"It's simple, really. I want you to investigate what's happening in this city," Lauren said casually while stirring some sugar into her tea and looking up at Mila. "Mila? Are you enjoying your fruit?"
Mila was sitting on my lap, nodding off with half a grape in her mouth. It took her very little time to fall asleep after we sat down at this little cafe. Apparently, this was one of Lauren's favorite spots, and we had to walk almost all the way back to school just to get here.
"Aww…she's falling asleep," Ren cooed.
"She is indeed," I said while readjusting Mila, so her head was resting on my chest and not snapping forward every few seconds. "Now then…why would I ever do this for you?" I asked.
Lauren gave me a hurt look. "Why not? I'm asking you as a friend. I'm in dire need of assistance, Voker."
"So this isn't an order?"
"Absolutely not. I have no plans of making demands of you, " Lauren said with a warm smile. But she brought a finger to her chin and took a sip of her tea. " Well…anytime soon, that is."
I Ignored the last part of her comment and caught a grape falling out of Mila's mouth and put it into a bowl. "I believe you are missing the point, Lauren. This is clearly a huge issue. I'm a man you've barely known for a few months, yet you trust me to investigate your possible assassins? I'm honored, but doesn't this feel too shady? What if I'm helping them? And what about your personal guards?"
Lauren scoffed and wagged her eyebrows at her sister. "You hear him? All of a sudden, the man holding a sleeping child he just met wants to play the bad guy," Lauren said with a giggle which Ren returned.
Ren looked up at me. "Voker, we know you aren't involved. It would be nearly impossible, and if you were out to kill us…you could have killed me on multiple occasions. Even Sylvia could have let us die during the dungeon test."
Well…that's true, but still. I don't want to give in just yet.
"You say that, but what if we are just trying to get close?" I argued.
Lauren scoffed at me and started laughing. "You? Getting close to us? If you really are an assassin, you are doing a terrible job as I've given you multiple opportunities to get close, Voker." Then she winked at me. "And none of those invitations have expired," Lauren said slowly.
Ren poked Lauren in the side, eliciting a squeal from her. She was about to protest when Ren gave her the stink eye. "We are here for his help. Can't you just wait?"
Lauren rubbed her side. "Fine, fine… listen, Voker, I've read all the reports. And when I say all, I mean all the reports. I'm very aware and confident of what kind of person you are."
"You've been keeping tabs on me?" I asked, trying to sound slightly annoyed.
Lauren gave me a coy smile. "You are terrible at faking your emotions, Voker. Stick to being yourself, please. I much prefer the dense kind-hearted man compared to the faux… whatever you are trying to do. And, of course, I have been keeping tabs on you. Everyone has, and I'm sure you've noticed."
Ouch…am I really that bad at this? Or is she just that observant.
"So you want me to find people you can't even prove to exist? I'm a capable person sometimes, but I can't do the impossible," I told her. "I'm going to need some information."
A serious air seemed to claim Lauren as she looked me directly in the eyes. "Which I will supply once we return to our dorms. Listen, you may not be aware of this as I've gone to great lengths to cover it up, but this is not the first or even second instance of failed assassination plots against me."
"There were more?" I asked, surprised.
I haven't heard anything. When I came to this school, Lauren and Ren appeared to be living rather normally. Their guards were on the lax side of things, and the pair didn't seem all that concerned.
Lauren clinked her glass with a spoon. "Indeed…there have been a handful. All of them failed, of course. Most never even reached my front door, yet all the assassins escaped capture somehow."
"All of your assassins have managed to escape?" I muttered.
Ren gave me a regretful look. "Yes…even the one we managed to apprehend escaped captivity somehow. I have failed many times." Lauren gave her sister a reassuring side hug.
Lauren turned back to me and let out an annoyed scoff while taking a large gulp of her tea. Very unlike her, or maybe it was very like her. "Somebody with power is pulling the strings, and with this new information about the Chapter of Despair being involved, I'm afraid I can not wait. Something must be done."
