Chapter 28: I CAN EXPLAIN! (2/2)

Farren deposited the sphere in her hands. It was slightly larger than a tennis ball and had this strange mix of heaviness and weightlessness she associated with mana items. There was a trickle of energy inside. It was also much smaller than what Solfis used in his current frame, much less the past one. Apparently, nascent Necrarch did not hold a candle to adult dragons.

“I’m guessing that it’s worth its volume in gold?” she asked.

“Several times over,” Farren confirmed, “but there would be no way to turn it to coin here in Kazar, at least not without a massive discount. Lady Varska mostly uses brown mana, so she would have no use for it.”

Viv understood the concept of illiquid assets. She also wanted the thing for herself, and for good reason.

She pushed some mana inside and felt it coil in the strange receptacle. The core could hold it as if it were inside of her own body. She had found a fucking battery, and she really, really wanted to keep it for herself.

“You can keep it for yourself,” Farren declared.

“Are you sure?” Viv asked. It was a very generous offer.

“Knight-Principal Cormick once said, a good leader uses everyone and everything to the best of their abilities. Your men, your gear, the environment and your foes, all are tools in the arsenal of the mindful captain.”

This… did not sound stupid at all?

“Huh.”

“I am investing in you, Bob. With your skills at my side, my plan has much better chances to succeed. Please consider this as an apology for doubting you as well as a show of good faith.”

Amusingly, it was Marruk who was now eyeing the Voice with no small amount of disappointment. It appeared that the Kark found his plotting distasteful.

“Consider me placated,” Viv admitted. The man was the right amount of ambitious and idealistic. She could respect that.

“A core this size would best be used in a construct shaped like a staff, or whatever strikes your fancy. I know that northern mages prefer sword pommels. Sadly, no one here has the know-how to create a suitable frame.”

“I expected that much.”

“Our little frontier town still has much to acquire.”

They headed back up. Viv was the second out after Marruk and she found the slightly misshapen shape of Irao sitting on the floor. The ground around him had a pile of ash she had not seen before. The assassin probably had ways to kill the unkillable.

As she watched, he reached towards his ninja headdress and slowly unfolded it. Viv looked on with curiosity.

Irao was completely bald. He barely had eyebrows. His skull was large and shaped a bit strangely, with a certain reptilian quality to it. The man was on the bony, ugly side of the spectrum, but it was his eyes and teeth that sealed the deal. All his teeth were slightly sharp, which he revealed by taking a deep breath. His pupils were slitted like a cat’s, and the iris covered much of the sclera. They were dark brown.

Viv was unimpressed.

After weeks spent killing horrors that smelled like skunk knickers and looked like a rectal prolapse, Irao’s face was not even in the top ten of disgusting things she had endured in the past month. Hell, he was not even the ugliest person she had met before coming here.

“Yes?” she asked politely, because it would not hurt staying polite with a genetically engineered assassin.

“Hellow. I want to spar with your golem.”

As before, the voice was raspy and slightly disturbing. Viv considered what Farren had said about Irao’s antisocial behavior. She tried to formulate a refusal that would not offend before realizing that this was the wrong thing to do.

“Solfis is intelligent. Ask him directly.”

The assassin blinked, the gesture unexpectedly normal. It made him look like a person.

Irao stood up and deliberately walked to Solfis’ frame, which Marruk had helpfully replaced in the sled.

“Spar with me?”

//I only fight to kill.

//Your death would harm the princess’ cause.

//Therefore, I must refuse.

“I understand.”

Viv turned to gauge the assassin’s reaction, only to find that he had already disappeared from her sight.

They decided to make their way back without waiting. Forcing it, they would be back in Kazar by nightfall. The horses had magically-induced stamina, after all.

Marruk used the opportunity afforded when Farren stepped away to attend to a natural need. She leaned towards Viv.

“Do all humans have plans within plans?” she asked. Viv felt that this was an important moment.

So far, Marruk had remained carefully professional. Viv was not a fan of cajoling people into liking her, and she also estimated that it would throw the poor Kark off. It was, therefore, the first time that she asked a question that did not immediately relate to living or working together. It was her first personal question.

She was opening up. Viv scarcely believed her ears.

As for the question itself, it related to something she had asked herself for years. Are people bad because they plan and manipulate? Are manipulation and influence bad or neutral tools? Where does brainwashing stop and conviction start? Is it wrong to use people who lack critical thinking to your own end?

She should have read more books.

In any case, she had found an answer that sort of suited her. It had, to her annoyance, come from her dad.

“Anybody with a smidgen of authority needs them, or they will fail the people they lead.”

Then, after a moment.

“Do you understand?”

Marruk’s eyes narrowed. She did not like the conversation much, but Viv’s stoic expression showed genuine concern and the strong woman was sensitive to it.

“You mean that Farren schemes because everyone else schemes?”

“Schemes implies carrying out something illegal or morally wrong.”

“Morally long?”

This fucking weird language barrier.

“Bad. Something bad. Farren wants to do something good. He has a plan.”

“Why hide the plan from everyone? Why hide his reasons from us?”

“You know that humans are hard to trust.”

“Yes!”

“Humans are hard to trust for other humans. Farren also needs help from other people who have other goals than just helping him. That is why he hides and plans and asks. A cold mind serving a good heart, that is the best. I think.”

“A cold mind serving a warm heart…” Marruk repeated, considering. Eventually, she nodded to herself.

“I think you told the truth about humans. This is a good sentence. It also makes the humans look better in my eyes.”

“That is good to hear.”

Farren returned then, whistling and fastening his belt.

“I have decided to forgive you,” Marruk informed him with a solemn voice.

The Voice of Neriad froze like a deer in headlights, much to Viv’s amusement.

“Hmmm thank you?”

“If another assassin appears at my back when I am fighting a dangerous monster and this is your fault, I will still strike you down. Warm heart or not. Yes?”

“Hmmm yes, Marruk, of course. I apologize, I didn't mean to startle you.”

“Remember. No more surprises.”

“I will do my best.”

Viv could not help but smirk when Farren climbed back on his horse with visible dismay. Serves him right, she thought. Also, Marruk’s allegiance was successfully transferred to her.