Published at 12th of June 2026 6:29 am

Chapter 156: Back to school

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I dont walk to applied divination with Ser Terry as I normally do. In fact, I choose to sit with Princep Theodore again. Ser Terry looks I dont know. Disappointed at the decision, and likely assumes Im still mad at him.

Am I? I dont know. I think Im just too tired to think about him. Too tired to know whether his verbal betrayal should still upset me.

Count Vithal is absent, and in her place is one of the graduate students she left in charge of the group last Nalday. They do an okay job, but they dont cover any new concepts. Still, Im certain many in the class appreciate the chance to refresh themselves on more basic concepts. Though of course, Theodore is visibly just as bored as I am. Going so far as to verbally express his disappointment at one point, causing the poor student-teacher to wince as if struck.

He is, however, much delighted when the class is interrupted about ten minutes to the end by the Count flying in through the window, apologizing for her tardiness, but she felt that she should make an appearance since it seems I have the time, now.

Theres a bitter irony in her voice, which causes some distress among the class, but she ignores it in favour of floating to a corner and bidding the substitute to continue the lesson, saying that Itd be disruptive to take over, and this way I can assess your teaching.

The class finishes with her silently staring at the substitute, but its clear her mind is elsewhere. Her gaze far too steady, far too unresponsive to his minor nervous errors made by her presence, for her to be paying attention as she claims. She almost seems like she just has no place else to be.

Once again, I stay behind once class is over to talk to her, though this time completely of my own accord. Itll be risky, and I need to be careful of slipping in knowledge that I shouldnt have, but finding out about the state of the investigation is too vital to let the chance slip by. Especially since she seems like she might be less guarded in the moment than any other I have seen her in.

Has something happened in the investigation? I ask, casting the silent zone spell as I approach, which I had learned just this morning with the lingering traces of Tallow et al.s boon.

She doesnt notice the progress in my casting and gives a little start as she notices me standing there. Oh, Malichi Right, I guess you could say that. In fact, the investigation is over.

You caught the cultist then? I ask, feigning congratulatory excitement as best I can.

She hesitates, then shrugs, eventually seeing no reason to conceal the information now that everything is over. My superiors certainly think so. They ordered me to stop the hunt.

But you dont agree with their assessment? I ask in a practised tone, which Allan has assessed as adequately innocent.

I maybe theyre right. She shrugs. I mean, the divinations are inconclusive, but thats to be expected with all the countering he did in life. But then theres the other strange occurrences that happened that day. Witnesses of mages fighting and beastkin in unrest. But Im being told not to look into that and... Sigh. Maybe I just dont want it to be over. You know, Ive been building them up for so long, trying to understand them. How they could pull that absurd stunt.

The one on the assignment during the first week of class? I ask.

Yeah. The theory isnt that astounding. In fact, weve replicated a few times. But only in training, never in the field. Never when a life was on the line. How could a monster like that bring themselves to trust someone else so completely? Someone whom every divination and other source of intelligence says the cultist didnt even know before? I would never have thought it would have been possible for them. I think I think I thought that when I understood how they did it, then I would understand something about people. But I guess Im not going to find out now.

You werent able to arrest the suspect? I ask, trying to seem like Im probing for more details.

She laughs. We werent even able to kill him. Some random peasants did the job for us I always thought that even if we couldnt capture them, thered be some feature in their physiognomy that would somehow explain everything. Some intensity, perhaps, that would set them apart. But it was just some guy. I mean, how could he survive Caethlon, survive being hunted by me, only to die to some gutter thugs? She looks incredibly dissatisfied. Disappointed and dismayed.

Why is she being so open about all this with me? Perhaps because I am her student, rather than despite of it. I almost get the sense that shes trying to teach me something, though theres an irony to it, whatever it is.

I shrug, trying to come up with a reasonable sounding theory to support the illusion of my death. Perhaps your final ambush was more fatal than you thought?

What? You think I wounded him, and it finally caught up? Dont be silly. Hed have healed anything I did within days if not hours.

I shake my head. No, I mean, perhaps his accomplishments had more to do with his team than you thought. A team of which he was the most visible part, but without which he would be unable to survive. A team which you did successfully kill in that ambush if I remember what you said about it correctly. So, without them, it was only a matter of time before he self-destructed somehow How did he die anyways? All you said was that random thugs got him.

She laughs. You have an interesting way of flattering, Malichi. But I suppose it is comforting to think he died indirectly to my hand after all He died because he was distracted by doing a ritual by himself. He abducted the wrong gang member, and three more came along and killed him while he was too busy performing an anthropomancy ritual.

See, I say, very reasonably. He likely was used to having people watching out for danger while he did that in Caethlon. A habit of carelessness made fatal by your deed.

