Chương 270: A Game Within A Game

I followed Novice Kon through the winding corridors of the Cerulean Apex. Despite the building's beauty, there was something oppressive about it. Perhaps it was knowing what had nearly happened to me here, or perhaps it was simply the weight of expectations that now rested on my shoulders.

"The Apex was constructed over hundreds of thousands of years ago," Kon explained as we walked, seeming more comfortable now that he was sharing historical information rather than elder gossip.

"It's said that the crystal was harvested from the Great Northern Range by the first Lightweavers. They spent a century shaping each piece through meditation alone, never once using tools."

"That seems... inefficient," I remarked, studying the perfect join between two massive crystal panels. There wasn't even a hairline seam visible. Kon laughed, then immediately looked mortified that he'd done so in my presence.

"Forgive me, Most Honored Saint. It's just that I had said something very similar when I was told the same story."

"Don't apologize for laughing," I said gently.

"I'd rather have honest reactions than perfect deference." The young man seemed uncertain how to respond to this, so he simply nodded and continued leading me through the complex.

"So, how long have you served in the Apex?" I asked, partly to break the awkward silence that fallen on us and partly because I genuinely wanted to know more about this place.

"Six months, Most Honored Saint. I was assigned here at the beginning of the winter term."

"And before that?"

"I served in the academy kitchens, and before that, the gardens." He hesitated, then added with a touch of pride, "I was selected for the Apex rotation because of my diligence and discretion." I nodded.

"Both excellent qualities. And rare ones." This small compliment seemed to embolden him slightly.

"Thank you, Most Honored Saint. My family has served the Order for seven generations. Service is in our blood." We descended several flights of crystal stairs, each step illuminated from within, creating the illusion that we were walking on frozen blue light.

"Are we still in the Apex?" I asked as we entered what appeared to be a tunnel connecting to another structure.

"We're crossing into the main academy grounds now," Kon explained.

"While outwardly appearing isolated, the Apex is actually connected to all major buildings through these pathways, allowing the Saint to travel without being exposed to the elements or..." he hesitated, "disturbances." By "disturbances," I suspected he meant the common folk: students, servants, and visitors who might delay the important Saint with their trivial concerns. The isolation of power was already becoming apparent.

"You should get used to it," Azure commented.

"You're practically a god to these people now."

"That's what worries me," I replied silently.

"Gods tend to have very short lifespans in stories where mortals discover they're frauds." But what concerned me more were those hidden pathways, they represented a double-edged sword. While they granted me access to different parts of the academy without being seen, they also meant others had access to me. Any route that could be used to travel secretly could also be used for more nefarious purposes—like assassination.

"Your master resides in the Eastern Wing of the Academy," Kon continued, brining me out of my thoughts.

"It houses the most senior elders and those with special duties."

"And you still can't tell me who this master is?" I pressed, hoping he might have become comfortable enough to slip. Kon shook his head firmly.

"It is not my place, Most Honored Saint. Such news should come from the proper authorities or be experienced firsthand." He paused, then added cryptically, "Though I believe you will find the arrangement... unconventional." Unconventional. That could mean many things, none of which sounded particularly promising given my circumstances.

"You seem nervous," I observed as we approached the end of the tunnel.

"Is there something about this master I should be concerned about?" The young man fidgeted with his sleeve.

"Not concerned, Most Honored Saint. It's just..." he lowered his voice to a whisper, "your master is not like the others. There are... stories." If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

"Stories?" I prompted.

"Nothing bad!" Kon hurried to clarify.

"Just that he's... different. Brilliant, of course. A true prodigy. But there's something about him that makes even the other elders uneasy." He straightened his posture, resuming his formal demeanor.

"But it's not my place to spread gossip." A prodigy that made other elders uneasy. The pieces were beginning to fit together, and I didn't like the picture they formed.

"Master," Azure's voice echoed in my mind, "I'm beginning to suspect we know exactly who awaits us."

"Let me guess," I responded mentally.

"Tall, white hair, blue glowing eyes, and a talent for painting?"

"The very one. Kal." I suppressed a grimace. Of all the possibilities, this was the worst. The time-looping, increasingly ruthless Kal who had battled Hiron to the death in the previous iteration, now designated as my personal master. But with the talent I had inadvertently revealed, I would be lying if I claimed to be surprised. We emerged from the tunnel into a courtyard filled with blue-flowered trees.

