Piers’ house across from Université was also close to Lycée. Henrik revealed that he had registered the comcry of the building’s caretaker, Mr. Aldir, who was one of Piers’ personal valets from the imperial palace. Mr. Aldir would give Henrik access to a ground floor room that could only be entered by entering the building itself.
The ground floor rooms that Tori rented had separate entrances facing the inner courtyard for ease of access to the carriage house. Piers had told her that the house once belonged to a wealthy family that died out and was turned into a multi-flat apartment decades earlier.
The owners wanted to sell it and move back to their ancestral village, so Piers was able to purchase it and sent Mr. Aldir to oversee the renovations. That explained why Piers and Axton’s flat was so extravagant while the rest of the building appeared average and not heavily modified.
The ground floor interior rooms included Mr. Aldir’s flat, a supply room for the building’s upkeep, a supply room for the knights, a kitchen and dining area for the knights that functioned as a break room, a small reading room, and an office. Henrik’s papers were filed away in the office, in his own special cabinet.
“When did he start keeping them there?” Ilyana asked as she walked towards their homeroom. While Tori didn’t want to let many people know, Ilyana’s name was also on the paperwork and it was good for her to know where the documents were, if needed. “It’s not surprising that he’d find a secure place, but I didn’t think he’d go to Prince Piers.”
“Piers suggested it early on, apparently,” Tori said. “Henrik doesn’t feel comfortable storing all our important documents in his dorm, since he has a roommate, and he isn’t home most of the time. Not to mention his house is across town. It’s much more convenient to have them at Pier’s house since it’s close and secure. Henrik trusts Piers because I trust Piers.”
Ilyana nodded in understanding. “It’s good to have powerful friends.”
Tori snickered. “Yes, but he can’t protect us from everything. With the leak on the Lunar Pavilion, we might as well start releasing bits of information here and there. If we try to keep it a secret, our opponents may grow more daring to find out more. I don’t want to put anyone in a worrisome situation.”
“Should we talk to JP?”
“Let’s start off with the guild masters. Their words would be taken more seriously. I’ll also talk to Axton about releasing some information on his portion of the inn,” Tori said. They reached their classroom and were one of the first to arrive. Ilyana put their breakfast pastries on the table. Tori carefully picked out her croissant and then fished out a new bottle she had made in Viclya.
The design on the outside were sea motifs and her initials were on the lid. Tori carefully unscrewed it, turning the lid into a cup, and poured out the still warm coffee with sweet cream she’d made that morning.
“Is it keeping the coffee warm?”
“Yes, the ceramic around the bottle is supposed to keep the contents hot or cold longer. I’m going to see how long it lasts.” Tori bit the end of her croissant and then dipped it into her drink. In her original world, she’d usually do this with hot chocolate, but remembered watching her grandparents dip bread into their morning coffee. She missed the chocolatey taste, but this was still good.
“Mr. Tobias said that since we’re feeding Prince Gideon, Mama J had included some of his favorite pastries.”
“That was thoughtful of her. What did she include?”
“Scones stuffed with sweet cream and jam.”
“You have scones with sweet cream and jam?” A voice spoke up behind Tori as Gideon reached them. He stopped beside his desk and put his bag down, his eyes fixed on the wrapped pastries on Ilyana and Tori’s desks. He didn’t move to take one, but had a hopeful look on his face.
“Were you behind us the whole time?” Tori asked, jerking her head back.
“No, I was coming from the commons,” Gideon said. He glanced at them curiously. “Agafonova, you brought a lot this morning.”
Tori and Ilyana exchanged a quiet look. Ilyana sighed and pushed forward two small packets. “Mama J sent you some scones with sweet cream and jam. You can thank her the next time you visit the cafe.”
Gideon’s face brightened at once. “Thank you!” He happily accepted the two pastries and sat down to unwrap them.
“By the way, do you also have a nanny?” Tori asked.
Gideon had already opened one of the packets and nodded, distracted as he admired the delicious pastry. “She was only with me until I was twelve. She went to Nord to assist my cousins with their small children.”
“Didn’t Nanny Rey stay with you until you were twelve, also?” Ilyana asked. Tori nodded.
“Yeah. Twelve is about the age when nannies are released from their positions, unless there is a special reason to keep them employed, like with Mama J and Nanny Rey.”
