Chương 48: Sly Fox Fry

Freshly washed and dressed in a particularly durable, well-fitted set of clothing, Scarlet went to meet the Historian. The path from the room she'd been assigned passed by the entrance hall, and Scarlet couldn't help but pause and look over. In the corner near the entrance, a frozen lump containing a very irate, and very cold Vulpian stood propped against the wall. Scarlet's expression remained neutral as their eyes met, though she couldn't say the same for Tareth.

That is going to be a problem, Scarlet thought as she passed by, ideas of just what to do about it already forming. She'd been informed in no uncertain terms that she was not to interfere – or even interact – with Tareth. While the Historian had promised there'd be an opportunity to 'deal with him later,' the reassurance was tenuous and vague and, while the threat was very real. She'd make sure to tie up this loose end. Even if she had to smuggle him back to Earth, encased in ice, to do it.

She'd almost been wiped out by a Tier 0 Pool. There was no way she was going up against a Tier 2 sapient entity. Yet. Twirling her cane in one hand – and marveling at the ease and fluidity of the motion – she went to find the dining hall, the Historian, and some answers. <–... –> She found him in the study. Once she'd settled, a meal was ordered for them.

"Food?" Maus asked from where he perched on her shoulder.

"Soon," she replied, stroking his soft head as she focused her attention on the Historian.

"I have many questions for you," he began, teeth bared in a grin, fluffy white tail swishing behind him.

"No," she replied, cutting him off before he could continue. His tail stopped swishing, and his emotions fluctuated palpably for a moment before he recentered himself.

"No?" he asked.

"No. You promised me information exchange. You promised me access to the library. You promised me a tried-and-tested path to progression. Yes, we were pushing the boundaries of what had been done before, but you promised me it had been done before." It was perhaps the longest Scarlet had spoken uninterrupted since she'd met the Historian. With Maus on her shoulder, she felt like herself once more in ways she hadn't even realized. She also felt that the Historian had become stronger. Meaningfully stronger.

He may have been able to hide the changes using that masking technique of his, but she was reading the info-layer, and the density of information fluctuating around him had increased. Though she wasn't yet powerful enough to interpret the changes, she could perceive that they had happened. He was tangibly benefiting from her development somehow. Not just in new information and research, but in actual power. Had she gained power of her own? Sure. No thanks to the frowning fox-man in front of her.

She'd eked out every bit of strength for herself, by herself. The only thing he'd provided was access to the Pools. While she'd certainly become stronger, so had he. He'd lost nothing in the exchange, while she'd lost access to the library, access to the Nexus, and, if Tareth wasn't dealt with, gained a powerful Faction as an enemy. Scarlet Bourne was done waiting for promises to pass unfulfilled.

"I want answers." Violet-tinged eyes bored into vertical slit pupils. While the two stared at each other for what felt like an age, a hovering tray supported by ambulatory tentacles drifted into the room. It carried an assortment of delicious-smelling food, and Scarlet's recently emptied stomach clenched in anticipation. The tentacles were incredibly dexterous, neatly arranging the plates before them.

The spread reminded Scarlet of a Korean restaurant she'd visited, with banchan served alongside rice and what appeared to be meat. Of course she had to Inspect it all. Most of the dishes were exactly what they appeared to be: pickled vegetables and various cooked and raw side dishes. The meat in the center, however, caught her attention. [Fox-Fry (Spatial) - Tier 1: A Traditional Vulpian Delicacy served in a smoky-tangy BBQ sauce. Active Effects: Increases mana absorption and recovery by 2× for 6–8 hours after ingestion. Increases spatially aligned mana absorption and recovery by 3× for 1–3 days after ingestion.] Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Well, this told her a few things. First, the Historian knew exactly what was going on with her little buddy, and there was no point concealing that tidbit any longer. Not that she or Maus had tried especially hard.

Maus certainly wasn't helping. Second, the Historian wasn't even bothering with the pretense that he wasn't actively spying on her and those around her. Maus hadn't been part of the contract she'd signed with the crafty – well, fox. Her Familiar was both one of her greatest assets, and a potential vulnerability. Finally, the Historian was willing to invest in her growth and development.

This wasn't the first time she'd eaten with the elder, but it was the first time any of the fare had offered such substantial benefits. Scarlet also doubted the Historian would waste food like this unless it was meant to be used immediately. She could think of precious few situations that required dramatically increased mana absorption and recovery outside of extensive training or combat. This was a signal. He was planning to get his answers, then send them out to train.

If she ate the food, then didn't train, she'd feel wasteful. Unless, of course, this was the kind of ordinary fare most people had access to, and she was simply too inexperienced to know. Still.

'Boss?' A wave of hunger and desire flooded through the bond. His influence was actively affecting her. Well, that was a dangerous realisation. One she'd have to guard against.

