NOVEL WEB Chapter 106: Preparations
>End of transmission.
‘Wait hold on, that’s it? No pointers or directions or anything for that matter? I thought she said this was going to be easy? No wait, she actually told me something along the lines of: it being within my capacity to achieve - which now that I think about it - tells nothing about how difficult it was going to be. I’ve been had… damn. Well it's water under the bridge now. Alright then, let’s take this one piece at a time.’
Alicia started pacing around her room in jittery circles.
‘First of all, what the hell am I looking for; The Angelmaker, what does that mean? Is it an item or a machine, something that makes angels? Is it a given name to something? Or is it a person that holds it as a title? Where am I even going to find it? Ugh… Even if I find it, what does pass judgment even mean? That’s just too vague. I just don’t have enough information, I need something, anything to go off of…’
While she was lost in her thoughts, someone’s tapping on the doors broke her out of her engrossment.
- “Come on in.”
It was Alfred holding a stack of scrolls and parchment.
“Oh, already?”
It had already been a few days since the last report, but for Alicia it felt more frequent than that.
- “There were a few matters that needed your express attention that couldn’t be delayed.”
- “Sounds like trouble”
As she placed the papers on Alicia’s desk:
- “We require approval as to how we should deal with the few sniveling rats that we caught sniffing around in places they shouldn’t be.”
- “Rats…? Did they get into the food storehouses?”
- “No, they weren’t after food. These rats are different, you see. Walks on two and is as big as an adult human, talks like them too.”
In other words, spies. It wasn’t unexpected, it was bound for someone to begin looking into them. What was unexpected was how fast it happened.
- “Ah, now I see… Do we know what they were after?”
- “The new enchanted articles are making quite the rounds. We’ve had at least three different instances of attempted thievery and one account of attempted bribery of an enchanting apprentice, all confirmed to be acts of espionage. The offenders have all been detained, unfortunately however they were mere disposable pawns only acting on the behalf of the true agents.”
- “Right, so what did you need my approval for?”
- “I ask for the approval to use more invasive interrogation methods under Echo.”
‘I am pretty sure forced indoctrination is against a number of human rights… but I think at this point I’d be considered a dictatorial tyrant mass murderer with multiple death sentences, so what’s another drop in the bucket? Besides this was bound to be a hurdle that we would need to overcome eventually, might as well start now.’
- “Approved. Furthermore it’s high time we had a customs check. Restrict all incoming traffic to the outpost settlement and examine all passersby through Cold reader, if you find any discrepancy you’re allowed to use Mind reader as well.”
- “I will let Erwin know, however as it stands, the number of Mesmers we have might not be enough for expeditious entry.
- “I know, I will conjure more as needed.”
- “Understood, with that settled, there’s one more thing that’s been brought up.”
- “What’s that?”
- “There are multiple parties that wish to know if or when there will be an official guild.”
‘Like one I broke into in Viveria…? The building itself didn’t look too hard to make, it’s the organization… I have little clue as to what they do or how they function besides they’re kind of like a post office that provides some banking service… and they’re like a trade union?’
- “So what exactly do they want from the guilds?”
- “Supposedly they keep the prices of goods and services stable and give a more holistic service over the trades that they preside over.”
- “I see no harm in it, if they want to unionize- I mean if they want to form a guild.”
- “In that case they also need your written approval.”
- “Really?”
- “Given the dominant culture, guilds can only be formed with the backing from the ruling noble.”
