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The Simulacrum - Chapter 113 - Part 2
🕑 Added 2023-05-15 17:30:50 +0000 UTCTime passed by quickly after I returned to my designated quarters on the fifty-second floor. Despite the initial hubbub, there didn't seem to be much for me to do as an Archon, but I still managed to find ways to fill out the rest of the morning. First and foremost, I swept the entire place for surveillance spells, and to my surprise, I couldn't find a single one. I expected at least a few floating orb thingies, but there was nary a hint of them.
That, of course, didn't mean that there couldn't be any electronic devices around, like some tiny spy cameras hidden between the shelves or something. Unfortunately, I didn't have any bug detectors on me, which meant I couldn't do anything about those. If there were any, that is.
Anyhow, once I swept the quarters, I spent some time using Far Sight, mostly focusing on the second meeting between the directors, but while I was hoping for some new insight into their maybe-nefarious-maybe-not plans, the discussion was exactly as meandering and full of bickering as the first time around. Last, but not least, I focused inwards for a while, tweaking the Leoformer, both to make the enchantments more stable and to make my current outfit, the vaguely angelic armour with the fancy laurel crown, slightly more comfortable to wear, and it kept me busy until it was lunchtime.
Speaking of which, I hadn't eaten anything since the previous night, as I skipped breakfast to build my alibi, and things had been coming one after the other, with the Directorate's meeting and the honour guards and everything. To say that I was famished would've been a bit of an understatement. I even entertained the idea of Phasing back to Critias for a few minutes to buy a chocolate bar or two, but I thought better of it, and patiently waited for my lunch to be delivered to my room. While I was less than enthused by the menu, consisting of fried and braised vegetables, brown bread, fruit juice, and some sponge cakes, I still cleaned all my plates.
The previous night's dinner was pretty much the same, which made me wonder: were Celestials vegetarians? Angie's carnivorous tendencies spoke otherwise, and I had seen a couple of farm animals during my expeditions into the nearby settlement, but it wasn't out of the question. I figured it was just another thing I had to ask Jaakobah about once he showed up.
"Archon."
Oh, speak of the devil. Or the not-angel, in this case.
"Come in," I told the dour agent, currently wearing a high-class grey dress uniform with lots and lots of fancy needlework on the hems and lapels and… wait. Is that a cravat? Damn, that's fancy.
…
Though again, considering that I had a freaking laurel crown, I probably shouldn't be the one to talk. Anyhow, he closed the door behind him and walked over to the meeting table, where I just finished my lunch.
"I came to report, as ordered."
"Then go ahead and do that," I responded a tad impatiently and took a sip from the apple juice that came with my meal. It was served in a needlessly fancy crystal glass, but it was refreshing enough, so I didn't complain.
Jaakobah must've mistaken my action as a subtle hint and presented me with a long paper bag with string handles.
"I have procured the wine you ordered. Do you wish to sample it?"
"It's not for me. Just put it down over there."
Following my instructions, he placed the bag onto the table with a characteristic, glassy clink, and turned back to me, waiting for further instructions. Since I finished my lunch, I figured we might as well move back to the bedroom for the second round of interrogations, but as I stood up, I suddenly felt weak in the knees and had to grab onto the back of the chair to stay upright.
"Archon? Are you all right?"
Despite the words, the stoic healer's face remained completely neutral, and so did his voice.
"It's fine. I'm just feeling a little lightheaded," I told him matter-of-factly, and he acknowledged it with a nod that said it was none of his business. While his attitude felt a little callous, it was also infinitely better than some weird overreaction, so I didn't take him to task over it and instead focused on my breathing.
Truth be told, I had been feeling a little woozy for a while by this point, but I wrote it up to low blood sugar levels. The fact it was getting worse even after I ate some was slightly troubling, but it wasn't a debilitating condition, so I put my hand onto the pommel of Cal.
"I could use some meditation right now," I told them, and thinking that it was addressed to him, Jaakobah nodded along.
"[Do you mean that circulation pattern the dragonblood clan head taught you? I already told you that you should not be too reliant on such—]" Cal abruptly fell silent, which felt oddly unnerving. "[Young knight? Don't you feel fatigued?]"
