Published at 1st of October 2026 8:03 am

Chapter 178: Much movement with little sustenance

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Arranging the chance meeting is simple. The bird I have following him shows that Terry is on his way to the section. No doubt he just finished one of his own finals. I give the professor a cat and have them wait at a teahouse near the gate. As Terry approaches, I have the cat run off, being the signal to the professor, who then saunters through partially shovelled snow. Terry catches up to them and, grateful for his apparent good fortune, respectfully accosts them.

The only thing I didnt account for is the professors acting ability. Its not bad, but I think it would have been obvious to me that they were expecting someone had I been the one to stop them. Fortunately, while Terry does seem a bit suspicious from their tense reactions, its not so bad that he assumes the professor is some agent sent by Bart to distract him. At least he remains undecided for long enough to take them back to the teahouse and talk further. They go to a private room, though not nearly private enough, as I once again manage to land a bird on the windowsill and drop a sensor coin on it.

Fortunately, the fact that the professor is in so far over their head is ironically beneficial, as all the questions they were too much in shock to ask when they met me tumble out in a most convincing way. How do I know Palpika is really dead? Who did it? How? When? The usual w words. A convincing portrayal of someone desperate for information.

Eventually the questions are all asked, and Terry moves to the issue at hand. We think you should leave the city. Well give you whatever help you need.

The professor raises an eyebrow. You dont want to know what I know?

Terry nods somewhat indifferently. We do, but we wont force it. Good enough just to deny you from Vincent. We do hope to become allies with you, but we dont have the means to protect you in the city. As students, we have some limited protection, especially on campus. Our deaths would cause too much of an incident. But you, someone from out of the Empire with no official business? Vincent would certainly take the risk, as he did with your friend Besides, we would need to know what your intention with the orbs is. If your vision is compatible with ours.

They shrug with a light chuckle. Were academics. We just wanted to study them. Maybe safeguard them against those who would use them, if we had to. What about you? What is this vision you speak of? Perhaps I should be more concerned about you than I thought, your good intentioned warnings notwithstanding.

Ah Well, I suppose thats complicated.

You really think that word would dissuade an academic instead of firing their curiosity up even more?

Sigh I guess not. Heh, its funny, you know. All my life I knew thered come a time to gather and use the orbs. But really, when it comes down to it, my idea of what to use them for is rather tepid. Its as much to prevent others from using them as to use them myself Er, actually, how much do you even know about what the orbs do, anyways? I just realized I dont know.

Not much. Just that theyre referenced in several documents spanning from hundreds to thousands of years. Something about a restoration, though of what I do not know.

And you came all this way for that? Terry says wryly.

Heh, Ive come farther for less. It is the lot of an antiquarian. I spend half my time in dusty tomes and the other half on the road looking for more dusty tomes. I would be thankful if you would enlighten me, though. Make all this less of a waste.

Yeah Well, I guess I can say that what the orbs are supposed to restore is a balance between the gods.

They scoff. The gods are imbalanced, then? I suppose theres been war and strife, but as a student of history, I can say its been no more than any other time. Perhaps a bit less even.

Well, lets just say its not particularly imbalanced, but theres always a potential for that to change. The gods, being immortal, can be rather problematic, you see. Because how each one gains power is unique, they gain it at different rates. If left unchecked, some gods will tend to gain dominance over time, and eventually rise too far above the others and be untouchable. The role of the orbs is to sort of nudge the direction of things, so that weaker gods will gain strength faster, stronger gods will slow down and most importantly allow room for new gods to grow.

Thats rather terrifying Youre saying that mortal held artefacts could influence the gods to such an extent?

From what I was taught, the orbs were made by the gods as a means of keeping each other in check. However, because how they are, the orbs must reside in the mortal world and can only be used by mortals. Whether that was intentional, or just a byproduct of their purpose, I dont know.

Huh That doesnt really make sense though.

What do you mean? Terry says, suddenly on guard, as if their doubt might constitute a threat.

Well, youre saying the orbs are necessary to prevent one deity from gaining dominion over all, right? But, gods do go to war with each other, right? If one god became too threatening, then the others will just form a coalition against them, right? Theres been at least three cases of that just in the past hundred years. So, if the gods have a simple way of preventing one of them growing too quickly, why would they make a separate one which gives them less control? One thats in the hands of mortals at that? I mean, if I understand you right, isnt it true that a mortal could just as easily upset the balance as restore it? Why take the risk?

II suppose I havent thought of it like that. Terry stammers, his thoughts whirling, seeking some hold where there is none.

Not a questioning type, are you kid? The professor says in a smug tone that makes my blood boil.

No, Terry says sadly. Perhaps if I was, things wouldnt have fallen apart so badly.

That sounds like a story worth hearing. I hear a chair scraping across the floor which they sit heavily upon, clearly waiting for Terry to offer more of himself.

Part of me wants to hear this, but another wants to wait until hes willing to tell me directly. I feel my cheeks flush at an awareness of myself, leaning on a nearby wall and listening to the secrets of a man whom I have grown so close to. Of someone who I would like to trust and would like to trust me.

Still, I listen on, not knowing if this information might be useful for my own mission.

