Chapter 43

Now that I knew what he looked like, it was easy to keep an eye on Virgil as we all gradually left the dining hall. I tailed him back, splitting off from the group; Bradey seemed far less concerned with closely monitoring us as when we first arrived and I was not the only one to step away. It was easy enough to stay behind Virgil, even with my shorter stature I could blend in with the blue cloaked mages that left the dining hall. It became harder though as they thinned out and I had to stay a bit back to try and remain innocuous. But as I had hoped, he continued on a direct path to Hector’s office.

I stood down at the end of the short hallway, peaking around the corner as Virgil knocked on the door and entered before coming out again. I narrowly missed being seen as he came back, nearly bumping into me as he turned the corner. “Ah, excuse me,” he said, narrowly avoiding bumping into me. “If you’re waiting for the captain, he appears to be out at the moment.”

I nodded. I had wanted to talk to him, specifically about the release of my father but this seemed to be an opportunity. “Sneak in!” Rose chimed. “If you get in now while he’s out, you can be hidden for when he gets back.”

“Understood, thank you,” I replied to Virgil, trying not to betray the plan in my expression. Fortunately he just walked past me toward the way he came, hopefully to see if Hector was returning soon. I wasted no time, speedwalking down the short hall as soon as Virgil was around the corner. I didn’t bother knocking, just walking right in and closing the door behind me. The office was just as I remembered, nothing significant noticeably out of place. As much as Rose and I wished to rifle through the pages on the desk, we restricted ourselves to hiding in the closet. It felt a bit tighter than before but I pushed some of the clothes around, wedging myself between military garb and boots, making sure my footing was more secure this time.

It was less than a moment after I closed the closet door that office one opened. “Yes, Virgil, that announcement was adequate,” I heard Hector say as it sounded like two people entered. “Not everyone knows the High Commander’s status.”

“Good, good,” Virgil replied. “I just wanted to go… over…”

There was a long pause before Hector continued. “I told you last time, you can continue.”

His voice was sheepish and hesitant as he objected. “Captain, I really don’t mean to be questioning your orders, but the security issue of it concerns me.”

“What do you think he means by that?” Rose asked. “A security issue?”

I didn’t know and just listened. “Virgil… you really should know better than that.” Hector’s voice was low, suddenly taking a new tone that felt viscerally threatening. “Now, I take it you’ve been laying preparations while I had to step away for a few days.”

“Yes, of course,” Virgil quickly answered. “And the results of the mission were…?”

“Fruitless,” Hector grumbled. “Two dead dragons, no clutch of eggs, and lost a useful asset in Brontus.”

“Well, I don’t know how well he would have been in the long ru—”

“Did I ask for speculation!?” the captain snapped. “You do not lay the plans out, I do! And if I say that he still had use, then he did!” There was another gap in the conversation, a lull in which I figured Virgil was too nervous to speak. I would have been at least. “Now, we’ll start the afternoon with our previous arrangement; should put him in a good mood. Then the negotiations will begin.”

“And by negotiations, you mean…?”

“Are you dense today, Virgil!?”

“N-No, sir, it’s just that I’m worried about—”

The closet door swung open, exposing me. “Ren, get out of there; you’re upsetting my man!” Hector reached in, grabbing my arm and dragging me out before I had an opportunity to react.

Rose cursed wildly in my head, distracting me from forming a coherent thought. “Captain!” I exclaimed and began to ramble. “Sorry, I was looking for you, you see, and I got a bit turned around—”

“See, he can’t even come up with a decent excuse!” Virgil exclaimed, waving his hand at me. “It’s too big of a risk, he was obvious enough the first time.”

“Well he’s not hiding anymore,” Hector argued.

Virgil countered, “But he’s still listening.”

“Dismissed.”

“Hold on,” Virgil objected. “What about—”

“I said dismissed,” Captain Hector growled. Virgil shut up, gave a nervous salute, and left out the door. “Now, you…” he grumbled as he turned back to me.

I had momentarily forgotten that I was no longer a fly on the wall, sneakily peering through the closet, even while they talked about me and just not to me. “Sorry, Captain, I didn’t—”

“Save it,” he interrupted, holding up a hand. “Virgil was right about a couple things, including that you have yet to be a proper spy. You got guts, sneaking into my office twice now, just no instinct.” He emphasized the word, the underlying connotation that I had done everything wrong despite my effort. “Tomorrow a lot will be going on, including with your father.”

Rose perked up excitedly at that. I cut in, “Yes, I actually wanted to talk to you about that. I was hoping that—”

“His execution will be held early afternoon, just after top command arrives.”

“What!?”

