141 – Counsel
“A portal into the heavens,” Rafael said, drawing the words out.
“That’s what it looked and felt like, at least.”
“Yet you sound unsure about what you saw.”
“Because I am.”
“I would have thought the magical intuition of the Sorceress a reliable thing.”
“Magical intuition doesn’t extend to the divine.” Vivi hesitated. That wasn’t wholly true. “Not as reliably,” she amended.
Rafael threw one leg over the other and regarded her with faint amusement. “From what you’ve told me, the eminent source of divine matters also agrees with your ‘mostly reliable’ intuition.” He fixed her with a pointed stare. “So where is the doubt actually coming from?”
She pressed her lips together, saying nothing for a moment. “Augustine would call anything a miracle. That’s who he is.”
“Then I presume you have another explanation?”
“Yes and no,” she said with a defensive edge. “We don’t even know what divine energy is, fundamentally. Magical phenomena can manifest in wildly unique ways. Nothing says an influx of holy power couldn’t produce a spectacle aligned to what people expected to happen—meaning, a heavenly intervention. I would almost say it’s predictable that the mana would materialize in that way, given its nature.”
“And if the holy pantheon descended to greet you by name, would you have called them illusions too? Merely formed by rampant heavenly energy?”
Exasperation rose in her at what she felt was an unfair question, but she faltered as she considered.
Would she have?
The truth was… yes, possibly. Using her current logic, even if one of those whispering figures had flown out of the portal to greet her, she could have chalked the experience up to an exotic manifestation of magic.
Rafael read the answer on her face, no matter how inexpressive she might be. He leaned back in his chair, plainly entertained. “The Archbishop will be pleased, since apparently no proof can suffice that the gods exist. His faith will always serve a purpose.”
“So you think it was real.”
Rafael’s smirk faded. “I didn’t say that, my lady. To be truthful, my thoughts are these: very little has changed in practice. And I am a man who concerns himself with the practical.”
Begrudgingly, she could see that viewpoint. “I wouldn’t say nothing has changed, though.”
“No?”
“We may have discovered another realm with immensely powerful beings inside it.” She tried to give him a significant look, but her face didn’t twitch. Sometimes her body’s impassivity could be counterproductive.
Rafael understood her point, fortunately. Not much flew past him. However, instead of addressing the gravity of the observation, his mirth from earlier returned. “Are you implying, my lady, that we need to worry about the heavens descending to terrorize the mortal world?”
“W-well. No. Of course not. But if the gods are real, and they can descend, then that has serious considerations, doesn’t it? We had a mad ritualist escape into the void the other day—one who clearly thinks there’s something inside that he can use. And one who was, prior to that project, very interested in exploiting the heavens. Which we just found out might exist in a tangible, and thus exploitable, way.”
Rafael considered her. “Yes, I drew that comparison myself. The miracle overwrote the other portal, too. Is there significance to that connection?”
“You tell me.” Maybe that was an unfair demand. Rafael could untangle labyrinthine political knots while blindfolded, but this problem fell pretty far outside his domain of specialty. “I’m not sure, myself. There might be.” She sighed. “The reason I’m so bothered is that I don’t know what to make of this. Any of it. It came out of nowhere.”
“I doubt the most powerful divine working in history could be described as ‘nothing.’ Though that is only this humble steward’s opinion.” The sarcasm came out absentminded; the demon’s eyes had drifted sideways as he visibly turned the puzzle over in his mind.
“Even if not for the Fell Apostate and how he’s interested in abusing divine energy somehow,” she urged, “that another otherworldly realm exists, filled with power that I don’t fully understand, is worrying by itself.”
His focus returned. “Maybe so, my lady. But is there anything to be done? Not much truly happened from my perspective, grand as the spectacle must have been. Important in the abstract, but pressing? Or actionable? I don’t see how.”
She deflated. “I guess so.” A sigh escaped her. “I just have enough on my plate without adding gods and goddesses to the mix. Whatever those golden motes were, they passed straight through my [Void Barrier].” Her tone dropped as she muttered, “Probably because it was restorative, no offensive potential, and the shield wasn’t meant for divine energy in the first place… but even so.” Her volume rose again. “I don’t like how easily it slipped through, even if it was just healing magic. Not to, you know, blaspheme or anything, but if there was a fight, I’m not sure how I would handle it.”