"What does the chapter being involved change? Just another element, right?" I questioned.
Lauren rolled her eyes, and her knuckles went white from gripping the table so hard. "Hardly," she spat. "My idiotic brother can play his games. Send his lackeys to take my life all he wants. But I can not allow him to conspire with mercenaries like the Chapter of Despair. He would tarnish our pride and name for petty gains, and dealing with those horrible men is bad for everyone. I swear I'm going to cut his balls—"
Ren let out a groan and covered her face with her hand. "Not now…Lauren…"
Lauren let out a little giggle. "Oopsies…"
"So that's why you don't want your guards involved…you don't know who to trust. You want somebody disposable," I said with a sigh.
Lauren gave me another hurt look and Ren winced. "No! That's not why…we…we can trust you, Voker."
I grunted and stared off into the distance. "I see. So you believe your brother is involved? What about the traitors from Brax who have infiltrated your circles? Are you hunting them down?"
"My brother is most definitely involved. And the traitors are…difficult to find. If they have survived this long, they must be doing something right. We are going over the archives to find any connections some may have to Brax, but it is proving difficult as most of it was destroyed," Lauren told me.
"But aren't there nobles who you know were connected to Brax? Surely they are being investigated?" I argued.
"They are," Lauren said while beckoning a waitress for more tea. "But we have found nothing so far indicating they are committing or have committed any wrongdoings. If you want my honest opinion…the people doing this are the ones my father missed thirty years ago, not the ones who swore loyalty to my mother."
I see…a valid point.
I felt Ren's gaze weigh heavily on me, but I soon realized she wasn't looking at me but Mila. She had a dopey smile on her face when I caught her. "I uh…Voker…I…can I…can I hold Mila?" Ren stammered out.
"Sure, why not," I said.
Ren stood up from her chair with one quick motion and was by my side in an instant. I made sure to hand Mila over to her carefully, but it mattered little. Mila was sleeping like a rock, and the drool running down her face was plain to see.
Ren sat down back in her chair with Mila in her lap as she smiled blissfully into the air. Ren let out some weird noises while she caressed Mila's ears. "So soft…ehehehe."
Mmm…maybe this was a mistake.
I readjusted myself now that I had some more freedom in my sitting arrangement. "So I have to ask you something, Lauren. If I do find out your brother is involved, do you want me to kill him?"
I could hear the needle drop as Ren stopped petting Mila and looked at me with a horrified look. However, Lauren returned my gaze with a somber expression. "If he were to disappear accidentally in the middle of a heated battle with traitors, he would hardly be missed. We stopped being brother and sister years ago," Lauren said with a cold, toneless voice.
Ren looked like she wanted to argue, to defend her brother. But she just bit her tongue and remained silent. "I understand. But there was no need for all of this," I said.
Lauren cocked her head and gave me a confused look. "What? I don't understand? What do you mean?"
I stood up from my chair and rolled my shoulders. "I already planned on doing something about this. Just know that your blessing has sealed the deal. I just hope you don't regret my methods, and when the time comes…I expect your full cooperation."
Mmm, that's right. I didn't need Lauren's approval or anyone's, really. If somebody found the Chapter of Despair before me using my information, then so be it. But if they didn't.
I would handle it.
Lauren's eyes went wide as she looked at me in disbelief. A long silence stretched on as she tried to decipher what I said. Instead of a smile or anything really, Lauren maintained a natural expression. "You have my word, Voker."
"Let's hope your word is good enough," I told her. "Anyway, I need to claim a favor already. Are you busy tomorrow night?"
Ren's jaw dropped and Lauren's surprised face returned. "Busy?! For you, I'm never busy, Voker? Shall we—"
"I just need a babysitter for Mila. I'm sure you two can handle that much," I said warmly.
Ren let out a satisfied sigh, and Lauren's face went rigid. "Baby…sitter…" she hissed. Lauren pointed a finger at me. "You almost had me!'
I'm sure I did.
—
"Voker…can we please just do this... I don't know…during the day?" Sylvia pleaded.
