Chapter 342 – Plans
Mage Teft stared at Damion for a moment in shock at his suggestion. Could his plan work? Maybe. But the potential for it to backfire was enormous. Blackmail rarely lasted. There would always be someone willing to risk everything on the off chance it was a bluff. Not to mention that she was sure the Assembly would think of a way to block such a message and once they did that, then he would be facing the ire of nearly all the S Ranks, not just two.
“That plan is far too risky. They might think you are bluffing. They might think of a way to block your message. Or they might just not care, kill you and then smear you as a liar after you can’t defend yourself.”
“I guess we will go with your plan then,” Damion told her.
He did not know what the chances of Mage Teft’s plan working were, but he was content to let it play out. If it worked, then maybe for a little while there would be two less people trying to kill him. If it failed, then he doubted anything would change. Though, there was one way they could get the Assembly to see what Sorin and Bianco were up to.
“What about the Protectorate?” Damion suddenly asked.
“What about them?”
“Can’t we just send them a message and ask them to intervene?”
For a moment Mage Teft looked at Damion like he had grown a second head. The idea was simple, yet pointless.
“The Assembly has not heard from the Protectorate for many years. In fact, the only member of the Assembly to ever have communicated with them is Mage Harris.”
“The Time mage,” Damion muttered in disbelief.
“Yes. He is the oldest and most powerful S Rank mage. He would be the only to have any idea how to contact the Protectorate.”
“So why not ask him to?”
“Mage Harris is known to be fair, but he does not usually weigh in on matters unless he absolutely has to. His goal is to keep the Assembly united and focused on protecting humanity.”
“Wouldn’t protecting the greatest talent anyone has ever seen align with his goals then?”
Mage Teft struggled to contain a laugh at Damion’s self-praise, but she knew he was not wrong. The problem was not with protecting him, it was with her position on the Assembly. She was the newest S Rank, but already she had caused an enormous shift in the status quo. Factions had started to form inside the Assembly. Noble born mages and common born mages were no longer seeing eye to eye. All because she dared to show them what everyone had chosen to ignore for so long, that nobles had long abused their power.
“Mage Harris would likely try to protect you, but not at the expense of the stability of the Assembly. If he believed getting rid of you would heal the fractures in the council, he would do it without a second thought. Until I know where he stands, or that I can show proof of the others’ misdeeds, so he can’t side with them without further fracturing the council, it is best to hold off on pushing him to a side.”
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“Then what should I do in the meantime?”
“Keep your head down and keep using your disguise. If it can fool me, then you have nothing to worry about.”
“Oh, I know, it fooled Mage Levine.”
“Where did you run into Mage Levine?”
“I was the one who discovered those eight A Rank Breaches. She responded with a team of A Rankers for the clears.”
“Ah, so that new mysterious B Rank Spatial mage is you. Word of advice, tone down the discoveries. Your disguise is good, and having a fake identity to go along with it is working for now, but you made big waves with that discovery. Any more of those and you will likely face your alter ego’s life being just as complicated as your real one.”
“Don’t I know it. But what was I supposed to do? Not investigate the Breaches? We are trying to find a labyrinth after all.”
“You let Phil fly around on his own a lot right?”
“Yes.”
“Shift the discoveries to him. Just say, oh my Demonic Beast companion located another Breach. The Mage Association will not so easily associate your actions with the luck of your companion. And while it is good to check on the Breaches, don’t reveal their strength to the Association. Just send back a message with the locations.”
“Why?”
“It is already known you can somehow detect the strength of a Breach. By just sending the locations, after you have made sure one isn’t a labyrinth, then it appears you have not been there and are just reporting what Phil found by flying over with your auto-mapper.”
“I see your point,” Damion admitted. However, he was not going to be out there when Breaches were responded to, how was he going to keep advancing his magic power.
“I really must be going now. Next time I visit, I hope to see this underground house you built.”
Before Damion could explain that he did not build a house underground, he simply moved one there, Mage Teft was off. After she departed, Sharon came back out and started fussing over Damion and how it did not look like he was eating right.
“I eat rations most of the time. I don’t have a lot of time to cook or to eat out at restaurants,” Damion defended.
“In that case, you will just need to have someone cook for you. Right Elicia?”
Having her mother-in-law put her on the spot was not what Elicia was expecting. Still, she agreed with Sharon. Damion needed to eat properly and the best way to do that was to have someone cook for him.
“Mom is right, Damion. You need to eat properly. I will go back with you to cook and probably clean the mess you’ve made of your house.”
“I have not made a mess. I’ve barely been home. Besides, what are you going to do all day while I am out mapping the edge of the Yellow Zones?”
“Are you saying you don’t want me to come?” Elicia snapped.
“That isn’t it. It’s just that… won’t you be bored all day without anyone to talk to?”
“Why can’t you just send me back here in the morning?”
Damion did not have an answer to her question. Of course, he could simply open a portal for her to come back to his parents’ apartment during the day. He was, after all, now a Spatial mage and casting Portal had become even easier for him now that he had raised his Spatial affinity.
“I think that is a wonderful idea,” Caleb spoke up. “It isn’t right for you not to be spending time with your partner. You all need to get used to living together before the baby comes.”
“Well, then we need to designate a safe area here in your apartment for me to open a Portal to.”
“Safe area?” Sharon questioned.
“An area where no one will be at any time. If I open a Portal and there is something in the way, it can be bad.”
Damion did not want to scare his parents, but they needed to understand to keep the area where his portal would come clear.
“In that case,” Sharon said as she moved an old chair piled with clothing out of a corner. Use this corner. We can put a shelf in the corner with useless nicknacks and when you cast your spell you can go from wall to wall with the opening. We will make sure to not let anything be in the way there.”
“That will work,” Damion said, memorizing the location. It would not due to accidently make his Portal slightly too big and cut into the wall.
“Now, you will be staying for the rest of the day to fill us in what you have been up to. You barely had time on your other visits,” Sharon said, not giving Damion any room for discussion.