Chương 35: Chapter 34

"Was breaking my hand necessary?" Rolland sat on a bench, cradling his hand in an exaggerated manner. Cal had maybe, no, he probably overreacted there. It wasn't a great second start.

"Let's just pretend that didn't happen." Thankfully, he'd managed to restrain himself.

"You're fine. I barely squeezed. Now do you want to keep playing around or tell me what you meant by all that?" Cal's initial panic had been tamped down. There was no way he would be connected to Petro's disappearance this quickly unless the man or one of his associates had informed someone else when they'd 'kidnapped' him. In which case…well, it wasn't worth speculating about.

"Are you always this hostile to people trying to aid you?" Rolland pushed off the bench, dropping the charade.

"Had it been any other student, you would have shattered the bones."

"Yeah, yeah, sorry." Cal gave a little ground.

"I doubt you're bringing it up for idle gossip. You don't seem the type." Then again, he didn't actually know the man.

"Fair warning, if that is the reason I'm reserving the right to break your nose again." Rolland's face lit up with laughter, and Cal moved his attention to the skyline. Realizing he had a prejudice was a lot easier than being rid of it.

"If I wanted to gossip, I'd ask why you're wearing Marcus' shirt." Cal looked down, holding his shirt out to try and spot something amiss.

"Is it that noticeable?" He'd actually thought it fit pretty well.

"It's readily apparent," Rolland answered with mirth.

"And while personally, I find your readiness to use casual violence against me amusing, I'd watch that type of language around others. I can think of several who would be calling for your arrest for that comment." Cal snorted; he wasn't that oblivious. This roof was isolated, and if the prince wanted to talk alone, chances were they were alone.

"I get it; I'll be careful. Now do you want to explain what you meant?"

"Very well." The prince nodded and continued with a serious tone.

"What exactly is your relationship with Liliane?" Cal nodded to himself, coming to peace with his decision. He walked to the prince and grabbed his blazer.

"What are you doing?" The prince asked more perplexed than alarmed.

"I'm about to see how far I can throw you off this roof," Cal replied while dragging Rolland to the ledge.

"Bet you it's further than you think." He'd probably be fine; he was sturdy after all. An excuse would need to be given to Benjamin; Cal could tell him the man went to get some air. That should work. A hand clamped down on his wrist, putting a not-insignificant amount of pressure. Right, this guy wasn't a total pushover. It wasn't enough to stop him but did give him pause.

"Callum, I'm beginning to wonder if you ever think before acting."

"I was joking." Cal defended while releasing the man; he probably would have stopped himself eventually.

"I wasn't actually going to do anything." Rolland clasped his shoulder and gave him a flat stare.

"My position mandates I be adept at spotting deceit. I can't be the first to tell you this, but you're a bad liar." Cal was not looking to correct him on that front. It was better to be thought of as an open book. He shrugged off the arm and thought back on the prince's question. If it wasn't for the sake of ribbing, then Cal could think of another reason for the line of questioning.

"I'm about to get a crash course on noble politics, aren't I?" Flashbacks to the sessions with Claire appeared in his head; they weren't memories he wanted to relive.

"You say the oddest things." Rolland mused before continuing.

"The issue does center around politics. I ask again, what is your relationship with her?"

"There is none." Rolland raised a brow, unimpressed with his response.

"She's friends with Alice. Most of our interactions are because of that. There's no deeper meaning." That wasn't even a lie; whether he'd believe the truth or not wasn't a problem to Cal. Rolland tried to stifle a chuckle, and Cal resisted the temptation to retaliate.

"You're more innocent than I expected." The prince continued after recovering.

"I presume you don't know about her situation." Cal hadn't forgotten about the encounter with the Lucas fellow; his position was the same as then.

"It's none of my business."

"Incorrect." Rolland shook his head.

"And foolish. Your actions last night and leading up to it have made it your concern." It would be easier if he could just close his eyes and pretend none of this would affect him. From the phrasing, he gathered that was not the case.

"Alright, lay it on me. What exactly did I get myself involved in?"

"It's a common story with uncommon actors. Liliane Arcutien, third daughter of Marquess Arcutien, is betrothed to William Fulgur, first son of Count Fulgur. William is some years our senior and currently the youngest serving member of the Fingers." Cal was beginning to see the problem.

"So some jealous guy might come here thinking I'm messing with his girl." That could be annoying to deal with. He really should have just taken the staff gig.

"If that does happen, I can set the record straight. Nothing's going on. In fact, she's attacked me several times."

"You're nonplussed for potentially offending one of our Empire's strongest. I could be mistaken for thinking you'd just been told a fly flew into your soup. Arrogance or confidence? I suspect a mixture of both. I really would like to fight you again."

"Stay on topic, please." He'd need to learn how to get his ass kicked in a convincing way to get some of this suspicion off him.

"Perception matters more than truth. I, for one, believe you." That was nice?

"With both of your personalities, we have to thank the Ancestors you've not maimed each other." That made more sense.

