LRAB Chapter 242: The Overseer
Chapter 242: The Overseer
Chapter 242: The Overseer
I know about your arrangement with the mirror pool, the overseer said casually. I also know about the subsequent dealings youve had with them. While your first and possibly the second dealings could be excused, the third is a different matter.
Dallion's mouth suddenly went dry. He looked around for something to drink, but there was nothing in the entire room.
Although, maybe congratulations are in order. It's been a while since anyone has won the gauntlet. As Im sure you know, Belaal doesnt like to lose money, so he makes sure that most challengers fail in the end. You, though she pointed at Dallion managed to mend it.
I was lucky, Dallion replied. I had the right skills.
Thats what I have been hearing. You came to Nerosal with music skills. Thats exceedingly rare, especially for someone who came from the middle of nowhere. Not only that, but you have gained two familiars.
How does she know about that? Dallion asked.
Most people werent able to see Nox, not to mention that Dallion was careful to have the crackling appear with others around in the last few weeks. The city guard must have kept a close eye on him ever since his arrival. For a medieval fantasy society, their surveillance was beyond scary. Even Earth couldnt boast anything similar.
Shes the citys overseer, Nil said. Its her job to see things.
Youre wondering how I know all this, the woman asked, amused. Its not something youll be told until you pass your next awakening gate. Even so, I could tell you if you really want to know.
Dallion swallowed.
No, he lied. I just want to help out best I can then get back to
Close to a hundred awakened have died while exploring artifacts in the last six months, the overseer interrupted. Three times more have become lost or were otherwise crippled by the Star. You, on the other hand, have managed to survive two incidents without as much as a scratch, not to mention that youre one of the few whos had an encounter with the Star and lived to tell about it.
That part, Dallion wasnt surprised that she knew. Considering the significance of the event, it was no wonder the guild had shared the information with the nobles and the city guard. Come to think of it, Dallion should have expected a talk like this much sooner. If something of this scale had happened back on Earth, there would have been at least half a dozen agencies questioning him. The medieval nature of this world had made Dallion completely disregard such a possibility. Hopefully, that was all he was disregarding.
Tell me what happened in the realm of the ring, the overseer said.
The ring?
Mister Darude, the mirror pool arent the only ones with secrets. The powers in whose shadow they hide have far more reach, otherwise our roles would have been reversed. You were asked to explore a ring, and since youre here to talk about it, you were successful. What I want to know is what happened inside.
Well I fought an island snake, Dallion said. I mean a snake made of islands. Its name was Vermillion.
Details?
I used my familiar to fly up in the air and
Details about Vermillion. Did he do or say something of interest?
The question was spot on, as if the overseer knew what the answer was. It was clear that she didnt, though. Dallion had been in the room for a few minutes and he already knew that the woman wasnt one to waste time. She said precisely what she needed to make a point and expected straight and direct answers in return.Fôllôw new stories at novelhall.com
Just say it, Gen said. Shell find out, anyway.
Vermilion said that a copyette is on the loose, Dallion said and waited.
He was expecting an immediate reactionthe woman starting a monologue, describing how this was the last puzzle piece of a conspiracy, or shouting orders for the captain to follow, or even bursting out in a series of swears. Instead, she did nothing.
Dallions eyes widened.
I know about your grandfather, Mister Darude. And I know what he did to end up back in that small, insignificant village. Unless youre prepared to have everyone else know as well, I expect you to cooperate with me, and the first step is to keep your mouth shut.
She knew about his grandfather? An influx of mixed feelings went through Dallion. On the one hand, he was glad that there was someone who could shed some light on the old mans past. That could answer a lot of questions Dallion had, especially everything he wanted to know about level limiting and chainlings. On the other hand, if people found out Dallion was the grandson of an outcast, and possibly criminal, things could get pretty ugly for him.
Im glad you understand. If you wont mind leaving now. Theres a lot I must think about.
Sure. Dallion stood up. Youll probably expect me to start spying on people now and bringing you information.
Not in the least. Youre too much of a risk. As I saidnave and reckless. If theres something I need to know, Ill get you here, and rest assured it will be very public, just like this time.
Since he had arrived in this world, Dallion had experienced his fair share of threats, both direct and subtle. The overseer was much better at this than most. He wasnt even sure what exactly her threat was, but knew he didnt want to find out.
Quietly, he made his way to the door and left the room. The captain was waiting for him on the staircase. No words were exchanged. The guard gave him a dubious look, then moved aside so Dallion could leave the building. That marked the end of Dallions first meeting with Nerosals overseerby far not the most pleasant experience, though one that had told him a few things. Onethe woman had all but confirmed that the copyette was indeed in the city. The city guard was doing something about it behind the scenes, but were yet to be successful.
Another thing the woman had let slip was that she was carefully following all Star activity within the city. She had known about all instances involving the Star and star spawn creatures, yet nothing about the chainling Dallion had hunted before coming here.
The last thing that Dallion had learned was more of an implied supposition based on the direction of the questions asked; the overseer suspected a connection between the Star and the copyette.
If I were a chaos creating deity, what would I do? Dallion wondered.
Other than plunge the world in wars a few times? Nil asked. The Crippled Star is believed to be the reason that the imprisoned races tried to achieve full dominance over everyone else. Naturally, they were doomed to fail.
The Star wanted to take over the world and replace the Moons.
Dear boy, intuition cannot replace wisdom. The Star never wanted to have a race take over the world. The whole point was for the race to fail while creating decades of bloodshed and chaos in the meantime.
Whats the point of that?
Sometimes when you cant have the thing someone else has, the best you can do is break it.
Can the Star be trying again?
I think you lost me there.
The copyette in question had to be pretty capable in order to be kept locked up.
Theres no evidence for that. A Vermilion is hardly a strong guard. Nowadays, sure, but centuries ago
A copyette with a key that could free others like it and create an army. Dallion felt on a roll. The talk with the overseer, combined with his own personal experience, helped him put a lot of the pieces together. What if the deaths were only a preparation?
A preparation for a war? The echo asked, unconvinced.
A preparation for more copyettes returning to the world. What better way to have someone blend in, if the person they impersonate is affected in some fashion before that? If success is not the end goal, what better way to create a situation in which one copyette can free others and have them take the place of awakened affected by explorations?
Are you saying everyone who was lost is, in fact, a copyette?
Not yet, but when the copyette figures out how to use the key he stole, they will be, and no one will be able to tell the difference without a kaleidervisto.