Chương 338: Chapter 334 - The situation

Fynn stepped out from among the trees as Scarlett approached the estate walls, his sharp gaze sweeping over her as if checking for injuries. Scarlett returned the [Essence of Zenthas] to her [Pouch of Holding], grimacing as she conjured a floating orb of water. She heated it with pyrokinesis and used it to cleanse her hand. What that psycho had done to his heart was nothing short of vile. The thought of ever meeting him in person made her stomach turn.

With a silent command, she had the Loci pull both her and Fynn within the estate walls, folding space to place them in the mansion's foyer. The house spirit pressed at the edges of her consciousness more insistently than before, almost probing. It wasn't quite an outright question, but maybe it was approaching something close. She had noticed more of that lately. Ever since she'd begun reinforcing the Loci's garden with the materials from the Rising Isle, not only had its power grown, but its presence too.

It wouldn't surprise her if, one of these days, it truly developed a complete will. As for why it seemed so intrigued now, she wasn't entirely sure, so she couldn't give it a proper response. Its 'attention' had seemed vaguely directed at Nol'viz earlier, but interpreting the spirit's impulses wasn't easy. Scarlett turned to Fynn, considering him for a moment. A faint furrow lingered on his brow.

"You did well to leave when I told you," she said.

"Had you stayed, we would both have been in far greater danger." She didn't want to imagine what might have happened had the Angler Man had the time to worm his way into Fynn's mind. The youth was familiar with too many of her secrets, and she wasn't sure he had the mental defences necessary to withstand such an intrusion. It was possible his 'ancestors' could have intervened, but it wasn't a risk worth taking.

Fynn studied her, then turned toward the far wall, his gaze distant, as though peering through the mansion and into the forest beyond.

"That pressure," he said after a pause.

"…Was it the creature you warned me about?"

"It was. And you would do well to avoid ever encountering it yourself." Scarlett shook her head.

"For now, the danger has passed. I suggest you retire to your quarters and rest — you have exerted yourself enough for one night." His frown remained, but after a while, he gave a small nod and left. She watched him go, then let out a quiet breath before reaching out to the Loci one last time. A second later, she found herself standing before the door to her office. Her gear dissipated, replaced by a loose, comfortable gown. She reached for the ornate handle and stepped inside.

Halfway across the room, approaching the desk, a voice called out from the corner behind her.

"You're back," it said.

"How'd it go?" Scarlett turned, blinking as she spotted Rosa lounging in an armchair, an open book in her lap and klert propped lazily against the armrest. She'd forgotten to check for presences through the Loci before arriving. Otherwise, she would have known Rosa was here.

"You look awful," Rosa said after a beat, her voice light but tinged with an undertone of concern.

"Or more like you're about to say, 'I am perfectly fine,' but also, 'if I sit down, I might never get up again.'" Scarlett paused. As if the words had pulled something loose, she suddenly felt the exhaustion settle deep into her bones. The night's battles, her encounter with the Angler Man, the fury — it had all masked just how drained she was. Now, with no more immediate demands, it hit all at once. Maybe that was why she'd neglected to check for intruders before returning. Even Rosa's charm was starting to fade.

Soon, staying on her feet would likely be an effort.

"…You know, it's not exactly reassuring when your response to that is just standing there in silence," Rosa remarked, closing her book and setting it aside. The usual glint in her eyes faded.

"Are you okay?" Scarlett cleared her throat, forcing herself towards her desk and lowering herself into the chair behind it.

"My apologies. I am, in fact, fine." Rosa gave her a skeptical look.

"I am," Scarlett repeated.

"I simply would not go as far as to say 'perfectly fine'. But there is no need for concern." Rosa studied her for several long seconds, expression indecipherable. Then, she exhaled.

"…You do realise you have a tendency to only say that specifically when I should be concerned, right?" Scarlett lightly tapped her finger on the desk.

"No."

"Well, you do." Rosa hesitated, biting her lips.

"…Is what happened something I can ask about?"

"You already are."

"Yeah, and what are the odds I get an answer?" Scarlett regarded her in silence. Rosa offered a small, knowing smile, and Scarlett wondered if she didn't catch a hint of hurt in it.

"Well," the bard said finally, "as long as Fynn was with you, I suppose it's fine. Pretty sure he'd sooner wrestle a dragon than stand by and let you get hurt." Scarlett said nothing. She watched Rosa for a while longer, thoughtful.

