsive.
"What a shame..." Temptation sighed as she beckoned back for Kataline. "We best keep moving. I'm afraid we've already lost the day. We'll just have to climb out of this mess another way.
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"Right. I'm behind you, master." Kataline took one more glance at the Lieutenant. Her statue dwarfed Temptation in comparison, and it was most expressed in the hole that now existed in the Lieutenant. It was so simple that Kataline could even make out the details of it. All Temptation did was use her magic to make her touch burn and melt like lava. And in doing so, made her entire being as such so that when she walked forward towards the Lieutenant... Like a knife through butter, her body sliced right through the army woman leaving a gaping hole shaped exactly like the witch.
All that remained was her head, shoulders, arms, and two connecting pieces of her torso that spanned down to the outer edges of her legs. There remained no semblance of the rest of her torso and lower body. It was all burned away and reduced to ashes. There was no blood either, as Temptation's passing through her immediately cauterized the wounds with the sheer heat.
Not a moment later, did the Lieutenant collapse to the ground in a small heap. Kataline looked on for a moment... But she shook her head and worked to quickly catch up with Temptation...
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In the present...
"I made a bad decision... Admittedly, a damning one... But I suppose if it were any other mercenary, I would have simply killed them and been done with it." Temptation sighed as she heard the door shut behind her. The witch stepped over to the window and watched Kataline escape into the night once more.
Once the two of them had made it back to this village they already controlled, The General encircled them. Reasonably, few could enter or leave. However, he was an ace at sniffing out her cultists. None who attempted to leave ever returned. But Kataline was different.
She was the only one who could come and go as she pleased. Without her, Temptation knew there wouldn't be a chance of solving this without a huge conflict. And, a huge conflict was less than ideal for several reasons. Kataline was vital to her escape from this entrapment, and vital to reuniting her with her sister. And once she became the dominant power of this world, free to do as she pleased, Temptation would grant her the one desire she had.
"Oh, my hopeless romantic... I want you to have your peace... Your dream, but I worry you don't quite understand your love. For he is our enemy, and that I will tolerate... But he is also ruthless beyond compare. His heart burns with a seething hatred and fear that sometimes even overshadows my own. As they used to say: "Even Lucian shudders". Still, I cannot help but wish the best for you... My little Kovar." The witch touched her fingers to the window and smiled as Kataline fell out of view...
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"So, Sergeant, any news to report?" The General looked to the moon with a cigar in his mouth. The campfire he stood near illuminated the rest of the small camp. On some logs sat some of his black soldiers. As if on cue, The General tilted his head up and back down and one of the soldiers got up. The Shade soldier pulled out a box of matches and lit The General's cigar.
"Nothing aside from the usual... Well, actually. There is one matter." The Sergeant sat down on one of the logs. His mask faced towards the crackling fire.
"Well..." The General took a puff of his cigar. He held it in his hand and gestured toward his subordinate. "Spit it out."
"I've observed every individual's entrance and exit into the village. Most of them seem normal at first glance. But when I tally it all together and put the pieces in context... Something doesn't add up." The Sergeant didn't budge an inch as he recalled his thoughts.
"Elaborate, Sergeant!"
"We've had roughly twenty departures and arrivals into the village that, which I could discern, are not cult affiliated. However, where it gets weird is that there is no overlap. These are twenty separate people each for a total of forty individuals."
"And you said not affiliated?"
"No. Otherwise they would have been eliminated."
"I can believe all of that on account of your eyes." The General inhaled the smoke of his cigar once more as he continued moon-gazing.
"Beneath the gaze of my eyes... The soul is laid bare for what it really is... Which is what makes this more troublesome. Nearly all these souls appear the same. But, their appearances are unrecognizable through each other." The Sergeant intently watched the flames rise and fall. Like the pattern at which a fire crackled, it seemed there was no rhyme or reason... No explanation for this phenomenon.
"Could it be clones?" The General turned his head down to his subordinate.
"No clone that I know has a soul. Even your clones... Those born of a Shade, and much more efficient than a Mana based variant... They appear hollow. Not even illusions can fool my gaze. Yet..." The Sergeant's fist tightened as he tried to peer through the flames.