“I don’t think the heavens will grace the mortal world merely to set themselves against you, my lady.” Rafael’s dry tone had grown borderline exasperated. “Assuming they exist in the conventional sense, then under any reasonable interpretation, they seem to be doing their best to help.”
She shifted around in her seat. Yes, that was obvious enough; she shouldn’t have needed it pointed out. So why was she so concerned?
To her embarrassment, the answer came readily. She didn’t like the idea of supremely powerful magical beings existing, period. She liked having the biggest stick to wave around. It was just human nature.
Yet even that didn’t explain the whole picture. There was one more factor: she had a niggling feeling that this revelation was a prelude to something. She doubted this glimpse into the heavens had been a one-off curiosity.
“At any rate,” Rafael said, as if reading her mind, “unless the Archbishop gets his hands on the Codex, and perhaps only while near a rift into the void, then we won’t be seeing any similar phenomena soon, will we?”
“I guess that’s true,” she said reluctantly. “Though it assumes rules that might not exist.”
They were quiet a moment.
“It seems your collaboration with the Archbishop otherwise went well?” he suggested.
She shooed away her anxieties. She didn’t know what she’d been hoping for by coming to Rafael, but he hadn’t provided it. “Excellent, since nothing’s on fire, and we’re not at war with the Church.”
He laughed. “The self-awareness is refreshing, my lady.”
“I’m not sure what he makes of me, though. There were times we were talking, and I said something, and he would look at me… I can’t quite describe it. Not hostile. But hiding his reaction. Even I could tell that much.”
“He’s not an easy man to read,” Rafael agreed. “Surprisingly politically minded, and savvy, for a zealot of the Church. It makes him all the more dangerous. Not that I suggest we consider, much less treat, the man as a potential enemy. Such behavior tends to be self-fulfilling.” He rubbed his chin. “He spoke of the Fell Apostate, did he not?”
Ah, right. Haven’t caught him up on that. She had launched straight into what happened over the city of Prismarche, finding it much more important.
Thus, she started from the beginning and filled her steward in on the full course of escapades.
“A fruitful outing,” Rafael said when she had finished.
“I guess it was. I probably shouldn’t have left so fast. He probably thought it was rude.”
“I doubt the Archbishop cares much for rudeness. And such behavior is…” His lips turned up. “…expected from the Sorceress.”
She mentally sighed. No matter how ‘self-aware’ she was, that didn’t mean her reputation didn’t embarrass her.
“I’m pleased Remy’s healing went well,” Rafael said, “and that Prismarche’s dilemma was settled without issue. I have little to remark on beyond that, though.”
“That’s fair. Were you busy? I can leave you to your work.”
“I’m always busy, Lady Vivisari. But less so as of today. I wasn’t implying a need to leave. I finished handing the reins over to Allegra hours earlier, so I can focus my attention fully on Vanguard from this day forward. After this last ceremony, at the very least.”
“Ceremony?”
“A going-away thrown by my colleagues. I did spend a hundred years in the role.”
Vivi hesitated, feeling a pang of guilt even if she knew she shouldn’t. Rafael had been ecstatic to rejoin Vanguard—to be torn out of his previous position. She just didn’t think she would get used to demanding things from others, much less overturning a person’s life.
“You don’t sound like you’re looking forward to it,” she said, able to pick that much up from his tone.
“Pointless social fripperies are not my preferred use of time. If you could be so kind, schedule your next disaster to draw me away early.”
“I thought social fripperies were your thing.”
“Pointless being the key word. Not enough people of sufficient import to be worth the effort.” He cleared his throat. “Not to be callous toward the goodwill of my associates. I am simply very busy at this juncture and thus not inclined toward an evening-long event where nothing of consequence will occur.” He waved his hand to dismiss the topic. “Never mind my evening plans. Your path forward—has it changed from when we last spoke? I would like to remain on the same page as often as possible.”
