-------

As they returned to the Assembly, all coming up with various schemes and plans, Karna noticed a potential problem with what they’d just been told. However, she didn’t have time to ponder on the issue for very long before the issue was already solved. As soon as they returned to the Assembly, Marius approached her. “I was given this by one of the emperor’s guards after you were pulled away. They told me to deliver it as soon as you returned and suggest you view it at some private location.”

He had just handed her a small crystal-decorated disk that contained a recording of some kind. She quickly excused herself and found a private room. As the Assembly adjusted to the needs of the participants, such places were not hard to come by, and her room was tastefully filled with soft pillows. Unsurprisingly, as soon as she activated the disk, the image of the emperor was projected above the disk, dressed the exact same as moments before. In fact, judging by the surroundings, the emperor had likely made the recording only moments before summoning all the successor candidates, as the same shifting painting could be seen behind him.

“I’m assuming this recording reached you. Marius has always been a rather forthright and trustworthy person. And if not, then that just means you haven’t yet managed to impress him enough to earn his loyalty. Either way, not really my problem. There are a couple of things you need to be made aware of, and you can safely assume all of the candidates received similar messages. We both know you have another goal instead of taking my position, and even if you didn’t, the only reason you’d want my position is to stop someone less desirable from taking it. Much like your bid for that other position I imagine. Still, I can never be certain when it comes to you, so I’ll just say this just in case you want to become the emperor. The others might not have realized it, aside from your mother of course, but in order to qualify as the next emperor, you need to become a god. Normally there wouldn't be a rank requirement, especially since you don't lack in the power department even with your current rank, but you won't have anyone's true respect as the emperor if you're not also rank 13. That one is negotiable though, unlike the first requirement. There have been non-god puppet emperors before, but that won't work with The One being as active as He is at the moment. A non-god will not be able to handle the burden. I’m fairly confident that won’t be a problem for you though, right?” Despite the obstruction on his face, it wasn’t hard to tell the emperor was looking at her meaningfully. Since it was just a recording though, there was no point in responding. It was somewhat worrying that the emperor seemed to know her somehow, while she had little idea who he was. Still, of the reincarnators she’d met in the past, roughly half had been at least friendly, so the odds were not bad.

“That said, the fact that you’re stuck guarding the Assembly might make things a bit more difficult, so I’ll make a trade with you. I’ve already sent orders to have your team released from guard duty, and you should be free to go in a couple of days. You're free to come and go as you please, as I'm sure you'll find some benefits in the politics of the Assembly. You might even manage the two-thirds majority if you play your cards right, unlike the others. In exchange, I want you to not seek revenge against Kurnous' family, particularly Prince Tethrine. His wife will, unfortunately, pick a fight with you sooner or later, and I can't expect you to spare her, but the boy is relatively innocent, and I’m rather fond of him. Despite everything, he is my grandchild, and that does mean something to me, unlike most of the rest of the family. I’m fairly confident you’ll agree to this trade, since there didn’t seem to be any animosity between the two of you, aside from being in opposing camps. He should be smart enough to stay out of your way after the duel with his father, and if not…well, you will do what you have to.”

The emperor seemed to gaze at nothing for a moment, before gathering himself again. “It’s a real shame, but it seems our family has forgotten the meaning of the word. Once upon a time family was the most important thing to us. Not everyone has forgotten though. I wish things were different, but they’re not. Maybe once this mess is over…” The image of the emperor just disappeared after that.

It wasn't a bad deal for her. She had no plans to take any sort of revenge on Tethrine, as there wasn't all that much reason to. Sure, the prince had sought an opportunity to take her out, but that was to be expected in the prevailing political situation. She would’ve likely done the same in his position. And he hadn’t done something underhanded like go after her family. In fact, it seemed he hadn’t even mentioned their existence, aside from maybe reporting on her connection with Arjuna. Which reminded her, she still hadn’t found any sign of Tsumi. That worried her a bit. It was time to do something about that. She didn’t like it, but the Assembly happened to be the best place to find out where the old headmistress had disappeared to. She also had another plan to enact before they could leave.

Hoping that she had read things correctly, she sent a message to the same Norn that had made a hubbub during the Assembly about her being a Beast of the Apocalypse. As if having expected the message, the Norn appeared only minutes after receiving the message, entering the private room Karna was still occupying. "Princess Ynnead. A pleasure to meet you." The Norn had the voice of an old crone, but the appearance of an ageless-looking woman. Karna guessed the voice was mostly for effect.

