Chapter 184: Chapter 184: Environment

May 9, 624

“Finally. Authority 6…”

I let out a long, comfortable breath. My eyes opened, having unconsciously let my eyelids fall at some point.

Even with my eyes open, the entirety of the Mind Palace was visible to me. Everything I saw with my eyes, every instant, was projected through the palace and stowed away on film. Every single detail was immediately available to me on request, coming to mind the moment I thought I might have needed it. It was awesome and terrifying all at once; everything I saw from this day on I would recall years from now in perfect clarity.

The benefits of my recent advancement went beyond eidetic memory; everything else improved too. Faster speed of thought; a multiplied Psyka pool; a Spark that eerily seemed almost capable of independent thought.

Now though, my enhanced memory was directly tied to greater integrity of mind, tied to the strength of my Aura.

Anarchy was something that had heavily tested not just my convictions and philosophies, but placed pressure on my sense of self. Falling into anarchy at Purple Sky back then was primarily because I lost my mind. I was overwhelmed. If only my mind had been harder, stronger, more cohesive, I would have been able to resist its malevolent chaos.

But now, my mind was my Mind Palace. The two were synonymous. The solidity of my Mind Palace, taking on the natural immalleability of Psykic formations, was also the strength of my mind, my Aura.

A pen appeared in my raised hand, a simple tube of Psyka at first, but increasingly present, physical. Details slowly manifested on its surface until it looked no different from a ballpoint pen from Earth.

Maxwell tilted his head.

“What’s that?”

“A writing utensil. How does it look?”

“Hmm…”

He scrutinized it. The pen… wasn’t. It was merely an image composed of Psyka, and had I not been the one projecting it, I wouldn’t have known it wasn’t real.

He looked at it for almost a minute, and it was only when he started to sweat that he stopped.

“A very thorough illusion. I almost couldn’t see through it.”

“But you could see through it.”

“You’re five decades too early to be tricking my mind, boy. Nevertheless, your Auric path is developing nicely. As expected. See it to its very end. It will be your greatest weapon.”

“Indeed.”

I nodded and climbed out of the tempering chair, the pen disappearing from my hand.

Now, my mind was bolstered by my Mind Palace. And what was the Mind Palace? It was the best visualization technique there was. Well, maybe not the best, but I didn’t know of anything else.

Either way, my illusions were now that much stronger. My imagination solidified as easily as I thought in the Mind Palace. I merely had to apply the Psykic images that appeared in the Palace to the projections I cast. Unknowingly, the Mind Palace proved incredibly synergistic with my Auric technique even beyond just solidifying it.

Even that wasn’t the greatest benefit though.

I closed my eyes again, looking through my Mind Palace and finding the Grand Library.

Within that little building in the center was my Spark. However, another kernel had appeared beside it, floating around the first Spark like a tiny satellite.

That kernel was my second Spark.

It was but a small fragment in its infancy, but that was precisely the goal. In order to get to Authority 7, I’d have to cultivate that Spark until it was just as powerful as the first. One Spark was strong; I couldn’t imagine two.

I opened my eyes once more to meet Maxwell’s frown. At least it wasn’t a scowl.

“Are you finished?”

“I’ll have to project through my sixth Dimension at some point, but yes.”

“Good. Behold, the next advancement formation.”

“Oh jeez.”

I took my Orb back in hand from where it was cradled, its milky white interior once full of all the developed Mind Palace formations. Now, it contained the next advancement formation.

It was about as complicated as I expected. The previous one had three clusters of four formations each. This next one had eight clusters of six formations each, tens of thousands of connections easily visible in the final product.

Thankfully, a quick glance told me that the “language” wasn’t all that different. In fact, it wasn’t much different from the first Spark I constructed structurally. There were some new things, mostly incorporations of the new 3D runes I had used this advancement, but there wasn’t anything ridiculously difficult. However, this next Spark would be composed differently. It’d be more efficient, faster, more powerful, paving the way for future advancements.

It seemed Maxwell incorporated all of that forethought into the Mind Palace formations as well. I could see remnants of it in this advancement formation.

“Here. You’ll need this as well.”

Along with the Orb, Maxwell handed me an Authority 7 White Crystal. I’d need it to use alongside my advancement formations to cultivate power. It was a rather large crystal too, easily the size of a basketball. It took some effort to hold it.

“That came from a behemoth. It’s rather expensive and contains a massive quantity of power as opposed to dense power, perfect for advancing. Keep it hidden.”

“Of course.”

“Also, I have a message for you. From your friend in a high place.”

He handed me a simultaneously ornate yet plain letter as I stowed the Orb and crystal away.