I turned around, and although she couldn't see my face, I just raised an annoyed eyebrow at her. "You wanted to come. You knew it was going to be like this. I even warned you."
She tugged on my shirt and looked around nervously. "I know that! I just…well…doesn't mean I have to like it…" she grumbled.
That was kind of adorable. Not every day do I get to see this version of Sylvia.
"You can always turn around. It's not too late," I told her.
She turned me around and gave me a light push. "Just keep going and shut up."
That was the plan.
It's been so long that I've almost forgotten Sylvia is afraid of the dark. In the dungeon, she adapted out of pure necessity for survival. And it's a little funny and sad since Sylvia can apparently see in the dark even better than me. Finally, however, it appears her old fear has managed to claw its way back as Sylvia gripped the ever-living hell out of my back.
I feel like she is going to flay me with her fingers…
"You know you never really did tell me why you are afraid of the dark," I asked idly while wading through the dark and dank sewers.
"Is this really the time to be talking about this?" Sylvia hissed.
"I mean, sure, why not. It's not like somebody is going to hear us as long as we…oh…I don't know…are not shouting?" I said playfully.
I looked over my shoulder, and Sylvia immediately turned away from me. "Shut up…" she said weakly.
I couldn't stop the light chuckle. Feels like old times.
Sylvia jabbed me in the side slightly. "Will you stop laughing at me? How about I lock you in a stone box for hours and see how you like it!"
"Ah, so that's what happened? Mmmm, I've been in something similar before. It wasn't fun," I told her.
"You have?" Sylvia asked.
"Mhm…" I hummed.
Does having your legs crushed to a Panther Dropship and being stuck in the troop compartment after crash landing count? Or maybe dropping in from orbit in a metal coffin? Probably.
Sylvia kicked a loose rock and let out a low grumble. "Why are we trudging around in this filth…can't we investigate from the surface…like civilized people?"
"Because if I were a traitorous noble, this would be the best place to move about," I told her. "If you don't want—"
"I want to be here. So stop suggesting that I leave," Sylvia said pointedly.
Man…this really is like the good old days.
It was the day after the parade, and the festival was still booming. It would continue for another five days. Five days of partying, drinking, and in our case, scheming.
I did have to agree that the sewers were hardly an enjoyable place to visit, but this was necessary. The sewers are considered quite dangerous as monsters can often be found rummaging through trash and excrement. However, these monsters tended to be oversized rodents, and, all things considered, they posed little threat to people.
However, like any monster, if the population were to grow to a critical mass, it could threaten peoples' safety. The city hired adventurers to cull the monster population every month or so.
And it just so happens that the culling finished right before the festival.
The city guards also frequently search the sewers for crime but right now, they have their hands full dealing with the festival. This means that currently, this is by far the best time to go into the sewers. These man-made stone tunnels carrying sewage were the perfect travel points for unsavory people as they were secluded, empty, and, most importantly, free from prying eyes.
Even with the festival going on above our heads, the sounds are muffled at best. I was optimistic I could start casting magic down here, and the people above would be none the wiser. There was also one more fundamental reason I wanted to be down here looking rather than above: only nobility would have access to the city plans.
If Lauren and Tsarra's assassins are escaping with ease, they must be using routes people are unfamiliar with. If they stayed above ground, the Royal Gryphon Knights would be able to track them from the air, and in a city this big…it leaves only one real possibility as to where they are going.
But I don't believe they are in the sewers necessarily, no…they are in an even more controlled space.
"Found it," I mumbled.
"Found…oh. What is that?" Sylvia asked, looking over my shoulder.
"A hatch to the underground aqueducts." I took the key Lauren gave me and put it into the massive keyhole. It took quite a bit of force but the key turned and the mechanisms behind the lock began to move.
"Wow…it's kind of like the door to our room," Sylvia pondered.
It is indeed, almost like a small vault door built into the ground. The hatch opened, and I forced it open, revealing a ladder down. "Sylvia, if we run into anyone down here, they are enemies. Understand?"