"Calm down, Sergeant... Say, you agreed to do this pretty easily. I normally give you guys the choice to come along or not. I wasn't surprised when the Private and Corporal declined. I was certainly shocked to see the Colonel and Captain decline. So, I had written you off on joining as well. But low and behold, you're here on the frontline. Maybe today you'll tell me why..." The General puffed his cigar as he kept his gaze on the Sergeant.
"Well, I thought it was obvious. To get rid of these cultists. They slither, sunder, and propagate falsities. They're pests. Vermin."
"Yet, we were employed by the Ozix cult. Do you have any conflicting thoughts about that?"
"If they want to cannibalize each other, let them. However, I will not let them go free... A power to diminish and replace God and the Angels... Sacrilege, heresy even. To believe the scourge of Ozix and the existence of Woe and the witches as some sort of holy proclamation of a new heaven is blasphemy to our existence. They're nothing more than divine punishments for overstepping our bounds as God's creation. One can only wonder if one of the Angels will save us in our desperate age. Or maybe the Magi will reveal themselves to us." The Sergeant stood up from the log and stepped away from the fire.
"You're very religious. I don't believe I've ever been made aware of this. So, you think the world is hopeless?" The General smiled as the cigar stayed in his mouth.
"I believe we're being tested. There may not be another Magi, the Angels may not answer us, and we might be abandoned... But I plan on doing my part." The Sergeant tunneled his vision on the village some miles away in the distance. "If I were to strike while they slept... Perhaps we could end this nonsense."
"Now now, Sergeant. It is wise to know when to pick your battles. If you pick the wrong fight... If you let your stubbornness and tunnel vision override your intellect, you will die. And this applies to all battles, not just the ones fought with swords and spells." The General wagged his finger at his subordinate. The Sergeant sighed as he bowed his head.
"There should be no hesitance towards- '' The Sergeant lifted his head up and saw a woman staring eye to eye with him. Gray robes, pink hair, a scar on her face... She seemed familiar to him.
"Excuse me. I'm looking to head out of the village. Is that quite alright with you fine gentlemen?" Kataline had her hand held together down at her waist as she tilted her head. She pushed her arms closer together to draw attention to her chest even with the robes overtop.
"Hm... I suppose it is." The General rubbed his chin for a moment as he nodded his head. One of his Shade soldiers sprung up with a scroll and pen. "What's your name?"
"Avura Kolisti." Kataline rotated the tip of her foot into the ground as she kept her act up. Behind his mask, the Sergeant stared daggers at her.
"Oh I see. From one of the older clans... How old are you?"
"Twenty-four."
"Oh my. You're quite gorgeous..."
"You really think so? Even with this scar?" Kataline pulled her hands apart and touched one of her fingers to her lip. Her face turned a bright red as her eyes fell upon The General's face.
"You're very beautiful. Perhaps if I were any younger, I'd ask to marry you." The General chuckled as he looked over to his soldier. They gave him a thumbs up. "Alright. You can go on through."
"Thank you, mister!" Kataline bowed her head to him and wasted no more time in moving past the camp.
Once she was completely out of ear and eyeshot, the Sergeant looked towards his commanding officer.
"I suppose that was number forty-one." The General finished his cigar and threw the bit away.
"No doubt. The same type of soul. That very same makeup and history." The Sergeant clenched his fist.
"Well. You have a new mission then. Get to the bottom of this mystery. And if she is with the enemy, thwart her plan at the premise after you figure out what it is. Do not kill her. You may capture her if necessary though. I don't need to stress the importance of this to you if she really is our enemy... But, try not to overplay your part. Have some self-preservation and don't get overzealous or else you'll end up like the Lieutenant who was only supposed to hinder and slow the witch." The General turned away from his subordinate. The moment he looked towards where the girl went, he saw the Sergeant charging off ahead. The General smiled, hoping that this could bring an end to this siege...
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"Hold on! Do you have any idea what you're asking for? We don't just give that out for anybody and especially not without notifying the individual in question!" A short, older man shook their head at Zen as the two of them stood in a room full of different drawers and chests.
"Well, I'm not just anybody..." Zen pulled out a platinum badge and flashed it in the old man's face. "You were willing to take me back here because you know who I am. Now you're unwilling to cooperate? This is my authority!"
