Chapter 94: Facade

    Christmas passed merrily. The day was spent in the company of Umara’s immediate family, as tradition dictated. It was a time of ease, comfort, and appreciation, so all families throughout the city spent their time together.

    There was nowhere to go, no parties to put on or attend, and only a few gifts to exchange. Since I got along with the family, I didn’t feel out of place and contentedly enjoyed hanging out with them.

    I was enjoying myself when, in the evening, I received a succinct message from the Puppet Master that slightly dampened my mood.

    “The Magisterium, specifically the President, has decided what to do regarding your kill. As for your request regarding the corpse, such matters are best spoken about in person. Come see me when you return. Until then, enjoy your Christmas.”

    That was it, and the message left me with a small feeling of unease.

    I wasn’t particularly concerned with what they did to my record or placement, but anything regarding President Carrion didn’t sit well with me.

    Still, I had messaged the Puppet Master earlier when I had my thoughts about using the Cyclops eye as the ingredient for a Crown. I didn’t tell him the specifics, but let him know that I might have some business with it and asked him to hold it for me until I could grab it.

    This was the first message I received since then. If anything went sideways, it probably wouldn’t have been his fault; I trusted him.

    I simply did as he said and enjoyed Christmas day, the first day of the new year.

    It was the day after that I was set to return. Business didn’t stop with the new year and both the Duchess and Duke had matters to attend to. Umara was to stay behind and handle whatever her parents needed her to do; it was probably in the realm of organizing received gifts and bonding more with her Flicker.

    There was just under a week left before the Magisterium’s second semester would start. The Elites were slotted to head back out to the front lines nearly immediately afterward.

    And so the day came for me to return.

    “You promise you’re going to visit?”

    Faey, her voice tinged with hopefulness, asked. I smiled and gave her a hug.

    “Of course. You just keep yourself out of trouble. Or just make sure you don’t get caught.”

    “Ahem.”

    The Duchess cleared her throat in warning, causing me to snicker.

    I winked at Faey and ruffled her hair, making her laugh.

    “Alright, I need to get going. Mr. and Mrs. Talerria, thank you for your hospitality. I quite enjoyed myself.”

    “Of course. Be safe on your way back.”

    “I will.”

    I shook their hands before heading to the carriage, Umara following to bid each other a quiet goodbye. Once she closed the door, I was off to the Rail Terminal where I was sent back to the Capital.

    ......

    Umara turned after shutting the door and watching the carriage roll off.

    She saw her parents staring at her, making her tilt her head. It felt like she was being put on the spot.

    “What is it?”

    “You’re quite the grownup now, aren’t you?”

    “I’m not sure what you mean.”

    Umara was confused by her mother’s scrutinizing comment, prompting her father to translate.

    “Ahem, your mother and I happened to overhear yours and John’s proclamations of love to each other on New Year’s night.”Vissit  for updates

    “Eh?”

    “It was quite the surprise. We didn’t want to say anything until he left, but we had never known you to be so bold.”

    Ikhor chuckled a bit as Umara’s face turned beet red.

    But instead of showing her embarrassment, she huffed and turned away.

    “Hmph, I’m not ashamed of anything. It’s the truth and nobody can say otherwise.”

    “We’re not questioning that, dear. We just didn’t think that you two had gotten so far. It’s only been how many months?”

    “Almost four.”

    “And you two already look like you want to marry each other.”

    The Duchess commented with sharp eyes, making Umara go silent, neither denying nor confirming.

    She sighed at that.

    “Daughter, don’t make this difficult for me. Not any more than it already is.”

    “It never had to be difficult in the first place. You think Shadowbane would have to deal with any of this?”

    *Woosh*

    A small gust kicked up right as Umara said that, making her heart pound erratically for a moment as a thick sound barrier was created, blocking out all sight and sound beyond their group. Not even Faey was able to see or hear what the Duchess said next.

    “Believe me, Umara. I’m trying. I know we aren’t the Raven Family. And I’m sorry any of this was ever a problem. But it is because we can’t control our own interests and power without the approval of the rest of the nobles that this is an issue. And we cannot extricate ourselves from their influence anytime soon. So unless you me to doom the entire Talerria line right now just because you don’t want to keep your pants tied, I suggest you work with me until we can find a way that works for everyone.”

    “...”

    Umara was silent, her head dropping with indignation.

    She wasn’t mad at her mother. It was her hatred for the noble class that was only increasing.

    Talexia could only sigh.

    “I feel like if I don’t continue to expose you to the harsh realities, you’ll run off and do something that will make all of our conflicts explode. I know you can’t see a way out, and I can’t give one to you right now. But you need to trust that I’ll find one eventually.”