Sylvia cocked her. "What? But what if they aren't."
"They are. Remember, we may be sticking our necks out into the royal siblings' infighting. If it comes down to it, our innocence will be proven by whoever wins the crown, not by whether we are justified in our actions," I reminded her.
And it may take a few years. I have no intentions of rotting in a cell while Lauren plays queen.
Sylvia's one blue eye hardened behind her mask. "Yeah…I almost forgot that things are like this. I understand."
I closed the latch above us, and we descended down the ladder, deeper into the depths of the city. Well, I descended down…Sylvia was latched onto my back like a baby monkey. I felt the hot blood coursing her limbs as she enhanced herself with Bloody Sorcery and held onto me with an iron grip.
I take it back…she isn't like a baby monkey but an anaconda. But she's so warm and soft…I uh… never mind.
"W—w—what's wrong?" Sylvia stammered.
Ah…it is pitch black in here.
I willed a tiny ball of orange fire into existence just for her. "Nothing is wrong. We are almost to the bottom."
After a few more steps, we touched the ground and were greeted by a giant thick Dwarven Steel door. I opened it using the same key, and it opened wide without even so much as a creak. Sylvia released me and let out a satisfied sigh as her feet touched solid ground again.
Why are you sighing? I'm the one that had to carry you. Then again…I suppose I owe her one, so I'll keep my mouth shut.
I could hear Sylvia sniffing the air. "Smells dark…and moldy."
I joined her in smelling the air and it indeed did smell dark and moldy. The water running through the gray stone was moving quickly, and the passage was narrower here than it was in the sewers. I sighed in disappointment and yanked Sylvia by her hair.
Sylvia looked back at me with a mixture of annoyance and concern in her eye. "Ow—ow ow ow! What are you doing!" she hissed at me.
"Don't stick your hands into the peoples drinking water…" I grumbled.
Sylvia rubbed her head and looked around some more. "It's really clean in here…and it looks so…new."
"I'd hope so. People rely on this water, and it is a fairly new construction. These tunnels aren't even twenty years old," I told her.
The sewers have been in the city for a very long time, probably as long as the city has been standing. But these underground aqueducts are a recent addition and a part of Bowen's many projects. I wiped the sweat from my arm and shrugged.
The temperature was much higher in here, and the humidity was nearing uncomfortable levels, a by-product of the runes keeping the water somewhat warm. Unlike the sewers, the aqueducts were isolated and protected as it was the city's lifeblood and their only source of clean water.
Traps were placed periodically around, and you not only needed to know where the control panels to disable them were, but you also had to have the key. And since the aqueducts were sealed, it meant that even the trickiest of monsters had a difficult time getting in here, and if they did…well the traps aren't biased. And it was here that I was confident the rogue nobles were hiding. Or at least using this place as a means of transportation.
Sylvia kept close as we continued down the walkway, up towards the center of the city. I had a feeling that the reason nobody had found these guys is that they were hiding right under everyone's noses. And there is one district where I'm sure I will find at least something.
I saw the marker for traps, an empty sconce, and looked for the control panel. It was less of a control panel and more like a hidden hole behind a slightly darker brick. I pressed the brick in, revealing a keyhole, and with another turn of the key, the traps in the vicinity would be disabled for twenty minutes.
We made it to a three-way intersection, and Sylvia grabbed my arm. I thought she was afraid again, but I could hear her sniffing the air. "The left tunnel…I smell dry blood. Very old, but it's there."
I looked down the dark tunnel, but I couldn't see anything. "How old? Is it moving? And what kind of blood?"
Sylvia shrugged. "Can't be sure. It's really old, and it's so faint I barely noticed it."
"Well, let's go investigate, shall we?"
I picked up the pace as the two of us ran through the aqueducts towards the smell. Sylvia continued to point out directions as we took multiple twists and turns. I stopped abruptly and stopped Sylvia dead in her tracks as she nearly ran into a new trap area.