“H-hold on,” I stammered. “What you said before the mission…”

“That you would be free from your concern about him.” He came closer, heavy footfalls as he paced toward me. A hand fell on my shoulder. “A clean break is what you need; rid yourself of any lingering attachments.”

The weight of his hand felt enough to push me through the floor. “No, no no no no no…” Rose kept repeating. “Uncle,” I started, trying to appeal to him as best I could, “I don’t think that—”

“We’ll fix that, too,” Hector remarked. “It’s good to think for yourself sometimes but you should fall in line with the order around here. I had thought that that would have been plenty clear by now.”

I wanted to collapse, to wake up from this nightmare. “But you never came after him before. Even while you knew where we were.”

“Then he attacked me, attacked us, and made a spectacle of himself,” Hector countered. “I was quite content to leave the three of you alone. At least for a while,” Hector remarked, “but that damn fool screwed things up before I was ready.”

“Is he talking about Tobian!?” Rose exclaimed.

“You mean Tobian?” I repeated for the both of us.

“Yes, yes,” Hector sighed. “I would have much rather met you two in a couple months and done some formal training before a proper duel. But what’s done is done, for better or worse. I’m just pleased that you can still be my proper protege.”

I’d rather be your death, I thought, and Rose echoed the sentiment. “I see,” I just spoke instead. “And the execution…?”

“It’s already arrange to be taken care of tomorrow. Of course, I had wanted it cleanly done before you returned but… well, that business with the useless dragons was a troublesome interruption. Might as well make a spectacle for High Commander Alexander.”

Alexander!? “Right, it was announced that the high commander would be coming tomorrow.”

“Indeed. And we can continue our planning. In fact, I actually have a specific role for you in mind.” I looked at him questioningly and he continued, “Think about it, nephew.” Hearing him call me that made my skin crawl. “I know you were hiding in my closet before; you really should learn to cloak your mana. Now think about it: The king not long for this world… ‘Prince’ Alexander…”

“...You’re planning a coup!?” I almost gasped. Rose did not similarly hold back.

His face lit up. “There you go!” he cheered me on. “Good things for you yet, I’m sure, even if I almost have to spell it out for you.” He chuckled. “Yes, there is a pivotal role for you to play in that plan, which we’ll discuss after taking care of your father. He’s quite the fan of a little theatrics.”

I nodded, at a loss for words. “This is it, Ren!” Rose exclaimed. “This is what we need to blackmail him! Or, forget that, if we can get out of here with father tonight and report this plot, then they’ll probably not kill us and we can be out of here!”

“And with your magic,” Hector continued, “we will great use of you as a spy; changing clothes can be quite handy, as well as flying, as Christopher briefed me about the fight with the dragons and the trip. He said you could hold your own in an escape, even if you didn’t leave them.”

I didn’t realize that Christopher had speculated upon what happened. I didn’t know if I would have left them, run, or rather fly, away and make a break for it when we all thought it was the end. I don’t think I would have surprised myself if I had.

“Support for your comrades is admirable, but you shouldn’t hesitate leaving them if the situation is absolutely hopeless.” I baulked at his words, too stunned to argue. “I mean, what would have happened if I hadn’t arrived? You’d a loyal dead man. Frankly, if it wasn’t for you in the group, I’d be exceptionally disappointed in Brontus for his actions as Christopher laid them out.”

I had no idea what to say. There was silence in my mind as Rose didn’t speak to me either, but her rage boiled with mine as we just listened. He couldn’t care less about me outside of my usefulness, and a sacrifice was all about weighing the benefits and deficits that it only would cost him.

“Anyways, that will be all,” he concluded. “You’re excused from the evening lecture. Dismissed.”

I took a step back before turning, my fragile control of my expression at its breaking point.

“Oh, and Ren?” I stopped as he called, turning back to him. “Remember that you can easily be sensed by a powerful mage until you learn mana cloaking.” I didn’t know if that was a useful tip or a threat, so I took it as both. “We’ll be going over private lessons on that tomorrow. Now you’re dismissed.”

I quickly exited, feeling at a loss. An overwhelming feeling of dread and powerlessness hung over my soul. Rose, what are we going to do? I thought as I walked back to my room, taking advantage of the fact that I seemed to be excused from the evening lecture just for the day.

“What do you mean ‘what do we do?’!? We get father out of here!”

That’s easier said than done, I argued back as I puzzled over it. It will have to be at night. We can try to get him out when there are less eyes on him.

“We will have to deal with the fact that we’ll be the main suspects…”

Yeah, I know, I grumbled. She shrunk back, an unpleasant feeling. Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. I’m just… stressed about it. That lying bastard tricked us!

I could feel Rose sighing. “I am, too, of course. But what’s done is done. Now we can only do what we’re able to.”