NOVEL NEXT Chapter 39 - Exclamation point
Gio had spent the last day and a half in a fugue state, locked in an embittered battle with Rio.
I should have been a little more gentle on Professor A today… He’s just looking out for me. I don’t want to talk about taking a commission until I absolutely have to, though. I hope he understands.
Rather than their usual volleying of projectiles, they sat. They were locked in a competition to see who could produce the largest sheet of mirror with [Reflective Shard].
“This one is… about as big as our torso. I think I could… well, I think I’m just gonna try it out.”
Gio activated [Mirror Jaunt], bending down into the mirror as if trying to fit through a hole in the ground. He got his head and shoulders into the mirror, but couldn’t manage to squeeze in much further.
“Nope. Still needs a bit of work before this particular contingency plan works out.” Gio said.
He looked over to Rio, who was similarly struggling with his piece of mirror.
I really wish I knew what you were thinking… It’s too bad that we can’t talk.
Rio and Gio locked eyes as soon as the thought came to Gio’s mind.
Gio raised a hand to cast an experimental spell. A question mark appeared, floating above his hand thanks to [Prismatic Shape]
Rio raised an exclamation point.
“Oh. I think I know what my next project is going to be. You’re gonna be my new study partner.” Gio said. Rio smiled.
_____
Alexander Anaximenes
Alexander briskly walked through the portal, approaching Baphelus directly.
“What did you tell him? I thought you said that I was to handle the vultures, as you so elegantly put it. You told him about the copy clause and the domain, yes?” Alexander demanded.
“About the commissions? Nothing.” Baphelus responded, taking Alexander’s hostile tone in stride.
“I doubt that, Saint Baphelus. He told me today that he wasn’t interested in interviewing with the Ring Guard recruiters while they’re posted at the Great Hall. He seems to have some false hope that he’s still going to manage to make a domain spell in less than three months. Whatever you told him has gone straight to his head.” Alexander accused.
“As a point in fact- I told him that several of his ideas weren’t going to work. The only additional detail I gave was that I hoped he was going to make a plan for whatever it is that he was going to do.”
“What? What does that even mean, make a plan?”
“Well… I have several thoughts on how I might solve this problem If I were him. I just cannot suggest any of those plans to him as a faculty member. Whatever he does, So long as he’s being somewhat safe about it… I have high hopes.” Baphelus calmly responded.
“What, like steal a domain? Baphelus, you can’t be serious.”
“Who’s to say? There are a hundred ways to approach every issue… this is really no different. He could break into the scriptorium and defeat a guardian, or he could go traipsing through the highways to find a nexus. He could steal a domain… Or, yes, he could have one handed to him by any number of organizations. Perhaps if the Ring Guard knew that their deal wasn’t strictly the best deal in town… they’d sweeten the pot a little. Truly, I have no idea what he will end up doing.”
“Baphelus… if you’re alluding to what I think you are… that’s treasonous,” Alexander warned.
Baphelus burst into teal flames. His mortal flesh crackled away into black, glassy fragments, scattering all over the floor. Revealed under his human mask, was a flaming skull inscribed with thousands of small, glowing symbols. A beating heart of stone thrummed with power inside his empty ribcage. An aura of death and majesty pulsed out from the lich,
“Alexander. I feel the sudden need to remind you that I am no ally of the little king, or the pathetic monopoly his sniveling family and their sycophants hold over the magic of the ringed city. There is precious little that eludes me within my domain. I see all of the rats that crawl around in my walls… even the pink ones. Eudoria and I are pact-bound to allow the children a certain amount of leeway… But every so often I am forced to remind them that there are other forces at play in the Crystal Ring. I have seen many kingdoms rise and fall during my long life. I am already so… bound in what I may do to aid the students of this school… I shall not let politics further erode the little that I can.” Baphelus finished, in a cold tone.
“I… understand. I am just worried. You know as well as I that all of the options that you just presented come with their prices. I’d rather he just takes a commission.” Professor A stated.
Baphelus allowed the flames to fade, as his fleshy form knit itself together slowly. The moment the ragged flesh of his esophagus repaired itself, Baphelus took a drink of tea. Alexander cringed slightly at the sight of the tea traveling through the semi-translucent form of the lich.
“Your concern is noted. I have my own hopes as to what the boy will end up doing. I am so excited to see how he grows in the future… but we need to be patient, and allow him to succeed or fail of his own accord- at least enough so that the system recognizes it. Give him time."