"Not all are as familiar with the individuals in question. In the past, Liliane has made no secret of her opposition to the arrangement, and this could be another rebellion of hers. One neither family would be amused by."

"And then both sides squeeze, and I get crushed in between. Did I get that right?"

"You did. The Count and the Marquess have already signed the agreement. There is little she can do to fight it. Pardon me, I misspoke. There is one avenue to resolve her predicament. One she is aware of and working towards. I won't bore you with history but there exists a provision in Imperial law that disallows engagements between any two members of the Fingers. We wouldn't want any of them getting ideas." Rolland delivered that as if it were some inside joke before resuming as normal.

"Liliane has made her intention to join their ranks vocal. However, she is past the age of maturity. I don't know what deal she had arranged with her father, but she could theoretically be married at any time. It's possible that the publicity of your stunt last night could accelerate that timeline. William's younger brother, Lucas, has no doubt informed his family of what occurred." Shadowy cultists, a member of the Fingers, and noble families. Did anyone else want to jump out and cause problems for him?

He'd have to create a ticketing system at this rate.

"I appreciate the heads up, but it doesn't seem like I can do anything here besides wait for the other shoe to drop."

"I haven't finished. House Arcutien has deep roots and is enjoying a period of great prosperity. They would make strong allies. Can you think of any house that may be tempted to make that type of connection? I'm sure it was just a coincidence you two have spent so much time together in these short weeks." It was Cal's turn to laugh.

"You think…that Alice is trying to set us up or something?" It was a ridiculous notion.

"She isn't, but let's say she was. Does she expect the Arcutiens to just drop their current deal? That seems stupidly optimistic."

"I would agree it is optimistic; however, it's not stupid. If William takes offense and comes to deal with the situation, he could, theoretically, be goaded into a duel. That sort of scandal would make waves in the Empire. A Finger facing a new student? Nobles from all corners will come to witness the farce. Only it wouldn't be a farce, would it? I won't claim to be able to best them, but I would not be easily swept aside. By extension, neither would you.

Winning would be a secondary objective; merely displaying your ability would be enough to put your name on the lips of everyone of import. I'm sure she'd prefer if the Arcutiens would break their engagement, but even if they don't, there will be no shortage of bidders." Alice was paranoid; there was no way she'd call that much attention to them. Even if he ignored that, Cal couldn't see her being capable of using Lily like that. No, someone was trying to manipulate him here, and it wasn't Alice.

"You're not telling me this out of the goodness of your heart. What's the punchline?"

"Astute. Then I won't tiptoe around it any longer. You have great potential, and others will try to use it to serve their ends. They will try to use you. You've seen how I treat Benjamin; I don't stand on ceremony with my subordinates." If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it. It took him more than a few seconds to process that.

"Are you offering me a job?" The skepticism in his tone was heavy.

"I'm offering you an alternative path. Does house Ardere deserve your loyalty? You've not painted a good picture of them. With my influence, I will be able to pressure them to release their hold on you. You'd be able to smoothly enter my employ and be shielded from those silly games normal nobles play." They didn't have it in the first place. The guy was barking up the wrong tree.

"No." He gave a simple answer, not bothering to ask how such a deal would even be made. Rolland didn't look put off by his response.

"I expected that. Consider it a standing offer. If nothing comes of it, I'm happy enough to enjoy our time together as classmates." Cal took the cue that the conversation was over. He made to leave when Rolland spoke.

"One last thing. Don't mention this to Benny unless you intend to accept. If he finds out you rejected the offer, well, I'm not responsible for whatever happens after."

"Speak of the devil," Cal greeted Lily, who had been waiting for him at the base of the building.

"Are you tracking me?"

"Think I have to?" She pointed her phone at a group shamelessly gawking.

"We're hot news right now." He glared at the group, which earned a fit of giggles. That used to work well...

"Should you be here then? No need to throw more wood on the fire."

"Who cares what they think?" Lily shrugged, unbothered by the attention.

"Now come on, we got places to be." She started walking, and he followed along.

"What did you mean by the whole speak of the devil thing?"

"Had a chat with a certain someone." Cal obfuscated, conscious that they might be overheard.

"Told me a little about you and what could happen with the rumors now." Lily took it better than he expected, giving a wry smile.

"Yeah…leave that with me." She had an air of confidence when speaking of it. That somehow made Cal nervous.

"He mentioned something where a big shot could try causing trouble?" That earned a small fit of laughter.

"William?" She spoke after getting her emotions under control.

"Trust me, you don't have to worry about him. He and I are on the same page about this thing. It's the old people who can't get a clue."

"You don't think his family will make him do something stupid? Lucas was pretty heated that night." She scowled in response.

"They can try. As a Finger he can act independently of them, but, well." She dragged him down and whispered.

"He's a total pushover. The type of guy who wants to please everyone." She released him and continued.