I went through the same process of finding the panel, but when I put the key inside of it…no responding mechanisms answered the call to my key. "Why isn't it working?" Sylvia griped.
My eyes went wide, and I looked down the path. "Because somebody already disabled it."
I forced mana into my legs and went into a full sprint. The passing tunnel moved by in a blur, and within moments my ears picked up the faint sounds of someone walking. And it didn't take them long for the echoes of our footfalls to reach them as they too broke out in a full sprint.
I summoned my Cobalt gladius from the ring, and Sylvia removed her silver estoc from hers. A purple light flicked at the end of the dark tunnel and came soaring at me. I dodged to the side easily as the stone wall behind me was obliterated by the spell.
That's the same mage that tried to kill Tsarra and escaped.
Once Sylvia blocked the first spell, the entire tunnel was glowing brightly with purple projectiles, and they were all heading toward us. I was afraid of using fire magic down here, and I knew earth magic was useless against whatever type of magic that was. And my gravity magic wasn't strong enough to protect both of us…
I heard the sound of flesh being cut into, and I looked over to Sylvia, who had just cut her hand open. Blood flowed out of the tiny wound like a dam breaking as an enormous ball of crimson was formed. Sylvia extended her hand, and the ball raced off towards the projectiles. The blood ball expanded into a wave and completely engulfed the enemy's magic.
The blood wave wobbled under Sylvia's command and morphed back into a ball. The mage had continued running, and we wasted no time with the chase. This assassin appeared to be just a mage, as his mana enhancement wasn't up to snuff.
We got into visual range of him, and I could make out the black cloak that I had briefly seen during the time with Tsarra, but he didn't appear to be the same person who was following Ren all those nights ago.
I extended my sword, and yellow lighting licked the blue blade and raced off towards the mage with a loud crack. Sylvia also fired a small barrage of tiny blood spikes toward the assassin, but our spells would never reach him as purple circles appeared in the air.
Our spells hit the magic circles and disappeared into thin air. I wasn't certain what kind of magic the man was using before. But with these weird floating symbols in a circular pattern floating in the air, I knew for sure what type of affinity this was.
An Arcane mage, huh? They can lay traps…crap.
I didn't even sense the spell core as a magic circle appeared on the wall next to my head. I tried to thrust my fire-covered sword through the circle, but before I could manage anything, Sylvia grabbed me around the waist while a sea of dark red blocked my vision. My sword sloshed around in the bloody wall, and for a moment, it felt like I was underwater as the current of blood protected us from the impact of spells. Well…most of them.
Sylvia let out a screech followed by a pained moan. I unsummoned my sword while flicking around to see what had happened to her. A giant gash had been cut into her side, and blood poured out of it. If it were anyone other than Sylvia, this would have been a fatal wound, but the injury was already starting to heal itself off as Sylvia ripped her mask from her face.
"Sylvia wai—"
Sylvia let out another pained scream. No matter how much her body could heal, Sylvia was not immune to pain. "He's dead! HE'S DEAD! THAT HURT!"
The wall of blood morphed away again, and the blood that had poured out from Sylvia flew towards the orb. Sylvia let out a snarl as her limbs pulsed with power and the veins on her neck bulged.
"Sylvia, please, we need him alive! Don't collapse the tunnel either!" I yelled after her.
Sylvia was barely a blur as she ran towards the mage. More purple spells were tossed at Sylvia, but a blood orb expanded in front of Sylvia like a riot shield. The magic circles that appeared around her were engulfed by blood or shot down by blood spikes from her shield. I wanted to help her, but I couldn't keep up with Sylvia when she was at full speed, and I couldn't launch spells since she was in front of me.
It seems Sylvia has been practicing her Blood Sorcery, which is good for her. At least I know why Sylvia has been taking more blood from me recently…I thought she was just growing. And she has somehow managed to get even faster…maybe working out does matter for her.
Sylvia stopped in her tracks and thrust her sword into the ground. A wave of compressed air rolled past her. I increased my gravity and weathered the storm and looked ahead of Sylvia to see the assassin using two hand fans. The wind was coming from those.
