Chapter 51: Arlcada Branch Archives

Subject: Inis Location: Arlcada - Blightbane Guild

“That isn’t the problem, miss,” the Guild clerk clarified.

His pleading tone begged for Inis to understand why her request was being refused. She wished he would understand that he was just getting in her way.

“Then what is? I thought this city’s Guild was wealthy enough to possess the means to-”

She was getting tremendously frustrated now. Inis already knew to factor in incompetence when it came to dealing with the Blightbane Guild. She was used to underfunded chaos, greedy employees, aggressive seekers, and everything else.

However, this headquarters was in a major city. The city’s size from wall to wall and its grip over the surrounding area was comparable to that of one of Shroud’s “Facet cities”. Those six “lesser capitals” were similarly lavish. The structure was a sprawling, heavily decorated display of abundant wealth.

This was a sickening perversion of the supposed Blightbane mission, but Inis could have looked past all that, she could have, if she hadn’t been stalled here.

“The Guild distributes guides and other texts to partnered stores for the public to purchase. It sounds like you can read, so you will find a wealth of information contained within in easy-to-understand language, if-”

“I don’t want the same shallow summaries you spoon feed to Initiate Seekers whose key focus is on staying alive. I am building a unified collection of knowledge acquired on the Blight to understand our supposed common enemy. I’ll generously compensate you for assisting me.”

Even though it was more than she usually spent in a month, Inis unfastened the clasp on the pouch and poured out the coins onto the counter to show the man that it was indeed money, and a pile of shiny medows, at that. The Guild couldn’t pay a mere clerk that well, right?

Even upon seeing her commitment, or perhaps more so after witnessing this display, the increasingly nervous Guild employee held up his hands. He refused to touch the coins, even when she slid them closer.

“That isn’t how it works. If you wish to make a donation, we greatly appreciate it. I cannot accept donations myself, but my supervisor could show you to someone who will help you with the process. We really would appreciate it.”

As much as she wished it was, this wasn’t code for “they can get you what you need.” Inis really would have felt differently if the man was acting sly, unwilling to accept a bribe in public, and directing her to someone who would let her “donate” in exchange for what she came for.

She was beginning to understand what he was getting at. They weren’t willing to share all they knew with her on principle. Even though he wasn’t saying it explicitly, this clerk’s words implied a greater trove of knowledge was secreted away somewhere within the building. Perhaps, down that hallway behind the desk.

Guild Branches almost always had restricted areas guarded by Security Division Defenders. They weren’t as dense as Enforcers, but they would summon the authorities if she made too much of a scene.

Why was I so stupid? Knowledge is power. I should have known that there would be reason to restrict access to it, reason to hoard it.

This realization only made Inis more frustrated. She needed to know what was being kept from her so much her hands shook with eagerness. She wanted to scream, and she almost didn’t even care if it caught the attention of the authorities.

A stray conversation seized her attention before she could do anything regrettable.

“I swear to you~, we saw the strangest magic being used by an Initiate back there. Novel magic. The human molded metal into a bird before our very eyes!”

A seeker was practically yelling to her companions at a table behind Inis.

New magic? Used by an Initiate mage, at that?

Inis turned away from the desk and the stubborn clerk, trying to hear more. She was hesitant to believe rumors from the lips of strangers in a palace like this, but her curiosity was as stubborn as that annoying clerk.

“Summoning magic? I doubt it. That was-” the seeker talking to the cartemi began, giving voice to Inis’s own inner cynicism.

Such a mage shouldn’t be an Initiate. Or, they wouldn’t remain one for long. Perhaps the cartemi had encountered the person when they had just joined the Guild. All seekers started as Initiates, after all.

“Exactly! I’d think I was crazy, too, if it hadn’t been in the middle of one of those initiation rituals with dozens of witnesses. And that isn’t all~. We saw another spell we’d never seen before just before leaving...”

“Some kind of sustained vitality spell,” her human companion seconded. “I saw it too, but it’s hard to describe. It started from a glowing metal seed that appeared in his hand out of nowhere. The spell was… colorful. In the dark, at least.”