"It was to get you out of earshot of the other people! The last thing I need is somebody realizing that you already get some preferential treatment. Zen, I know your status. You don't have to remind me. But, please understand my position. If it comes out that I'm tampering with and showing records to someone who isn't an official..." The old man clasped his hands together. Zen sighed and put his hands over his eyes.
"I get that, but this is bigger than you or me!" Zen pointed at the old man and himself. "We're talking about a corruption that runs through an individual who holds a deep seated status in the Lancer network. This investigation is probably the most important one that the whole institution will ever have to undergo. We're talking cultist affiliations at the surface level and possible targeting of important figures deeper within. Do you get that?"
"Zen... I-I..." The old man sighed and buried his face in his hands. He slowly pulled his hands away and looked at the teacher's eyes. "If you believe it to be this serious, then I shall oblige... But I don't want to lose my job and life over this!"
"Then don't squeal about it. This is a private investigation anyways. So, nothing about this comes out... Understood?" Zen crossed his arms.
"Right... Right..." The old man turned away from Zen and walked over to one of the drawers. "So, who are we looking for?"
"I need all the records on Meius Valkir. Inbound, outbound, and whatever other notes and letters exist in the ledgers."
"Wha-You mean the Deputy Headmaster?" The old man turned back towards Zen with a wide-eyed stare.
"Indeed. I have reason to suspect something strange is going on with him. Which is why we're keeping this low profile..." Zen's glare forced the man's own gaze away from him. As the minutes passed by, Zen wondered what he might find and how he would use it.
He believed Grula's words without a doubt. This just was not something she would lie or mislead him on. But, it was hard to imagine Meius as an enemy. To Zen's knowledge, Meius had been a part of the Academy staff for over sixty some years and had once been a student himself. For supposedly being around seventy or more years old, he looked extremely young. But that was due to the properties he could endow himself with using Healing magic. That, of which, he was quite possibly the undisputed master of.
The main problem with this to Zen was that with all the years of service... It would just be too odd for all this to surface up now. But then again, Meius may have never been put under a microscope like this. He had served as a teacher, an interim teacher, and as Deputy Headmaster. Never once did he display some sort of behavior that was unbefitting for someone in those positions, much less the behavior of a cultist. Ultimately, he found it impossible to believe.
But, there were a few things to be certain of. Grula was not a liar. It wouldn't be impossible for there to be a doppelganger of Meius, or the chance of him being controlled. But most importantly, there was a high chance that this was all done under Xilvas's nose. Meaning, his Shade could have been subverted.
"Here's the ledger on Meius. It's dated with recipients and senders, and locations." The old man had waddled over to a large bookshelf and nabbed a single book from its contents. Walking over to Zen, he handed the hardcover to him. Zen blew dust off the book and opened it up.
"Most of these seem to just be known Academy contacts..." Zen flipped through the pages slowly as his eyes glossed over the names.
"Is there anything else I should look for in the meanwhile?"
"Uh..." Zen narrowed his eyes down on the names, looking for anything that could be an outlier... "Ah! Look for records on a "Usime". If you need a last name... Lavrik or anything else that could sound like an acronym for Valkir."
"Oh... I'll try my best..." The old man tilted his head and shrugged before turning away to his bookshelf.
Zen noticed some oddities within Meius's records. Firstly, the non-Academy contacts that appeared. Two names stuck out like sore thumbs. Korkolo Dunis and Avura Kolisti. From what Zen could remember, Korkolo is what Meius had referred to the dwarf man as in Grula's recollection. This was the conspirator. However, the name rang no bells in Zen's head otherwise. Then this other name... It was a very foreboding name.
Breaking down the name... Zen started at Kolisti. The surname of one of the older houses that have been around for a few hundred years. A family who's natural magical prowess with Time magic and the Light element granted them distinction. While still around, they lack the prominence they used to have much like their rival house, the Variental house. This house's distinction being a mastery over the Dark element and individuals born with inherited Time abilities. Both houses are no longer near the standing that the Felsta house has due to their controversial middle family.
Formed out of an idea to help foster powerful and notable individuals, a sect of both houses joined together and married in. This resulted in the Kovar house. However, they had neither the standing or notoriety of either parent houses due to both dismissing and denouncing the joint house.
