River sat on the couch with the book in her hands. She was struggling, not because she couldn’t read – it was just… It was just hard to focus. The beginning of this Empire, 400 years prior, sounded similar to the beginnings of any nation state. A revolution, a conquest, morally grey feats. Mentions of the fantastical, but none of Earth as far as she could tell.
She was still there, reading, though. There was this one guy who caught her attention, a Knight, who the book paid heed to. The person who had been against all of it from the beginning, not a righteous man. He had fought on the side of the corrupt, named the ‘Final Knight of Tyranny’ by his enemies. He defended his corrupt leadership – who had indirectly killed millions in their negligence and avarice.
A man who had held armies at bay, who’s defeat marked the end of the long war.
What stood out to River was just how dedicated he had seemed. What a strange, twisted sense of honor, what purpose he must have felt. A bad person. A consistently bad person, who told no lies, who betrayed not his friends. A good Knight, a bad person.
River swallowed. She looked up from the book, hungry.
—
Oliver had a much nicer desk, and he was not sitting behind it. Emilia had done a couple numbers and found that auditing was going to be an absolute nightmare.
“Here’s your patch. Go find someone to help out, someone with an education of some kind. Stephen if he wants to, though I’m not sure he does. Regardless, make use of my authority, we’re going to be swamped.”
That’s what she had said. Though she had said it with a barely contained smile. That was partly the reason he hadn’t refused.
He knew Stephen wasn’t going to, not because he knew him so well or knew what he would respond with – simply because Oliver wasn’t going to ask. The professor had to focus on what he was doing. In Oliver’s opinion.
And so Oliver, now with the patch on his shoulder, had to somehow find someone that was a suitable fit. But he didn’t know ANYONE–
No, he did…
Oliver sunk visibly, still obstructing one of the doors to the Ministry, he got some looks.
Oliver took a deep breath, a step forward, and made way for Explorer’s Rest. He was in search of someone young.
Someone… scholarly.
He opened the door with a sense of confidence he hadn’t had last time he entered, finding the place entirely full. He scoured the tables with narrowed eyes, finding no sign of Edward, the man who he had insulted not too long ago.
Hope was not lost, for at a far table, a large and rather muscly individual was sat talking with a more average sized person. Oliver only hesitated for a second before crossing the distance.
Before Oliver even opened his mouth, he was already rejected by the gravelly voice. “I know you. I’m not interested.”
That drew Oliver up short. “... Interested? Why not?”
“I already know your character, I’m not going to work with you.”
Oliver blinked a few times. “Actually, I’m here as a representative of the Finance Ministry–”
The other person sitting with the big guy turned a hooded head, revealing her thin features. Voice husky with overuse, “Even worse, ask through the guild.”
This runaround was exhausting so Oliver just cut to the point, “I’m not trying to get anything from you guys. I just want to know where uhh… what’s-his-name uhh… Edward. Where’s Edward?”
A glint of anger entered the eyes of both of them. The muscle guy started to rise from his seat. “I suggest you scram, right now.”
There was no way Oliver was winning a fight with this man, and he suspected the lady with the hood either – if it was assumed they were both adventurers. But Oliver didn’t back down, he just frowned… And spread his feet apart a bit more on the ground.
“You’re getting ahead of yourselves.” No martial arts master was Oliver – but he didn’t move.
This did make either of them any happier. The muscle guy spoke one last time. “I’ll give you this one warning. Leave. Now.”
As the volume of their exchange escalated, the volume of others went down as they listened in.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Oliver tried to set the record straight, “I’m trying to offer–”
The rest of the inn was completely silent by that point.
His hand was already pulling the object out of his pocket as he shouted, “STEP BACK!”
Brandished in Oliver’s fingertips, an intricate work which held power not usually accessible to the average person.
Paige’s wand, he held it to the back of the hooded woman’s head as she froze.
And now Oliver had control over the situation. He was annoyed, but he couldn’t help from showing a smirk as he shouted. “I’M NOT LOOKING FOR A FIGHT, BUT I WILL USE FORCE IF NECESSARY.”
The innkeeper was nearby, not at all happy with the commotion.
Muscle guy was smoldering, not daring to move from where he was standing. He choked, “Coward.”
Oliver narrowed his eyes, “You’re one to talk.”
It was at that convenient moment that Edward entered the inn. Oliver faltered. “Fuck.”
He could see Edward processing the situation as his eyes inched wider.
Everyone was stock-still.
Oliver wasn’t smirking anymore, he breathed through his nose. “Just the man I was looking for. Edward!”
Muscle man’s eye twitched, “Edward, leave now.”
Oliver kept talking before the situation could get worse than it was. “I’m here to offer you a job, Edward.”
Edward spoke incredulously, “A job doing what? Burying people?”
Oliver lowered the wand and stepped back as the room let out a collective sigh. “Check out this shoulder patch.”