“The dark?” asked their skeptical companion.

“Glowing green vines wrapped his body like a Botan in the Lifetangle binds a careless seeker, but they didn’t look painful.”

“They were yellow too! Green and yellow. Your eyes are so bad~. I agree they looked like plants, though. Not real ones, you could basically see through them if you squinted.”

“And who was the one calling that thing a bird?!”

“You know what I meant! It had wings. It flew. As if you could name it.”

The cartemi looked a little embarrassed.

“Anyway, we passed him on our way through to the body of a nothing font. That place couldn’t kill a half-decent full-drunk seeker. Lately, there’s been little more than blade-fodder spawning in that place.”

The man shook his head in disappointment.

“He looked a little unconfident at the Initiation, but when we last saw him, he didn’t look scared at all. Must have been getting used to fighting blightbeasts after never seeing on in his life. The metal summon was there too, but it killed a group of carapasers so fast I couldn’t get a good look at it, especially in the dark.”

“I saw it!” the cartemi interrupted. “But yeah, it poofed as soon as we got there.”

“Honestly, though, I sort of expected more from that guy. His magic was flashy, so I wanted him to upend the whole Guild or something. It was a little disappointing for him to drag his feet through simple contracts. Not that the Guild would have liked him breaking their contract difficulty restrictions.”

The cartemi took this opportunity to swipe control of the conversation again, excitedly brushing her claws across the table.

“That’s why we came here to join you, brother. That city is too tame and boring~. The pay was fine, but a seeker needs more to keep them warm than cold coins.”

“I’m not saying I disagree with you, but we kind of need those ‘cold coins’ to equip ourselves, you know.”

Their “brother” leaned back in his chair, wearing a grim expression.

“These aren’t the festerfonts you’re used to. If that place is as safe as you say, you can’t come expecting the same here. Seekers are dying left and right, and we will join them on the endless lavender shores of the final festerfont if your skills are rusty.”

The cartemi pouted, ears dipping low ever-so-slightly as she crossed her arms and leaned back. The human, on the other hand, made a fist and pressed it resolutely to his chest.

“It was easy for us, but that’s because we’re Champions through and through! We left so we wouldn’t get rusty.”

The local seeker seemed to take the man’s word as the truth.

“Metal monsters… You hear something new every day,” he muttered loudly. “I wish I could have seen it myself.”

“You probably will eventually~.”

Whatever the two of them had seen, it might have been more than a story to season their reunion meal. For a moment, Inis actually considered that they might be telling the truth.

Stop, the realist in her cautioned. There are better explanations, even if they think they are telling the truth. Novel spells are one thing, but a metal-fleshed summon? It’s an exaggeration at best.

Even so, as she hastily scooped up her coin and paced out of the Guild Hall, she found herself wishing that the story was true. New spells were interesting, especially those that broke the mold of established spellcraft.

I need to focus on what I’m going to do to get around this pesky roadblock.

Inis already knew what she was going to do. She wouldn’t give up because she was tenacious to the end. When she returned, she’d have thought up a plan to get what she needed.

Subject: Inis Location: Arlcada - Commerce District (Lower Level)

This should be the place.

Inis pushed open the smooth metal doors and found herself in a mess of a room. Containers, catalysts, and other meta-magical materials splayed about haphazardly. Some items were placed sporadically on uneven store shelves, while others occupied overstock bookcases. A small number of valuable items were contained in display cases secured with magic locks.

That’s a strong locking spell, Inis silently observed. Wonder if the one who manages this place is responsible. They’ve certainly got a diverse selection.

For all of Inis’s efforts to be more orderly and disciplined, this was a flavor of chaos she could appreciate.

The owner probably knows where everything is, and that’s all that matters.

She walked over to the counter, which was nestled in the near corner, left of the door. A woman wearing a stained cloth robe sat behind it, reading a large book with a blank turquoise cover.