With this in mind, Zen looked at the given name, Avura. Names were given in two manners. The first was that if a child was born in wedlock, they would be granted a name by the first letter of the father's name. However, if it were out of wedlock, the name would be determined by the first letter of the mother's name. This was a tradition that spanned several centuries of life and not only done within noble houses. While he knew next to nothing of the Kolisti house... He knew of Avuran Kovar who was originally a Variental and was very seldom involved with the Academy before his untimely demise.
Which meant that there was a good chance this name was an alias and not a real person. And that would be a mocking alias considering the history of the family names. And knowing that... The real person using that name could be closely related to the three families. While Zen had no interest in the petty family drama, the connection to Meius seemed strange. And even more curious to him, was the obvious connection to his own student...
"Huh?... I'm not seeing anything under "Usime". Are you sure that's what we're looking for?"
"If you can't find it, forget it. But, grab me records of both a "Avura Kolisti" and "Korkolo Dunis" along with any correspondences between any of the three so far." Zen shook his head slowly as he looked through the dates of these records. Most of them with this Korkolo dated back around forty years ago. Meanwhile, the ones with this Avura went back to around seventeen years ago. And both seemed to continue to the current year.
"Strange. We create magical copies without opening them so as to preserve records... But I was only able to find two letters. Both recently dated. Here." The old man held out two envelopes to Zen. Despite the records of a multitude of letters... Only two? Zen sighed and opened up the first one.
~"Meius, as always, I am happy to play ambassador for you in order to make sure everything goes as planned. I'll be keeping close watch over the event and will try to use my better judgment on the speed of which we-"~
The letter suddenly burned away in Zen's hands. He had no time to react to the act, merely just reading a word and then... Gone. This was a letter from this "Avura" to Meius. And, obviously to Zen, it reeked of the magic used in contracts. A sort of fail-safe to eliminate a paper trail supposedly activated by the recipient... Meius must have just read this letter. If Zen had realized it sooner, he may have been able to salvage it. But now... He could waste no more time. He opened the other letter.
~"Korkolo, like the supplies I promised before... I'll be sending over the special help. This individual should have the right tool for the job. So, I expect you to have a plan of action when they arrive. That, especially since this is going to be quite costly. Should we be successful in our endeavors, I've even managed to recruit two of the first-turned-second year students who can help in the next leg of the plan."~
Zen blankly stared at the letter as he finished reading the last words... Two of those twelve students?... Zen shook his head as he focused on what was important. This letter itself... It was not damning evidence. In fact, it was incredibly vague. But, it did imply behavior to be kept in the dark. There was no way Zen could use this as evidence. Between the vagueness of it, and the legality of him doing this as is... It just wasn't going to work. But, it provided at least a crumb of context to what was going on now.
Obviously, Meius was masterminding some sort of job. In order to complete said job, he needed to send supplies and a special individual. Which meant that there was most likely a large transaction. This made the bank Zen's next stop. But, besides that, this letter also seemed to imply that two students may have turned traitor. Between his and Grula's class and Fraythorn's class... Two of the twelve were in league with Meius.
There was no denying that Meius was involved in something he'd rather keep quiet with. With Grula's testimony to him along with this indication, cult affiliation was likely. But, there was just no way to reasonably bring this to light. Zen needed more answers. More evidence as well. The bank was likely to give him such a clue, but ultimately it led in a circle back to this letter. Sitting on this wouldn't be an answer either. In his mind, no good could come from waiting around too long. And even if he could grab the bank ledger and check for Meius or "Usime", it was pointless without a good connecting piece. Therefore, Zen came to one conclusion... He needed to force an interaction in front of Xilvas with the right questions prepared... Something that could either force a confession, show Zen how Meius bypasses Xilvas's Shade, or something that would prove him innocent somehow.
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"So, that should just about settle the matter, right?" Meius kicked his feet up and planted them on Xilvas's desk. "New students are equally separated based on ability, rooms readied, and transportation is being sent out..."
"Mhm... Thank god..." Xilvas sighed as he straightened the last bit of paperwork and shoved it away inside one of his desk drawers. "I'm getting too old for this stuff."
"Headmaster, I've offered it before... I can extend your lifespan, make you look younger too." Meius looked up towards the ceiling and gestured with his hand.