Maybe, she says, smiling, but wistfully. She deflates a moment later as she takes a seat, staring thoughtfully at the wall. She doesnt seem like shes interested in furthering the conversation, so I consider making my leave when she suddenly turns back to regard me. You know, I never asked why youre so interested in the cultist.

I freeze. Did I overplay things? No. Im certain I expressed no greater interest than would be reasonable. Expected even. So, I shrug. No more than any other, I would think. Its an inherently sensational subject.

She smirks. Yeah, but youre not one for sensationalism, are you Malichi? After all, you made such a point of not wanting to seem like youre one to repeat baseless gossip.

I scrunch my face in confusion. Is she still talking about that time I accidentally revealed military secrets? That doesnt mean I dont want to know about such things. Especially if I can get the information from a reputable source.

Hmm, she smirks. Well, Im certain it was my misunderstanding. Though I did think maybe it had something to do with you living so close to Caethlon.

I hesitate. How much ignorance should I feign here? Probably not much. I dont think shes actually suspicious of me, just lashing out at being denied her chase. But her pseudo suspicions might turn genuine if I behave too oddly. So, I shrug. Well, yes, we did host a few nobles passing through on their way home, and I did hear about the cultist while the insurrection was still ongoing. So, I suppose I had a little bit more interest in the matter than most, having heard about it for longer. But I didnt have any personal stake in the matter like, for instance, Daniel did, if thats what youre thinking.

No? Hm I guess I must have misjudged you then.

In what way? I say, still and unsure what to.

Hard to say. Just a change in how I feel

Moving towards good or ill?

Laterally, she says, deliberately unhelpfully.

Right, I say, still unsure what to. Well, anyways, will the club still be meeting? Given that its subject is now dead?

Hm oh, yeah, I guess. Why not. It should still generate some prestige for those involved, so no reason why theyd stop doing it even if I do.

So you wont be there?

I dont know, Malichi. I havent decided. I might take a break. Just focus on my teaching like Im supposed to. I got chewed out about that this morning, you know. They said I already wasted too much time on this when I have a duty to you little bunnies. I wonder if those souls still rotting in his orchards feel the same way No, I know that was a cheap move. I shouldnt have said that to them. Now theyll think Im being difficult. Stubborn. Cant have that. If theres one thing I need to teach you, Malichi, is to never be stubborn. No, thats not it. Always be stubborn, but never seem stubborn.

I understand, I say, not understanding.

She smiles ironically. Of course. Youre a strange boy, Malichi, but you do understand. She turns to look out the window in a way I take as a dismissal.

Her disquiet has infected me as I walk away. I should be happy Im dead, after all officially at least. Everything I wanted from this absurd development. But I need her to give up the chase, and I cant get a good read on if shell keep on looking in her free time. She doesnt seem to know herself.

It is good to know that there were witnesses to my various fights on the way to the lair, but why did she say they arent being investigated? I suppose theres the hands off policy in the section, but I didnt expect it to resume so quickly after the cultist was allegedly found. Especially not retroactively. Besides, even with the policy fully in force, I didnt think it would cover mages duelling in the street. Fireballs and spheres of total darkness being seen by who knows how many people. And I didnt see anybody see me fight the beastkin, but someone obviously did. Or at least heard it. Yet no further investigation?

This is all going much better than I expected, and I dont like it. Worse, I dont understand it.

Surely its not just a face saving thing? Of wanting the threat to be over quickly so they seem competent in the resolving? Surely theyre not so contemptible as that? If that is the case, though, then I should expect some set of behaviours from them, shouldnt I? They wont announce my death too soon, lest theyre wrong and I strike again. But they wont wait too long either. So, if it is face saving, the announcement will come in a couple of days. If its something else, then

I dont know. It might still come in a couple of days. Theres no way for me to know what unknown motives might prompt.

I stop dead as I see Ser Terry waiting nervously for me in the hall. Oh right him. We argued last time we met, didnt we? What was that even about? It seems so long ago

Sorry, Im not feeling up to do the study group. But um the questions look pretty easy this time. You should be able to handle them.

Oh, um, right, he blushes slightly as he looks away. Hes by himself rather than waiting with the others as is custom.

Maybe he wants to talk to me on his own. Probably about our last encounter. I want to talk about it too. I want to I want I dont know. Im too tired to know. Everything feels changed now, and I dont know what past elements can survive. So I shut him down.

Right, well, Ill see you later then, I say before he can say anything else. I feel him staring at my back as I walk back towards my dorm. Staring in what way, I can only guess or hope.

I see the announcement of my death on the way back, and I have no idea what the timing means.

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