Terry breathes moderately hard, clearly deciding whether to speak his story. Eventually he decides to tell it. Why, I dont know. If it were me, the only reason I would do so is if I thought it would make them more likely to share their own knowledge. But knowing Terry, he might just want to. And knowing Terry, that will prove to be more beneficial than if he acted calculatingly. Its both annoying and endearing.

His voice is far off, a tension draining as he continues. Im um well, was part of a clan that was charged with concealing and protecting one of the orbs. All my knowledge about them comes from what the elders told us. We were told about how they were made and the cycle theyre a part of. A cycle that I was told all my life would come to term during my own lifetime, for which we must prepare. To not only safeguard our own orb, but seek out the others and perform the ritual to restore harmony. As you say, I never doubted that. I never doubted anything any of the elders said. If I did, I could have stopped one of them from betraying us. We got the orb back in the end, after I killed the traitor, but most of the clan died too. Only mundanes, the very old and the rather young were left. So instead of the task being handled by a group of some of the best knights and mages in the world, its being handled by me, and a handful of other inexperienced, though rater skilled, near children.

I see, the professor says sombrely, Im sorry you went through that.

Heh, so am I Sorry about your friend, too.

Thankyou though I hope you make the ones who killed them even sorrier.

Ill settle for beating them. I hear the smirk in his voice. I hear him shake his head, as if to shake himself from the topic. What were we talking about? Oh, right, what the orbs do. Look, I cant say what does or does not make sense with the gods, but every other source Ive found confirms what my elders said, including two gods. So, Im going to assume they were right for the time being. Regardless, I could use whatever you know, but I wont force you. Either way, I think itll be best for you to leave the city.

All right. Ill help how I can. Theres a sadness to you that I think I can trust. Of course, you are a knight, so who knows what you could pretend. But I choose to believe you anyways. Unfortunately, we dont know much, but I can at least tell you that there should be at least one orb inside the city.

Are you talking about the one in the archmages tomb, or another one? Terry says without hope.

Ah I didnt know the exact location, but yes, thats likely the one. I suppose I should have expected for you to find the easy ones. Unfortunately, I dont have any more definite leads; however, I do have several references that I had hoped to pursue once I got here. Ill give you my notes and leave as you suggest. Is there a way to contact you if my group finds out anything else?

Ill figure out the best way before you go. For now though, just stay here until I can come back with some friends. Oh, and get rid of the hat. The opposition might recognize you by it.

Sigh, I was afraid of that. I was rather fond of it, but oh well. Hurry back, please. Im not particularly adept at combat magic.

Terry makes one glance out the window on the off chance that Bart might have obvious agents tailing him (he doesnt, at least none that I could see (for once Terry made decent efforts to lose his tails)). I keep watch over both him and the professor as he goes, positioning myself to intervene if needed.

Nothing happens though, giving me unwanted time to think and feel. Naturally, Terry gained a new ally by showing some vulnerability. If I did that well, I dont think Id gain friends. I dont know. I just have the feeling that people only like me, such as they do, because of the strength I project.

Terry does a good job getting to the contested inn unobserved (except by me, of course), but messes up when he gets there. Of course, hes in a tricky position. He needs to withdraw his people from the danger zone, but without being too obvious about it. He makes some comment to Carlyle and Clara about it being time for their finals after somewhat subtly passing them a note. The two go off a ways before reading it, then head to Ligryn to presumably reorganize her people.

Unfortunately, they werent nearly as subtle as they hoped, and a handful of Barts agents trail after them. I decide that intervening here will reduce the probability of violence between them, and so stalk each agent one by one and cast a sleep spell on them. I dont sustain it long enough to induce full slumber, but I do make them drowsy enough to lose their quarry.

Unfortunately, this is all the time I have left before my math final, and Im forced to return while Terry is still waiting at the inn for Ligryns response. I naturally keep track of the situation, but I know thered be little I could do if things happen. Fortunately, Ligryns people seem rather competent, and when Terry finally moves, the Team of perhaps a dozen move admirably to cover his exit.

The full group of five manage to convene unseen about halfway through my test. They spend the rest of it discussing how to remove the professor, and eventually come up with a decent enough plan. Bart clearly has sensed something is up, and has moved half of his agents from the inn, but doesnt seem to know what to do with them besides positioning them in a dispersed net throughout the city to respond to any movements.

Meanwhile, Terry moves the professor to an inn near a gate opposite to the one they entered the city by. They spend the night there before trying to leave in the morning. Unfortunately, I have my medicine final when they try to escape, so I cant position myself to help except indirectly with my birds. Fortunately, while there are a few tense moments with the people running distractions, there isnt any direct confrontation, and the professor manages to leave without being the cause of any violence like a dreadful shadow causing much movement but ultimately being of little substance.

A handful of Ligryns people and a couple of the main group who dont have finals now continue their escort well out of the city, then exit range of my tokens about a half hour after that. I leave my birds in place on the road they left by, and an hour later I see the pair return without Ligryns people. Presumably part of the plan, by their demeanour. Not that it really matters so long as theyre safe.

I keep watch until all five return to the safety of the campus. Then I sigh in relief and finally focus on my test. Im a bit behind on time, but Im certain I can catch up now that I dont have any distractions.

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