"It isn't just my body... I've been doing this for over seventy years. I'm tired, Meius." Xilvas pushed his hands against his legs and forced himself out of his chair. He meandered over to his window and gazed out towards the sun. "I think this is my last year here."
"Yeah. That is a long-What?" Meius threw his gaze down onto the headmaster.
"After this year, I'm going to retire. Call it quits... I'm thinking about moving south where it's warmer. I kind of want to fade out. Drop off the face of the world. Quiet, peaceful bliss. Don't be so surprised. I've been preparing you to take over my position for some time and you know it." Xilvas's gaze grew lazy as it rested on the flowing field of grass.
"Well, I think it's a little hasty, don't you? I mean, what's another two or three? Besides, I might not get it right." Meius brought his feet back to the floor and shot up from his chair.
"Nope. I think I've earned my peace." Xilvas smiled and turned his attention over to Meius. "I remember when I first met you. You had this awful, murderous look and attitude. But now, I'd say you're very well-tempered. My best project by far, heh. I think you'll do just fine taking over, Meius. You know what they say: The most unwilling leaders are the best."
"But... What of the secret then?" Meius's gaze was locked in on Xilvas.
"It'll just die with me I suppose. Nothing wrong with it. I think this would be the best for the world." Xilvas turned back towards the glass. "It's not like you need it for anything, right? Ha..."
"Ha..." Meius rubbed the back of his head with his hand. "Of course not."
"Exactly. Though, I will say..." Xilvas turned back towards Meius with a raised eyebrow and a frown. "You should at least get better at handling your alcohol. You're going to be shaming me and the previous Headmasters if you stay a lightweight forever. By the time you're a few years in, this job will make you a habitual drinker. But anyways, what were you doing out there that night?"
"Huh?... Uh... I'm trying to remember..." Meius glanced off to the wall.
"You clearly remember what you were doing. You can't fool me, boy." Xilvas chuckled as he shook his head. "No need to be embarrassed. Just tell me."
Meius held his hand against the back of his head as his pupils widened. A bead of sweat trickled down his face... Then, his pupils went back to their normal size and he looked back at Xilvas.
"Just stumbling around. I... I might have gotten a little sick." Meius closed his eyes as Xilvas burst out laughing.
"Ha-ha-ha!... I figured as much. Well, I was concerned so I sent Grula to keep an eye on you. She must have been covering for you with a real vague answer." Xilvas stifled his laughter as he sat back down in his chair. With a hefty sigh, he pulled out a stack of papers from a draw and equipped his pen. "Time to get back to work."
"Right. Right..." Meius backed himself away from Xilvas to the door of the office. Without another peep from either person, Meius exited the room and shut the door behind him.
Meius departed from the area with swiftness. He walked down a few of the twists and turns in the halls until he reached a back corner. No students were up and about... And no teachers were to be seen. It was no surprise. The new students had yet to arrive, and all of the now elevated students were usually busy with assignments or contracts at the beginning of the year. Teachers were usually busy planning out their objectives as well.
Meius cupped his face in his hands. He held his face in his hands for a few seconds. A flood of different thoughts and memories hit his head all at once. Meius backed himself into the corner and slowly descended to the floor. His hands slid down his face like molasses. His eyes peered down the area ahead of him through his spread out fingers. His eyes and pupils were wide and shaking with an intensity as if an earthquake were happening inside of his head.
"She knows... She knows!..." Meius's chest quivered as it rose and fell with the rhythm of his own elevated heartbeat. Sweat ran down his face and hands. His hands tensed up. Meius's fingertips pressed against his face with such a force that it slightly pierced his skin. A slight trickling of blood accompanied the sweat on his face. The breaths leaving his body became hot and steamy. He pushed his body against the corner and looked out towards the halls. For the first time in a long while… This feeling…
"It's too soon... It's too soon!..." Meius grimaced beneath his hands' cover. He clenched his teeth and jaw as his vision began to stabilize and focus. The tension in his hands and fingers released. A light glow emitted from his palms and closed the tiny wounds on his head. Slowly, his arms fell back down to his side.
"No... Keep calm, Meius. Do what you do best. Be patient. Learn. And plan..."