The Great War: Chapter 43
Securing a future
“So you think he might be another one?” Ezra inquires.
Samuel folds his arms and nods confidently. “I believe so.”
Devin shadows the two wizards with pursed lips, somewhat lost in his own thoughts. While they had been waiting for Ezra’s arrival, Devin had done some information gathering.
They weren’t the only ones visiting Mathew.
“Let’s not talk about it too much,” Samuel warns, nodding his head to the crowd of beings around them. They carve a path through the busy beings of Ica, curious stares landing on the prince as he casually waltzes out in the open for the first time in a long while. But with Devin around, the crowd doesn’t linger around them too long.
“Oh, right,” Ezra chuckles sheepishly. “Sorry.”
Samuel turns his head to smile back at the Creationist. And it’s not a weak smile, either, but one of ease. “You’ll learn soon enough. That’s what I’ve always been told, at least.”
It’s not often that Samuel smiles like this around others. “It’s not prince-like,” he always overheard the king say.
He drums his fingers on the side of his leg. Not the best time to be thinking of the late monarch. His spirit has been haunting them for a while now, a cold pocket of air with a sharp gaze. Even now, Devin can feel the spirit’s sternness befall the trio, yet the other two remain unbothered by the neck-tingling sensation.
His thoughts jump to the next item on his mental list: the Spirit’s list. They now have the first four lines, assuming Mathew will take the offer. “The demon dealer, a devoted healer, and the wizard who knows everything about you” are all that’s left.
“Who else has been visiting that being?” he had asked one of the healers earlier.
“Some woman in red,” the healer replied with a shrug. “Sorry, I wasn’t paying them too much attention. Some other being was keeping guard…”
“What other being?”
“Seemed like a Cryomancer to me. Big build with a burn scar covering the left half of his face.”
Others told a similar story, which is all he needed to hear. There’s only one being on Korodon with a burn scar like how it was described. He even met this individual on a small handful of occasions.
No being ever said that being the king’s advisor was a pure and innocent job.
But he rather wait for Mathew to make his move before presenting any further ideas to Samuel. But if he’s right, which Devin is confident that he is, he might already know who “the demon dealer” is, and he’s not looking forward to dealing with her.
But as for the last two lines, he’s stumped. There are a good number of healers on Korodon who are extremely devoted to their practice. Maybe it’s even in reference to Yumi, the island’s head healer. The options are limited but still many. And an Illusionist that already knows everything about an individual? How would such a feat even be possible? He knows no Illusionist who might even begin to possess that sort of power. If Devin wasn’t already one of the first lines and the Illusionist was some other being, he’d nominate himself as the answer, though even then his own knowledge is limited. He relies too much on other beings to bring him the intel he would need to perfectly fit the line.
Though, as he thinks of all the Illusionists he knows, there’s one that sticks out like a sore thumb: Isaac. That boy has always had an air of mystery to him. And, of course, there’s the fact that he’s been present at some major events recently as well. Once with Ezra, Devin could dismiss as a coincidence. Second on the Erima voyage, Devin more or less ignored. But now with Mathew - Isaac knowing Anya - Devin has to take this as some sort of sign. It might be worth keeping tabs on that wizard for the time being…
“Let’s return to the castle now,” Samuel says to Devin, the prince giving his guard an expectant stare. “I have something I wish to discuss.”
Devin nods once, his gaze snapping back to reality. Without a word, he places his hands on the prince and the Creationist, and with a flash of the throne room passing through his mind, the three are transported back to the royal castle in an instant. Devin’s head throbs with sharp pain as he lifts his hands once more, but he does his best to hide his discomfort.
“The dining room,” Samuel says, gesturing to the dining room doorway nearby. Ezra blinks, clearly confused. So is Devin, though once again his face doesn’t betray it. It’s not meal time yet, is it?
So the three enter the dining room, where the grand table lays empty before them, save for the clean table cloth appearing to have been freshly changed. Samuel stands next to the chair at the head of the table, the one his father used to sit in, appearing hesitant to take his place as he waves for Devin and Ezra to sit.
“I’ve been thinking,” the prince speaks slowly, folding his arms, “that, no matter what happens with Mathew or the rest of the others we have left to find… that… that I’m not fit to be king.”
Devin instantly sits straight, eyes wide with shock. “It’s your duty to-”
“It is what I was told,” Samuel interrupts firmly.
“By who?” Devin demands.
“By the Spirit Himself.”
Still, anger stirs inside Devin’s chest. If Samuel won’t be king, then who will? What will become of their island? What will become of him? To have spent all his life training to advise the ruling royals as his forefathers for nothing…
“You can’t not be king, Samuel,” Ezra nods, his face full of uneasy concern, “no matter what the Spirits say. The disarray it would cause… Transfers of power like that don’t happen overnight.”
Judging by the former librarian’s gaze, he’s most likely thinking of some book that he’s read in the past. While Devin is somewhat relieved to have another being on his side, he doesn’t know how to feel about it being Ezra that’s agreeing with him.
“I’m… aware,” Samuel replies. “I will still be king in the eyes of the public, but that’s not how I want to operate here.”
“How, then?” Devin asks, the question coming out of his mouth much sterner than he wanted it to. Samuel shifts his weight as he eyes his friend cautiously, clearly struck by his tone of voice. It takes him a moment to reorient his thoughts.
“A war council,” Samuel finally replies. “Each one of us generals with a specific task. Naval defense, information gathering, magic training, things like that. All of it is too much for me to handle on my own, so I think passing some of the more specialized responsibilities to others,” he looks at Ezra, “will help us greatly.”
“Me? Specialized?” Ezra stammers with a nervous grin. “I’m just a librarian! What good am I in a war?”
“Well, we’ll need some being to be the record keeper!” Samuel laughs. It’s a strange time to be laughing, but the prince doesn’t seem to care. “And your Blessing can make you a good fit to be a spy.”
Ezra leans back in his chair at the sound of becoming a spy, fear sparking in his eyes. Devin doesn’t blame him for feeling that way, especially with his background.
And yet, still, a pit of nervousness remains in Devin’s gut. Does this mean Samuel will still need him by his side, or will Devin have to take the mantle of Captain of the Guard from his father?
“What am I?” Devin can’t help but ask.
“You’re fine as you are,” Samuel replies with a dismissive hand wave. “A king always needs his personal guard.”
Devin resists the urge to breathe a sigh of relief. For a moment there, he thought he was suddenly out of a job. He can’t imagine what he’d do with himself if he weren’t by Samuel’s side.
“Mathew would be perfect for training seafarers,” Samuel continues on. “And depending on what he knows about the Guardians, it could help us to combat their weaponry.”
Devin can’t help but nod along, slipping back into his own mind. Even if Mathew doesn’t join them, he can still be useful in the information department. Having lived on an Island Destroyer for a period of time, he’s in a unique position to provide them with all kinds of information.
That is, if he isn’t scooped up by “the demon dealer” first.
“I’d like to assign some guards to his resting space,” Devin comments. “Whatever happens, he’s a valuable asset we shouldn’t loose.”
“Do what you wish,” Samuel nods in approval.
“Make sure Anya and Isaac can still visit him, though,” Ezra says.
Devin purses his lips. He’d rather have the guards keep every being out of there except for the three of them in this room. Anya and Isaac are both liabilities, the latter more than the former. And yet…
“Mathew’s all she has,” Ezra adds, pulling his best over-dramatic pleading face. “Please?”
Devin’s face remains as cold as stone, but Samuel lets out a stifled snicker.
“Anya, not Isaac,” Devin replies. “He can stand outside.”
Deflated, Ezra has no other option but to nod back. “Alright.”