"…I am sorry, Rosa," she said at last.

"I will tell you later, when it is more appropriate." She had shared fragments of her dealings with the Cabal before, but never the whole truth. Even after deciding to be more open with Rosa following what happened with Anguish, there were still certain…darker aspects she preferred to keep to herself. For some reason. As if Rosa hadn't already seen enough of her faults. She really did intend to share more later, though. Rosa raised an eyebrow, but her expression soon eased into something softer as she chuckled.

"Don't stress yourself out over it." She placed both hands on her thighs and pushed herself to her feet.

"I won't pester you much more, anyway. Just wanted to be here when you got back — to make sure you weren't limping in with a leg in your hand. Or worse, a hand in your leg." A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Scarlett frowned slightly, trying to figure out what that was even supposed to mean. Rosa made her way to the door, pulling it open but pausing at the threshold. Glancing back, her eyes settled on Scarlett.

"… By the by, you really should get some rest, Red. From the sounds of things, you've been through a lot. You can't keep telling the rest of us to take care of ourselves when you're the one on the verge of collapse." With that, she shot her a final, lighthearted grin and stepped out, closing the door behind her. Scarlett stared at the door for several seconds, frown deepening. That woman was really starting to know her far too well. She shook her head to herself. She would rest — soon.

There was just one last thing she wanted to do. Placing her [Pouch of Holding] on the desk, she reached inside and withdrew a small carving of a bluebird, its delicate form perched atop a base of pure marble. She set it down, then retrieved the noise-suppressing artifact she had used during her conversation with Evelyne and activated it. With a light touch to the bluebird's base, a soft glow pulsed through it.

Leaving it like that, she turned her attention to a stack of documents on her desk, idly skimming them as she waited. Suddenly, the bluebird's light flickered, a pale white glow flashing intermittently. Her brow furrowed. A response already? She pressed a finger to the artifact again. A faint static hum filled the air before clearing into a man's voice.

"Baroness Hartford. Glad to hear you're still in one piece," Beldon Tyndall spoke through the bird. A flash of surprise crossed Scarlett's features. Not only had the reply come almost immediately, but Beldon had even answered personally, abandoning the usual layers of misdirection and subterfuge she normally had to go through to reach him.

"The same to you," she replied after a brief pause.

"If I may ask, is there a reason for such…expediency today?"

"Oh, there are always reasons," Beldon said, his voice light.

"In this particular case, I'm currently hiding underground in an undisclosed location, surrounded by nothing but damp walls and boring company. Your communiqué happened to catch my eye the moment it arrived. Not much else here to do, frankly." Scarlett narrowed her eyes slightly.

"…And why are you hiding?"

"Because I grew tired of the gilded masks and lacquered lies of noble society, of course."

"This is hardly the time for your usual theatrics, Tyndall."

"…Fair enough." The fake levity left the man's voice.

"To be blunt, there was an attempt on my life during last night's attacks." Scarlett took in his words.

"Was it the Hallowed Cabal?"

"It would appear so," Beldon said.

"Two separate groups of those 'Adepts' you've described ambushed me during an outing in Windgrove, just before the city fell under assault. I only barely escaped with my life."

"…They must have uncovered your role within Mirage." The Cabal would have no interest in the second son of Duke Tyndall — but the leader of Mirage, an information broker who had repeatedly obstructed them, was another matter.

"That seems to be the case," Beldon admitted.

"I don't know where the leak came from, but given the abilities you've warned me they possess, perhaps it was inevitable." There was a rare edge of frustration in his voice.

"For now, I'll have to manage things from here. My father likely suspects me dead. Not an ideal situation."

"That is…unfortunate."

"It is."

"Are you aware of the situation in the rest of the empire, or have you been unable to gather information?" Scarlett asked.

"I have a general grasp of the broader picture, if that's what you are asking."

"I am."

"There have been reports of large-scale monster incursions across the empire," Beldon said.

"All the major imperial settlements have been hit, along with several smaller towns. Some incidents rival the scale of last month's attacks. Others are worse. Preparations in places like Bridgespell and Silverborough helped limit the worst of it, but Ambercrest and Autumnwell are in chaos. Both cities lost their mage towers, and from what I hear, only the direct intervention of Arch Wizards Ainsworth and Godwin from Elystead prevented total collapse."

