Chapter 270 – Cooperation
We were led into a conference room in the White House, where President Taylor Harris was already waiting for us, along with his chief of staff, and several cabinet members. And I see that Harris wearing a silver amulet on a chain from his neck. From the way that it glowed slightly as I entered the room, I figured it was a simple passive defense and warning system against those who had skills or abilities like mine. But then, he’d experienced them first-hand when we met after my speech to the UN, so I wasn’t surprised about that.
Introductions were made, and, amusingly, it was neither the two demons, nor the angels in the room that got the most intention, but Baronin. The young woman was somewhat used to being the center of attention by now, thanks to her looks, her Mantle, and being a squadron leader at her young age. However, there was a difference between being the center of attention in a crowd of pilots or random civilians, and being the center of attention in a room that contained heads of state.
“So, there really are more Mantles being discovered in this time loop,” Harris said. “Obviously, Emperor Greene talked about the Black Knight, Baba Yaga, Slayer, Hero, and Fool online, and we’ve since learned that Congresswoman Meadows is the White Queen, and that an Al-Masih was found, and then killed, in the Middle East, but the Red Baron? How many more are there going to be?”
I took a breath, and said, “I wouldn’t be surprised if there were more, we haven’t seen, yet. It is simplest to think of the Mantles as party roles for a group of adventurers, writ large. Mantles like the Black Knight or the Hero would be akin to tanks, able to hold the line and help defend their allies as they press the assault. While they go about it in different ways, both Mantles are marked by the fact that they gather others under their banner, and lead them into the fray, often conquering foes that would otherwise be beyond their power. They are Mantles that can anchor armies, if used properly.
“Then, you would have your damage dealers, like the Slayer and Red Baron. These Mantles are best for taking on threats that most would say are well above their weight class, but able to pull through, if properly supported. They are ill suited to leading armies, but they excel in taking on enemy foes. The Slayer acts more as a lone wolf, while the Red Baron, from what we’ve seen, is capable of working with their squadron. Likely because the concept of an Ace-of-Aces always included the knowledge that they would be flying as part of a squadron.
“Next, you have healers. This Al-Masih was likely a healer-type, though the bearer seems to have had some religious fanaticism going on, as well, according to the reports. I’ve also heard rumors of a Great Sage in China, who might fall into a similar role. Though the rumors suggest the Great Sage is more a spiritual healer, than a healer of the body. I would not be surprised if you eventually found some archetype like ‘Hospitaller’, or ‘Plague Doctor’, or similar getting a Mantle, provided the circumstances arose for them.
“And then, finally, you have the controllers, Mantles which operate by controlling the battlefield, or manipulating people. The Fool controls the truth of things, so that people cannot tell between truth and lies, and he can erase his presence with ease. The Baba Yaga gives her powerful abilities, but also allows her to recruit her Yagishna, women who gain a fragment of her Mantle’s power, in return for empowering Baba Yaga. The more Yagishna, the more powerful Baba Yaga is, and the more powerful Baba Yaga becomes, the more powerful her Yagishna are. This is how controller Mantles operate.”
Harris nodded. “And you believe the White Queen is one of these controllers.”
“Without meeting her in person, in this timeline, it is impossible to say for certain, but I would be utterly shocked if the Mantle were anything but a controller. Mantles don’t just appear randomly, you understand. A person must already be somewhat in tune with the Mantle before they will get picked for it. Baronin, for instance, was already recognized by the System as being a phenomenal pilot, before she ever picked up the Red Baron’s Mantle.
“Since I have personal experience with the Black Knight’s Mantle, I can tell you that, in the first time loop, I was seeking power to defend people, and become a protector. That led to my finding the Mantle, and becoming the Black Knight. In this timeline, another sought the power the Mantle offered, because they wanted to lead an army to conquest and glory. Both are facets of the Black Knight, though they come at it from different sides.”
“And since Meadows is a manipulator, the Mantle she has is a manipulative one,” the Chief of Staff nodded.
“Precisely,” I said. “While I cannot know the specifics of her Mantle, since even the System Shop will not have that kind of information available until the first bearer of the Mantle dies, Slave-Ambassador Nuala Sarcyne, here, is from the Systems Commonwealth, and has information on similar Mantles that have appeared in their space. Including one called the Shelthara, which sounds like the kind of Mantle that might be drawn to our White Queen. Nuala?”
Sarcyne gave them the rundown of the Shelthara, and a couple similar Mantles from other worlds in the Commonwealth. The president and his people were understandably concerned about a mantle which could manipulate the soul. The conversation quickly moved to possible countermeasures.
