by Andur
Um... Should I tell him? But what if daddy really killed him and his party? “Why don't you ask him? It's a past life anyway. I don't think that he is someone who cares about the past.”
Arran stares at nothing for a moment. Probably he is trying to remember something. “The demon lord back then built strange machines too... Nah! It's not worth the risk to anger my father in law. And the demon lord from that time was a harem guy with one woman at each finger and two on his lap. Your father is completely different, he would never go for someone other than his wife.”
I nod and smile while hoping that the truth will never come out. Daddy... so you went wild in some reincarnations? I'll have to keep an extra eye on you to help mom. Hopefully he will not get a relapse back to those days.
Though mom and dad seem to be happy right now. Maybe I am thinking too much about it.
“After hearing about it, I don't think that I want to watch another intelligent being in such a situation.” Fergus shakes his head.
Arran nods. “I don't want to remember that time. The demon lord in question had some kind of grudge against heroes.”
“AAAAAAAAA”
Fergus straightens and looks at us. “There! Again! That was the loudest one so far! Even you must have heard!”
“I think I heard that one.” Arran nods.
“Daddy must be using one of the special tools, as he calls them. They don't scream like that otherwise.” I nod and smile in triumph.
But Arran's face became pale as soon as I mentioned the special tools. He curls up into a foetus position and starts to shiver.
“Hey Arran what's wrong? Are you sick?” I approach him and shake his shoulder.
“The demon lord also used something which he called a special tool. I just remembered!” Arran starts to sob and buries his face in the cushion he was sitting on.
I pat his shoulder. “It's okay. There is no way that daddy and that demon lord are the same person. You said so yourself.”
“I h... ho... hope!”
75 - Double agent.
Norfolk, Sarn
Jazira
“So you intend to go after the Inquisition?” I cross my legs and lean back. “They were strangely silent since their attack on Sarn. It's the same for Mislow and the Nation of Mist though. Still, I am glad that we were able to talk about our differences. There is nothing better than being able to find mutual goals with the other party.”
Tjena, Sagittarius, Ascathon, Celestial and I are sitting in his mansion in Sarn. It's not a palace, but a wondrous building nonetheless. Up until now I didn't realize that I was really missing the comfort of technological realms, but this house reminds me that this world is still a few steps behind in a lot of things.
“They sent an assassin after me. The best one they could hire for money. Isn't that enough?” Ascathon shakes his fist.
“You said that you caught him alive. He can't be that good.” Tjena snorts, but looks away when Ascathon's eyes fix on her.
Then he smiles. “He was good enough to stab a dagger hilt deep into my back and twist it around a few times. That's a feat no other assassin accomplished so far.”
“You were occupied with something else at that time.” Celestial remarked.
“Anyway, I managed to re-educate him to work towards my goals. It was a hard piece of work, because he is a little insane. But the result should be fine. He'll have a meeting with his employer any time now.” Ascathon folds his fingers and smiles.
“Re-educate?” This guy is more dangerous than I thought.
“Yes. I wiped his memory after playing with him for a little while to find out who sent him. It's a shame that he forgot his well deserved punishment. I let him go in the firm belief that he escaped me with his life.” Ascathon pulls a small device from his pocket. “I bugged him to find the location of the Inquisition.”
“Someone should doubt his friends when he is up against you.” Tjena growls.
“So what will happen once your turned assassin reaches the enemy?” I can't stand being thrown just one piece of information at a time.
“Well. I am watching and listening to my spy with this globe.” He lifts a crystal globe, which he had lying on the table since earlier. “And when he comes close to someone I don't like, I'll press this button.”
“Why is it red and blinking?” Celestial interrogates her husband.
“Bombs need red and blinking buttons as triggers. What else could it be?” Ascathon explains it like it's obvious.
Sagittarius straightens and speaks with a disgusted voice. “You planted a bomb on him!?”
“Not on, but inside. A small nuclear device. It should flatten a building or two, so it has to be close to the target.” Ascathon looks like he just admitted a fault in his plan. Then his face lightens up. “Healing magic has so many interesting possibilities. You can simply cut someone open and place some interesting gadgets inside them. Then you heal him up and it's as if he was never hurt. Guess his face when I shoved the bomb into his chest. Wait, I made a picture as memento!”
“Th... That's wrong!” Sagittarius is really shocked now.
“Wrong? I don't see any problem. I don't have to go close to my enemy, so the risk to myself is low. And I can be fairly certain to dispose of the target in the process.” Ascathon purses his lips.
“That's morally wrong on more than one aspect! What about innocent bystanders?” Saggitarius gasps.
“I assume that they'll avoid being close to any listeners for such a meeting. And even if not, I consider this as war. If you stop fighting the enemy because he hides behind an innocent, you are just showing him that you don't have the guts to do what it takes. He'll start to use the lives of innocents against you. If you show them that you aren't affected by such actions, they won't bother with actions which have proven to be useless. If your enemy realizes that he can affect you by using civilians to his advantage, you'll have more people on your conscience.” Ascathon ends his long speech to Sagittarius and looks towards me. “I guess you didn't build your empire by negotiating with terrorists.”