I opened it and scanned it. There was but a single line on it.

“Contact me when you get this. - Sawn”

“Alright then.”

“Enchanting work is a great way to make money. You should pursue it.”

“Did you work in that industry?”

“Of course. I’m the reason magic vehicles like Steeds and the Rails exist.”

“Oh.”

That must be why he’s so rich. I nodded, impressed.

“Well, I’ve been dabbling in it but since I’ve been stuck at another base for so long I haven’t been able to study enchanting much. The workstation Sawn gave me has been out of reach.”

“Then make sure to keep it on you when you go back, and start working with it as soon as possible. Money will start becoming more important to you as you grow. I won’t be handing you gear forever. At some point you’ll need to fend for yourself.”

“I know, I know. Baby bird can’t stay in the nest forever.”

“You’re too fat to be a baby bird.”

“Am not!”

I cried out in mock offense, Maxwell rolling his eyes and walking behind his desk.

“See yourself out. I forgot how tiring you can be. I need my rest if I’m going to explain the basics of this next advancement to you tomorrow.”

“Sure, sure. Can’t hold up the old man when he needs his nap time.”

“Old but not dull, boy. Don’t forget who made those advancement formations you struggle to comprehend.”

“Hoho.”

I chucked as I left, admitting my temporary defeat. It was hard to come up with a counter to that.

After walking through the Polaris Headquarters a bit, I suddenly had a thought and made my way to the central building. Using my pass, I found my way to Luna’s office.

She was slouched back on her chair when I got there, feet kicked up on the desk and half dozed off. I could see a bit of drool on her chin, making me laugh.

“Pulling overtime, huh?”

“Huh?! John!”

She snapped to attention, wiping her chin and straightening her clothes while adjusting in her chair.

“You sure know how to catch someone at their most indecent time.”

“Nonsense. You’re still positively glowing, even while half asleep.”

“Haah, I don’t have the energy to even be shameful.”

“That busy, huh?”

I took a seat in a nearby chair, Luna slumping a bit.

“Indeed. Your reports aren’t the only thing setting off alarms around here. The Templars have been having challenges of their own in recent months. The Scourge is increasing the pressure.”

“Is it really that bad? I had some hope that my issues were small compared to the bigger picture…”

“They may just be, but those small movements can also reflect the bigger picture. Either way, I’m not enjoying the paperwork. The Kingdom has been all over us for more of our enchantments and gear. I may be getting rich because of it, but that doesn’t mean I’m not up for days straight.”

“Ah, the woes of the wealthy.”

“Rich may I be, woes they still be. Enough about me. Tell me, military man. What are your predictions for the next year or so?”

She leaned forward, smiling at me with her bright blue eyes. A certain incalculable depth drew me in, the densely swirling Mana offering but a glimpse into the extent of her power.

I leaned back and waved.

“It sounds like you’ve already read my reports. The Scourge is mobilizing its weapons of war, and if the Kingdom doesn’t respond appropriately, they’ll be overrun. I’m sincerely hoping I don’t get swept away with everyone else when that time comes.”

“You don’t think the Kingdom can respond appropriately?”

“I think they can. But will they realize how dire the situation is? I’m not sure. I think they’ll try, and I have a feeling they’ll fall short. Then again, I’m not a huge fan of anybody associated with the Kingdom, so it could just be my bias or inexperience. I don’t know the Kingdom’s true depths. Maybe they have a Dragon stowed away somewhere they can bust out when they get in real trouble.”

“Well…”

Her grin took on a mischievous quality. My face fell.

“I need to stop hypothesizing.”

“Hahaha! I’m not sure where you get such ideas, but you really do sound like you know a thing or two about the Royal Family.”

“I thought these things were nothing but fairy tales.”

“I suppose all tales are founded in reality, hm?”

I shared a chuckle with her. If only she had any idea. These kinds of things were fantasies on Earth. I should’ve known better, but such fantasies were the reality here. I really had to stop making guesses.

Now I knew that whatever it was, the Kingdom had some powerful weapons hiding in reserve, almost definitely draconic in nature.

Well, at least the Kingdom wasn’t as weak as I had been thinking they were. Still, they wouldn’t bring those weapons out until shit really hit the fan, and by then, who knew how bad of a situation I would be in? I couldn’t let myself get killed in the meantime. I still had things to do.

After thinking for a second I saw Luna take a glance at the small stack of papers to her side. I took that as the cue, standing from my chair.

“Well Miss Luna, it was great talking to you. I’ll get out of your hair.”

“Oh, nonsense. I don’t get much company, so I appreciate your visits. You should bring Umara next time.”