"A little. Why?"
This time, Jaakobah blinked in mild perplexity. I continued to ignore him and focused on the sword's response.
"[I didn't pay it any attention until now, but this outfit of yours draws power from your Oaths, just like your armor would.]" I nodded. "[Common sense dictates that an active connection like that should put tremendous strain on your body. I do not detect any damage yet, but I suspect it might be the source of your ailment. Hey, newcomer?]"
"[Grudging statement: Interface:Teeny would prefer to be addressed by the official designation bestowed by Archon Polemos.]"
"[Does it really matter? Check my young knight's health, just to be sure.]"
"[Observation: Interface:Teeny didn't hear the word 'please'.]"
"[Young knight! Do something about this obstinate wench!]"
"[Statement: Interface:Cal's joke drivers are out of date. I recommend updating them.]"
"[What's a 'driver'? Is that some kind of insult?!]"
Instead of responding to their accusations, the short sword hanging on my left side softly trembled, and I could feel a wave of warmth flashing over my whole body, giving me goosebumps.
Instead of responding to their accusations, the short sword hanging on my left side softly trembled, and as it did I could feel a wave of warmth flashing over my whole body, giving me goosebumps.
I could feel a wave of warmth flashing over my whole body, giving me goosebumps. I could feel a wave of warmth flashing over my whole body, giving me goosebumps.
"[Diagnosis: Interface:Cal's initial assessment was correct. There are signs of fatigue and mild internal energy burns across Archon Polemos's body. I recommend an extended rest to allow natural healing.]"
In retrospect, all of that was pretty obvious, to the point I felt a little silly about overlooking it until now. Knightly equipment worked by tuning up and supercharging the user's body with mana. The Leoformer, while lacking in terms of raw power output, was using the same Oath receptacles and mana pathways, and it was creating a constant drain cycle just by me wearing it. It was a strain so small it was hard to feel it, especially since the baseline physical enchantments were masking its effects, but since it had been active for, what, two whole days now? Yeah, that kind of stuff adds up.
Once I understood the problem, I took my weapons out, much to Jaakobah's further confusion and apprehension, and placed them onto the table, right next to the empty plates and the wine bottle. Using my phantom limb, I turned off the Leoformer, and immediately, two things happened. First, in a flash of light, my Polemos disguise disappeared, and in its place, I was once again wearing my parka, jeans, and outdoor shoes from the time I was 'kidnapped', so to speak. Secondly, the sense of weariness and lethargy, held in bay by the same physical enchantments that were behind the strain that caused them in the first place, washed over me like a beach break wave over the sands.
Rolling my shoulders, I took a couple of deep breaths to steady myself and then picked up the swords again. Cal was easy to deal with, as his scabbard had a clasp I could easily fasten to my belt, but Teeny was a different matter. In the end, I decided to carry it in my hand and turned to the increasingly befuddled Agent.
"I need some new clothes."
Blinking, he looked over me from head to toe and then gestured towards the sliding door in the back of the… well, this wasn't exactly a 'living room' per se, but for now, let's go with that. Anyhow, I followed the direction where he was pointing, and when I headed over, he quickly lined up behind me. I didn't like that, or the silence.
"How are your new subordinates doing?" I asked while reaching for the door handle.
"There were some disagreements about the hierarchy, but they are already resolved. The positions of the Praetorian Prefect, and the Praetorian Guards as well, should be ratified by the end of the week."
"I presume the first one is your new official title," I guessed, and while I wanted to add something snappy to the end of that sentence, the thought was completely wiped clean by the sight on the other side of the door. "Is this supposed to be a wardrobe?"
"I think that's the term, yes," Jaakobah answered in an unflappable manner, but even he seemed at least a little surprised by the sheer size of the place.
If I had to liken it to something, it was closer to a shop than anything, with rows and rows of hangers, boxes full of shoes, and various accessories filling the shelves on the walls. On my left, there was a sea of fancy shirts and coats, while on my right, enough trousers to drown in, with various cuts and styles, from simple business casual to some fancy cross-breeds between dress uniforms and togas.
