The Storm King

Chapter 660: Penelope’s Challenge

Despite her intense gaze, Penelope didn’t immediately come over to Leon. Instead, as Leon and his group slowly dispersed into the crowd, with many others coming forward to greet them, Penelope approached Emilie.

Leon didn’t think about the eighth-tier agent of Heaven’s Eye much after that, what with others clamoring for his attention. Though he wasn’t yet officially a part of Heaven’s Eye, many people seemed to take it for a given that he was, and he was forced to endure many more greetings from people whose faces he recognized from their arrival ceremony, and others whom he was only now meeting.

It was tiring and seemingly unending. He had no chances to duck away, or even to just quietly chat with Elise and enjoy the party’s ambience. None of the people coming up to him were particularly long-winded, but every time someone finished their short greeting and went back to mingling, someone else would come up and launch into their own greeting.

If Elise hadn’t been right there with him, practically holding his arm in a vise-grip, preventing him from slipping away, he would’ve considered ducking out for a while to at least get some fresh air. He was sorely tempted to just leave, but everyone who’d come up to him had been unfailingly polite, and no single person outstayed their welcome, so he couldn’t find much reason to complain.

But, finally, everyone who had decided to come and chat for a few minutes with them had done so, and Leon and Elise were given a moment to breathe and collect themselves. Elise, as if sensing his mental fatigue, quietly drew him over to the windows about as far away from anyone else as they could reasonably get in the ballroom.

“So, how are you doing?” she asked him quietly, seemingly thriving in the social atmosphere.

Leon took a deep, steadying breath and answered, “Better than I thought I’d be. Not great, but still… better.”

“That’s good to hear,” Elise replied. “Anyone stand out?”

Leon chuckled and nodded. “The guard commander certainly left an impression…”

The guard commander was a short, rather portly man of the sixth-tier, dressed in magnificent blue silks, with a light blue velvet vest, and black boots that reached his thighs. He was a jolly fellow, too, and he hadn’t seemed to think much of pulling Leon into a tight embrace upon their meeting and laying a pair of kisses on his cheeks. Leon hadn’t seen many people do that in the party, but from those few who did, he guessed this was an intimate greeting mostly reserved for family and close friends.

Still, as much as Leon wasn’t that thrilled about such intimate contact, it was hard to hold that against the guard commander when the man so enthusiastically welcomed Leon and Elise to Ancon, even inviting them to another small get-together he was hosting with the governor in a few days.

“That he did,” Elise replied. “I think he was trying to ‘mark his territory’, so to speak. I’ve heard that he’s been angling to be made the next governor of Ancon when the current governor’s term is up, so he’s been trying to make contacts with powerful people wherever he can.”

Leon quietly cringed a bit, though he wondered just what the requirements for becoming a governor were, given the guard commander’s clear lack of magical strength compared to Apollodorus. “Maybe it’s best if we give his party a pass, then?”

“Absolutely,” Elise replied. “Might give the wrong impression, and we don’t want to be seen supporting him like that.”

“If that would be seen as a sign of support, then why are we here at this party?” Leon asked.

“It’s nothing more than a greeting,” Elise replied. “It’s fine to interact with politicians, but we have to be discerning. Besides, we also have to know our value and attending the party of a guard commander is below us.”

Leon chuckled, but squeezed his eyes shut for a moment in mild shock at what she’d just said. “Well, I’m glad you said it,” he whispered as he pulled her against him in a quick hug.

“You were thinking it, too,” she replied. “So, anyone else?”

Leon nodded, but paused in his answer. “You seem to know quite a bit about the local politics,” he observed.

“I brush up on my local knowledge with reports from everywhere we go,” Elise explained like it was nothing, though Leon hadn’t ever seen her doing that—though, he was often busy training or studying, so it wasn’t like she didn’t have the opportunity to do so without his notice.

“I’m almost tempted to ask you to share next time,” he said.

“Are you really?” Elise responded with playful skepticism.

“Almost.”

Elise laughed, but before she could turn the conversation back to the other partygoers, Leon felt the approach of a powerful mage. Sure enough, he turned his attention back to the rest of the ballroom and saw Penelope making her way over to them, her eyes locked upon him like a shark eyeing prey. She came without attendants, though Leon didn’t doubt that they were somewhere in the crowded ballroom, keeping an eye on their boss but staying out of the way.

“Heads up,” Leon whispered before turning to gaze at the illusion of the forest plastered over the window. This close up, it was clear enough that it was just a projected illusion, but it was impressive nonetheless, with subtle magical fingerprints that he could examine to puzzle out the enchantment making the illusion.

Elise didn’t even turn around to see Penelope approach, she simply took a step back from Leon, which seemed to be some kind of signal that their private conversation was over, for a fifth-tier mage suddenly cut in front of Penelope to approach them. However, his initial greeting was barely out of his mouth before the tall eighth-tier woman brushed against him just hard enough to let her presence be known. The fifth-tier mage looked at her at first in indignation, but as soon as he made eye contact, he seemed to wither, and retreated like a cowed mutt.

