“Exactly,” Noah said. “I’ve delivered you a perfect opportunity to deal with the Apostles. They — along with the Truthseekers — are going to keep plugging away with whatever shit it was they were up to. Maybe they’ll even try to do some double cross shit by pretending to rat the Truthseekers out at some point. I don’t know. But you’ve got confirmation that they’re working with Og. Just have the Executioner sit on top of them until they slip up and you should be good, right?”
“I wouldn’t say good,” Vivian replied with a small shake of her head. “But you’ve actually done semi-decent. I can work with this. Aside from… well. Everything else.”
“Hey,” Noah said, raising his hands before himself, palms outward. “I didn’t blow up your hall. You can only ask for so much.”
“Evidently,” Vivian muttered. “You’ve also managed to make yourself entirely useless to me in the process of getting the information and doing your best to ruin my name.”
“Yeah?” Noah asked innocently. “That’s a… coincidence. How unfortunate. I can assure you it wasn’t intentional. But I’m sure you’ll be able to handle the Apostles without me interfering any further. After all, you’re a Rank 8.”
“As are you, according to what you’ve spent great efforts ensuring the other Faction Heads believe,” Vivian said with a thin, mirthless smile. “I’m not looking forward to having to back the lie of you being associated with me in any way, but I have to admit, implying that I have connection to another Rank 8 could certainly come in handy.”
“One that hates you,” Noah pointed out quickly. “And one that you also hate quite a bit.”
“Yes, so I’ve heard,” Vivian drawled. Her eyes narrowed slightly. “But you never know. Relationships can mend over time.”
Ah, shit.
“Not this one,” Noah said. “I fear you’ve been replaced quite thoroughly.”
Vivian smirked. “Oh, I can tell. But that doesn’t mean the Faction Heads will know. You never know when a card like that can come into play. Does your new partner have any idea of your… prior acquaintances?”
Jalen snickered.
Vivian glared at him. “My command for silence extends to smug laughter, you little worm.”
“I am not appreciating getting my bullshit handed back to me,” Noah informed Vivian. “Please save it for the people we don’t like. But now that we’re all even — I’d like you to keep an eye out for something when you’re screwing with the Apostles.”
“Did I say we were even?” Vivian asked.
“No. I did,” Noah replied, continuing without missing a beat. “There’s another Apostle. Garina. She’s not like the rest of them. Hell, she was dating someone from your church as far as I’m aware. Nice lady. A bit prickly on the outside, but it’s the inner bits that count. She’s gone missing, and Revin thinks—”
“Revin?” Vivian asked sharply. “What does he have to do with this?”
“He’s here,” Noah replied. He frowned. “I thought you were working with him or something. He was in the banquet.”
“Renewal save me,” Vivian muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. “That terrorist is here? In my tournament?”
“I’m starting to get the idea you didn’t invite him,” Noah said.
Vivian just sighed. “What does he want? I know of Garina. She is… not the worst of the Apostles. Though it cannot bode well if Revin is seeking her out.”
“I don’t imagine anything with them bodes well,” Noah said. He couldn’t help but notice that Vivian didn’t seem like she planned to try and track Revin down. He wasn’t quite sure how a Rank 7 was somehow dangerous — annoying —enough to make Vivian react like that. He knew Revin was a special kind of pest, but this was even further than he’d expected.
And I guess that means he actually infiltrated Aqua Terra without Vivian noticing. Damn. That puts him at least on the same level as Og, doesn’t it?
“It doesn’t,” Vivian said. “I take it you want me to look for Garina?”
“Yeah,” Noah said. “Because whatever’s going on with her probably has something to do with what the Apostles are doing here. If you find her, you can get some good info on what they’re up to. Maybe you’ll even get the proof you need to stop the Apostles even before they pull off their plan.”
A thoughtful expression crossed over Vivian’s features. Then she nodded slowly. “Yes. That is not a bad idea. I will see what I can do.”
“So… we’re done here, then?” Noah asked.
Vivian grunted. “For now. You’ve done.”
“Done… well?” Noah tried. “Because I wouldn’t mind—”
“No. You’ve done. That’s it. ” Vivian said. She thrust a finger at Jalen. “And you lose points for bringing this cretin into my room.”
“Yeah,” Noah said. “Fair enough.”
Jalen arched an eyebrow.
“My command for silence extends to your eyebrows,” Vivian informed him.
Noah snorted.
Jalen crossed his arms in front of his chest. Then he mimed trying to open his mouth, keeping his lips sealed as if they’d been glued shut. His eyes conveyed the very clear message that there was something important that had been left unsaid.
Vivian stared at him for a second. Then she sighed.
“We’re done here. You may as well speak. But it had best truly be important.”
“You called me a worm. That’s much nicer than what you said the last time we met,” Jalen said. “It looks like your opinion of me has been increasing. You want to join in on game night with me and Noah?”
