Chapter 132: Allies

    It really was a big fat can of bullshit.

    To say I got nothing done was actually an understatement. After spending almost three entire days looking at my advancement formation, I felt even more confused than I was before.

    I knew which cluster of formations to start from, but there were still four formations within that cluster and I had the freedom to start from whichever one first. It didn’t matter which, but the illusion of choice added another level of indecisiveness to my actions.

    Each formation within the cluster was unique. They all had to connect to each other, which meant they had to be completed independently first. It was easy when I had already completed one; could see where the connections would fall in place, could visualize the energy flow. But until I completed the first cluster, there was none of that.

    So I could only attempt to understand each one individually, which would be fine if not for the absurd complexity.

    The formations contained symbols and runes and lines that had partially branched from the normal two-dimensional drawings into three-dimensional constructs. It was like a network of pathways leading to and from structures of data.

    I thought I had gotten a good grasp on the language of these symbols and formations, but a whole new world had been introduced. I had to learn an entirely new level of the same language that changed how things could be interpreted. It was like I had only learned the words before, and now I was learning the grammar.

    Three days did nothing more than break down the foundation I had built. The only solace was the necessity of the whole affair. These next levels would involve an evolution of sorts. My knowledge would have to follow along.

    I hadn’t been sure how long it would take to reach the next advancement before I started. I was hoping it wouldn’t be long, but I intuitively understood that each level would take much more time than the last. Even those at the Magisterium had taken years to make their early advancements. Granted, they were younger than I while taking the same steps, but I still knew that my rate of Advancement was unsustainable.

    I hadn’t expected a wall this high this early though. I wasn''t even halfway through the power hierarchy. Would I really have to spend an entire year to get to Authority six?

    What about seven, eight, nine? Those could only take longer. The difficulty seemed to be ramping up exponentially, and I was right at the bottom of the curve... how many years would it take just to develop those authorities? Five? Ten?

    I didn’t want to think even that far ahead, but couldn’t keep myself from doing so. There was a constant worry in the back of my mind that taking so long to reach those higher levels of strength would be my death.

    My survival up until this point hinged on unprecedented advancement — of which the rate was practically unheard of — and the far above average lethality granted. If I were to suddenly lose that, would I be able to protect myself against all the shit that would no doubt come my way?

    I sincerely hoped the military would be different. I didn’t care if it would involve a harsher lifestyle, so long as I didn’t have to worry about the bigwigs and my supposed brothers- and sisters-in-arms trying to kill me.

    I was getting sick and tired of it. All the people worth killing were precisely the ones I couldn’t kill, whether that was because of their strength or the consequences of doing so. I just wanted to go to a place where I could stop worrying about betrayal and oppression.

    I lifted my head and let out a sharp exhale.

    Umara lifted her head from where she was reading the science book we had compiled. Her voice echoed through my Aura.

    (What’s wrong?)

    (I’m itchy. How would you feel about heading back to the Capitol early?)

    (I wouldn’t mind. Is there a reason why though?)Chee?ck out latest novels at novelhall.com

    (Well, I’ve been contacted by a few people. I thought I should pay the Market a visit.)

    I tapped my Aerial, looking at the messages from Patriarch Tavera, the Key Master, and my friends from Divine Distribution.

    They were all checking on me. Everyone in the Kingdom had heard what happened. I hadn’t even let them know that I was alive though since I had been preoccupied and didn’t feel like being social.

    Now though, I had pissed myself off thinking about the tournament and the position I had been in.

    My time as a delivery boy in the black markets had been filled with constant bloodshed. There was a reason the orders for the Trenches went mostly unfulfilled, and that was because it often took killing your way through to get anything done amidst all those psychos created by Apocryon’s drugs. And the more you killed, the more people you pissed off, and the more people you’d have to kill. It was a vicious, self-reinforcing cycle.

    But at least I could kill them. A bullet through the skull meant one less nuisance to worry about in the future. I would never have to fear their revenge, and the more blood that was on my hands, the more people began to fear me. It got to a point where I didn’t actually have to kill anymore to make my way through. I had founded my notoriety in blood.

    But at the Magisterium, I couldn’t instill that same fear. I was a chained dog that could only nip back. I had to suppress every instinct within me to not do what I had learned in the Trenches, to dive straight for the jugular. I could only be unruly, not something that would be worth putting down.

    It was annoying, the reason why I found myself worrying about not advancing fast enough, and why I suddenly felt like going back to the Market.

    Although, there was one other reason.

    I looked at Umara, simply enjoying the silence for a moment as we exchanged smiles.

    To say that we had the hots for each other right now was an understatement. I was micrometers away from saying “damn it all” and tearing her clothes off. At the very least, whenever we weren’t training, she was trying to make out. The sex we weren’t having was being compensated by our less explicit activities.

    But to our great distress, we were being watched like hawks. Both of us could sense the Duchess’ Aura on the entire household at all times, especially since we were inside. After our advancements it was all too clear, and I myself could actually block her view to some extent. All I had to do was use some of my illusory capabilities and mask my immediate surroundings, like a fog but for Aura.