“That reminds me, I should call her to confirm that our dagger lessons are on hold this week for midterm exams.” Ilyana quietly chided herself for forgetting. “I need to call her when I get back to the dorm.”
“Guevera’s nanny gives dagger lessons?” Gideon was opening his second pastry as he looked over his shoulder. “How much do they cost? Is she still taking students?”
Tori lifted a hand to stop him. “Nanny Rey specifically came here to teach Ilyana how to use a dagger. She also took on teaching Albert, and sometimes Ewan and I get training from her. It is not an open class.”
Gideon looked at her with confusion. “Your nanny came to teach Agafonova?”
“Ilyana is very important to me, and I want her to learn some sort of self-defense,” Tori said in a low voice. She’d never forget how she felt when she found out that Ilyana was stalked and almost assaulted one winter.
Ilyana leaned towards her and rested her head on Tori’s shoulder. “I want to learn to defend myself and it is good exercise. I’m not as good as Tori, but Nanny Rey says I’m a quick learner.”
“You’re better than Albert.”
“Albert is surprisingly uncoordinated.”
Gideon chewed his last pastry slowly before looking back at them with some trepidation. “Agafonova, are you having your reviews for exams this week?”
Ilyana nodded. “After classes today and the next three days, each covering different subjects.” She narrowed her eyes. “The ban still stands.”
Tori tilted her head to the side and held back a small laugh as Gideon’s face fell. He lowered his head. “I see....”
Ilyana looked at Tori and wrinkled her nose. “But, since Tori is your guard, it would be good for her to know where you are. You may attend all the reviews. This time.”
Tori chuckled and patted Ilyana’s arm as Gideon smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Agafonova. My ranking has dropped, and I’d like to raise it.”
Ilyana muttered under her breath, but didn’t respond.
Perhaps it was because it was midterm exam week that everything was quiet and no one bothered her, but despite the stress of studying, the week flew by. Ewan had told them that it was also his midterm exam week at La Garda, but aside from some tests on conduct and strategy, they were taken to the woods to run instructor-reviewed exercises.
Those exercises would run into the weekend, so he pleaded with them to send him food when he returned. Normally, Tori would be happy to oblige and prepare some filling jambalaya for him herself, but that weekend and after school the following week, she had plans. Ewan would have to make do with Senior Southard’s meat pies and burritos made by Mama J’s sons.
The morning after her last midterm exam, Tori met Instructor Ignatius and Master Ramos at Piers' house. At the time, Sir Lloyd was watching Alexander gallivant around the courtyard and get some sun.
“After this, Master Alexander will go with His Highness to the imperial palace. He will be always leashed, my lady. Rest assured, Master Alexander will be safe,” Sir Lloyd told her.
“Has he been eating well? Drinking water?” Tori asked.
“Yes, my lady. As per your instruction, the imperial veterinarian has examined him, and Master Alexander is growing well. It is suspected that his abnormally large size is attributed to the breed of whoever sired him. His father may have been a temple cat.”
“Ah, so perhaps he is a Declian Temple cat,” Master Ramos said as he moved around a feather attached to a stick for Alexander to pounce on. “They don’t normally have such long fur.”
“What’s a Declian Temple cat?” Tori asked as she unpacked some treats she had made for him.
“In the southern continent, the temples breed large, agile cats to catch rodents and snakes. As the climate is hot, they don’t have long fur. They’re quite an ancient breed and have a long history,” Master Ramos told her. “Declya is the region from which they came. It is famous for its necropolises.”
Tori slowly crinkled her eyes and turned towards him. “Necropolises...as in burial cities?”
“Yes, the temples of Declya are dedicated to the afterlife and Omnie, god of death. They are often depicted with two temple cats, one white and one black, both with gold eyes. The white cat is the judge, the black cat is the guide. They say Declian Temple cats can sense death approaching.”
Tori looked at Alexander, rolling on his back with his paws in the air and batting at the feather. My cat is a death cat.... A cute death cat.
“My apologies for oversleeping!” Instructor Ignatius stumbled out of the ground floor flat where he was staying, his hair a mess. “I didn’t get much sleep on the journey here last night. I forgot how tiring it was.”
“It’s all right, Instructor. We have some time before we meet Dean Zanuto,” Tori said, checking her time piece. “Let’s go.”