“Making a Mantle illegal won’t work,” Lilith shook her head. “The System does not care about such laws. And this is not like the Puppet Master class, where you can use an item from the System Shop to rid yourself of it. There is no giving up a Mantle once it is picked up. Even if the bearer no longer thinks themselves worthy, as what appears to have happened with the Heroine, they cannot put the Mantle down. Only in death will they be released from it. And preemptively killing Mantle-bearers results in widespread reaction from the System, as you have seen with Al-Masih’s passing.”
The Attorney General frowned. “There has to be some way to keep them from running amok, though. Some way to prevent a manipulator Mantle from causing trouble without making the System angry.”
“Your best bet,” I said, “would be to utilize System Contracts to bind the Mantle-bearer. Not so tightly that they cannot breathe, as the System may decide to ‘correct’ that situation. But a contract binding the bearer to only use any permanent manipulation abilities upon those who have given clear and fully-informed consent, without any coercion, be it physical, mental, magical, or otherwise? That would severely limit the damage that a manipulator mantle could do, while still giving them the freedom to act as their Mantle dictates. You would have to word the contract carefully, to properly account for the type of manipulation she uses, and limit it to the Mantle’s effects, or the System might rebel. So, she likely would still be able to use her social skills and light-based magic to manipulate people. But those are easier to defend against, if you know how.”
Lilith nodded. “You should also add in exceptions for state-sanctioned events, depending on how the Mantle actually works. And probably a self-defense exception, to keep things from being too lop-sided. Doing this would have the benefit of also making a template for future Mantle-related issues you might have moving forward.”
Harris looked at Lilith, and said, “If my briefings are correct, you are both a Diviner and one with the Seer title, yes? Is this something you have seen?”
Lilith smiled, and said, “Back when I was in Tier 1, yes. I may not have leveled as quickly as my father, but I am still Level 10 in Tier 2, now, as a Domina of Fate and Fateweaver Diviner. And, yes, I still have the Seer title, which allows me flashes of prophecy, and makes my Diviner abilities more effective in general. And while I have not seen anything specific involving the United States, I have seen that more Mantles will rise, over time. There are already two who live in the US. It would be foolish not to come up with a plan.”
“As my daughter says, coming up with a plan is simply smart. You may have noticed that the lead fighter that escorted our shuttles down in Maryland was painted bright red, yes? That is a special dispensation for the Red Baron, since the Mantle wanted her ride to be obvious. It is now standard practice for the armed forces of the Ceresan Empire that bearers of a Mantle may apply for special dispensation, so that they can better embody the Mantle’s power.”
Harris nodded slowly. “Do you have any idea what the next Mantle to be found will be?”
I glanced at Lilith, and she shook her head. “The Mantles themselves are difficult to see with divinations, much as Demon Lords and other individuals with certain roles are. For instance, it is easier to track my father through the gaps in my future sight, than to look for him, because Fate cannot define him, but rather it is he that defines Fate. It is the same with Mantles. Even a socially- and manipulation-focused Mantle is hard for divinations to track. At least the combat-focused Mantles can be traced through the bodies they leave in their wake.”
Turning to Harris, I said, “I will say that it is also possible to limit the effectiveness of a Mantle by manipulating the environment. The Fool and the Slayer are difficult to tamper with, since the Fool exists as a counter to power structures, while the Slayer always seeks out the strongest monsters in an area. But the Black Knight is nothing without a fight, and the Hero is a shell of their full potential if they do not have a cause they believe in. The White Queen, most likely, thrives on the games of politics, power, and manipulation that define many modern governments. If you wish to limit the power of the White Queen, then cultivating a culture of transparency, honesty, and logical debate would be the first step. Make it so that the ‘easy road’ is simply standing there, telling the truth.”
Harris just looked at me. “You are suggesting that the best way to counter the White Queen is to make DC a city of honest men and women?”
I chuckled. “Yes, and there’s an easy way to do it, though it likely wouldn’t win you any favors with sitting representatives. The people at home would love it, though. Simply push for Congress to make it a law that all Federal Employees, including Congress, and even the President, must sign System contracts preventing them from knowingly saying anything that is untrue, for the duration of their time in office. The base of both parties will eat it up, if you answer every question with, ‘Why are you so insistent on being able to lie to the American People’ or something along those lines.”
Harris’s eyes widened as he thought of the implications. “That… is actually genius. Evil genius, but genius. Especially if you play it in the court of public opinion.”
The Homeland Security director frowned slightly. “Probably would need to make exceptions for certain roles, like undercover officers, spies, and the like. The kind of federal employees that need to be able to say one thing and mean another in order to actually do their jobs. And the enforced honesty would work to curb other behaviors, which rely on the perpetrators not admitting to them.”
The Attorney General nodded slowly. “I’ll get with my subordinates, and see if there’s a way to do the language that won’t get in the way of First Amendment issues.”