A dungeon item, huh? This gust is pretty strong.
Now that Sylvia was stationary and I could see the assassin again, I launched another lightning bolt at him. This time I aimed it low, hoping to clip him in his legs and avoid any Arcane Traps he placed. But it seems his traps were bigger than I anticipated.
A purple ring appeared once more, and then I was blinded by a bright flash of yellow and pink. Sylvia let out another yelp of pain as something hit her, but her yelp was drowned out by the screams of a grown man and rock being crushed.
When I could finally see again, I found the mage with a silver sword through his thigh, and his head bashed into the wall. Sylvia was sprawled out on the ground rubbing her eyes and healing the fingers she had lost from another trap, screaming her head off during the process. She must have just powered through the spell and rushed him.
That is…never going to be pleasant.
Watching Sylvia's healing magic in real-time used to be fascinating, but now not so much. Watching her fingers regrow and hearing her screech like this didn't make me feel any better either.
I thought Sylvia had pulverized the mage's brain, but he was breathing, albeit barely. Since I couldn't save his life, I just had to wait for Sylvia to finish her fit and self-healing session.
The Vampire rolled off the ground with teary hateful crimson eyes as she glared at the man. Pain was written all over her face, and I could tell she was about to do something regrettable at that moment. I had seen that look a few times in my lives.
I grabbed her by the shoulders, and she immediately thrashed about but stopped once she looked up at me. "Relax. Thank you for protecting me. You purposely increased the amount of blood on my side, didn't you?"
The light seems to have come back on in Sylvia's crimson eyes. The pain and anger subsided, and she nodded meekly at my words as a few more tears leaked from her eyes. I let go of her, and she relaxed immediately, the tension flowing out from her body.
That's right. Sylvia is doing this for Mila and me. She isn't trained, nor has she gone through what I have. Sylvia used to be a regular girl…
"Can you heal that bastard and lock his body down? I won't waste any time getting the information I need. You should probably walk away for a bit as well…I can handle this alone."
No point in having her watch.
Sylvia wiped the tears from her eyes. "Yeah…I can do that."
—
Sylvia let out a giggle and looked up at me. "Look at her! She is walking so much better already!"
Sylvia was guiding Mila from underneath her arms and assisting her in walking much like you would a toddler. Mila had a serious expression as she stuck her tongue out and tried to walk a little faster than she usually did. I also had been helping Mila regain some of the strength in her legs by having her press into my hands along with some other exercises. It would be some time before she could walk normally but…baby steps.
"You're doing a great job, Mila," I told her.
Mila flashed me a goofy smile and then immediately collapsed as her legs gave out. Sylvia scooped her up before hitting the ground and placed her on the couch. "How was your bath?" Sylvia asked me casually.
"Fine," I said while rubbing my damp hair. "It's going to take me a few days to get this sewer stench off of me though..." I groaned.
My interrogation of the assassin went smoothly as I just used another Obedience Collar to get the information out of him. It bothered me to resort to such tactics, but I felt little pity for these scumbags. And in typical paid assassin fashion, he knew little. He couldn't identify his employer. However, him being an assassin meant he was cautious, cautious enough to track someone and find a base of operations.
And who would have guessed…it was in the Old Noble's district. I'll be investigating it tonight. I also didn't tell Lauren, which Sylvia is not happy with.
I had let Sylvia shower first before picking up Mila from Ren and Lauren. Apparently, Mila had sat in a chair the entire time and not budged, only accepting food from Ren and refusing to speak to them. But once Sylvia opened the door Mila had rolled out of her chair and tried to walk straight toward her. Sylvia described it as being incredibly adorable...and sad.
And I had to agree with her. Although I accepted to do this…I…have doubts still. I feel like I can do it because Sylvia told me I could, but…I'm just not sure sometimes. Something is just gnawing away at the back of my head.
