138 Discussion (1/2)
After the heroes had left, Sylvie asked Li, ”What are you planning? It would be helpful for us to know of what's going on your end too.”
Jeanne nodded, and Li responded. ”Chevrette's already done for. We have ironclad witnesses against him in the form of the farmers. There's plenty of them to overcome any needed burden of proof. But I haven't told the heroes about the farmers yet because there's still something that Chevrette is hiding from us.”
”I would suspect so,” said Sylvie as she tapped her forehead. ”It would have been utterly impossible for even a man of his wealth to dredge up the manpower, resources, and this high level of black magic without associating it at all with his personal finances. There must be another entity in play.”
”You're precisely right about that.” Li paused. ”And don't call it black magic. They're just Warlock spells. The same kind of magic as any that you cast. Nothing inherently wrong about it.”
”The magic of the warlocks are all fiendish, though,” said Jeanne with bit lip. ”They alter the mind, terrorize the body, and warp the soul. It is all too unnatural.”
Li shrugged. ”Mind you, priestly magic has just as much ability to break minds, bodies, and souls. At the end of the day, it's all just magic. Nothing good or bad about it.”
”Is that how you are taught in your land?” asked Sylvie with curiosity bubbling in her voice.
”You could say that, but mostly, it's just my personal opinion. Magic is a tool. You can't say that some kinds of magic are foul and others holy by how they're used. But you can judge the people that use them. In any case-,” Li continued. ”I have good reason to suspect that Chevrette is not acting alone. Something is helping him. Something with power and something that's managed to remain completely hidden and separate from him.”
”Something would have been in his records.” Sylvie furrowed her brows. ”In his financial documents, in his business contracts, in something. Yet they are all clean.”
”You're assuming he acted in the boundaries of human society.”
Sylvie cocked her head. ”So you are saying that we are dealing with something inhuman?”
”Yes, and it just so happens to be that in my raid, I found out how to get to this being.”
”This being? Your wording suggests you do not know what it is.”
”I know that it's called the 'Specter' and that it's been some kind of supernatural force that's hunted down criminals for a long, long time.”
An incredulous expression formed on Sylvie's face. ”That is a myth. A tale conjured up by lowertown folk who want to believe there is someone that grants them justice when the law fails. Most likely, it was some vengeful ghost that has been laid to rest.”
”Even then, why would it help Chevrette?” questioned Sylvie.
”That's what I aim to know,” said Li. ”I'm going with Azhar tonight to where I believe this specter is.”
Azhar blinked. ”We are?”
”Yes,” said Li, ”So don't go sleeping on me just yet.”
”What of the beastwomen?” said Jeanne. ”We should help the heroes with getting the rest of them back. And your mastery of dark, I mean, magic could aid the process greatly.”
”Not to mention it would soothe suspicions,” said Sylvie.