“Skuld. I should’ve expected the Norn of What Shall Be to have known this was coming.” Karna was familiar with the Norns from her previous experiences. The Divine Planes always had exactly three, who always carried the same names despite the holder sometimes changing. Urðr, who represented the past, Verðandi, who represented the present, and Skuld, who represented the future. The three were the most powerful beings when it came to finding information in the Divine Planes. They weren’t just ordinary seers after all. “I’m pretty sure I sent the message to Verðandi though.”

"You did, however, I've been the one chosen to deal with matters pertaining to you, as it is mostly my judgement of what will be that guides our actions," Skuld explained with a crooked smile.

“I feel like I should point out that I’m highly uncomfortable with anyone being able to divine my future.” Beings like her, old reincarnators, were usually too difficult for Seers to divine, as they weren’t really bound by Fate, and even their smallest decisions could throw all the futures into disarray. The Norns were a bit of an exception, though only in a limited fashion.

"Believe me the feeling is mutual. Those like you are always a headache for us as well, and now our universe is filled with headaches. You are of course the worst among the lot. That said, at least we won't have to suffer that headache for very much longer. We've all gazed into the Urðarbrunnr, the Well of Fate, and found the one you seek. She really doesn’t want to be found though, and she’s constantly on the move.” The Norn explained.

“She’s being targeted.” Karna realized. “Pride?” That particular Sin rarely stooped so low as to use hostages. Yet it was the most obvious guess, no matter how unlikely it seemed.

“Your instinct is right in that Pride isn’t the one seeking her. I will not reveal who, but the culprit is aware that capturing her will be of limited use. However since it could be of some use at least, they’ve chosen to put the word out. The one you seek was quick to realize she was being targeted and slipped the net. She has been forced to take some extreme measures though. Currently, they've secreted themselves behind the enemy lines and are hiding in the Netherworld." The Norn revealed, with a knowing look on her face.

She wasn’t disappointed, as an expression of mixed anger and grief briefly flashed on Karna’s face before she managed to control herself. She wasn’t going to lose another one close to her to the Netherworld! “I thank you for the information.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m not telling you this to extract a favor from you. I’m doing it because I’ve seen what would happen if this person were to be lost to the Netherworld. I’m not eager to get firsthand experience with your less pleasant Names. The next favor will not be for free though. And yes, we know you will seek us out again.” The Norn was a little smug but knew not to go too far.

“Might as well tell me now.” Karna gestured for her to continue.

"Not now. You will not appreciate the information as much now. You will not agree to the trade. And I wouldn't want to give the impression that we're forcing you either. Have a good day princess." The Norn left just as quickly as she'd arrived, perhaps realizing she'd pushed her luck far enough.

------

“What can I do for you Princess Ynnead?” The Genasi man in front of her asked. Everyone’s treatment and regard for her had changed after the fight with Kurnous. Even in the Divine Planes, the number of people capable of killing a rank 13 True God were limited. Mostly those people were the pillars of support of various factions.

“Administratrix Zellrhys. I have a favor to ask.” Karna nodded to the man in a way that conveyed respect. The man was a representative of the organization in charge of the Emissaries. The organization had deep enough ties with the Host that it was often forgotten they were not part of the same organization.

The man nodded knowingly. That was the most common reason for anyone to seek him out. “I expected as much. I’m not averse to such favors if they are within reason. Emissaries must fit certain criteria and certain positions are already spoken for.” Those criteria were important enough that even the Royal House wouldn’t be able to circumvent them. It would be devastating if the wrong type of person was sent as an Emissary. The Emissaries were not all selfless and caring individuals, but they couldn’t be the type to abuse their position either. The reputation of the Divine Planes as a whole would suffer.

“I believe the criteria will not be a problem. The man I have in mind is just and fair-minded. He has also served the Host for some time with distinction, so you can request the Host’s evaluation of him as well. The position I have in mind is the one Prince Tethrine occupied not too long ago. I know a temporary replacement was sent when he was recalled, but the one I have in mind could be a more permanent replacement.” She was talking of Arjuna of course. If he was sent back as an Emissary, then he would be able to spend time with Duskclaw and their child.

The Genasi rubbed the wispy beard on his chin while considering the proposal. "It could be arranged. The position doesn't have too much competition as it is somewhat politically charged, especially now with Kurnous gone. So, it would actually be a bit of a relief if it was handled. However, we can’t do it right away. The replacement Emissary still has a few years on their contract’s minimum time, and we prefer not to change the position too often to ensure continuity, and to not appear flighty in our decisions.”

“That’s fine. It’s actually better if we can push this a couple of years." It would allow her to ensure Arjuna would be safe when he was sent to the Higher Plane. He'd be out of the direct line of fire even now, but many people had enough reach to strike at him even there. If she managed to solidify her own position and power in the minds of others a bit further, then there would be fewer people willing to go through the effort and risk her ire. Ideally, this would happen after the new emperor had taken their position, and for that, she had to get the slow wheels of the bureaucracy moving in the right direction as soon as possible. The important part was that Arjuna would be given the chance to reunite with Duskclaw, even if for a limited amount of time. “If you can manage this, I will owe you.” She promised.