Mila extended her arms at me, which was quickly becoming the signal for her to be picked up. I wasn't a fan of non-verbal communication as it was always better to speak your desires rather than using vague hand gestures… especially for a child as old as her. But I couldn't fix everything in such a short amount of time. I'm not a god.
I obliged Mila as I did feel some semblance of regret for leaving her with unfamiliar people, but I had little choice. I couldn't leave her here alone after all. I looked into her deep dark blue eyes, and I felt a pang of regret as I sat down on the couch with her in my arms.
Here I was…doing dangerous things…I mean, they needed to be done, but I still felt bad about doing them when I was supposed to be helping Mila. This just needs to all go away but…what if it never does?
"What's wrong, Daddy?" Mila asked me with concern, her little tail swooshing back and forth. Mila was looking at me with a pure innocence she never showed anyone as far as I knew. I was the only person she looked up to, and it hurt.
My heart sank in my chest, and I felt like someone smacked me in my ears, causing them to ring. A wave of emotions assaulted me. I felt regret. Failure. Sorrow and a sense of deep sadness.
My hearing returned slowly, and Mila looked at me with teary eyes as she pounded my chest with her tiny hands. I stopped her and wiped the tears from her face with my thumb. "I'm sorry, Mila."
"Sorry? Why?" she muttered in between small sobs.
It seems I've upset her…perhaps she sensed something was wrong with me? Sylvia was just sitting idly by with her hands held to her chest and her eyes closed.
I gave Mila a second to calm down and made sure I was making direct eye contact with her…well…through my mask anyway. I wanted to take it off and show her who I was but there was no point in endangering her even more. The less she knew, the better.
"Mila, are you sure about this? I want—"
Mila let out a small screech. "I am sure! I am sure! Please don—"
I stopped her and gently rested my hand on her head. I gave her little ears a soft flick, and she let out a muffled whimper and calmed down. "Mila. Listen to me and don't interrupt me, okay?"
She didn't look pleased with me, but she nodded her head to my words. "I just want to make sure that this is what you want, Mila. I want you to understand that…I am going to make you cry someday…a lot, probably. I'll let you down a bunch, and I may be the worst father in the world to you. I'm…not the best person in the world either…I do bad things sometimes, and I will probably not stop any time soon. This will put you in danger and make life very hard on you. So…I hope you are understanding me, and I want to know…are you sure about this? Is this what you want, Mila?"
Mila blinked a few times as new tears filled her eyes. She didn't say anything as she just let her body fall into me and gave me a hug. "Yes! Yes! Don't go! Don't…leave me…ever…" she said slowly.
The mixed emotions swirled around in my heart and mind. I felt elated…confident…sad…anxious…all of it really. This was…too much for me but…her mind is made up. And so is mine.
I ran my hand through her short hair and hugged her back. "Okay, Mila…I'll do my best…for the both of us."
Mila didn't end up letting go of me as she cried herself to sleep again in my lap. It was a different type of crying this time…this one felt more…happy…in a way. Or maybe I was just seeing something that wasn't really there.
It appears I can't stop making little girls cry…perhaps this is my true curse.
I looked over to Silvia, and I could tell she was smiling behind her mask as her ears were fluttering again. "By the way…did Lauren or Ren say anything to you when you picked up Mila? Like what we were doing and if we found anything?"
I knew at that moment Sylvia's grin grew wider. "Oh, we didn't speak much, but I would pay a thousand gold to have the look on Lauren's face painted when she saw me coming to pick up Mila. Or when Mila came running over to me instead of her," she snickered.
I sighed. "So…I take it you didn't actually make up with Lauren…or say anything to her at all?"
Sylvia scoffed and crossed her legs over each other. "There is nothing to 'make up.' Lauren and I have a fundamental disagreement on things, and we will never see eye to eye, which is fine by me." Then Sylvia glared at me. "But…I didn't tell her anything because you told me not to. And even though I disagree with Lauren, that doesn't mean she is useless…why not tell her what we learned?"