‘Guilds hm… Charlie has already done enough recently I think I’ll let her sit out on this one, give her some time off, Echo will have her hands full preventing any spies and moles from entering. Victoria… is much more suited for abductions and assassinations rather than intelligence gathering. Delta can take this kind of work but it won’t be fast in any case, not like I’m in a hurry but still I don’t think she’ll be in her element. Gamma will be preoccupied with overseeing the development of construction projects. Which only leaves Alfred as someone with enough discretion to lead the information gathering… Too bad she’s practically the only one handling all of the administration that I should be doing in reality but… The new girls are still in training, per Rosalia, so Alpha’s work won’t be getting lighter anytime soon… Wait a minute, we had a few too many of them didn’t we… I don’t want to put all of it to a third party like the guilds. But if we can play our cards right with a bit of manipulation I could have them passively collect information and keep tabs on any potential leads. With the extra noble girls we have, the staff is pretty much ready… That’s sounding like a plan. A really bad one, but a plan nonetheless. Now if only I could…’
- “Wait a minute, get a hold of Albertini, tell him I have something to talk about.”
- “Is it related to the forming of the guild?”
- “Of course.”
- “I shall see to it.”
Alpha quickly made her exit once she had her instructions.
‘The exact details will have to wait for now, in the meantime I think I’ll start doing my own bit of research. This time I think I’ll pay a visit to the Empire’s guilds, see how they tick, and take in the local culture. I should let Alice know I’m going out before I head out.’
After the conjuration of the Mesmers and almost losing consciousness from overexertion - again - Alicia went on to look for her counterpart. That thankfully was far easier than locating the Angelmaker. Alice had the habit of hovering around her children, to put it mildly, others of sane mind however might prefer to call it stalking. Find the twins and one can easily find Alice. Though the only one to think it easy would be Alicia, as Alice being identical to her, inherits the same stealthiness, to the point that most people don’t even know Alice exists. Alicia herself was not much different as most people don’t catch her coming or going as she had developed the habit of using Trespass to take the most convenient path for her, which rendered walls, doors and stairs inconsequential. At the current time of the day, they should be taking a break from training under Ash. It didn’t take long as Alicia already knew all the places Ash preferred to conduct his sessions. As soon as the girls saw Alicia they ran towards her gleefully screaming her name. They looked a little taller than she remembered. ‘I should spend more time with them… maybe take them out on a trip? Can’t have them cooped up in this forest all the time.’
Both of them were trying to excitedly talk over each other which meant none of them could be heard.
- “Alright, alright calm down one after another okay? Goldie you start.”
- “But I want to go first!”
- “Well both of you wanted to go first and I can’t understand it.”
- “Fiiine.”
- “Well?”
- “Ms. Strega made me a hat that I wanted.”
It was an excessively wide brimmed dark blue felt hat with a drooping conical crown. In other words a typical witch’s hat. Though it was unmentioned, she was wearing a matching robe and both the hat and the robe were tad oversized for her. It was likely that Goldia saw Strega and wanted to look like her. Although it was said to be from Strega, Alicia immediately noticed the weaving pattern distinct to Crypt weavers on the clothing; from its complexity, only one capable of weaving it would be Tesla. Even without touching it, the air around Goldia felt tingly, the dyed wool used for the outer felt was evidently made from the Thundergoats’ fleece. In addition to that it had a starry theme to it as decoration.
- “That’s very nice of her, did you remember to say thanks?”
- “Yes!”
- “Good girl.”
As Alicia went to pat her head and her hands touched the hat, she could sense the enchantments placed on it.
« Soul Scryer »
Void Vault, Protection, Preservation, Restoration, Glaciation, Infrigidation, Mystifying, Concealing… There it was, Strega’s real handiwork, it was as if she challenged herself to stuff as many enchantments as she could fit onto this hat. The void vault was an interesting addition, items could hold onto spells but this was her first time seeing a Void magic infixed onto an item. Curious as to what or if Goldia was using it, Alicia asked:
- “Is there anything you’re holding onto?”
- “Uhm… uhm…”
After struggling to remember Goldia took off her hat and flipped it rightside down, reaching into the hole she pulled out a book that she was reading and a half eaten sweet biscuit that surprised her. Obviously she completely forgot about it and just now discovered where it was that she put it, a mistake she quickly fixed by completely devouring it. The last thing she pulled out were interesting looking river stones of various size colors and looks.
