Chapter 923: Arc 9-34
There isn’t much to say to Khan. His talk with Little Water has gotten him over the biggest hurdle; accepting that, for all intents and purposes, Khan James is going to have to die. Unfortunately for the heartbroken wanderer, he has no idea what lies beyond that. The man can hardly be blamed.
Normally, when people think of sheltered nobles, they think of pampered young girls and spoiled men mired in extravagance, but Khan is as sheltered as they come. He’s spent his whole life surrounded by the same ideas with no way out. He has to change his life but he has no idea what that looks like or even where to begin.
It seems obvious to me. He’s a cartographer. He made effective maps in a place where the only landmarks were mounds of snow and ice. Should easily be able to transfer that skillset in lands with far more distinctive features and maps are valuable. I could connect him to the Guiness Company; perhaps not directly, as they’re one of the few people that could connect him to his family, but as a broker for his work. He could buy himself a little land, find himself another woman that isn’t a lady lizard, and live peacefully.
Or, if he’s determined to make some kind of impact on the world, I’ve thought about sending him across the sea with Jac. She’s on the backfoot after her short stint as a “guest” of the crown but her ambition isn’t so easy to smother. Soon enough, she’ll be taking a ship to find our ancestral origins and any power that lingers in our history. In a foreign land, someone with the ability to scout and map the land would be invaluable. He could save her life.
And if neither idea appeals to him, I could help him find something else. That’s the entire point of the Cosmian, to give people with no idea about anything opportunities. He can be whatever he wants.
All he needs to do is make a decision, which is easier said than done. He put on a brave face earlier, remaining remarkably calm given his circumstances, but my ears are too sensitive not to notice the undercurrent of uncertainty in his words. His life is falling apart and it’s shaken him. If I kicked him out of the estate today, I’d wager that he’d fall apart. He’s just lost everything. No family, no suicidal mission, no scaly love. Nothing and no one.
He needs a friend. Someone he can depend on, to walk beside him on that lonely road. And I’ve got an idea.
Summoning is made for lonely souls.
What’s the saying? It’s easy to get something done, but if you want it done right, you’ve got to do it yourself.
Father’s death…most of the world won’t notice his passing, but summoning will. It’s lost a, well, not a leader, that’s far too generous. A silent pillar lost in the clutter of magic. An unsung force for order. He was a small man in a smaller world, but he could have done a lot of damage with his knowledge. Saints know the world pushed him toward it. Instead, he taught his successor restraint and victory through competence.
I don’t know why I thought Callan would follow the traditions of Luke Tome; perhaps it’s because I saw in him a familiar caution birthed in cowardice. One thing the Grand Summoners have done for me is to show me that the inherent dangers of summoning isn’t enough to train accountable summoners.
There’s a reason masters take apprentices. The right inclination and all the talent in the world don’t mean anything if it’s so easily led astray. If I want to bolster a new generation of summoners, I’m going to have to take a more direct hand in things. At the very least to show the idiots with an improper image of my beloved art the difference between pandering to an idiot and harnessing the power of another realm.
I can’t do much for Khan. It bothers me. Not because I’m overly concerned with his well-being, I care about his less than more familiar family like Jac but more than a random stranger, but because I should be able to do more. I’m a damn godling. I may not have made promises, but I was confident I would save Khan. I feel…responsible, whether it’s deserved or not. I’ve learned that ignoring that feeling and spitting on the scant traces of goodwill in my heart isn’t as effective as a strategy as it was in my childhood. I’m not entirely selfish. To my chagrin, I have urges to do something good-adjacent, especially for the people I feel responsible for. Those feelings aren’t just a weakness. They need outlets.
Khan is alone. I can change that. And if I do it really well, I can set him down a better path.
To do it right, I need to do research and there’s only one collection of summoning records nearby. But that’s not the only reason I want to visit the Grand Hall. I need to have a chat with Dunwayne. No, with whoever’s going to be in charge. The school stayed out of the messiness with the city, but there’s no telling if that attitude would hold. I also want to explore a cooperation between my school and the Hall, as magic is not something that Cosmian focuses on. There needs to be a formal agreement by both parties to stay out of each other’s business. Otherwise, I’ll forever be worried they’re discriminating against the people of New Quest and they’ll live in terror of the day I decide to snatch the big rock out of the sky.
Technically, this is something one of my councils should be handling, but there will be no greater leverage than the threat of me unleashing violence and that leverage diminishes exponentially if I’m not there to unleash said violence. Yet, I can’t be too oppressive, as otherwise they’ll take it out on the city in my absence.
Somehow, I have to strike a perfect balance. Something I’ve failed at multiple times to-date. Really, it’s to the point that I’d rather Geneva just handle it but I doubt they’ll take kindly to the succubus. I also doubt the school full of academics won’t be able to guess my new human-looking aide is a succubus in disguise.
But first, there’s the matter of the city’s security. Shortly after breakfast, a runner shows up at the estate. The note he carries is written from my guard captain and, thankfully, carries good news. My sleepless night continues into the day, my first stop to check on my brave defenders.
A big smile stretches in front of my face as I see a large cat laying in front of the building, its limbs bound by thick rope. Its thick, bronze mane is singed at its edges and one of its eyes is swollen. The other one is bruised but a yellow iris opens enough to take me in as I walk by. Despite being so large one of its paws could cover my entire face, it looks rather pathetic.
A sorry end for an elemental named Vanity King but an amazing display of competence from the guards. It’s interesting that they’ve chosen to leave him alive. I’m sure they’re reluctant to kill an intelligent beast but they don’t have much choice; as a contracted elemental, King’s life is tied to Callan and there’s no way he survives his trial.
I’m further impressed to see that while many guards are injured, there doesn’t appear to be any fatal injuries among them. The air isn’t heavy enough for fatalities and a guard is happy to escort me to Shake’s office.
My guard captain is seated behind her desk, shirt off and eyes closed as Fox Ears wraps a bandage over her shoulder. Shake’s dark eyes partially open, a lazy smile curling her lips as she notices me.
“Were you worried about me?”
“Mm.” I drag my eyes away from her chest. “A little. Guess it wasn’t necessary.”
“The beast king was a worthy opponent. He will make a fine addition to the Sanctuary.”
“…you do understand that he’s connected to Callan? As in, he’ll die.”
“The star that shines for a night is still beautiful. There is much we can learn from him while he’s here. The city may not execute him immediately.”
“It’d be stupid to leave him around.” That’d be daring his followers to cause trouble.
“His death could be delayed for a spring. Long enough for the king to have descendants.”
Saints’ shining asses. She wants to breed him? Is a race of big cats immune to blades a good thing? What would a Templetee that dedicates themselves to that path look like?
“You’re not going to…force him or…” I leave the question open, unsure how to continue without drawing insulting conclusions.
Thankfully, she chuckles. “Men rarely take much convincing to mount a female.”
“Ah.” Can she treat a centuries-old realm traveler like that? I’m going to trust her. The Temple would never abuse a beast like Vanity King. “How did it go?”
“Good. The Grand Summoners were taken into custody. Their trials will make convicting Callan easier.”
“No problems containing them.”
“None. They are all strong specimen, but they have no training. In a direct contest, they are lacking.”
“Alright. Suppose there’s nothing for me to do here.” I’m proud, but at the same time I feel a little lost. I expected they would need me more, even if I hope they didn’t.
Shake grins. “You could always offer me a reward for a job done well.” The look in her eyes tells me exactly what kind of reward she wants. Fox Ears’ rapidly wagging tail is another sign.
The woes of running a city.