“Your point of view seems a little bit warped, but you are certainly right that an enemy shouldn't be shown that your conviction is weaker than his.” Though your little scheme makes it look like you are the terrorist at the moment.
Suddenly the device is snatched from Ascathon's hand. “Hey!”
Celestial moved with unbelievable speed and secured the device. “I'll decide if we should press that button or not! It's my country after all!”
Ascathon grabs for the device. “I was the one whom he stabbed! I want to blow him up!”
*Slap*
Celestial slapped his hand away with enough force to create a really loud noise and he visibly winces in pain. “You won't trigger any nuclear devices within my country!”
“I won't yield in this! He stabbed me!” Ascathon doesn't give up. Obviously he harbours a deep grudge against people who try to kill him.
Celestial pulls a small box from her pocket and holds it under his nose. “We'll trade! I get the device and you the box!”
Ascathon's expression wavers for a moment and then he grabs the box and stores it away. “Deal!”
Then I realize that my mouth fell open during the exchange and I snap it shut. Those two are fun to watch. “Care to tell me what's inside that box?”
“National secret!” Celestial shakes her head.
“You won't get any.” Ascathon's face hardens and that settles the matter.
“Hah!?” Now I want to know!
“It's something called chocolate, Empress. He is an addict. Celestial is brewing this drug in her kitchen. Back then when I worked here under cover, I tried to acquire some samples. But he guards his weekly doses like a hawk. And Celestial always makes just enough to supply him.” Tjena solves the mystery for me and I arch an eyebrow.
Chocolate a drug? “There is no chocolate in this world?” But then again, I learned that Celestial seems to be quite capable with c
hemistry and medicine? Why shouldn't she be able to create something that tastes and looks like chocolate? “And it's not a drug, but a candy. ~PfahahhAHAHAHAHA~ Does that mean that she just traded a box of candies for a nuclear device from her husband?”
Celestial's expression turns sour. “Unfortunately that's the type of guy he is. If you know his triggers you can get almost everything from him. And that makes him a little frightening too.”
“That sounds like I am looked down upon! I am just acting according to my desires, that's all. It just happens that my desire for chocolate is bigger than pressing a button.” Ascathon replies firmly.
Celestial hugs her husband from the side and snuggles up to him. “I would never look down on the guy whom I married.”
He frowns and takes another look at his globe. “Hey, something is happening!”
Norfolk, Border Town Raure, Sewers
The Nameless
“You failed.” The dark hooded person across from him starts the conversation with a displeased voice. “Why are you here?”
“To inform you that the price for his death rose. He is far more capable than I thought and his self healing skills aren't just for show. I will need some very expensive poisons to ensure his elimination.” He sneers at the hooded figure.
The hooded figure steps closer and whispers. “I already paid you to kill him and his family. If you aren't capable of dealing with him, then target his wife! Gut his mother, behead his sister. Start a fucking slaughterhouse in his mansion! We didn't pay you just for him, yet you dare to show your face here? If you are too incompetent to accomplish this, then kill his child! Can you manage at least that!?”
*PIEP*
A sudden noise startles him and the man in front of him. The noise came from his chest? He touches himself while wondering.
*PIEP*
No. To be more exact. It came out of his chest!
“What's that stupid magic trick of yours. Do you want to joke with a hero of the gods!?” The hooded figure reaches for his clothes to find out what he is hiding.
*PIEP* *PIEP* *PIEP*
*PIEEEEEEP*
Norfolk, Sarn
Jazira
The vision inside Ascathon's crystal globe turns black. Celestial started mashing the red button like a madman when the hooded person mentioned killing Sera.
Celestial's expression turns satisfied and she drops the device on the table between us. “Whew. How lucky that I was in control of the trigger.” Then she looks up. “What?”
Ascathon shakes his head. “You could have waited a little longer. Maybe he would have been led to their headquarters?”
“But they threatened Sera! And it was clear from their words that the assassin was just a hired gun and not trusted. The hooded guy disliked him, so it's unlikely that he would have taken him there.” Celestial answers.
I make a mental note to myself to never put Sera in any danger ever again. This woman has a tendency to overreact.
76 - Audience.
Kingdom of Mislow, City of Mirrors
Norent Grant
This burning agony! It's still coursing through my entire body like fire. I'll get them for this! Luckily I realized in time that it was a trap. The infuriating part is that I fell for it like a novice.
The explosion peeled the skin from my body and almost killed me. I would be dead if I hadn't the divine protection of the gods. There was nothing left of the assassin when I crawled screaming out of the crater.
Curse that guy for setting up such a trap. I poured all my power into my best healing spells and ran away. There was no doubt that the assassin was broken and worked for them. The healing spell worked quite well, but there is a strange curse on me since then. Probably the assassin transferred it to me when I touched him.
My body burns like fire and I lose my hair. My skin sheds and produces strange ulcers. It's like my body is coming apart while I watch. I can heal myself, but the whole process starts again soon. It's impossible to keep healing myself day and night. Even though I got huge mana reserves from the gods blessing, they aren't endless.