“I wanted to, but she couldn’t get her leave approved. Believe me, I wanted her here too.”

“Hehe, I’m sure you did. Nevertheless, I thank you for the visit, and congratulations on your advancement! I look forward to your next ones.”

“As do I. Thanks.”

The two of us exchanged a quick hug, a bit of surprise going through my mind when she stepped out from behind her desk to offer one. She only hugged Umara last time.

After that goodbye, I left the Polaris headquarters to the bustling market under the darkened sky.

My advancement had taken quite a bit of time, but despite everything I had done, I was feeling positively rejuvenated.

I decided to go make another visit, perhaps check in on an acquaintance.

I made my way into the Founder’s Market, passing by Chef Black on the way in. The man handed me two kebabs. A great honor.

I chewed on those while passing through familiar streets to the Tavera Family. Once at their headquarters I noticed how relaxed the security was compared to the last time I came. With their position having solidified as the de-facto rulers of the Founder’s Market, I was sure there was little to worry about. They didn’t have to be so uptight.

Soon enough, I was in the presence of the Tavera Patriarch. However, it seemed that in the time I was gone, the transition to the new Patriarch had concluded. The one I found in that head seat wasn’t the old man I knew.

It was his grandson, Emmerich, the one who had eaten that Authority 11 heart for a Crown. I could sense the pounding vitality within his knightly body, his Aura reflecting the sheer power of life within each heartbeat.

“Ah, Mr. Cooper. It’s been some time.”

“Indeed, Patriarch. Congratulations on the succession.”

“You have my thanks. Please, take a seat. My grandfather isn’t here at the moment, but that’s no reason we can’t have a drink.”

Emmerich said that while grabbing a nearby glass and two cups. He poured two drinks, handing one to me. We clinked our glasses before taking sips.

It certainly tasted like alcohol. I hadn’t drunk any in so long that it almost felt foreign. Cigars were my self-medication of choice.

“It seems you’ve been doing well in the military. Have you found your niche?”

“I think I have. Field intelligence. An intelligence agent who can fight seems to be favored by many.”

“Indeed. I’ve encountered extremely few summoners who are even willing to take a step beyond their base, let alone venture out onto the battlefield. And those who can fight are even rarer, almost nonexistent.”

“I’m surprised you’ve seen any. I have yet to come across one besides myself.”

I thought back to my time at Stronghold Charlie and the Treehouse. Summoners were exclusively intelligence agents because, normally, the enemies that were fought in those places were few in number but high in strength. It was the worst place for a summoner to fight, if there was one there to begin with.

I always knew I was the exception, but I wondered when I would come across a summoner who actually had the balls to step out into a battle. It would be rather refreshing to see, and I was honestly shocked that Emmerich had seen any.

He shrugged.

“There are always the exceptions, those that stick out from the rest. Even then, those summoners were…”

“A liability?”

“I was going to say accommodated, but putting it bluntly, yes. They had no real presence on the battlefield even if they were a surprise to see. They often required protection. I will admit that they had guts, but that didn’t make them any better of a fighter, just more respectable as people.”

“Yeah, I can understand that. As much as I want to see summoners stepping up, if it’s just going to cause problems, I’d rather see them stay behind the desk. At least that way they provide some value.”

“You speak rather harshly about them considering you’re one yourself.”

“That’s exactly the reason I do. Then again, I don’t often think about it. I hardly consider myself a typical summoner, and those around me often forget that I am when we’re out in the field. I just do my job and do it well. That’s all there is to it.”

I shrugged, leaning my cheek on my fist. I certainly wasn’t grouped in with all those normal summoners. I wasn’t exclusively an intelligence agent even if that’s the only work I’ve been doing in the past half year.

The ones who mattered knew that I could fight, and the ones that didn’t matter weren’t relevant to me anyway. All I needed to do was do the job that I was given well.

Of course, I’d be making sure I got some fighting in when I got back to base. I needed to exercise some of my new guns. I was tired of drawing up reports day in and day out.

I looked over at Emmerich, noticing how he glanced at his aerial a couple times. I wondered if I should excuse myself, but then he spoke.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve called one of your friends.”

“Friends?”

“Aria.”

“Aria… Oh.”

I suddenly realized.

The girl who I had saved after raiding a trafficking warehouse. She had tried to pledge her fealty to me right before I left for the military. I didn’t know what that entailed formally but it was definitely a big deal and I had turned her down since I was leaving.

Soon I heard a knock on the door. It sounded slightly hasty, a mere symptom of the veritable mess of anxiety on the other side.

“Come in.”

Emmerich spoke, Aria entering the room.

