Chapter 336 (1/2)
As the breathing of the Thief became a little less ragged, Randidly turned to Lucretia. “So what’s your game?”
Although her eyebrows rose, Lucretia said calmly. “As I stated previously, I simply want to recover here, and to be transported-”
“No, with her.” Randidly gestured to the Thief. “You chose meeting here. I sincerely doubt that you care much for her life, if there wasn’t some effect on your own. What’s your game? Answer honestly, or there can be no deal, and I will dedicate every ounce of my effort to crushing you.”
Lucretia stilled, her smile frozen. Then she relaxed, chuckling. “Do you really think you would have the spare time for that, if you fight with a Champion…?”
Randidly said nothing, staring at her.
Waving her hand, Lucretia continued. “Relax, I honestly thought you wouldn’t notice, but I don’t mind sharing. I wouldn’t have beaten around the bush if I knew you were something other than a spear head. It is, perhaps, just a result of spending so much time alone on my own world… but I digress. I brought you here as an indirect gift to her, because I knew you would save her. After her third gift I give her, I very much expect she will surrender the heavy weight of her destiny to me, in order to find peace.”
Randidly gazed at Lucretia while she gazed wolfishly at the slowly breathing form on the ground. Eventually, Randidly looked away first, feeling oddly cold. Sometimes it was easy to forget that such an attractive and charming woman was just a mask that a monster showed to the world around her.
“I could kill her now, and foil that,” Randidly pointed out. Lucretia just laughed. They both knew it was a bluff, because Randidly could intervene in other ways, ways that would hopefully shift the narrative of the gifts, and the girl could have the opportunity to meet that final choice in an unexpected way. And also, after saving her, killing her immediately seemed a little spiteful, even for him.
Instead, Randidly pressed forward. “Why do you want her fate?”
“Because the System is all about patterns, patterns that you cannot escape.” Lucretia said, finally turning her attention away from the Thief, and looking up at the sky. Randidly said nothing.
Laughing, Lucretia said. “I know what you are thinking, that you are one who is not bound by the patterns of the System, which in a way is true. But in another way, I think you will discover you are bound even more tightly than the rest of us.”
“What do you mean?” Randidly said slowly, forcing his posture to remain relaxed. It was extremely difficult to not take everything that she said as an overt threat.
Gesturing around, Lucretia said. “Because the patterns are what is important. You might not need to follow them, but you make them. Every rule you break sends a ripple through the System, and it adjusts in your wake. For example, Ten’Malla… and the Champions generally.
“I have never heard of a rule that allows a third party to take the two Regalia’s, and have a third party wear them to ascend and become the remaining Champion,” Lucretia said slowly. “Yet… in this world, it is clear both from narratives, and the construction of the cages around the Champions, that this is eminently possible. In the past… did you steal something that didn’t belong to you?”
Randidly frowned but said nothing. Lucretia continued to speak.
“And from that opportunity… I bet that someone was able to usurp another position, that shouldn’t normally be possible. Just through lack of other options… I’m guessing someone from your world stole the role of Village Spirit? That is… profoundly fascinating.”
Randidly had never thought about it in that way, but he had stolen the Aether Spring from Turtletown’s Tribulation. And because of that, their Village Spirit was just a little weaker when fighting against Donnyton’s Tribulation, which had the opportunity to invade Turtletown after Randidly had acted. In that small disparity in power, and through the element of surprise, Lyra had managed to seize control, with her own unpredictable strength.