The healers covered my body in bandages and fusillade. It's conventional medicine for commoners and doesn't do much. At least it keeps the worst pain away.
Currently I am walking through the entrance hall to the king's throne room. A look at the guards is enough to tell me that they fear what they see. The blood and fluids which are oozing through my bandages must be a gruesome sight.
They step away from me and I enter the throne room. There are huge mirrors all around me instead of walls. Even the ceiling and the floor are a single mirror. The room creates the impression that it goes on and on for eternity. On the throne is a single figure.
A huge man in full body armour made of mirrors. The armour has a magnificent design and covers every part of the body. Only the joints are made of silver chain-mail to keep them flexible. The visor is closed and there are no facial features visible. Many people think that the figure on the throne is a golem, which acts as a proxy. But the truth is that nobody knows for sure.
The ruling family of Mislow is a mystery.
The armour lifts it's helmet and targets me with its eye-slits. “The great Inquisitor is returning from his mission and the enemy is still alive. On top he is heavily wounded. It seems that your safe plan turned out to be quite dangerous.”
“If your majesty would finally decide to join this holy crusade, there wouldn't be so many problems.” I press the words through my teeth.
The armour starts to tap the armrest of the throne with one finger. “Mislow doesn't move lightly. We already assisted you in your efforts to fulfil the desires of the gods. But as you see, moving without proper knowledge about the enemy is the choice of the fools.”
“We can't wait any longer! They are advancing every day and spreading their ideas. They create horrific spells and curses. What will become of our world if we watch any longer? They even have flying ships! By the gods! They could show up above your beloved capital and destroy it without a problem.” My face distorts in disgust and I feel my skin rip.
The armour remains silent. Then it looks to the side at one of the mirrors which seem to repeat the armour's mirror image till eternity.
I press on. “There is no time! The longer we wait, the less chance we have to restore the balance! I know that Mislow is a land of heretics who pursue knowledge! But at least you don't create artefacts for commoners! Are you so blinded by your ideals that you ignore that this problem originated from you?”
The armour is still staring off at somewhere else and ignores me. “Yes, Ascathon came from your very own country! He is a child of your culture! So solve the problems which you created! What will you do if their negotiations with Phenex are fruitful and they join forces?”
“ENOUGH!”
The armour's voice booms through the room and a shock wave almost wipes me from my feet. But I hold against the pressure and keep standing.
“Fool! You are a blind believer. A fanatic! And there is nothing worse than fanatics! Mislow will ready itself once again. But not because of you, or the gods! We will protect our bloodline. The bloodline of mind magic. Its secret can't fall into the hands of anyone else. We won't do it for you, or the gods!” The armour raises from it's seat and walks past me with smooth motions.
I follow with hasty steps and a procession of guards joins in behind us.
“Call the Nation of Mist! We need their ships. And get every magician you can find and enlist them into the army. This time we will have a full scale mobilization. And activate the fleet!” The armour walks towards a balcony and steps outside.
“Wait! Fleet!? What fleet?” I follow it.
“Our fleet.” The armour waves his hand across the sky and dozens, hundreds of silver ships appear out of nowhere in the sky above the city of mirrors. They seem to be made out of silver and their hulls are smooth and polished. They are blinking, blinding me by reflecting the sun off their hulls.
“Wh
at?” My mind isn't able to absorb the scene in front of me.
Then the armour waves his hand again and the fleet disappears. “We are building them in secret facilities and hide them with optical concealment spells. They are Mislow's ultimate answer to anyone who manages to set foot on our soil.”
I gape at the gigantic breach on regulations regarding technology. “Heretic! Do you know what you did!? Why wasn't this reported to the academy?”
The armour places its hands on the parapet. “We defend ourselves. Against foes from outside and within! The Academy has fallen and the Inquisition is a homeless bunch of terrorists. So there is no need to hide any more.”
“Who do you think you are!? I am the hero of the gods!” I scream at the heretic and summon a holy sword of light in my right hand.
Suddenly the armour blurs and my hand is gripped. It squeezes down on me with unbelievable strength until I have no other choice than to unsummon my sword of light. Blood is oozing through the bandages on my hand. “Stupid fanatic, there is only one truth! And that's the truth you find with your own mind. Do you really think that a hero is more than another chess piece for the gods?”
My hand is twisted until I am on my knees. It feels like fighting wouldn't gain me anything now. I am inside the capital and there is a fucking huge fleet above my head.
The armour lets go of my hand. “Choose now. Follow our fleet into battle with your Inquisition, or die here in vain.”
Rage is building up inside me. The wish to destroy Mislow comes to my mind, but then I look at the invisible fleet above me and smile. Not yet. The heretics can kill each other, then I'll clean up the rest.
“What are your orders?”
Floating somewhere above the Sea of God
Lidith
“You guys are using underhanded cheap tricks! First you deceive me with those puppets and then you send all forces you can muster against me.” I pout my lips and roll my dice.