Under the watch of the stoic Celestial, I took a few adventurous steps into what felt like a hoard of a dragon really, really into fabrics. Without thinking, I unhooked the first article of clothing that caught my interest, and after measuring it against my chest, I turned to the man still standing by the entrance.
"Is everything here in my size?"
"Naturally."
"When did you even have time to get all of this?"
"It was arranged well before we made contact with you," Jaakobah patiently explained and made a sweeping gesture. "Director Tsephanyah personally ordered for these clothes to be made using your measurements."
I… wasn't entirely sure how I felt about the Celestials knowing my measurements, but there was something else I had to point out before anything else.
"Why's everything white?" He looked at me like the question was completely preposterous, and I was too tired to get into an argument over something stupid like this. "Never mind. Let me look around. In the meantime, give the rest of your report."
Jaakobah straightened his back at once and put his hands behind his back.
"The guards assigned to you are currently undergoing medical treatment. None of them are seriously injured, so by tomorrow, they should be able to enter active duty."
"Glad to hear that," I muttered while comparing two nearly identical white button-up shirts.
"I'm going to have another meeting with Primus Khurshid later in the evening, about the duties and authority of the Praetorian Guard."
After saying so, Jaakobah remained silent, waiting for my response, and after going through a few more articles, I exhaled hard and turned to him again.
"Tell him that they have no duties until I trained them up to my satisfaction."
"I sincerely doubt the Board of Directors would agree with this," he pointed out with just a hint of a frown. "They put your safety before any other matters."
"No, they just want to keep me under watch," I responded offhandedly and put a white blazer in front of me. "How does this look?"
"I'm… not well-versed in terms of fashion."
"Neither am I," I admitted, and after taking another look, I put it back on the racks. "In any case, if they kick up a fuss, tell them to shove their opinions up where the sun doesn't shine."
"If you insist," the man by the door shrugged, and after a long beat, he asked. "Is there anything else?"
"Yes, lots of things, actually." Pausing, I set a pair of dress shoes that caught my eye aside before turning back to him. "First, before I forget it: do you eat meat?"
"Are you asking me in particular?"
"No, just in general. Or is there some special reason why only vegetables are served here?"
Jaakobah thought way longer and harder about the question that I considered necessary, but ultimately responded with, "According to the historical records, the Second True Archon lived an ascetic life."
"No, I didn't," the response slipped out from some weird back-room of my mind, and even the short sword, currently tucked into my belt at my back, agreed with me.
"[Clarification: Archon Polemas led by example, practicing austerity during the famines caused by the war on the Abyssal Usurper. Post-war, Teeny's records indicate that he dined lavishly, and post-reincarnation analysis indicates that high cholesterol levels and extended alcohol consumption after the passing of Archon Deus might have contributed to the first incarnation's—]"
"Stop, I don't care," I cut Teeny short and shook my head. I couldn't exactly confirm whether or not they were telling the truth, since most of the memory fragments I inadvertently took in either faded away, or got absorbed and lost in my own memories, but what I heard just now definitely made sense.
"Were you talking to the Spear of Destiny?"
"Yes. Don't mind it," I answered curtly and dove into the rows of various legwear in front of me, only to pause and add, "For the record, tell the kitchen staff that they can ease up on the vegetarian menu. Oh, and while you're there, also tell them to be more subtle with the poison."
"Poison? Were you poisoned?"
For the first time, Jaakobah sounded alarmed, but I dismissed him with a wave of my hand, without even looking up from the trousers in front of me.
"No, of course not. It's just to keep them on their toes." That exchange was followed by an awkward silence, so to get over it, I forcefully cleared my throat and threw another question at the man by the door. "Never mind that, and answer me this instead: What are the meanings of the various numbers of wings, and how do they relate to Celestial hierarchy?"
"What… exactly do you mean by that?"
Finally settling on a straight-cut white trousers, made of a thick fabric that reminded me of denim, but was also weirdly soft to the touch, I faced him again to clarify my question.
"So far, I understand that Seraphs are people with six wings, and Cherubim are people like you, with four wings. Explain that whole system to me, from the ground up."