"We will, eventually. There are still rogue elements in the nobility. If Lauren were to leak information even by accident, then some of them may get away. However, I imagine the festival is going to provide cover for them to attempt something again anyway," I told her.
"So we don't care about rogue nobles, or do we? I thought we only cared about the Chapter of Despair," she argued.
"I know that, but these nobles will lead me to them," I argued back.
She sighed. "Okay then..well, you can ask Lauren for backup…wait a second," Sylvia narrowed her eye at me. "You…you are planning to go to that place tonight!"
Mila stirred in my lap and I shushed Sylvia. Sylvia's ears flattened to her head as she sat back down. "Sorry…"
"But yes. I am planning on going tonight. I figured I'd get the lay of the area and strike tomorrow," I said.
"Wait? That's so soon…don't we need a little bit more time?" Sylvia asked me.
"About that…give me a second."
I picked Mila up and went to lay her down in her new room. Our dorm has three bedrooms, but we have only been occupying two, with the third being used as storage. I cleaned it out recently, and despite all the hassle and busy times, Bowen managed to secure us two new beds.
Mila has had another accident since the first time, but it's okay. It's regrettable, but that is something that can only change with time and some healing. I just hope I can do it.
Sylvia was waiting for me at the door, and she did not look pleased. However, once I shut the door behind me, her mask came off instantly. "About what, Voker? You…you are about to say something stupid! I just know it from the sound of your voice!"
"Sylvia…relax, please…but I must admit…you won't like what I'm about to say," I told her.
Sylvia scowled at me, but she allowed me to guide her back to the couches. Instead of sitting across from me she sat directly next to me and turned her body towards me, looking at me expectantly.
"Listen. I need you to stay here with Mila and watch over her," I said slowly.
The frustration on Sylvia's face disappeared, and she gave me a blank look. I looked down, and she was squeezing the couch so hard she popped a hole through it with her fingers.
"After all this time…" Sylvia's voice was shaking with anger.
"Sylvia, wait, please let me expl—"
She grabbed me by the collar, and tears poured out of her eyes. "After all this time, you still don't trust me! What do I need to do to show you that I can handle this! Why! Why are you not letting me help you!" she shouted while shaking me.
Her body was quivering, and the grip on my collar was increasing, as were the tears. I felt a pang of regret, and I knew I should have articulated this better…but I also knew she wouldn't like it either way.
Sylvia was capable. And I trusted her with my life. But there were some things I was better at, and being stealthy was one of those things. I wasn't the best at it but…I knew how to be effective in an operation like this. I know we promised to help each other grow, but I don't have time to instill fifteen years' worth of training in her. It was also my own selfishness and fear… I didn't want her to see what I was about to do.
And there was also a new essential factor to consider.
I grabbed Sylvia's hands with my own, and I felt the smile creeping on my face. Perhaps this wasn't the time to be smiling, but I felt oddly happy for some reason. "Sylvia, I trust you. I trust you more than anyone in the world. And it is because I trust you that I need you here to protect Mila. Nobody else can do it. I need you to do it. When that assassin doesn't check in soon, these bastards are going to know something is up, so I'll have to make a move. And I am sure…no, positive, that the man who enslaved Mila and me is not going to be at that place. If anything, he and that Vampire know I am here, and they may be looking for an opportunity to strike at me. And for that…I need you to protect Mila."
Tears continued to roll down Sylvia's face as she wiped them away. "That's…not fair! You can't tell me that…" she said weakly.
I chuckled while helping her wipe the tears away. "Yeah…I know. But you did agree to help me raise her, right? So I need your help protecting her as well. If Alnwar does come for Mila, he may just try and kill her for sport. If our positions are swapped, I can't heal Mila as you can. You can even protect her far better than I can while still fighting."
"I know that…so stop making sense," she grumbled. Sylvia just sprawled out on my lap and let out a yawn. "Fine…you want to go do whatever it is you have to do…you have to wait till I fall asleep."
"Fine by me," I told her.
It pained me to do it but…after this…Kaladin was going to have to take a nap for a little while.