------

“We were released from duty?” Valor asked as they all exited the Assembly.

“Yes. Direct orders from the emperor.” Karna replied.

“I assume that when you and the others disappeared, the matter of succession was brought up? And that’s why we were allowed to go?” Envy asked shrewdly.

“Correct on both," Karna confirmed again.

“We seem to be moving in a hurry.” Hope observed. They were flying towards one of the Host’s mustering stations. “And I can’t help but assume we’re going to a place where we might gather some help for some reason.”

“I found Tsumi.” She quickly reiterated what the Norn had told her.

“And you believe this Skuld?” Envy asked with a frown. “This smells like a trap.”

“I do. She was aware of my less than flattering Names and concerned about the reaction I would have to Tsumi’s death. She knows enough that even if this is a trap and we walk right into it, I have the power to return. And she would not survive my return. She would also not find her demise pleasant.” Karna practically growled.

“The Norns also survive off the reliability of their information.” Wisdom interjected. “They might argue and be wrong in matters of politics, but when they trade in information, which is the only reason they have any value in a place where many hate seers and Fateweavers, is that their information is reliable. If it were to come out that they’ve given out false information, especially for political reasons, all trust in them would be shattered and there are plenty of people who would happily kill them. So no, it’s unlikely that the information they’ve provided is false. It is, however, almost certainly incomplete.”

“She admitted to knowing who is hunting Tsumi, but wouldn't reveal that information," Karna added, agreeing with Wisdom. Unlike what she’d stated in the Assembly earlier, this particular seer seemed to understand the concept of self-fulfilling prophesy and had planted the seed of seeking further information from the Norns in her head on purpose. It was highly unlikely she’d have gone to them for any other reason otherwise. Now the idea had been planted, no matter how she felt about seeking further help being unlikely. Such manipulations by seers irked her in the worst way possible, and she’d quite happily hunt the Norn down if the information proved inaccurate. Which meant it was almost certainly accurate.

“I’m assuming we’re not going to just simply march into the Netherworld.” Silvanus, the Dragonborn assassin member of their group and Arjuna’s friend, asked. He had already learned to trust these people and was quite calm, unlike Lancelot and Helen, who seemed to be on the border of hyperventilating after they heard about going to the Netherworld.

“Kind of. We will be marching there, but I plan on making sure there will be nothing simple about it. I already sent the word out. We should see some reinforcements gathering at this place in the next couple of weeks while I’ll be creating some items to help us during the journey. It’s a shame my tower was destroyed. It would’ve been the perfect transportation for us.” She still hadn’t had an opportunity to remake the tower. It would be a project that would take years to complete as well, as she wanted to make improvements instead of just recreating it, so it was an open question when she would have the time.

“What kind of reinforcements?” Envy asked curiously. They hadn’t forged all that many strong alliances just yet.

“Well, I couldn’t help but notice Team Valor had also been given dispensation from guard duty at the Assembly. I can’t help but think this wasn’t by accident. The emperor is playing a game, but we shall humor him and play his game for now. That team should be hungry for some glory. In addition, we have my mother and any help she can gain from the Titans. We befriended a couple of very powerful Outsiders not long ago, and I think one of them might join us. I also may have goaded the leader of Mount Celestis to prove her convictions and earlier words by joining in at striking at a common enemy.” Karna listed.

“Lust? You asked Lust for help?!” Envy was not happy.

"Might as well use her as she tried to use me." Karna shrugged, and Envy quickly calmed down, suddenly realizing that they could turn this to their advantage. If she could get the other Sin alone in the Netherworld…well, they didn’t all need to return alive and Wrath likely wouldn’t oppose…

What Karna left unsaid was that she’d also approached House Draconis with an offer. In exchange for help with this matter, she’d owe them a sizeable favor as well. Not enough to be forced to do something she was vehemently opposed to, but enough to entice them. “In any case, assuming most of the people I’m expecting show up, we’ll have quite enough power for what I have planned.”

“Which is?” Valor wanted more specifics.

“Well, wouldn’t it be a nice little coup to regain some of the tomb worlds lost to the Scourge by the Host? And if we managed to wipe out one or two of the Netherworld’s Dynasties while at it, I’d say we would’ve done quite a bit to secure ourselves in the minds of the Divine Planes. Besides, we all need to turn our Sparks into true Divinities. Battle is the best catalyst to speed up that transition.”