Jaakobah still looked rather confounded by my request, but spending so much time explaining stuff to me the day before must've already desensitized him to weird questions, and he gathered his wits remarkably quickly.
"Currently, there are five designations of Celestials, approved by the Bureau of Celestial Rights and Purity. Until recently, the purest of Elysium were the Seraphs, signified by the possession of three pairs of wings."
"Until recently?" I prompted him while moving on to the accessory section, though I was mainly looking for socks and underwear only.
"As of your return, as an Ophanim, you naturally stand at the pinnacle."
"The particulars, Jaakobah. Get to the particulars," I half asked, half groaned while still searching the shelves.
"Ophanim were the purest scions of the purest bloodlines. Possessing six burning wings, they all possessed some aspect of the Celestial Flames from which we were born."
"Wait, we're getting too particular now," I cut in again, with a pair of remarkably modern boxed shorts in my hands. They were white too, because of course they were. More importantly, I turned to the self-promoted Prefect with a frown. "Let's leave the mythological origins for later, and focus on the wings and the other stuff."
"Understood."
"Good. Also, what was that about the 'aspect of the Celestial Flames' again?"
Once again, Jaakobah's face darkened, but it only lasted for a split-second before he assumed his usual power face.
"Powers beyond mortal means only granted to the Ophanim."
"What's mine?"
"… Don't you know that?"
"Do you?" I asked back, and after a long beat, he actually shook his head.
"I'm afraid I do not know the details. I'm not a historian."
"Maybe for the better. Your historians suck," I quipped to move the conversation along and made a mental note to ask Teeny about this later. Hopefully, it'll be something I could fake with some elbow grease, and I also had something to do about the wing situation sooner or later as well. Oh, excuse me, the burning wing situation. Lest I forget. "You were talking about the Ophanim in the past tense."
"Correct. There had been no Ophanim born since the death of the Second True Archon."
"And that's why the Seraphim are the current top dogs."
"In a manner of speaking, yes."
In the meantime, I assembled an outfit I considered semi-presentable and looked for a nice corner where I could change. Once I settled on the spot, mostly hidden by a line of thick coats and capes, I gestured for Jaakobah to continue.
"Cherubim, such as myself, were once the majority of the population within Elysium, but generation after generation, our numbers have dwindled."
"Is that why the towers are so empty?"
"The original Migdáls were erected in the age of Deus, so it is possible. As far as my personal experience is concerned, they had always been mostly empty."
Humming along, I peeled myself out of my previous outfit and folded everything up before placing them onto a nearby stool.
"What about the rest of the people, living outside?"
"The Malakim, you mean? Their lot is to work the land, as decreed by Deus."
"Are they all two-winged?"
"That's correct."
"What about the Celestials outside of the Elysium?"
"You're talking about the Ishim." He paused as if waiting for some kind of reaction, but I was too busy quickly putting on the new underwear to give any kind of input. "Ishim are the two-winged descendants of Cherubim, though, in very rare occasions, they might be the descendants of the Seraphim as well. By law, they would have to leave the Migdáls to be raised by and live with the Malakim, but it had become tradition to arrange for such newborns to be adopted into human families, and only reveal their heritages later in life."
"So you guys are aware that being a peasant sucks, and instead of doing something about it, you have a whole system designed to dodge demoting your kids into a lower caste?"
Jaakobah's frown deepened, though I could only catch a glimpse of it from behind my makeshift screen made of clothes.
"This was something decreed by Deus, and approved by Archon Polemas. That is to say, by you."
"Maybe, but do you seriously think this whole system was supposed to still be running, completely unchanged, in the year of… something-something twenty-first century?"
He apparently couldn't find the right answer to that and remained silent while I finished changing. Stepping out into the open, I beheld myself through Far Sight, and all things considered, I looked decently presentable. At the moment, I was wearing a pair of dress shoes, the already mentioned denim-ish pants, a double-breasted suit jacket with silver buttons, and a thin button-up shirt with a mandarin collar, without a tie. The only thing I reused from my previous attire was the belt, since it housed the Leoformer, and both my weapons were hanging from it once again. For Teeny's, I had to use a leather belt loop I'd found among the accessories, and while it wasn't exactly the right size, it was good enough. Needless to say, all of that was pure white, including the belt loop, and while it wasn't exactly 'my colour', I felt that I looked at least okay in it.
