Chapter 961: Not a Compliment

Vivian shook her head as she sank back into her chair. She genuinely couldn’t remember the last time she’d been treated so… casually.

Well, she could. It was actually quite easy. But she couldn’t remember the last time she’d been treated so casually by someone that wasn’t somehow related to Noah in one manner or another.

Showing up and telling me, to my face, that I now have to pretend that he is my second ex-husband… the absolute gall of that man.

The corner of her lips twitched. It was ever so slightly funny. The Apostles somehow buying Noah’s ridiculous story was actually slightly more embarrassing than being a part of it. At least she could come clean when all was said and done and mock the idiots for falling for such an obvious ploy.

Their reputation would never get a chance to recover.

Then again, Vivian wasn’t quite planning on letting much of anything about them recover when all was said and done. The amusement fell away from her features as her lips thinned and her eyes narrowed. The Apostles were working with the Truthseekers.

That was unforgivable.

There was a time when their Prophet actually had a few shreds of honor about him. He assigned Garina to watch over Arbalest for a reason. What happened to him? That man never would have worked with Orlen’s crazed zealots.

Vivian’s finger tapped on the armrest of her chair. It still felt like she was seriously missing something. But that did tend to be the case when it came to dealing with the Truthseekers. Figuring out what an opponent was going for was impossible when the opponent themselves didn’t have the faintest damn clue.

I’d take a clever enemy over a mad one at this point. Unfortunately, everyone seems to be completely insane as of late. Damn Orlen. Every time his crazed little followers rear their heads, everyone gets dragged down to their level of idiocy.

Vivian glanced over at the bottle of alcohol on her table. It really wasn't the best time to go for a drink, but it was looking pretty inviting right about now. And it wasn’t like she’d actually get drunk. A spirit strong enough to actually influence her senses was so rare that it was practically impossible to find, much less buy.

That wasn’t to say she didn’t have anything capable of it. Those particular bottles just weren’t the ones she could afford to entertain while the tournament was going on. She couldn’t let her senses get addled right now. Not when there were so many different people all vying for ways to use all the chaos to their advantage.

Vivian huffed and leaned back, letting herself relax slightly even as her senses swept over the city. At least things were starting to straighten out. Noah had managed to actually do what he’d said he would. That was, especially as of late, a rare trait.

All I have to do is lay the right bait for the Apostles and prove to the other Faction Heads that they’re with the Truthseekers. Undeniable proof will force them all to stand aside as I deal with a thorn that has been in my side for years.

And that was sure to force a few more hands as well. Vivian had no doubt that there was a good chance that at least one of the Faction Heads was probably helping the Truthseekers — either directly or indirectly. It was unlikely that the Apostles were acting entirely on their own. Enemies would become enemies when there was a common goal.

But nobody will be able to do anything if the Apostles’ support of the Truthseekers becomes public. The Rules are a double-edged sword.

A small smile pulled across Vivian’s lips. She could already envision a number of ways to invite the Apostles into making a misstep. But those would all wait for the next day. Tonight, all she had to do was relax, keep an eye on Aqua Terra, and—

There was someone in her room.

Vivian’s eye twitched.

Her head snapped forward.

Standing before her was a short demon that hadn’t been there a second ago. She had long, glistening silver hair that ran down to her feet and wore a white ceramic mask with a single blue eye painted across its surface.

“You have chosen a very bad time to bother me,” Vivian said, leaning forward as her eyes narrowed. “And why is it that every fool who finds themselves in possession of a method to travel through Aqua Terra immediately decides to use it to deposit themselves within my room?”

Stolen from NovelPhoenix, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“It was not under my own power that I arrived here,” the demon said. “Your acquaintance brought me. I believed it was about time we spoke and made such clear to her.”

Vivian let her domain sweep over the demon. They weren’t weak. A Rank 7, seemingly with a single Rune. It had probably been combined fairly recently, but the quality was up there.

Someone like this was nowhere near strong enough to pose her a threat under normal circumstances. They also shouldn’t have been stupid enough to try and break into her room. Especially not alone.

The fact she got here without hitting my defenses does mean she either has powers similar to Noah’s or Maria sent her. But… why?

“At this hour? Without showing up alongside you?”

“I made it very clear that this conversation would be best kept between the two of us,” the demon replied with a small shrug. “It appears that my words were convincing. And we share an ally. Perhaps that made my words more convincing.”