Not even addressing what just happened, Penelope said, “Leon Raime, Lady Elise, good to see you two again.”

“Lady Penelope!” Elise replied with enthusiasm. “Oh! It’s only been a few hours, but it’s seemed like so much longer!”

The two women briefly embraced, and then Penelope turned to Leon and cocked her head, as if waiting for something.

Leon, with the awkwardness of someone who hadn’t been doing this his whole life, said, “Lady Penelope… I’m glad we ran into each other here, I was hoping we would get a chance to speak.”

“Did you have a topic in mind?” Penelope asked, her tone still formal and polite, but carried a hint of combativeness that had Leon straining to maintain his smile.

“Nothing specific,” he replied. “Just an exchange of words that might help us be more than just familiar strangers.”

Penelope stared at him for a long moment, and just as Elise was about to break their silence, the Heaven’s Eye agent stated, “I’m not impressed with you, Leon Raime. Not at all.”

Leon blinked in surprise, while Penelope leaned in to whisper something into Elise’s ear. If Leon hadn’t been so taken aback, he might’ve been able to hear what they said to each other, but as it was, after their brief exchange, Elise just gave Penelope a hard look, and then walked away. She didn’t go far, but it was far enough to give Leon and Penelope some small measure of privacy in the increasingly packed ballroom.

Penelope took a breath, clearly intending to speak, but Leon cut her off before she even began.

“I’m curious, Lady Penelope,” Leon said as a trace of iron entered his tone, “why you think your opinion should matter that much to me.”

Penelope’s smile hardened and her eyes narrowed in displeasure. “If you join Heaven’s Eye as you are, then you’ll be placed under my supervision. You would be my subordinate. Just as I answer to the Director, you would then answer to me. My impression of you is very important.”

“You’re in charge of the eighth-tier agents?” Leon asked, though he continued before Penelope could answer. “That’s not the story I was told. I was led to believe that the agents of our power answered directly to the Director, not anyone else.”

“My father,” Penelope shot back in what was a clear threat, “relies upon me to watch over his agents. His ‘Eyes’, and his ‘Hands’, he calls them. We’re not so numerous that there needs to be a large hierarchy or established ranks, but make no mistake, Leon Raime, I am first among equals.”

“Good to learn,” Leon spat through gritted teeth. “Now, what is it about me that you find so unimpressive? I mean, I’m well aware that there’s plenty of things to choose from, but please, satisfy my curiosity and tell me which you find so unimpressive.”

Penelope clicked her tongue, then said, “I’ve spoken with Lady Emilie about you. Your history was one of the most frequent topics we discussed. And in just these couple of minutes, you’ve vindicated my impression of you completely.

“You have no respect for authority. You’re reckless. You’re rude. You’re a child with more power than sense. You would make for a terrible agent of Heaven’s Eye, of that I have no doubt at all. But more than that, I find that your ‘accomplishments’, if they can even be termed as such, to be not numerous enough, nor spectacular enough to warrant a place among the ranks of Heaven’s Eye’s most trusted problem solvers. You’re unimpressive, Leon Raime.”

When Penelope was finished, Leon just stared at her, expecting more than what she’d given. When nothing more came, he blinked in surprise and disappointment.

“What a shame that you don’t like me,” he said with sarcasm dripping from his tone. “I don’t need Heaven’s Eye. I’m going down there for my own reasons, and if you don’t let me join your little club, I won’t mind. Honestly, I won’t. Hells, depending on how quickly we get established and what your daddy might expect of me, then remaining independent is probably the better choice.

“To be frank, Lady Penelope, I’m not that impressed with you, either. If your aura is any indication, your magic isn’t anything special for those of our tier. Your attitude is overbearing, showing you to be just as rude as I am. You’re arrogant, too confident that your power and position make you untouchable. That, I think, will get you killed one day, if you’re not careful.”

“Is that a threat?” Penelope demanded as a wisp of killing intent permeated through her aura.

“I’m still thinking it over,” Leon replied, her killing intent not fazing him at all, “but right now I’m leaning toward ‘yes’.” He then let loose with some killing intent of his own. Their auras began to writhe and roil around each other, subtly wrestling and grappling even as their physical bodies remained almost completely motionless.

Leon wasn’t too surprised to see that his killing intent, as potent as it was, didn’t have much of an effect upon Penelope, but he was more surprised to see that she wasn’t doing much else. Her aura was keeping his away from her body while launching a few forays of her own, but those weren’t getting anywhere. He could push things a little further, but he’d let their little pissing contest escalate about as far as he was comfortable with. When it became clear enough that neither were going to get the upper hand without actually resorting to more direct magical attacks, they both in almost perfect unison, contracted their auras.

During their short spat, they’d attracted some attention, with many of the nearby party guests pausing their conversations to watch with unease. Their killing intent had even dropped the temperature around them far enough that the window right next to them had started to fog up, and a few hints of glittering frost could be seen on its surface.

Just at that moment, though, before either of them could say anything more, a loud voice rang out through the ballroom.