Jaakobah also looked me over, but instead of commenting on my attire, he just let out a soft hum and told me, "Director Tsephanyah is also concerned over the segregation between the Malakim and the rest of our society. Maybe you could discuss the topic with him in the future?"
My gut reaction was to nod, but I forcefully stilled my head, closed my eyes, and exhaled a long breath to center myself. Remember, me; I wasn't here to reform Celestial society. I already had waaay too many things to worry about, and pretending to be Polemos was very different from actually being in charge of an entire country, civilization, or whatever term the Elysium would be labelled with.
I only needed to figure out the general situation, differentiate the good guys from the bad guys, and then once I was in the clear, say adios and return to my loving girlfriends' side and pretend that this whole intermezzo never happened. I really wasn't cut out to be a statesman anyway; it was too much responsibility.
But speaking of the girls, it's been a while since I last checked on them, so I used the opportunity to Far Glance at them, followed by a click of my tongue.
"Well, I guess that's it for today," I whispered just loud enough for Jaakobah to hear, and then raised my voice to the usual level. "I'm afraid we have to cut this conversation short. I have some business to attend to."
"… Are you planning on leaving the Migdál again?"
"Yes," I told him without any reservations and picked up my previous outfit.
"If the directors learn of this, they won't be happy."
"You're reporting to me. Why do you care whether they're happy or not?"
Snorting dismissively, I walked over to the bedroom and deposited the folded clothes onto the bed before turning back to Jaakobah. The man looked unusually conflicted, and when our eyes met, he opened his mouth with an expression that was halfway between determined and resigned.
"In that case, I'll accompany you."
"No, you won't," I denied him on the spot, but he didn't kick up a fuss. "You have a meeting with Kane anyway, don't you?"
"It's true, yet as your only official guard on duty…"
"Just let it go. You can't stop me, and you couldn't keep up with me even if you tried." He apparently didn't need any more convincing and showed his loss by lightly shrugging his shoulders. Gesturing towards the entrance, I waved my hand and said, "Off you go then." He turned on his heel right away, but before he could take a step, I hurriedly called after him, "Oh, just one more thing. Tell the kitchen that you're going to bring me my dinner. Be here at eight, sharp."
His eyes told me that he had many questions, yet Jaakobah remained silent and only nodded deferentially before leaving the place. I waited for a while longer and made sure through Far Sight that he left the floor before I cast my long-range glance at my girlfriends again. They were inside the underground base's reception room, along with my sisters, all of them in casual clothes. Penny was pacing up and down in the middle of the chamber, while Elly, Snowy, and Judy were sitting on one of the padded benches set against the wall opposite to the door leading into the teleport closet. In particular, Judy was holding a large sign saying 'We're ready when you are' written on it in large yet impeccable letters.
That was much faster than expected. I thought it would take them more time to gather everyone for the emergency meeting, yet in just half a day, they somehow managed to do it, and based on the cluster of red dots I could sense nearby, they probably gathered not just all the Fauns, Kights, and people related to me, but quite a few others as well.
Slightly impressed by their efficiency, I rolled my head, stretched my back, made sure my clothes were in order, and then Phased right into the teleport closet.
"Hi, girls," I spoke up at the same time I opened the door, trying to sound as cheery as possible, yet it still startled everyone like I was a spooky ghost, or a poltergeist, or worse yet, a taxman. "I hope you didn't have to wait too lo—"
"Brother!"
Before I could finish, I was almost tackled off my feet and back into the closet by Penny, and Snowy soon followed after her, though with considerably less velocity.
"Hi, Chief. Yes, we've been waiting for over half an hour," Judy grumbled even while she walked over to my side and looked me over from head to toe.
"Wow? Where did you get those clothes?" Elly asked the question that was most likely on my dear assistant's mind as well, only for Penny to snap at her for her trouble.
"Is that really the first thing you ask of him after he escaped his kidnappers!?"