‘She’s using her hat to hold onto her snacks and her collection of rocks… well I don’t know what I expected.’
- “Anna?”
Impatient to show off what she got, Anna was holding a silvery sword, again a little oversized for her, that was completely engulfed in a fiery orange inferno.
‘I think I know what Strega gave her… and let me guess she wanted something that could kill and cook whatever she was fighting…’
- “My turn, my turn! I got a sword that can kill and cook the monsters!”
‘Yep, that’s Anna alright.’
- “How very clever of you… just be careful not to set any trees on fire. You know Dryssia is gonna be sad if that were to happen.”
- “Okay!”
The flames snuffed out in an instant, it was then where Alicia noticed a familiar feline splayed out on a nearby tree branch, opening her eyes only to the smallest of slits to confirm who it was that caused the disturbance before going back to napping with her tail swinging side to side like pendulum. Despite her aversion to admitting to it, Frost seemed to have taken a liking towards the twins, mostly content with watching over them and following around whoever seems to be the most interesting for her, which frequently happens to be Alice who is much like her in curtness. And through ways off in the distance Alicia noticed her just barely. After making sure that she was seen she turned around and walked away, it seemed that she wanted Alicia to come to her.
- “You two be good now, alright?”
- ““Yes!””
Excusing herself, Alicia started following her smaller counterpart. Finding the small diversion enough of a break, Ash picked up after to continue his lessons. Alice had found a suitable log for herself to sit on top of, observing the bugs and insects go about their lives. From isopods to aphids, in a different circumstance, they would be her food but as it stands, she was just fine with studying them as a bystander… even as the aphids were oblivious to the brightly colored ladybug that would devour them soon enough. As Alicia caught up with her;
- “You are leaving…”
Alice turned to look at her, her movements had become much more natural nowadays… as in more humanlike. Previously she would snap towards whoever it was in a startling ferocity, it was instinctual to her. There was still some awkwardness in her but not in a spider wearing a human skin awkward but different kind that could be interpreted as social unawareness.
- “Thought I should tell you myself but I guess you’re in my head as much as I am. I’ll look into the Empire’s lands, see if there’s anything I can find about the Angelmaker over there, besides I have a feeling they don’t think they're completely fine with us meddling with their military campaign towards Pyrinia. If I'm going to get shanked, I might as well know where I’m being shanked.”
- “I will stay…”
Specifically her eye movements, after being told that she should maintain eye contact when talking, she took it a little too far, staring down the other party, unblinking, tracking one particular location of their faces. It was unnerving for anyone, somehow she still radiated the threatening aura of a predator, perhaps it couldn’t be helped truly.
- “Still worried about the girls?”
Now she tried to shift her eyes’ focus every now and then, it made her gaze much more approachable, but again she had the tendency to go overboard. Now her eyes darted around jumping from one feature to another, it created a mixed atmosphere as though she was studying someone head to toe with a tinge of nervousness. To pass off as a human… there were still ways to go.
- “No… for you…”
There was a point in time Alice was worried about the twins, a natural inborn protectiveness for her offspring, resulting in her sedentary vigil.
- “For me?”
That had changed.
- “Safer here… Trouble finds you… You will return to me… somehow?”
Now Alicia understood what she meant. Their souls were only separated temporarily through magic allowing the two to pursue different goals, divided they were weaker than the whole but that was an acceptable compromise for independence. Yet still their fates were inseparably entangled, should one die, their soul would return to the other to recover; they shared their lives, and even death’s banquet was not to be savored alone. If Alicia were to find herself in an inescapable situation in unknown lands and fall, her soul would return to Alice where it would be safe for the both of them.
- “I think I understand what you’re trying to say… Though I intend to come back the same way, I’m setting off - by my own feet. Oh, is there anything I should look out for when I’m out there? Like souvenirs?”
- “???”
Some time later after explaining the concept:
- “Not nuptial gift?”
- “NOOO-”
It took a while to teach Alice the concept of souvenirs…