Chapter 25: Irving II

The “living room” was essentially a single table laid out just beside the kitchen right next to the back window.

If the curtains were open, it would’ve received a good amount of light, the lake view providing an idyllic backdrop while eating. But right now, with the curtains shut, the wooden furniture simply looked dull and lifeless.

The table itself was fairly large—or at least larger than Leo would’ve expected for an elderly man seemingly living by himself. The [Fragmentholder] sat down carefully, and Allan took a seat next to him. Spade sat down on the adjacent side and Irving across from Leo, the man carefully propping his cane up against the wall behind him as he settled down.

The man’s shoulders relaxed a little as he sat, relieving the weight on his legs. He frowned, scrutinizing the three of them, and Leo’s shoulders tensed in anticipation.

“…My apologies for the lack of tea,” Irving said. “If I’d known you were coming, I would’ve brewed some.”

“It’s fine.” The response came out a bit more curt than Leo had intended. Irving nodded slowly.

“Yes, well.” He cleared his throat, visibly struggling to find his words. Leo forced himself to wait patiently; he didn’t want to press too much or the man might decide to say nothing at all.

It turned out to be the right move, because after a few more moments passed, the [Fisherman] finally spoke.

“It was quite sudden,” Irving said. His eyes were distant with memory. “We’d just received the Administrator’s notification the day before, so you can imagine the village was still reeling.” He frowned. “Yesterday afternoon, the Hounds arrived. They’ve worked with Clearside before, but we’d heard they’d gone north, so it was odd to see them return so soon.”

The man’s voice slowed, brows furrowing. “Sonia—the leader—she asked us for a map of the Glass Lake’s tides.”

Leo straightened a little at that. “You mean those routes’re consistent?” He’d assumed the lingering magic warped space completely randomly.

Irving nodded. “It’s rather complex, but there are indeed distinct paths across the water. Clearside has existed for generations by the lake shore, and we pass down knowledge of those routes.”

The man frowned. “Don’t misunderstand. It’s still extremely dangerous and, well, given the size, most fishermen only know a few consistent paths to take. We certainly don’t travel carelessly to the lake center.”

Leo’s mind churned. When he mentally pulled up the fragmentholder database, the map was too vague to see an exact fragment location, but the Glass Lake did indeed glow, indicating that one was present in the area. The Hounds were likely planning on searching the lake and islands for it, and to do so they would need information to navigate the maze of fae magic.

The [Fragmentholder] frowned. According to Irving, the fishermen only knew a few routes that remained close to the shore, but considering everything the Hounds had said and Irving’s own involvement…

“…You know all the routes, don’t you.”

It was a statement, not a question. Irving pursed his lips.

“The knowledge has been passed down my family for generations,” he said stiffly.

That explained the Hounds’ behavior, then. They must have given the man an ultimatum to tell them the routes within four days using the rest of the village as a bargaining chip.

Across the table, Spade studied Irving with unreadable grey eyes.

“Why don’t you tell them?” the [Executioner] said bluntly. She cocked her head. “Seems like it would save you a lot of trouble.”

“It’s not that simple.” Irving’s brows furrowed. “Some people can’t be trusted with that much knowledge or power.”

The “power” part led Leo to believe that the Hounds had indeed told Irving about the fragment. He frowned. Even so, the more the former [Thief] tried to rationalize the man’s behavior, the less it made sense to him.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

It sounded like Sonia wasn’t above killing off the village if Irving didn’t comply. Why risk it when he could just tell them the routes? Was Sonia such a threat in his eyes that he’d endanger the entire village?

“Just checking,” Leo said slowly, “but what did Sonia say they’d do if you don’t tell them in the next four days?”

Irving’s mouth thinned, and Leo’s eyes narrowed.

“How long’re you planning to wait before you tell them the routes?”

“Ideally I never do,” Irving muttered, and Leo felt a tinge of irritation flare.

“I seriously doubt they’re just gonna take ‘no’ for an answer.”

“Even so, I’d like to delay it for as long as possible.” The man’s voice slowed. “Especially if that wall of light is what I think it is.”