The robe’s base color was pale green, but the stains weren’t intentional. Something, maybe ink or another mixture, had left noticeable blotches that would definitely not wash out. Whether she was too poor to wear something else, or she simply didn’t care, it was impossible to tell.

“I’m looking for some books,” Inis began.

After confirming the shopkeeper was listening, Inis listed off the titles of the books she believed would help her with her “backup plan” to get the information she needed from the Guild’s archives.

“These are rare pieces. You’re lucky I have them all in stock, but I’m sorry to say I won’t part with those last two. The rest are going to cost you, but you wouldn’t be asking if you couldn’t pay, right?”

“I need all of them, and I assure you I can pay. Are they not for sale?”

“They’re for sale, but not to just anyone. I respect them too much to pass them along to someone who’s just going to kill themselves with a miscast. I suppose you know why spell theory like that is so valuable, but you underestimate the price of casting spells like those. I’d only be left feeling guilty and out of a precious item.”

“I insist. I’m more than capable of handling the spells in those books. I don’t cast spells before I know I can handle them.”

The woman squinted at Inis, sizing her up while stroking the cover of her book. She traced bizarre patterns in the leather with somewhat disturbing precision.

The light touch left no impression, but the patterns seemed to relate to what a mage sees while casting a complicated spell. A very complicated spell.

After scouring the streets of Commerce District’s Upper Level, Inis learned that the magic shops there were more concerned with tailoring their inventories to businesses or bored, wealthy clients than serving most practicing mages. Companies issued bulk orders of a limited variety, while the wealthy sought amusement from novelty magitech gadgets barely worth their cost in parts.

Inis could have bought many of the things on her list already, but she didn’t want to travel with a laden pack while searching for the few crucial items that seemed to be only found here.

“I suppose I’ll have to think about it if you’re seeking something else from me. Would that happen to be the case?”

“It just so happens I am. I need respite and clarity shards. I also need paper and your best pen. Oh, just to be clear, I’ll be needing your highest quality paper. The crude stuff you find most places just won’t cut it.”

The stubborn woman giggled.

“One topic at a time, my dear customer. How many shards?”

“All of them,” Inis insisted.

The shopkeeper’s lips curled upward in a sly smile. She finally put down her book but crossed her arms.

“Say I consider selling you what you want. What will you do? Just between us, of course. One of those books does possess the means to add fairly advanced lockbreaking spells to a mage’s arsenal.”

“The same base spells allow you to secure a container or location with just such a magical lock. I’ll obey the laws of Shroud and local laws,” Inis lied.

“I knew you weren’t a local. You’re too intriguing to have lived in this city and never crossed paths with me before.”

“I will study those books until I think I’m ready. When it comes to the first cast, I’ll do it beyond the wall. I’m curious, but I’m also disciplined.”

“We mages walk the boundary between curiosity and ruin with every cast, but you seem to acknowledge that with your tone. You’ve convinced me with your words, but now I need you to convince me in another way.”

The woman stood up, rising a full head taller than Inis. Inis was barely less than the average height for a human woman, making the shopkeeper taller than the average. Not that it mattered.

Confused and surprised by such an arbitrary thing as a height difference, Inis stood there. Deep purple seeped into the shopkeeper’s eyes, dripping down her cheeks like tears.

The wandering mage had never seen this cast pattern before, so she tensed up.

“Relax, it’s a harmless virasense augmentation spell. By filtering out the noise, it lets me see… a brilliant light coursing through your vessel. I… you-. Your capacity is remarkable! At such a young age, you’re practically nipping at my heels.”

The shopkeeper was panting by the time she was finished. This reaction wasn’t from the drain of the spell but from whatever it had enabled her to see. Inis was taken aback too.

“The name’s Geretta Lowee. I owe most of what I am or will be to the Lowee family line. Magic runs in our family, and we draw it out from a young age. Is that how it is with you?”

“No, it’s-, I-” Inis stammered.