Université had several entrances, and the School of Natural Sciences was at the west end of the campus, furthest away from Lycée and Piers’ house. The carriage circled the sprawling campus that took up much of the Academic Quarter and arrived at the main gate to the west end.
Tori squinted and leaned towards her crystal-tinted windows. It was a weekend, and she didn’t expect to see that many people.
“Which one of them is Dean Zanuto?” There were seven people standing beneath the pergola by the west entry gate and all except for one had displeased looks on their faces.
Instructor Ignatius peered over the top of her head and Master Ramos craned his neck. He frowned and narrowed his eyes. “It seems that the imperial order allowing you access to the restricted areas was taken worse than we thought.”
“Those are the heads of Université’s various schools,” Instructor Ignatius said in a weak voice. “Dean Zanuto is the tall dark-haired man with gray temples in the center.”
“The one scowling as if you killed his loved ones,” Master Ramos added with a snort of irritation.
The carriage rolled to a stop in front of the gate and the footman jumped off to open the door. Instructor Ignatius stepped out first followed by Master Ramos and then Tori. She reached into the carriage, pulled out a large bag, and slung it over her shoulder.
“Good afternoon,” Tori said as she faced the Université heads. She gave them a little bow of her head, but was leaning to one side to keep her balance with her heavy bag. Instructor Ignatius reached over to take it from her so she wouldn’t topple over.
Dean Zanuto looked her up and down and opened his mouth to say something, only for the Dean of Mathematics, Princess Vivian, to cut him off.
“Countess Tori, welcome to Université!” The woman was bright and cheerful with a warm smile as she squeezed past Master Ramos to take Tori’s hands. She leaned forward as she brought Tori close and whispered in her ear. “Don’t be afraid, my dear, I won’t let them bully you.”
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Tori relaxed a bit and smiled back. She squeezed Princess Vivian’s hand. “Thank you.”
“Zanuto, what is the meaning of this?” Master Ramos said as he puffed out his chest and glared at the graying man in a suit. “Are you trying to intimidate my pupil?”
“Don’t be absurd, Master Ramos,” Dean Zanuto said with a proud look. He lifted his chin and looked at Tori with disdain. “Many of us were curious about the young lady the Emperor ordered to allow access to our collections and vaults.”
“Hmph.” Master Ramos stood beside Tori. “If you have questions, you can ask us inside. Université’s hospitality has waned since I was here. Who holds their introductions outdoors? You wait until Imperial Grand Scholar Sophos hears about how you treated his granddaughter!”
Tori drew in her lips to keep from laughing as Dean Zanuto’s face reddened. “We came to meet you. Coffee and cakes have been prepared in the greenhouse pavilion.”
“Follow us, Master Ramos.” Princess Vivian held on to Tori’s arm and led her down a path to a large building facing the west gate. Just beyond it, Tori could see the glass and metal of a greenhouse. “Is this your first time on Université grounds?”
Tori nodded. “Yes, Your Highness. I’ve passed by it often, but I’ve never set foot here before.”
“You’ll find that it’s quite large. Each of the departments takes up about as much room as Lycée du Soleil. There are numerous libraries and research facilities that take up more room than lecture halls and offices. It’s extremely easy to get lost, so be sure to stay with a vault keeper.”
Tori’s head continued to bob up and down as Princess Vivian tried to ease the tension by chattering away. As Dean Zanuto said, a table with coffee and some pastries were waiting for them in a small pavilion inside the green house. Tori was seated in the center with Master Ramos to one side and Instructor Ignatius on the other. Princess Vivian took her seat at one end of the table.
Once everyone was seated, Tori decided to go straight for it.
“Thank you all for taking time to meet with me today. I’m unsure if you were informed by His Majesty Emperor Matthieu-Philippe, but I am here to do a crystal experiment that requires access to one of the restricted vaults. While I cannot disclose the details of my experiment, I will be supervised by both my crystal masters and accompanied by the vault keeper.”
“Countess Guevera, before we allow you inside, I believe it would be common courtesy to at the very least inform us of your experiment,” Dean Zanuto said as he sat at the other end of the table.
Some Université staff who dealt with such social meeting preparations came forward to begin pouring coffee for the seated faculty and guests.