    “...I just hate feeling like I’m just a tool.”

    Frustrated tears rolled down Umara’s cheeks. She felt like she was going to explode, yet was constantly being crushed and confined with no way to fight back.

    Talexia walked forward and hugged her, stroking her hair.

    “I know. Again, I’m sorry. I wish I could have spared you from that. I thought that I could do so by finding you someone suitable, a good man to marry since you would have to anyway. But I didn’t expect for you to find yourself one, and for him to be so outstanding that he would piss off the entirety of high noble society and risk his life for his girl. Sometimes I think that you’re the lucky one, not him.”

    “Hm.”

    Umara smiled just a bit, the two separating and looking into each other’s eyes.

    “Regardless of all that, plans change, and we adapt. What I need from you is to play the game with me and bide your time. If you really want this, then you’ll do that. I have a feeling John understands that as well. He’s rash, blunt, and frighteningly casual with people he shouldn’t be, but he’s also smart. That’s probably the only reason he’s still alive. So for his sake and ours, can you restrain yourself and play along?”

    “...Yes.”

    “Good. Thank you.”

    Talexia nodded and dispelled the barrier, sound and sight returning.

    Faey was confused but followed as they all walked back into the mansion.

    That’s when Umara muttered.

    “Fake it ‘till you make it.”

    “What?”

    But if he could see that, why couldn’t they?

    I just didn’t think they would stoop to that level. It hadn’t crossed my mind. My kill should be mine to do with as I pleased, especially one of such a magnitude.

    But more than that, I had entrusted it to the Puppet Master. If I had at least kept the head with me, even just as a trophy, I would’ve been able to do whatever I wanted regardless of what they said.

    But I didn’t.

    The Puppet Master stared at my shoes, unable to quite meet my eyes. A look of almost defeat crossed his eyes for a split second before he continued.

    “Currently, it is in the possession of the President. Where it could be precisely is a mystery. Regardless, it is set to be enshrined inside a case within the Hall later in the week. The corpse will be there alongside your record as evidence and a trophy.”

    “I want it back.”

    “...Carrion gave me a message to deliver... in case you said that. An excerpt from Magisterium Regulatory Policy.”

    The Puppet Master handed me a folded sheet of paper, which I took and read.

    “Article 3, Section 1: Hunted beasts and their corpses become property according to Kingdom law. The property rights belong to the hunter by default, unless otherwise dictated by any employing entity the hunter may be affiliated with.

    “Section 2: As the employing entity, the Magisterium reserves all rights to beast or animal corpses hunted by any and all students and staff under its name and purview. This includes all pieces and parts of the corpse such as the Black Crystal, and all monetary gains from selling the corpse, processed or otherwise, are, by rights, considered Magisterium revenue.”

    “Article 2, Section 1 of the Ignoble Hunter Rights Bill: Only beasts or animals at or above Authority 9 are allowed to be claimed by non-noble persons regardless of any affiliations and/or contracts which may dictate otherwise. This includes all parts of the beast or animal, such as the Black Crystal.

    “Section 2: If the property has been processed or dismantled before the Ignoble Hunter has claimed it, and the Ignoble Hunter and the employing or contracting entity cannot come to an agreement on distribution of property parts and pieces, the property must be sold and the employing or contracting entity is allowed to withhold coin equal to the processing costs, with a limit of 70% the selling price.”

    ...

    I sat there in silence.

    For some time I wasn’t sure what to think. According to law, I had no rights to the corpse. The only way I would ever have the rights was if it were an Authority 9 at minimum.

    However, there was some fine text hidden within these laws.

    The Ignoble Hunter Rights Bill.

    Key words: Ignoble Hunter.

    Would a noble child have to give up their kill to the Magisterium?

    No, they wouldn’t. The Bill was only for the Ignobles. The commoners. The peasants.

    I could practically taste the mockery in the name of the Bill.

    In fact, the very paper I held oozed contempt.

    The President, having studied my weapons, or at least having read the reports about them, knew that my sight was an important factor in their use. And it wasn’t far-fetched to think that I may want the corpse for a Crown. It was well-suited for me, after all.

    Regardless of my plans for it, he seized it. And his only explanation were some snippets of law.

    He was prepared for this. He knew I would come for the corpse. Even if I didn’t, either he wasted a small bit of time printing this message, or he would taste the satisfaction of withholding an important opportunity for my growth.

    And he did. This could have been an incredible boost in my auxiliary power. The advantages in battle I would have gained from this Crown would no doubt be a potentially critical factor in preserving my life and the lives of my team.