Her eyes fell on me as I gave her a one over. A brunette girl in a black coat similar to my own. I couldn’t help but think she was trying to mirror me, but the massive axe on her back made her stand out in her own unique way.

The Bloodsworn, she had called it. It was definitely a quality enchanted weapon, since it had apparently been the heirloom of her family. If Umara was right about her being a noble as well, then it was a fallen noble family, and that axe held immense value. To think she had tried to pledge herself to me with that axe as the offering when we had only met once. It was beyond me.

“Sir Cooper, it’s good to see you well.”

She stiffly bowed toward me. I returned a wave.

“Hello, Aria. I see you’ve been doing well with the Tavera Family. I’m glad that the arrangement worked out.”

“Yes, they’ve provided me with good work. I greatly appreciate your recommendation.”

“Aria has been working with some of our Saber squads on their quest to clear out any remaining remnants of our rival groups and unsavory gangs within the market.” Emmerich spoke, “It has become a much cleaner space since you left.”

“That’s good.”

“And yet we are still far from eradicating all the filth here.”

Aria muttered, and that’s when I noticed her Authority 7 Aura. Her convictions still made themselves solidly known, seemingly towering above even her Aural presence, and her strength was growing accordingly. I was glad that she was able to carve out a place for herself and fight for something good with the Taveras.

To that end, I thought about the shadowy relations between the Taveras, the Polaris, and the Church. If my conjectures were right then the Church was at the head of it all, effectively controlling the entire black market.

I didn’t know what the Kingdom thought about all that, or if they even knew. There was no way the Kingdom didn’t see an issue with another entity controlling such an important piece of their economy and territory, even if they didn’t realize it was the Church.

Honestly, I felt weird being privy to such secrets, even if some of them were only educated conjectures.

After holding the conversation a bit longer I stood from my chair, feeling a bit of fatigue wash over me. The advancement may have filled me with energy but it seemed like it was starting to settle. Forming my Mind Palace wasn’t exactly an easy venture.

“I should go. A recent advancement has finally started to take its toll.”

“I noticed. You have my congratulations. How should I address you, now that you’ve been in the military for some time?”

“Well I’m just a Major at the moment, if you want a proper title.”

“A Major after a mere year? I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a thing.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“I’ve made some good friends.”

“Apparently. Well, good luck in your military endeavors, Major Cooper. I look forward to the day you become a Colonel. Perhaps a General?”

“We’ll see if I even want to fight those battles.”

I chuckled a bit, shaking Emmerich’s hand before glancing at Aria.

Her anxiousness spiked again as she asked me a question.

“Uh, M-Major Cooper? If I may ask, that proposal I gave you back then before you left… I was wondering if you perhaps knew when I could make true on it?”

“Well… That’s a difficult answer to give.”

I rubbed my chin. I was surprised she still wanted to pledge her fealty. I still wasn’t sure about it since it really was just a foreign concept to me. I didn’t want to take responsibility for something I knew nothing about, not to mention the fact that it wasn’t like I would be here to interact with her.

“I’m still in the military, Aria, and I won’t be leaving for some time. That makes your proposition difficult to fulfill.”

“Yes… it does. I understand you’re under contract for the next 11 years? Will it really take that long?”

“Oh Lord, I can’t imagine what things are going to be like in 11 years. If the Kingdom still stands and I’m still alive by then, I suppose fulfilling your proposition will be more than easy.”

“What do you mean, if the Kingdom still stands?”

“The Scourge is starting to make substantial movements that won’t end with mere skirmishes. We’ve already lost Purple Sky and, from the projections, it won't be long until we lose another base, even without facing an icon of Hell. They have unfathomable engines of war and I’m only becoming more pessimistic as time goes on. Don’t be surprised if you start hearing bad news within the next year.”

Aria frowned at my words, thinking for a moment before giving a suggestion.

“Should I join the military as well?”

“That’s entirely up to you, but the unity of the human race is just as important as our fight against the Scourge. If we fall from within, then it won’t matter what the Scourge is doing. Your work here is good and valuable, and no matter what, you’re getting stronger. That’s most important, because only then can we actually make a difference. You just have to decide which environment is best to do that in.”

“I understand…”

She nodded. Emmerich silently nodded as well, expressing his approval.

I still maintained that strength was everything in this situation. There was little else that could trump that.

With that, I decided to say my goodbyes.

I left the Tavera Family headquarters and sent Sawn a message as I made my way back to the Hotel. After passing by the Key Master, I got a response.

He wanted to meet me. Not in his usual van, but in his office.

His office within the Magic Spire, the most prestigious magical development complex in the Kingdom.