“Who?” Vivian asked with a sinking feeling. She got the feeling that she already—

“Noah,” the demon replied. “But you already knew that, didn’t you?”

Vivian sighed. “Of course. Who are you and what do you want? And could you not have decided to show up at a slightly better time?”

“I am Yoru,” the demon replied. “And, trust me. This is the best time. All the others would have been considerably worse. You’ll be much too busy.”

There was a little bit too much confidence in the demon’s voice for Vivian’s liking. Her eyes narrowed. The only people who ever spoke like this…

“Let me guess. You use a Future Rune of some sort,” Vivian said flatly.

“Very good,” Yoru said.

The worst. I fucking hate these guys.

“Somehow, that’s made me want to speak with you even less,” Vivian said. “I assume your Rune has already informed you that I am not in a good mood and quite liable to squash you from existence for bothering me. Your kind never accomplish anything good. Everyone who thinks they control the future just ends up finding out that there are other people who control it just as equally. And when everyone can control the future, nobody does. Your version of events never ends up happening the way you think it does.”

“That depends on how you approach it,” Yoru replied.

“Would you believe I’ve heard that practically every time I’ve spoken with one of you?” Vivian asked. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and leaned back. “It’s too bad you can’t see the past, or you’d know how many of the ones I spoke with are still around.”

“Perhaps they relied too heavily upon their rune,” Yoru said.

Vivian blinked.

That was odd.

Odder than the presence of the demon herself.

Vivian had met quite a few different people that used some flavor of a Future Rune. They were, invariably, as powerful as they were arrogant. And not one of them had ever even considered the possibility that they were using their rune as a crutch. This was the first time she’d seen one of them even hint at using their abilities in a more conservative manner.

“Just tell me why you’re here, so I know what to scold my acquaintance about tomorrow,” Vivian said, watching Yoru warily. She kept her magic at the ready even though there didn’t seem to be anyone else in the area. She was fairly certain this wasn’t meant to be an ambush. That didn’t mean it couldn’t be.

“I am here to offer you this,” Yoru replied. She pulled a sealed letter out of her pocket and held it out. “I have written instructions, as well as a list of names, on this paper. Some people will go missing. Perhaps mid-fight for a few of them. It will be best that you go with whatever story finds itself circulating about their disappearance.”

“And why would I do that?” Vivian asked. She leaned forward, a dangerous glint entering her eyes, but made no move to take the letter. “Because it sounds like you’re telling me that you plan to interfere with my tournament.”

“I am not planning any interference at this point,” Yoru said. “That will happen without me. Our interests for what occurs in the fallout just happen to align. That is all.”

“And what exactly do you believe will happen?” Vivian asked.

“The Apostles will receive a piece of information that they have been waiting for. They will make their move. So will the others,” Yoru said. “I do not know exactly how it will play out. You were not entirely incorrect in your analysis. I have learned that the future cannot be exactly controlled. But the Truthseekers have someone that can witness with the future as well. That will make them very confident. And, as such, the best thing to do is what they absolutely cannot comprehend.”

“Which is?” Vivian asked.

Yoru waggled the letter.

Vivian flicked her hand. The letter flew from the demon’s hand and into her own, unfolding itself. Her eyes flicked over its contents.

Then she paused.

Her gaze lifted to Yoru a second later.

“You’re serious?” Vivian asked.

“Quite,” Yoru replied.

“The sheer gall to ask for—”

“It is better than the alternative,” Yoru said. “And any other option will most likely result in a path that neither of us want. I believe I have detailed the events of tomorrow morning as closely as I dare put to writing. Do you really think you can deal with that?”

Vivian looked back to the paper. She stared at it for another few seconds. Her jaw clenched.

If Yoru was right…

“Very well,” Vivian said. She folded the paper up. “You’ve certainly got my attention. I’ll consider your request. But if you think you can blackmail me so easily, you are sorely mistaken. But I can say without any fear that someone with as much audacity as you is definitely one of Noah’s allies.”

“Thank you,” Yoru said.

“It was not a compliment,” Vivian replied. She pointed to the wall, which rippled. A doorway formed in the stone. “Get out of my room.”

“With pleasure,” Yoru said. And, for a moment, Vivian could have swore she heard a smile in the demon’s voice. “See you tomorrow.”