“Now arriving!” the voice declared. “Governor of the Imperial City of Ancon, and all its associated Territories! Representing His Imperial Majesty and the people of the province of Ancon! Apollodorus, son of Agisthenes!”

All attention was seized from Leon and Penelope as the governor entered the room from a modestly-sized yet opulently decorated set of double doors at one end of the ballroom, followed by a dozen others, though none of them were announced.

The governor himself was dressed to impress, having changed from his outfit from that morning, though keeping the color scheme. He wore a massive toga draped about his frame, dyed a bright red, trimmed with gleaming gold, and embroidered with red and pink floral patterns. He kept his left arm raised against his body, holding the toga up, while with his right arm, he waved to everyone in the room. His right arm was covered in golden jewelry, with rings adorning each finger, three different bracelets jingling on his wrists, and armbands almost entirely covering his forearm and bicep. Around his neck was a beautiful, eye-catching golden torc, the ends of which had been set with a pair of enormous rubies that glittered with magical light, making it obvious beyond a shadow of a doubt that they had been enchanted.

“Welcome, everyone!” Apollodorus shouted as he confidently strode into the room. “I can’t express just how delighted I am that all of you were able to find time for my modest little shindig! Please, eat! Drink! And most of all, dance!”

With that, Apollodorus began to make his rounds as the host, visiting everyone to exchange a few words. No one seemed to be taking him on his offer to start dancing, though, so Leon turned his attention back to Penelope.

That distraction had served to cool both of their tempers, but they both still stared at the other with great antipathy.

“Leon Raime,” Penelope said, breaking the silence between them first, “I will not stop my father if he wants to make you one of his Eyes or Hands. I trust that he knows what he’s doing. But I can assure you, that if you’re thinking you can just use Lady Emilie to score a cushy job at Heaven’s Eye, you’re sorely mistaken. I will make damn sure that you earn your keep, no matter what happens.”

With that, Penelope turned around and walked away, not even waiting for Leon to respond. It irked him, letting her get the last word, but he wasn’t so petty as to shout after her—besides, he was already kicking himself for letting her get a rise out of him so easily, and he knew that letting things go for the moment was the better thing to do. He just stared at her retreating form for a couple of seconds before looking back to Elise. His wife had been watching them this whole time, and while she still had a look of concern on her face, it wasn’t nearly as pronounced as it was just a moment ago.

“Is everything all right, husband?” Elise asked, clearly worried.

“Yes. No. I suppose it depends,” Leon unhelpfully replied.

“You sure know how to quiet my anxieties,” Elise remarked, forcing herself to take on a more joking tone.

“Sorry,” Leon genuinely replied. “I think I’ve made an enemy, though; she does not like me.”

“That’s a shame,” Elise responded. “Hopefully it won’t be a problem, but… Lady Penelope is very highly ranked and respected. This might a problem.”

“Yeah,” Leon said with some bitterness. “I think we’re going to have to have a chat about contingencies just in case this Heaven’s Eye thing doesn’t work out.”

“We’ll do that,” Elise agreed. “For now, though, let’s get back to mingling?”

Leon took a deep breath, and quietly groaned, “If we must…”

Elise gave him a reprimanding look, but he just smiled at her, letting her know that he was just playing around a bit. She smiled back, and the two dove back into the party, socializing with as many people as they could.

Eventually, people took to the dance floor, but they didn’t do much of the kind of dancing that might’ve graced the floor of a club. Rather, this was heavily ritualized, extremely formal ballroom dancing, fitting their environment. After a while, Elise managed to drag Leon out onto the dance floor for a few songs, and Emilie even cut in for one, but none of them stayed much longer after that. It was in Heaven’s Eye’s interest to remain aloof, Emilie had said.

Leon noted that Penelope had already left the party by that point, and he was slightly miffed that she’d managed to get out of here before he did. It almost felt like she’d won, in that respect, even though whoever left the party first was hardly a proper competition.

Regardless, he was happy to just get out of there and head back to their guest house. It was extremely late when they returned, and Leon and Elise wanted to do nothing more than collapse in bed. The rest of Leon’s retinue had already racked out, but Valeria and Maia had both stayed awake waiting for Leon and Elise to return. However, neither of the latter were up for any bedroom fun, so after some chatting about what how their evening had gone, everyone followed the example that Leon’s retinue had set, and went to bed.

The following morning, Leon slept in as much as he could, nestled between Maia and Elise. When he finally rose from bed, he found that Valeria was already up and about, and the two wasted little time in starting up a discussion about enchantments—specifically, about the armor enchantments that Leon had been devising. His plans for what he wanted for his armor were growing steadily more advanced and practical, and Valeria had already expressed interest in a suit of armor of her own similarly enchanted.

Before that conversation could go very far, however, they were interrupted by a loud knock at the door. When Leon answered it, a Heaven’s Eye messenger relayed to him an invitation to return to the governor’s tower for lunch.

It seemed that Apollodorus, after having not spoken to him much the previous day aside from a couple of greetings despite having the opportunity to, now wanted some of his time.