Vivian stared at him. “That was what you wanted to say?”
“No,” Jalen said. “Intrusive thought. Sorry.”
“Just get it out,” Vivian said with a shake of her head. “Before I remember exactly who I am and that your mere existence in my presence is insult enough to be flattened.”
“Right, right. Sorry. I just wanted to ask if you wanted a third ex-husband,” Jalen asked. “Because you’ve already got two, so you might as well strike—”
Vivian snapped her fingers.
Jalen vanished.
Noah glanced at the spot where he’d been a few moments before. He cleared his throat. “You didn’t kill him, did you?”
“No,” Vivian said wearily. “I did not.”
“Ah,” Noah said. “Thanks. He’s an idiot, but I like that nutjob. Would you believe he’s one of the strongest mages from Arbalest?”
“Yes.” Vivian rose from her chair and ran a hand through her hair. “I would.”
“Well, he is— oh. You would?” Noah blinked. “Huh.”
“He hides a great deal of pain and power behind that idiotic visage of his,” Vivian said. Her gaze fell on Noah again. “Do you know how many Rank 7 Time Mages exist in Obsidia?”
“Given the question… not many?” Noah guessed.
“Three,” Vivian said. “And one of them is Sievan.”
“I thought he was a death mage,” Noah said.
Vivian leveled a flat look at him. “You think death and time aren’t intrinsically linked?”
“Okay. Fair point,” Noah admitted. “Time magic does seem like it would be absolutely fucked to try and comprehend.”
“It is,” Vivian said. “And the immense difficulty of actually using it is on a level that eclipses spatial magic by a hundred-thousand fold. In theory, a sufficiently powerful time mage could stop time. But in actuality, that would be impossible, even for a Rank 8. The best Time Mages can do is accelerate themselves with respect to time… but that magic alone is so taxing and difficult that it’s largely considered a lost art. Jalen is capable of it. Not much, but enough. And compared with his other abilities, he is quite formidable.”
“So you’re pretty familiar with him,” Noah concluded. “I didn’t realize you had history. Did you speak with him a lot in the time I was stuck in the Beyond?”
Vivian grimaced. She turned away. “No.”
“Are you sure?” Noah asked. “Because it really sounds like—”
“I did not,” Vivian said flatly. “We’re done here, Noah. Maria is… elsewhere at the moment. I see no need to call her back when you can clearly traipse through Aqua Terra as you please. So go back to your room. I will seek you out if I find anything about Garina.”
“Fair enough,” Noah said. “I’ll try to stay out of your hair until then. Just let me know if the Faction Heads start doing anything funky. I have my own goals here, you know. No reason we can’t both get what we want.”
Then he drew on the Line and stepped forward.
Vivian’s room vanished.
Noah appeared in a hall just outside it, not surprised even slightly to find Jalen already standing in wait for him. It seemed that Vivian hadn’t sent him far.
The two of them exchanged a glance.
“That went well,” Jalen said. “I think I’ve got a chance.”
***
Baress glanced to the side as the shadows in her room lengthened. A thin smile split across her lips. She’d been waiting for too long. She leaned back, watching, as darkness materialized into the rough form of a woman across the table from her.
“You’re late,” Baress said.
“It took time to confirm what I was seeing,” Maria replied. “I have information that I think you would be quite interested in. There may be an opportunity for you to move against Vivian sooner than you think.”
“Oh?” Baress asked. Her head tilted to the side. “And what would that be?”
Maria’s lips pulled into a smile of her own. “I confirmed what we thought. Vivian doesn’t just have one key into Solstice. She has two.”
Baress’ eyes widened. “I knew it. Do you know where they are?”
“Yes,” Maria said. “But stealing them will be impossible. Not without causing a scene. Even for me, and most certainly for you. And we both know what will happen if that happens.”
“I’m not a fool,” Baress snapped. “We would be in breach of the Rules. But it’s not my fault if Vivian can’t properly protect her treasures. No wonder she’s been so haughty as of late. Having two keys to Solstice… we can’t let that happen. It’ll guarantee her success. What opportunity are you talking about?”
“The Truthseekers,” Maria said. Malice entered her tone as her shadowy smile somehow darkened further still. “It seems they’re partnered with the Apostles… and they’ll be acting soon. If you’re in the right spot to act—”
“Then I can take the Key in the chaos while Vivian is busy dealing with them,” Baress finished, her eyes glinting in undisguised hunger. “When will it happen?”
“I don’t know,” Maria replied. “But I will soon. The Apostles are restless. If it isn’t in the next day or two, I’ll be surprised.”
Baress nodded, a satisfied grin splitting her features. “Very good, Maria. I will be ready.”
“As will I. Await my return,” Maria said. “It will not be long.”
Then she was gone, the shadows fading as if they’d never been there.
Baress’ grin grew wider.
Lucky me.
This tournament is going to be even more more profitable than I’d hoped.