One of the crowd members muttered, “Is that…”
Edward recognised it too, but he just raised his eyebrows. “They don’t use those for Officials anymore.”
Oliver explained the patch to the interested inn as the two adventurers who had been attacking him prior just waited, dumbfounded that the atmosphere had changed so much multiple times within the last couple minutes.
And while everything had become much more calm – the innkeeper snapped her fingers, “Regardless of your business, take it OUT of MY INN!”
Awkwardly, Oliver, the two adventurers, and Edward filed out together.
As soon as they were outside, muscle-man gave Edward marching orders. “Leave this guy to us. He’s dangerous.”
Oliver waved both his hands, “Woah woah woah, peace! Peace I tell you! I know you don’t trust me so I’ll just make my pitch, okay?”
All three of them said a harmonious “No.”
Oliver began following Edward to the dismay of all of them. “So. Official Emilia who is my boss and who was our test administrator has just been given a special role–”
Oliver explained the details of the position as he knew them, at the end of it, they had all stopped and were listening.
Edward looked scornfully at Oliver, “It’s still below me, I will become an Official in my own right.”
Oliver rubbed his hands together, not sure if he was going to be able to tolerate this guy anyway. “And what better way than to act in proxy of an Official until then! A Middle Official with special authority! Work experience! Money!”
Edward wavered. Opening his mouth again. The adventurers were mouthing ‘no’.
Oliver ended his pitch before anything could be finalised – “Besides, you can quit any time exactly because of the informality. Literally no risk!”
The adventurers both sunk as Edward went from dismissive to contemplative.
While Edward processed that, Oliver turned to the adventurers with momentum behind his eyes. “And you? Mr. Muscle, Ms. Hood – you’re adventurers right?”
Ms. Hood spluttered, “Ms. Wha– NO! I’m an adventurer because I hate paperwork. My name is Carmen.”
Oliver stepped toward her as she stepped backward, “I think I might have a job for you after all.”
Mr. Muscle stepped between Oliver and Carmen. “Again, that’s a no… and my name is Markus.”
Oliver took a deep breath, and slowed down. “Alright can I at least ask you a question then?” Their animosity toward him was still there, but the sequence of events and Oliver’s hold over the conversation had them off guard. “Have either of you ever heard of metal that attracts other metal?”
Markus crossed his arms. “Sounds like a question for the Scholarium.”
Oliver made a thin smile. “I’m just looking for personal anecdotes. Hmm, how about a compass?”
Markus. “No.” Carmen. “Neither.”
Oliver tsked and began walking away. “Alright Edward, I’ll see you tomorrow, a bit after the sun comes up.”
Edward shouted after him. “I haven’t decided yet!”
Oliver kept walking.
—
Alleyways weren’t the only places criminals thrived.
The man in the cream tailcoat sat on a crate, elbows on knees, hands clasped.
The sound of his tapping foot echoed around the empty stone room.
River stood in front of him, saying nothing. ‘Paige’ here, to this man.
The woman tied up on the floor in front of her, she didn’t know.
“You are permitted to hug.”
No guessing who had said that.
The man had found her again, after River had gone outside to get some food. Being dragged to this underground… place. Thugs stood guard outside.
If River had Paige’s voice… perhaps it could have been similar enough, she didn’t know – but if she did, she would like to ask some questions right about now.
Potentially,
She was ready to do things like she’d done, for the reasons she had described. That hadn’t changed, it was just… interesting, being someone else.
The man’s face twitched with impatience. “Go on, this is your reward. I’m rewarding you. HUG!”
River knelt down to the figure, spotting the bandaged hand and shivering for a second. She gathered this person into her arms and heard her weak breathing.
This person was in a bad state, worse than River had been not long ago. Her thoughts spun as she embraced this random person, some kind of acquaintance of Paige.
“Enough, enough.”
River let the woman back down carefully.
“You’ve made certain people quite happy with me, and so I am quite happy with you. If you keep this up, maybe we can work something out?”
River considered this, nodded.
“You’re a clever one, which was never apparent to me before. I suppose struggle changes people.”
—
Common people around the city weren’t very comfortable with increased scrutiny at the gates, almost an entire month had passed and they hadn’t lightened up. A posse of merchants at the guild were complaining about just that, when a discreet individual sidled up to them.
“Have you lot ever thought ‘bout the lot they’re searching for? If they’re enemy spies or whatever – why kill them and not take them prisoner?” He shifted, producing a small card. “I’ve… heard some things. Best keep it on the low, but it might be in your interest to learn more.”
He placed the card in one of the concerned merchants’ hands and tapped it with a finger. “No pressure, but this is where you can find the people looking into this stuff.”
The merchants looked at the individual with narrowed eyes, completely devoid of trust. The individual nodded to them and went on his way.
Olaric looked down at the card.
Sunday
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