She wouldn’t object to that principle. She already forgot to catch Rafael up on important details too frequently. “Augustine emptied out the Codex, or near enough. So I’m going to be filling it back up as much as possible, so I can go and see the Dragon King.”
“Oh? You’ve decided to proceed with that? You sounded tentative on the idea before.”
“I’m certain now, yes.”
The heavenly portal had reminded her of how many wonders remained in this world, no matter how much of Seven Cataclysms she had explored. A game could never capture thousands of years of history and hidden mysteries, and even the game had implied deeper lore than what the campaigns focused on. Figures like the Mother of Fire and the Keeper of the First Grove came immediately to mind, and it had been hinted that the Primogenitor of demonkind had survived too, though nobody knew what had become of him. The Dragon King wasn’t the sole person alive that could challenge her; he was just the most civilized, whom she could reach with relative ease.
“He’s too valuable a resource,” she said. “I knew that already, but seeing the portal drove the point home. I’m also worried about Embralyne—how he’ll react to her breaking his laws. And whatever’s going on with her and the Fourflame Amulet.” She shook her head. “So yes, once I get a few pages of the Codex filled and Embralyne has the Amulet charged, I’ll force the issue. One way or another.”
“Forcing issues with dragons tends to be a reliable strategy, so I’ve heard.”
She eyed him. “I’ll be careful. And tactful.”
“I am overflowing with confidence in my guildmaster’s diplomacy skills.”
Vivi ignored him. The situation would blow up somehow, but it needed to be done. Once the dust settled, everyone would be in a better position. She couldn’t indefinitely avoid the single most powerful society in the world, not given who she was now.
“A level or two more with Saffra in the meantime will be useful too,” she idly commented. “Since there’s no avoiding the downtime. Embralyne won’t do anything until the Amulet is filled.” She racked her brain for other developments Rafael would care about. “Oh. I think I’m getting close to figuring out how Damon re-activated voidglass. Lysander’s notes have been helpful there. Once we manage that, I’ll be able to run practical experiments, and that’ll assist enormously with—well, everything else, going forward.”
Right now, she could only model her magical advancement in the void domain in a theoretical sense. Without access to living void monsters to fight, or even activated voidglass, she could only make so much headway on cracking that hostile realm’s resistances.
“I might be due a trip into the void, once we learn more about the boundary and void energies,” she added, thinking aloud more than making definitive plans. “Though I’m especially torn on that prospect.” She didn’t want to leave the world undefended, first and foremost. “The thought of sitting and waiting doesn’t feel right. I can level up there, find out more about what’s going on.”
And maybe even hunt down the Fell Apostate, though she didn’t have great hopes for that mission. He seemed like a mage who knew how to cover his tracks.
“A tricky scale to balance,” he said sympathetically. “But, level up? The Chalice handles that more effectively than any hunting expedition, I would have thought.”
She paused as she realized she’d left out yet another important piece of information. “The Chalice will break eventually. It’s already starting to crack, and it’s only been a few levels.”
“Ah. Not a surprising limitation, in retrospect.”
“I think that covers most of what’s happening on my end. Void adventures later, if at all. But Dragon King first, and stockpiling mana for that event.”
“Stockpiling mana for a peaceful apology. Truly, your intent to approach him peacefully is beyond questioning.”
“Oh, be quiet. Better safe than sorry.”
He dipped his head in acknowledgement. “You will never catch me disagreeing with that sentiment, my lady.”
“Is there anything else you need from me?”
“Yes, actually, if you have a moment,” he said, surprising her. He rarely occupied her time; it was always the other way around. “As your steward, I minimize the tedious practicalities you face day to day, but you are still the Guildmaster, and there are a few matters we should review.”
She inwardly wrinkled her nose. Being the leader of a guild came with responsibilities, and arguably, she already shoved too many of them onto Rafael. But that didn’t mean she looked forward to them.
“Like what?” she asked.
“The guildhall’s expansion specifications, for one. I take it that means you do have a moment?”
She suppressed a sigh. “Yeah. Let’s hear it.”