He definitely knew about the fragment, then. Leo wanted to ask about it directly, but it would probably come off as suspicious; Irving might even figure out that they wanted it for themselves, and he doubted a man as seemingly paranoid as the [Fisherman] would trust strangers with the fragment or routes.

Still, this might be their only chance to get more information. Careful to keep his voice steady, Leo asked, “Why do the Hounds want to get across the lake so bad anyway?”

Leo felt Allan’s gaze on him, the [Healer]’s dark eyes gleaming as he figured out what the [Fragmentholder] was trying to do.

“We don’t mean to push you,” Allan added, brows furrowing with what looked like perfectly sincere concern. He shifted in his seat.

“It’s just, well, now that we’re being forced to stay in Clearside, I can’t help but feel a little…nervous about everything.” Dark eyes darted to the side, then back in a mimicry of unease, and Leo resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow. No matter how often he saw it, Allan’s innate knack for acting never failed to impress him.

“We just want to make sure we know what to expect,” the [Healer] finished. His face was earnest, and based on the hesitant furrow in Irving’s brow, he was indeed being swayed.

“If the Hounds do get those directions and accomplish whatever they’re trying to do, don’t you think it’d be better for us to know what to prepare for?” Leo added.

That seemed to be the final nail in the coffin, because Irving exhaled a long sigh. His entire body seemed to deflate with weariness and defeat.

“I suppose there isn’t much point in keeping it from you,” the man murmured. He raised his head, and Leo met the [Fisherman]’s eyes.

“Sonia claims one of the Hounds has a skill that grants him prophetic dreams. Supposedly he saw an image of an Administrator class fragment on an island somewhere in the Glass Lake.” He shook his head. “They didn’t give me more details, but it’s clear they want to find it.”

“And you don’t want that to happen.”

Irving frowned. “If those fragments are truly pieces of the Administrator’s power, I wouldn’t trust anyone with it. Especially not Sonia,” he added, eyes narrowing a little. “The Hounds are more honorable than many other mercenary groups, but Sonia is ambitious. I fear this hunt will only fuel her most ruthless tendencies.”

“Why not look for the fragment yourself?” Spade pointed out. Flat grey eyes watched the man unblinkingly. “You know the way across. You could search the islands faster than anyone.”

Irving laughed at that, the sound harsh and sharp.

“I’m no fool. I may know the way, but every child in Clearside knows not to anger the fae. The further into the waters you go, the more you provoke their wrath.”

Leo raised an eyebrow. “You think some survived then? It’s not just lingering magic?”

“I know they did.” The harshness in the man’s voice made Leo blink. He hadn’t expected such an aggressive response.

Irving raised a wrinkled hand, gesturing to the closed blinds where the Glass Lake lay hidden beyond. “Ask anyone who’s lived by these waters and they’ll tell you. A tide once destroyed a village nearby. Nothing that falls into the lake comes back out.” His voice cracked a little, and he shook his head, visibly calming himself. He inhaled.

“That’s more than mere ‘leftover magic.’ That lake is alive and the Hounds are fools to test the fae. I won’t have their wrath destroy Clearside as collateral damage.”

Leo exchanged looks with Allan and Spade. The Glass Lake was a legend to him and an interesting remnant from the rule of the Ancients, but he had no deeper attachment to it. He wasn’t even from Avel, after all. But he did know that for many of the villages bordering its shores, it was sacred, and this attitude was likely common among them.

Still, it did sound convincing. He made sure to note the part about entering the waters especially. They would have to make sure none of them fell in by accident; it was too much of a risk even if they were only going off Irving’s claims.

“I see,” the [Fragmentholder] said slowly. “Thanks for telling us about it.”

The shadows and creases on Irving’s face seemed deeper, like he’d aged years in front of them.

“It—you’re welcome.” He shook his head and slowly rose on shaky legs. The chair squeaked across the floorboards, and he grabbed his cane to steady himself. His fingers squeezed tightly around the handle.

“It appears that you will reside here for the next few days.” His voice was carefully controlled. “I have a spare room you can use.”

“That would be wonderful, thank you,” Allan said with a smile. He stood up as well, and Leo and Spade followed suit.

Irving simply nodded and turned down the hallway. The trio followed, leaving behind the lonely too-large table and the closed, opaque curtains.