"If he does try anything, I'll deal with it. I don't need anyone fighting my battles." Fair enough, he had enough on his plate already. He kept Rolland's speculation about Alice's motives to himself. It would probably just piss her off. He kept an eye on where they were going and soon realized it was to a place he'd been meaning to visit. The central clock tower. It housed the offices of most of the higher-level administrators, so he figured he'd need to familiarize himself with the layout for future investigation.

"Any particular reason we're going here?" He asked the girl who had been distracted for a moment texting.

"Or is this some sort of impromptu tour?"

"Oh. Right, I forgot to mention it." She looked up at him with a mischievous grin.

"We're in trouble~" Cal didn't think he'd ever been sent to the Principal's office. He couldn't be sure, but any prior experience would probably be moot considering this wasn't exactly your normal school. And this was by no means a normal office. Green, was his first thought upon entering. The office was lush with plant life, with walls lined with pots and vines running across the ceiling. The furniture and floor looked to be a part of one organism, a living tree.

He was sitting in one of two uncomfortable chairs facing the desk. The chair opposite them was larger than theirs and had branches stretching out, almost forming a halo. The woman sitting at it did not give him any sort of angel vibes.

"Lady Arcutien and Mr. Ardere, do either of you want to venture a guess as to why I'm taking time out of my weekend to speak to both of you?" The Deputy Headmistress was dressed similarly to their last encounter during the joust he hadn't got to witness. Her hands were steepled across the desk, and she glowered at the pair of them.

"Because you have no friends," Lily said flippantly. While it matched her current cavalier attitude about things, from the way the room began to writhe, it was not the smartest of retorts. Cal shifted in the seat; why did it feel like he was sitting on a rose bush?

"My personal life is none of your concern."

"And neither is ours," Lily was quick to follow up.

"Buzz off and let us live a little. We were off campus." Cal shot a look at Lily, trying to tell her to shut up. The deputy already didn't like him; there was no reason to further antagonize her.

"Normally, I would be happy to agree with you. I have enough work to do with managing your behavior on campus." From what he'd seen so far, Cal didn't envy that job.

"However, I'd like to show you something." The Deputy Headmistress held out a palm, and a folder was deposited by a vine. She opened it, shielding its contents from them. A single picture was slid across the desk, and he leaned forward to see it. It was a mid-action shot of Lily clambering on top of a table. Another picture was passed over, showing the floor, having fallen on her ass.

"You really can't hold your liquor," he muttered, and she elbowed him as two more pictures were displayed. Lily was back on the table with a light bulb now held in her hand. She held a finger to the socket she had pulled it from. The final picture was too dark to make anything out.

"That little stunt you pulled shorted out an entire district," the deputy headmistress said while grinding her teeth.

"Do you have any idea how much in damages that's going to cost?"

"Father will pay for it," Lily replied easily.

"Do you think I can keep this one? I look pretty good in it." The hand reaching out for it was ensnared by a vine that began twisting. That was understandable; what wasn't was why he was suddenly ensnared as well.

"I get why she's here," he said as he contemplated the consequences of starting a small fire.

"But why am I?" He didn't jump, even as he felt thorns begin to grow into his seat. Good to know he wasn't crazy.

"Apart from allegedly encouraging her." She reached under her desk and slammed something down.

"Care to tell me what this is?" He would say a melted candle, but it was the wrong shape.

"Modern art?" He didn't have any better guesses.

"According to one irritated party, this is the remains of a Category 4 demon's tusk."

"Impossible." Cal refuted the claim without hesitation.

"Those don't burn well. At most, you're looking at exterior charring." The few times he chose to use fire, they were among the pieces left over.

"And how do you know that?" She scrutinized him; he looked to Lily for support only to see her questioning expression. Oh, right…

"I read it," Cal replied in his most authoritative voice.

"In a book." With the size of the library, he was sure there were multiple volumes detailing the tusk's properties.

"I commend you for your studies," the deputy's tone conveyed she did not.

"However, its owner believes otherwise."

"Put in on my tab," Lily decided to come to his aid.

"Father won't know the difference."

"I won't. It's clearly a fake." She removed the melted wax sculpture, and he felt the restraints ease.

"The point is that this paints the Academy in a poor light. With the current political environment, we can't have that." Why was everything politics? Just tell him who to fry… She pointed at them with two extended fingers.

"Both of you will be subject to disciplinary action. The nature of which will be communicated to you in due course." Lily seemed to have enough and forcibly rose from the seat, snapping some of the vines and causing the surroundings to erupt in a flurry of activity.

"Just say community service. Isn't that what you always give me?" Cal watched the room carefully, taking note of all the pokey bits aimed in their direction.

"That's enough, Liliane; behave like the adult you are." That's rich.

"Excuse me, Mr. Ardere." Her attention turned to him. He'd not meant to say that out loud.

"Care to add anything?" Lily was looking at him with some anticipation; he was going to disappoint her.

"In the interest of self-preservation, I'm going to say no."

"Self-preservation?" Lily snorted in his direction.

"When did you get that?" Cal closed his eyes and took a breath, repeating a mantra in his head. Don't burn down the school. But maybe a single office was okay?