Tori looked towards Master Ramos for confirmation. Though he was frowning, he still gave her a small, affirmative nod.
“I am experimenting with the combination of charms and crystals by engraving crystals with the characters typically used in charms in order to program them as one would a charm,” Tori said.
A few people looked at her curiously. Someone leaned forward with suspicious eyes. “I heard that you and Master Ignatius have created a cooking plate using carnelian. I noticed that the carvings in the carnelian are in Old Sulfae. Are you well-versed in the language?”
“As far as speaking, no. Reading and writing as I would normally is not very sophisticated. I’m not very familiar with the tenses, conjugations, or have a large vocabulary. What I know I’ve learned from dissecting charms.”
A series of murmurs swept over the table and several uncertain glances were casted in her direction.
“With all due respect, Countess, is it safe for you to experiment without understanding the language?” one of the deans asked.
It was a valid question.
“A person can know the language; read it, write it, and speak it eloquently, but would not know how to use the characters on a charm. There is a particular way it needs to be written. The best way to describe it is a specific code and only when that code is written correctly will it work. There have been many times where I wrote a charm, but one character was incorrect or misplaced, and the charm could not be activated at all.”
When she started dissecting charms to figure out how to program crystals, it had given her horrible flashbacks to learning C++ when she was in high school in her original world. Sure, she was at the top of the class, but it also made her never want to go into computer science. Who knew that her entire previous lifetime of avoiding coding to the point where she actively declined opportunities at work would be meaningless.
“The Countess also uses me, Benedict, and her brother, Kasen de Guevera, as reference when working with Old Sulfae. All three of us have studied the language extensively,” Master Ramos said. He narrowed his eyes and looked around the table. “I am sure you are all familiar with Lord Kasen de Guevera?”
My brother is a genius! Tori had to hold herself back from shamelessly exclaiming her thoughts. “I understand that you may be concerned that damage could be done to the collection should something go wrong with my experiment; however, we have conducted a trial experiment using different resources. The engraving does work as planned, though it was with a much smaller sampling than we plan to do.”
“What is the purpose of your experiment?” another dean asked.
“It is to detect a sample without actively touching it. The trial experiment was able to detect types of seafood in dishes,” Tori said. “The goal is detection from a distance.”
“This can potentially be used for food allergies,” Princess Vivian said with some enthusiasm. “Or finding minerals in soil samples.”
“Yes, with the right programming and registry, which should be possible,” Tori nodded.
“How much time will you need?”
“I am not yet sure,” Tori said. As she didn’t have access to the vault or any information on it, she didn’t know how many items she needed to register. The initial preparation would take several minutes, and she would need to do checks in between every few items registered to make sure the procedure was working.
If it weren’t, she’d have to start all over or at the very least, repeat a step. For the dozen different seafood, she had used prior, which included fish, shellfish, and marine vegetation, it had taken her at least a day and a half, as she did checks to test the use of the crystal after every sample was registered.
To her knowledge, the number of samples that could be registered was near infinite. She had to consider the possibility that the crystal could have an unexpected limit in the middle of registering samples, in which case, she’d need to prepare a second crystal.
Tori cut through a small tart as she went over the procedures in her head once more.
“Do you expect any dangers while doing this experiment?” someone asked. “Crystals can be volatile if too much energy is used.”
“I don’t expect any dangers such as crystals exploding or reaching crystal fatigue,” Tori said. “As I said, if the Old Sulfae used is out of order or incorrect, there will be no effect. The energy used is miniscule. Rather than the experiment itself, what I’d consider a danger is the exposure to the items in the vault.”
She ate a piece of her tart and could feel the critical eyes on her. The silent question was obvious: what items in the vault would be considered dangerous?
“Countess Guevera, you have yet to disclose which restricted vault you require access to,” Dean Zanuto said as he lowered his coffee.
Tori nodded and put her fork down. “I require access to the toxicology vault.”
[https://static.wixstatic.com/media/334114_6091e4325c304c4d9804d3c53f9887d3~mv2.png]
She was irritated that even though she had arrived midmorning, they wouldn’t take her to the vault until after lunch, and even then, they hadn’t allowed her to start because it was ‘too late in the day’. The Université heads understood Tori had a time constraint, as she attended Lycée during the weekdays and only had so many available weekends, as she was also busy establishing a county, but it seemed that weekends were out of the question.