Scarlett tapped her finger against the desk again in a slow, steady rhythm. That was troubling news, though neither Autumnwell nor Ambercrest were in a good position to begin with. Autumnwell had suffered heavily in the first wave, and Ambercrest had been in political and organisational disarray ever since Count Soames' fall. But at least some cities were still holding their ground.

"I assume Elystead remains stable?" she asked.

"Yes. The monsters haven't breached the capital, and there are no reports of attacks in the surrounding regions."

"Good." Scarlett nodded slightly. With Beld Thylelion's opening nearing, she'd worried that the Cabal might abandon their usual subtlety and strike directly at Elystead, but even they didn't seem that bold yet. Still, targeting Beldon personally suggested they were acting against other key figures as well. Her gaze shifted to the bluebird carving.

"What of the Empyreal Barrier project? The pylons — how goes their progress?"

"I can't give you a clear answer just yet," Beldon said.

"I know that at least two pylons still under construction were attacked, presumably by the Tribe of Sin, but the Shields Guild appears to have intervened in both cases." So her assumptions about the empire's having some countermeasures were correct.

"Do you know if Arnaud Astrey was involved in either incident?" she asked.

"Astrey? Possible, but I can't say." Beldon was quiet a moment before adding, almost idly, "If I'm not mistaken, you have his daughter among your retainers, don't you?"

"I do."

"That's quite the coincidence."

"Is there something you wish to say?"

"…No, I suppose not." A muffled voice in the background caught Scarlett's attention. Someone was speaking to Beldon, though she couldn't make out the words. He exchanged a few murmured replies before returning.

"It seems I'll have to cut this short, Baroness," he said.

"As you can imagine, I lied about having nothing else to do. My hands are full, and it doesn't particularly help that I haven't had a proper moment of sleep since yesterday morning." His tone now carried an almost self-deprecating amusement.

"Before I go — was there anything else you needed?" he asked.

"If you're looking for a more detailed account of the empire's current state, I'll have a report compiled and sent over once we have a clearer picture." Scarlett's finger stilled against the desk. She had mainly wanted an overview of the situation, but to be honest, she had also meant to ask about his ongoing inquiries into Arlene and the first princess' books. She hadn't received an update on that yet. That said, now wasn't the best time.

"No, nothing further," she eventually said.

"Then I'll take my leave." Scarlett expected the bluebird's light to dim, but it didn't. After a pause, Beldon's voice returned.

"Actually, Baroness, one last thing. It nearly escaped my mind." Scarlett straightened slightly.

"Yes?"

"It concerns the Countess." Her eyes widened. It had been weeks since she heard any news of the Countess' whereabouts. Beldon's people had found traces of her once before, but the trail seemed to have gone cold. She'd nearly assumed it was a dead lead by now.

"Go on," she said.

"There wasn't much—barely more than a rumor—but six days ago, a woman vaguely matching her description was reportedly sighted in Wildscar." Scarlett's brows knit together. Wildscar? What would the Countess be doing there?

"Why was I not informed of this earlier?" she asked, her voice cooling.

"Because the account was dubious at best, and I was waiting for verification," Beldon said.

"As it happens, however, another sighting was reported yesterday — this one far more credible, lending some weight to the first."

"Where?"

"Silverborough." Scarlett's expression darkened slightly. From Wildscar to Silverborough? Was the Countess moving westward? Why? And, more importantly, how? The Countess wasn't the type to blend seamlessly into a crowd, and with the empire already on high alert due to the Tribe of Sin's actions, travel was more difficult than ever. Moving that distance in only a few days without attracting attention seemed unlikely for someone like her.

"…Was she seen travelling with anyone?"

"Not that I've been told. But if your description of her is accurate, I find it hard to believe she's alone." Scarlett stayed silent, considering the implications.

"I do need to go now," Beldon added.

"Unfortunately, my people won't be able to continue their search for her in the coming days." Scarlett released a slow breath.

"…I understand," she said.

"I appreciate what you have done thus far."

"It's the least I could do." With that, the bluebird's glow faded, leaving silence. Scarlett leaned back in her chair, eyes lingering on the now-dormant artifact. She had her suspicions, but she wasn't sure yet whether this was concerning or not. She hoped it wasn't.