"They already met yesterday, so she wasn't as worried as you are," Snowy explained to her, and while my knightlier sister sent an annoyed glance her way, she didn't refute her words.
Meanwhile, I carefully peeled Penny off my side and told the princess, "Consider it a disguise. How do I look?"
Elly took my question seriously, but she pondered for so long that Snowy managed to beat her to the punch.
"It's fine, but I think your usual colors suit you better."
"Yes. That's exactly what I wanted to say!"
Elly's agreement made Snowy smile, but my attention was rather drawn to the girl who remained silent until now.
"Is there a problem, Dormouse?"
"I'm just thinking," she said, sounding unusually absent-minded. "Say, Chief? You disappeared for a while, and then you returned with new powers and a white outfit. Does that make you 'Leonard the White'?"
"Is that a trope?" Elly uttered in a mixture of surprise and curiosity, and Judy shrugged in a way that said 'Maybe it is?', much to my knightly sister's chagrin, as she continued to huff and puff about how their reaction didn't fit the gravitas of the situation.
"Let's leave the meta-stuff for later. I have a meeting in the evening, so I have to be back by eight."
"Get back? What do you mean 'get back'? To where?" Penny continued to bombard me with questions, not giving me enough time to answer. Not that I could even if I wanted to, since the conversation already moved on in the meantime.
"That means we have seven hours? More than enough!" Elly declared, and I only just realized that she sneaked up to my side, catching me in a bear hug.
"Princess?"
"I'm charging my Leonium reserves," she told me unabashedly. "You've been gone for too long!"
"… It's been less than a day."
"Leonium is a non-renewable resource," Judy answered in her stead and hugged me from the other side. "We need to stockpile as much as possible whenever we can."
"Hey! Unfair!" Penny cried out and tried to grab me again, but she didn't have much space between the girls. Snowy, on the other hand, seemed to be content with just watching over us with a delighted smile, and didn't fight the others for any untapped Leonium fields.
Since good little sisters deserved affection, I used the opportunity to rustle her hair with my good left hand, and after a long beat, I began to peel myself out of the three-way embrace I was trapped in.
"Let's leave the mushy stuff for after the meeting, okay?"
"I'm fine with that."
Judy's response was followed up by a nod from the princess and an unexpected question from Penny, her finger trained on Teeny.
"Hey? Where did that sword come from?"
"I'll explain everything in detail," I told her and started walking towards the door leading into the main hall. "I have a ton of things to talk about though, so in case I forget about it, please remind me."
Meanwhile, I opened up the heavy metal door, and the moment I did, a wall of excited sounds washed over me. Looking through the gap, I blinked in surprise, glanced at my girlfriends, looked through the door again, and then buried my face in my palm.
"Girls… When I told you to gather everyone, I didn't mean it this literally…"
Comments
carebear90
I don't know... every time Leo in his Polemos persona is facepalming because of some new nonsense the Celestials do because of 'Tradition' or 'it was decreed by Deus/Polemos thousands of years ago', I have to picture Alan Rickman as Metatron in Dogma. Just... exhausted disappointment.
carebear90
I was under the impression the spear was... at least leaning towards female? At least Cal is calling it a 'wench' pretty often. Well, I'd guess that'll depend on if Leo will be able to 'recreate' Polemos' super special flames? Bel's special flames were probably some 'dark fire'... hence 'Bel of the Tenebrous Flames'... 'Abyssal Fire'? [Edit: The whole 'everything has to be white'-theme with the Celestials lets me think that Deus probably had white flames or something alike? Would also nicely contrast with Bel. Now... what could that mean for Polemos? Grey? Transparent? Cold/Blue? I guess we'll have to wait until Leo asks Teeny about it.] Regarding the reunion with 'dear Uncle Percy': I'm still a bit annoyed by Penny's insistence that Leo was kidnapped. Did nobody tell her yet that Percival was lying out of his ass? Or is she still in denial?
Vega
I wander what teeny will say when he finds out that Leo is also Bel. I am also eagerly awaiting Leo and penny’s reunion with their uncle. Edit: how is Crowley doing? Is he still recovering from his poisoning?