    And now, with a single piece of paper, all hope of that was lost.

    There was silence for a long while as I processed what this meant and how I should react. I truly wasn’t sure.

    Should I rage against this? Should I just laugh and declare war?

    I set down the paper and stood from my seat, walking out of the shed without a word.

    My feet took me to the administrative offices of the Magisterium.

    I pushed open a door smoothly, the only sounds in the main hall the even tapping of my heels and the soft click of the door behind me. I walked past various doors, plaques by their frames denoting the positions of their occupants. Most sat empty.

    Two flights of stairs later, I walked down a lushly carpeted hall, my footsteps muffled by the thick fabric. The plaques on the wall all seemed to point me to one spot: President Carrion’s office. The desk right in front was empty, the secretary that would’ve stopped me gone on vacation.

    I nearly threw the door open. Carrion stared back at me, a smile creeping onto his face.

    “Oh, John. You’ve returned.”

    A towering window silhouetted him against the Magic Tower in the distance, his outline practically glowing in what seemed a cruel mockery of my suppressed anger.

    I walked up casually enough, unknown strength keeping me from just leaping at him, and stood squarely before his desk with a placid face.

    “I want the corpse of the Cyclops Scout I killed.”

    “Given your mood, you visited the Puppet Master first, who should’ve given you my response. I don’t believe there’s much more to say o-”

    “Fuck the laws.”

    I cursed plainly, without a single change in attitude.

    “You don’t care about them. Your prideful ass thinks you’re some kind of king. Skip the bullshit. One of your students wants the trophy of his kill. You’d think a reward is in order for the first record of its kind.”

    “I thought we were skipping the bullshit.”

    Carrion shot back, rising from his seat and meeting me at eye level.

    His Aura fanned out as he did, a sense of dread permeating my pores. But I felt so detached from my own self that I didn’t even react to it. My emotions didn’t feel like mine anymore.

    “You’re right. I don’t give a damn about the laws. Except when they give me every right to tell you to fuck off. You’re not getting that corpse. And you’re not getting a Crown out of it.”

    He smiled and eyed me, a certain facet of his genial facade revealing a much darker interior.

    “I’m going to lock that corpse away, Crystal and all, right inside the Hall of Fame. I’m going to pin it up nice and pretty behind a single pane of unbreakable glass. Everyone will be able to see it and know you were the one who killed it. They’ll sing your praises for the next few months. You’ll become an idol for the younger generations. And yet, you’ll always know that the corpse behind that glass could''ve bestowed you greater power. It will forever be a reminder of what could have been.

    “So please, indulge in your hatred and rage. I want to see your frustration and indignation. It’s the least you can do for attempting to undermine me in my own mansion. Even though something like this is a small matter I shouldn’t mind, even though you’re a bug not worth paying attention to, I’ve decided to do so as I was bored. What better way to entertain myself than to see a worm like you squirm around when he was denied the little scraps of food he caught.”

    A harsh laugh came from his throat as he walked an arc in front of me.

    My vision turned spotty, my mind went white. I couldn’t comprehend the sheer intensity of my emotions.

    This kind of depraved malice... I didn’t understand it. My rationality screamed at me exactly what I needed to know, but even with the power of Psyka, it didn’t get through. I didn’t know how to react to it.

    Even my Aura boiled over, slashing against Carrion’s with wanton rage in an attempt to gain a foothold.

    But against the Authority 11, any cracks were as ephemeral as the light. I was powerless. That’s just how it was in this world. I couldn’t do a damn thing about it.

    Having had his fill of fun, Carrion sat back down behind his desk again, a frown filling his face.

    “Alright, now get out of my sight, you insect.”

    *BAM*

    He flicked his hand, a wave of vigor throwing my body across the office.

    I rolled limply when I hit the floor, only stopping when I crashed into the door. It felt like my entire body had been battered by a sledge hammer, blood leaking from my nose and mouth.

    With nothing more than a thought I suffered debilitating injuries. That was the physical manifestation of such a difference in power.

    I pulled myself off the floor with any scraps of energy left in my body, too exhausted to even offer one last sign of defiance by slamming the door. I needed to retreat and regroup. Sticking it out here would achieve nothing.

    Once I had stumbled my way out, I caught sight of the Puppet Master just outside the building, my head pounding from my thoroughly battered Aura, my body throbbing from new injuries.

    It was a good thing he was there too. I didn’t have the strength to walk myself back to the dorms. I crumpled into a heap on the pavement, a few quivers of pain wracking through my body. The last thing I saw before darkness took my vision was the Puppet Master looming over me, mouth open with unheard words.