“Unfortunately, Countess Guevera, we can only accommodate your experiment during weekdays, as the vault keepers are not on duty on the weekends. Today was an exception,” Dean Zanuto said as the group excited the underground vault.
Tori, her masters, Dean Zanuto, and Professor Lemaire, the toxicology vault’s vault keeper, reached the hallway on the ground floor of one of the smaller science buildings not far from the green house. Princess Vivian and the other deans of various schools were waiting for them.
Even they had restricted access to vaults unaffiliated with their schools and could not come with Tori when she went to see the toxicology vault.
“What do you mean she can only do her experiment during weekdays?” Master Ramos snapped his head back and glared at Dean Zanuto. “That only gives her a few hours a day and doesn’t take into account her additional activities!”
Dean Zanuto looked to the side, disinterested in Master Ramos’ protests. “Access to vaults is restricted and though the Countess has access, she must still abide by the specific times the vaults are opened.”
“And these times are fixed?” Tori asked.
“Yes.”
“Except for today, of course. How convenient.”
Dean Zanuto shot her an annoyed look. “Countess Guevera, Université made an exception for you. This is the first we’ve ever done such a thing in the history of the school. I believe requiring you to follow the other procedures is fair.”
“But the vaults were accessible with the vault keeper on weekends in previous years,” Instructor Ignatius said with a slight frown. “Many students and professors continue their research on weekends and after operating hours. Has this policy changed?”
Tori looked around at the other heads and the vault keeper. Most avoided her eyes, except for a displeased Princess Vivian glaring at Dean Zanuto. Dean Zanuto reasserted the policy.
“It has changed for specific vaults. Many vaults are not used often, and it was seen as unnecessary to open them during the weekends and some after hours. This is dependent on the vault.”
“Is it now?” Princess Vivian frowned as her eyes bore into Dean Zanuto. “This is the first I’ve heard of this.”
“The mathematics vault is used often; this would not apply to it. The toxicology vault is different. It’s rarely used,” Dean Zanuto said. He looked at Princess Vivian challengingly. “Please do not assume that I am making up rules arbitrarily to hinder the Countess. I am aware that you and she are well-acquainted. I heard she makes clothing?”
Princess Vivian’s look darkened and Tori stepped in front of her. “Dean Zanuto, Professor Lemaire, can you confirm the days and times that the vault keeper can escort me and my masters into the toxicology vault?”
She took out a notebook and a fountain pen and looked up at Dean Zanuto expectantly. Dean Zanuto looked at Professor Lemaire. “The schedule depends on Professor Lemaire, as you must work around his classes and research.”
“Then, Professor Lemaire, please confirm your schedule with me. It will be faster for you to tell me, so I don’t need to confirm your class times with the Université registrar and lab scheduling, and your students. I will report back to the Emperor to assure him that his order has been heeded,” Tori said with a pleasant smile. If she wanted to keep track of him, it was very possible to do so. It was just time consuming.
Professor Lemaire picked up her subtle warning. If he lied, she’d find out and report to the Emperor. While the Emperor’s power was limited, he still wielded a great deal of influence and sometimes a little soft power was all one needed to ruin a person.
“Of course, Countess Guevera....” Professor Lemaire agreed, and Tori drew a calendar grid on her notebook. She charted the days of the week and an hour-by-hour breakdown. Professor Lemaire looked at Dean Zanuto, who gave him a small nod. With a backer, Professor Lemaire went through his schedule and Tori blocked out the dates and times when he was teaching or working in a lab.
She confirmed once more. “And you are certain you will be available at these times to open the vault? In the coming week, there will be no scheduling conflict stopping you from assisting me with the vault?”
“That is correct, my lady.”
“And what time do you go home and arrive?” Tori asked.
“Pardon?”
“I want to confirm what time you arrive on campus and what time you leave so as not to overstay or come too early,” Tori said, still smiling. “I’d hate to keep you from resting, after all.”
A bit dumbfounded, the professor told her what time arrived each day and that he left every day before the early evening. Tori held up her notebook and asked him to confirm.
“This is correct.”
“Please sign it.”
“Excuse me?”
“Please sign it to ensure authenticity,” Tori said, handing him his pen.