'Boss,' Maus tried again, this time pressing tiny paws against the side of her face. In an act she'd call self-defence, Scarlet added a hint of psionic energy to her Empathy and used it on both herself and Maus to combat the temptation. It worked well enough that she was able to ignore the food that she was now positive held some supernatural appeal her Skill didn't catch. Looking up from her brief emotional inoculation she found the Historian watching her, his eyes gleaming with naked curiosity.

He'd caught the brief press of her lips, the slight acceleration of her heart before its rapid stabilisation. The infinitesimal tension that smoothed from her brow and jaw just before she reached out, replaced the cloche over the enhanced meal. Scarlet turned to the tentacled servant.

"Could you get us some of the same fare? Just without the… enhancements?"

"The food is yours," the Historian interjected.

"Is it not to your tastes?" There was a knowing tilt to his lips that would have had her own turning downward if she hadn't held her emotions in a vice grip.

"That's all right. I'm sure we can enjoy it later." Improved dexterity let her whip out a hand and touch the tray, willing it into her storage space before either the servant or the Historian could react. The Historian merely shook his head.

"Ah. You have seen through my devious ploy to feed you." Scarlet didn't say a word, Maus didn't twitch a muscle. Two pairs of eyes watched him. One rimmed in glowing magenta, the other sparkling with microscopic flecks of light. Neither bought his deflection. He shrugged.

"When you get to my age and Tier, novelty becomes a commodity all its own." He glanced away for a moment as though lost in thought, then looked back. The Historian's smile dimmed, and the aura around him became solemn and dense. It was a palpable thing in the air, an undeniable presence that went beyond Scarlet's empathy and psionic sensitivity. For a moment, she had to wonder if this was the same being who'd cackled over the destruction of a natural treasure.

"You want answers, then?" he asked. He fell silent. Scarlet thought for a long moment before turning back to him, but before she could speak, he held up a hand.

"I want to be clear. We made agreements. Ones that bind me as well as you." That gave Scarlet pause.

"I have neither intent nor incentive to back out of the training," she said evenly.

"Though it does seem to be more mutually beneficial than I'd originally anticipated." She gave a very deliberate, very thin smile. It flashed across her face before her expression settled once more into neutrality. The weight in the room dissipated.

"Yes, well... Perhaps we may have been getting ahead of ourselves," he half conceded.' We?' Scarlet sent to Maus as she replied to the Historian.

"I've noticed the residence has no library." At that, the Historian bared his teeth slightly and looked away. During the renegotiation of their contract, she'd disclosed part of her Quest. [Sub-Quest 1: Uncover the History of the Vulpian Empire] The Historian had promised he had a way to help her complete Phase One of her Trial, and there had been an implied understanding that she'd complete the Quest herself through research in the library.

While he'd refused to explain his reluctance to simply tell her the history outright, Scarlet hadn't minded. She appreciated being able to examine history from multiple viewpoints. She had, in fact, sent Maus on a fact-finding mission immediately after their bath. If he wasn't safe bouncing around the residence, neither was she. At least he could be reconstituted, though she hated putting him at risk. The closest equivalent to a library that he'd been able to access was this very study.

That meant if she wanted to complete the Quest, she needed his cooperation. Once again, Scarlet and the Historian regarded one another. She'd been willing to wait for answers. Impatiently, but willingly. That had been when she'd known exactly how and where those answers would come from. Now she had no independent means of verifying anything she was told and no guarantee she'd receive it at all. Well. She could hold information hostage too.

She'd even argue she had the moral high ground, considering him hoarding important details like toilet paper during a pandemic had nearly gotten both her and her Familiar killed. She wanted an advance on their exchange.

"All right," he nodded.

"All right. I suppose I can be magnanimous." At that moment, the dexterous tentacled servant returned carrying two trays and a small saucer of covered dishes. When had the Historian even put in an order. She shook off the thought. Maus was now pressed eagerly against her face, snuffling at the loose curl beneath her temple.

'Boss?'

'Yeah, buddy. This should be for us. Let me check before you eat it, okay?' Lifting the covers of her tray and Maus's saucer, Scarlet found the same meal, simply without the additional enhancements. The Historian's portion, when she scanned it, carried a straightforward mana regeneration buff, but no particular affinity. She let Maus dig in, deciding to take her own cue from the Historian. The Historian looked down at the food for a long moment before raising his eyes.

"Did you know fox-fry is one of the most recognizable Vulpian staples?" He said, not yet touching his utensils.

"It is curious, just what goes into a civilization, and what makes it out the other side." He sighed before picking up what looked suspiciously like chopsticks, and she followed suit. The meal truly was delicious. A beat passed in silence before he dabbed the corners of his mouth.

"Let me tell you of the fall of the First Vulpian Homeworld." There was so much packed into that single sentence that Scarlet paused eating to take out one of her notebooks. Then Historian took a breath, and the world changed.