Telling a lie about her family to the average stranger was nothing, but this woman was in the craft herself. She was more of a comrade to Inis than any seeker could be, despite how little each knew about the other. In essence, Inis was reluctant to tell too great of a lie.

Besides, what was that about my capacity? I do feel somewhat “off”, but I fully expect to spend a great deal of time mastering the necessary spells to enact my plan.

“Forget the question. You’ve earned my trust, and with that, the right to purchase the books. Spell theory is interesting stuff, but it’ll probably take you years to work your way through those dense tomes.”

I have my focus recitations to keep me company. I’m not going to let a temporary cognitive deficiency set me back.

“Stay here while I procure what you’ve asked for. It’s a lot. Have you already hired transport?”

“No, but I’ve rented a cart, so it will be no problem.”

“If you say so…”

The transaction resumed as it should have from the start, with Geretta producing the items and Inis readying payment. For this purchase, she reached deep into the lining of her coat where she’d stashed her shiny alde coins.

These outrageously valuable metal rectangles were her emergency savings. It was worth parting with it. While she prepared, making her way through mastering spell after spell, she’d have all the time in the world to save up again.

The shopkeeper finally returned after multiple trips gathering what Inis had asked for and placing it in the small hand-cart outside. There was one more inquiry to make before handing over the payment.

“I don’t suppose you’re affiliated with the Guild?”

Geretta launched into a mild tirade, venting her feelings about the Guild.

“It just so happens I am. Those greedy fools try to recruit me every so often too, but I always turn them down. Still, I do benefit from their ‘safety in numbers’ pitch and all that. Oh, wait, are you asking because you...”

The shopkeeper’s face went blank. And just like that, Inis felt her standing this stranger drop.

“Yeah, I’m an Ardent, actually. Part-time work and all.”

“Oh, I’m sorry for insulting your profession, even if it’s only a part-time profession. Seekers do a lot for-”

“You can stop. You and I have the same attitude towards their lot. Even if we didn’t, I’m not put off by insults. I’m making a purchase, not looking for kindness.”

“With pragmatism like that, it’s even more reason to wish for a pleasant relationship. You’re special. I can tell. No need to show me the badge, you’ll have your discount. I’ll even apply it to the books, which wouldn’t normally be covered. What’s your name?”

The books were the most expensive items. Otherwise, she could have paid in medows if she so desired.

“I’m Inis. I won’t be back, but it has nothing to do with you.”

“Happy to meet you, Inis. You’re free to do as you please, but come back if you ever need help with anything. Wait. Inistra… a seeker… Wasn’t there a talented person by that-”

Inis left the shop and picked up the handle of the small wooden cart, wishing she could have brought her wagon into the city. She’d make it, but the journey would make her sore the next day.

The magitech may be finicky with the wagon, and it may require expensive maintenance from time to time, but at least it did somewhat what she wanted it to. A living body, even Inis’s, was more prone to error and disobedience. Inis didn’t want to have to deal with the unsavory work of beast taming as a part of her fake profession.

Machines and magic. The world really was changing. Even the tall spires of this, the first template city in existence, felt unreal like it didn’t match up with what civilization was capable of. But that was the nature of magic. It was borrowed power, not ownership.

Wait, didn’t I hear something about a mage summoning machines? If only that were true… The things I could do with machines obeying my every command. I wouldn’t have to rely on any troublesome people.

Inis had been to other template cities before in her travels. This one, the oldest, was small. It was more like a city had grown on top of a city. Newly-constructed buildings, with their wood and stone, couldn’t compare to the template.

It was like the difference between a machine, magic, and what a person could produce with the simple tools in their own two hands. Each had its tradeoffs in the current world, but things were changing. Currently, machines were like Inis’s wagon, expensive and reliant upon magic.

But if one could perfect a machine with magic, wouldn’t that make what simple people could produce obsolete? Or, would people be able to adapt to this changing world in time to stay relevant?

Maybe autonomous metal servants would become commonplace in the capital sometime in the future. But even if that were to happen, Inis could never go there herself.