“Yes, Professor Lemaire. The Countess is only asking you to confirm that you’ve reviewed the schedule and that it is correct,” Princess Vivian said with a predatory smile.
Professor Lemaire looked at Dean Zanuto. The dean nodded his head. “You are only confirming your schedule and times of availability. As Countess Guevera can see, your availability to give her access and escort her in the vaults are limited to these few hours per day. At most, the Countess can only spend an hour or two after her Lycée classes.”
Professor Lemaire sighed, somewhat relieved. He took Tori’s pen and signed his name. “It is unfortunate that the majority of the time available, you are also attending classes.”
“Yes. Tragic,” Tori said as she took the notebook back. She looked down at the blocks of availability time that not-so-surprisingly overlapped with Lycée hours. “It is unfortunate, but I must work within the limitations I’m given.” She reached into her pocket and took out her comcry. “Please also register your comcry with mine so that I may confirm times with you.”
He didn’t seem to think anything of it and did so.
“Everyone here is a witness. We are complying with His Majesty’s order and Countess Guevera has accepted the procedures,” Dean Zanuto said, sounding satisfied for the first time that day. “Of course, the order was only for Countess Guevera to have access. Master Ramos and Master Ignatius can only enter when the Countess is present.”
Instructor Ignatius took in a sharp breath and glowered. This meant that he could not come and perform the task once Tori taught him. He stood up straight and took a step forward to protest, but Tori grabbed his arm and held him back. She gave him a small shake of her head.
“This is what we’ve agreed upon,” Tori said. “Of course, Professor Lemaire must be available at the times confirmed, else it is a breach of procedure, and we will have to...reevaluate.”
“I assure you; I will be available to give you entry at those times, my lady. Once there is a confirmed schedule, as a vault keeper, I must keep it, otherwise, there is no point to being a vault keeper.”
“That’s even better to hear. Thank you, everyone, for coming this afternoon,” Tori said, holding the notebook tightly against her. She glanced at Master Ramos and a frowning Instructor Ignatius. “Shall we head back?”
Master Ramos gave her a nod and Instructor Ignatius sent a glare at Dean Zanuto and Professor Lemaire.
“I will walk you back to the gate,” Princess Vivian said pleasantly. She ushered Tori to the side, and they walked out of the building. Two imperial knights who were acting as Princess Vivian’s escort followed behind them, having waited by the doors.
They made it a few steps away before Instructor Ignatius finally released his frustration. His face was filled with color as he threw his arms in the air. “An hour or two is hardly enough time to do an experiment of this complexity! Simply setting up the experiment and retrieving the poisons will take up half that time. They’re purposely trying to sabotage you. You should speak to the Emperor about this!”
“Oh my. You have good masters, Countess,” Princess Vivian chuckled with a smile.
Tori cracked a smile of her own and nodded. “I have been well cared for since the beginning, Your Highness. No one has better masters than me.”
“Benedict,” Master Ramos said as he raised a hand and patted Instructor Ignatius’ back. “Have some more faith in your student. Our pupil has put Profess Lemaire in a corner. He is now required to be available during those confirmed times. If he lapses, he will lose his authority as vault keeper and the position will be given to someone else.”
“Lemaire is Zanuto’s little lap dog,” Princess Vivian said with a sneer. “Vault keepers must be voted upon by their peers and the dean. If he loses his vault keeper position, the department professors and dean must vote on another and there is no guarantee that whoever becomes the next vault keeper will listen to Zanuto.”
It looks like there are university politics in Soleil as well. Tori nodded.
“But even if the Countess can make full use of her one or two hours, it is far from efficient,” Instructor Ignatius said as he ran a hand down his face. “Did you see the vault? It’s massive! It could take weeks, if not months, to register everything!”
“Call Gregorio de Guevera,” Tori said as she walked alongside them, holding her comcry in her hand. Instructor Ignatius looked at her, surprised.
“My sweet girl, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?” Her father’s doting voice answered.
“Hi, Papa. I missed you! I hope I’m not bothering you,” she said in a sweet voice.
Her father’s laugh boomed in her ears. “You are never bothering me, Tori! What can Papa do for you?”
“Papa, I hate to trouble you, but I need you to contact Lycée,” Tori said as they reached the west gate. She smiled brightly. “I need a week's leave of absence.”