    But it didn’t matter; the absence of my presence alone would be a hint that we were doing something, and the Duchess would be all over it. We were under her roof, so I understood her concerns, but it was still annoying; our intimate time was frequently disrupted. She didn’t even let us sleep in the same room.

    Why she was doing all that, I didn’t know. Even Umara was confused by it all. Not even her worry over Anarchy’s influence was enough to warrant that much surveillance.

    Either way, I much preferred the undisturbable hotel.

    Umara combed back her gray hair.

    (I’m not sure how my mother would feel about that, but I say we should go anyway. It’s getting suffocating here. We also need to see Feiden.)

    (Mm. Should we even ask?)

    (I don’t know. Can we even sneak out?)

    (If we’re smooth about it. Go pack your things into your spatial sack. When you’re done, we can go shopping.)

    I sighed. It felt like we were coming back full circle, arguing the same damn things over and over again.

    “We know all of that and it’s why we’ve held ourselves back up until now. Both of us have agreed to wait until marriage to do anything. But believe me, we know exactly why we aren’t able to do anything right now. And it all goes back to what I was saying. Nobles are just a bunch of old assholes who think they should own the whole damn world. Which is exactly why I don’t put up with it. Now, that lifestyle was keeping Umara from trusting me. And she wanted to trust me. So I gave her the choice, and she made hers. Whether she’s completely thrown out that way of life, I’m not sure, I can’t read into the depths of her psyche. All I know is that we trust each other fully now, and we’re prepared to do what we need to in order to make our relationship work. Take that for what it’s worth. I can only hope that you don’t try to get in the way, because I can be pretty damn stubborn too. My lineage, as common as you may think it is, fights for what it wants. If it works out, I’m going to marry your daughter. And nothing less than killing me is going to stop me. That much I can promise you.”

    “... haah... I envy that youthful freedom.”

    Talexia closed her eyes, her head hanging for a bit before a tear rolled down her cheek.

    I was surprised as she took a deep breath, wiping that tear and collecting herself.

    “I wish I didn’t have to do all this, John. I truly do. I wish I could just let you two be happy together. But our name comes with a price. The luxury and wealth demands certain concessions. Unfortunately both of my daughters were destined to have their marriages more arranged than not. It was never supposed to be difficult because they wouldn’t know anything else. But you’ve made this a lot harder on all of us. And right now, I don’t see an out. Know that, because at some point, they will come to collect.”

    “...Yeah.”

    I massaged my temple, the two of us connecting in our mutual melancholy.

    What I did had really only delayed what they thought to be inevitable. And in that sense, this recent massacre actually bought me even more time.

    In that newspaper we read before was a list of the survivors. And one of my more hated enemies, the punk known as Ravon and one of Umara’s suitors, wasn’t on there.

    That was one entire family that no longer had any grounds to pressure the Talerria household. They had nobody to marry off anymore.

    I wasn’t sure about the exact number, but I was certain that he wasn’t the only one.

    And given the state of the military right now, reeling from the loss of a major base, as well as the outcry from the nobles who lost their children, there was no way anyone would be bothered about a marriage at the moment. We had time, and getting through her first years in the military would be yet another excuse Umara and her mother could use to keep people off their ass.

    So we had more time to find an out, even if there wasn’t one right now.

    After several more moments of silence, I sighed.

    “Duchess, I get that there’s not a lot going for us. But I want Umara to be happy just as much as you. I may just have a different vision of what happiness and fulfillment looks like. Still, that’s no reason we can’t meet in the middle and be allies in this. I usually make it a priority to be on the good side of my girlfriend’s parents.”

    “Hm, you mean you do this often?”

    “Umara isn’t the first girlfriend I’ve had, but I’ll do my damnedest to make sure she’s the last.”

    “... I suppose.”

    She let out a long breath, to which I smiled and put out my arms.

    She looked at me with a raised brow.

    “Hug?”

    “... Still cheeky.”

    She rolled her eyes before accepting it, the two of us wrapping up in a tight hug.

    It was quite funny. She was the same size as Umara, so it was easy to just bear hug her like she was no more than an ordinary woman and not some all-powerful Duchess.

    Of course, she noticed my amusement as the hug went on for longer than normal and her head was smothered in my chest. That''s when I felt some freezing cold fog nip at the back of my neck, causing me to jolt.

    “Ack!”

    “I’m still a Duchess, you know.”

    “All I see is my future mother-in-law.”

    “Who’s a Duchess.”

    “I fail to see the relevance.”

    “Heh, sure.”

    She chuckled before dispelling the dome around us.

    Talexia walked off as Umara stood there glaring.

    “Take care of my daughter in the Capital, please.”

    “Always.”

    I gave her one last smile before sticking out my arm so Umara could link her own.

    “Let’s go, dear.”

    “Just like that?”

    “Just like that.”

    She took my arm, and the two of us started making our way out of Joffrun.