Unlike the rest of the academy I'd seen so far, which favored austere elegance, this garden had a wild, almost chaotic beauty to it. The trees grew at odd angles, their branches twisting and reaching as if straining to touch the blue sun above. The flowers that bloomed among them weren't uniform in size or arrangement but scattered in natural clusters.

"The Dreamer's Garden," Kon announced.

"Your master recently created it." I raised an eyebrow at this.

"Created? You mean he designed it?" Kon shook his head, a hint of awe in his voice.

"No. He created it. These trees, these flowers, they don't exist in nature. They were painted into being." I studied the garden with renewed interest. Each plant, each petal, had been manifested from blue sun energy through the painting technique. It was an impressive display of skill and power, and a not-so-subtle reminder of what I would be facing. We crossed the garden, following a path of blue stone that seemed to shift slightly beneath our feet, giving the sensation of walking on water.

At the center of the garden stood a pavilion that appeared to be constructed entirely of light. As we drew closer, I realized it was made of some transparent crystal so pure that it barely registered to the eye. Beyond the pavilion was a modest structure built in the traditional style of the Blue Sun territories: wooden beams, paper screens, curved roof tiles in shades of blue and white. It seemed strangely ordinary compared to the grandeur of the rest of the academy.

"Your master's residence," Kon announced, stopping at the entrance.

"He prefers a more... traditional environment for his work." I nodded.

"Thank you for guiding me." The young man bowed deeply.

"It has been my honor, Most Honored Saint. I..." he hesitated, then continued in a rush, "I hope to serve you again. It was not as intimidating as I feared." I smiled at the candid admission.

"I hope so too. Perhaps you can work directly for me?" Kon's eyes widened at the suggestion, as if I'd proposed something outlandish.

"I... that would be... I mean, if the elders permit it, of course!" I watched Kon practically skip away, clearly excited by the possibility of serving the Saint directly. My offer hadn't been made lightly. I needed eyes and ears throughout the academy. Living isolated in the Apex would severely limit my access to information that I didn't gain through official channels, and information was survival in this precarious position.

Kon seemed to have that perfect combination of conscientiousness and loose lips; he clearly took his duties seriously, but his tendency to share gossip he shouldn't could prove invaluable.

"That boy is a walking security breach," Azure commented dryly in my mind.

"Exactly," I replied silently.

"And while I'll need to guard my own secrets carefully around him, he could inadvertently reveal the secrets of others." Of course, I wasn't naive enough to think the arrangement would only benefit me. It seemed almost too convenient that Kon was assigned to escort me today. In a place as politically charged as the Blue Sun Academy, nothing happened by pure chance, especially when it concerned a Saint.

"He's almost certainly reporting to someone," I thought.

"Whether as a willing spy or an unwitting informant, someone placed him near me to gather information." The question was: which elder had positioned him? Was it Kal or perhaps he belonged to a different elder? Either way, it created an interesting dynamic. I would be watching him for information he unknowingly revealed, while he would be watching me for whoever had placed him in my path. It was a game within a game, one I needed to be very careful playing.

"Keep your friends close and your potential informants closer," Azure commented dryly.

"Precisely," I thought back.

"If he is a spy, better to have him where I can see him than reporting from the shadows." Regardless of my choice, whichever servants are assigned to me, they'd be the eyes and ears for someone else, better to have one who struggles to control his tongue.

"Well," I muttered inwardly, turning my attention back to the door before me, "no sense delaying the inevitable."

"Just remember," Azure cautioned, "he doesn't know what you know. As far as Kal is concerned, you're just a village boy with an unusually strong connection to the blue sun."

"A village boy who somehow survived a raid that should have killed everyone, showed up at the academy, and immediately broke all records in the Saint selection," I countered.

"I doubt he'll just accept that at face value."

"True, but he can't know you're from another world or that you've seen his final battle with Hiron. Whatever he suspects, it won't be the truth." Azure had a point. My actual situation was so bizarre that even someone who had lived through countless time loops probably wouldn't guess it. That gave me some protection, at least. Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward and knocked on the wooden frame of the entrance. After a moment, the paper screen slid open on its own, revealing a dimly lit interior.

"Enter," a calm voice called from within. I stepped through the sliding door into a spacious room that defied the modest exterior of the building. The walls were lined with shelves containing scrolls, books, and various painting supplies. Several easels stood around the room, each holding works in various stages of completion. The scent of ink and paper filled the air, pleasant and somehow comforting. But my attention was immediately drawn to the blue-robed figure seated at a low table in the center of the room.

I held back a sigh when I saw him. Just as I'd feared, it was Kal.