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The Simulacrum - Chapter 108 - Part 2
🕑 Added 2023-03-25 15:23:15 +0000 UTCI didn't mean that to be so dramatic, but it was made so by the uneasy silence that settled onto the room shortly after. My guest stared at me quite inquisitively for a while, and then snorted, which popped the tense atmosphere like a balloon.
"Yes. Let's do that." Saying so, Sir Percival made himself comfortable by leaning back on the couch, and for a moment I was worried he would put his feet onto the coffee table. Nothing of the sort happened, thankfully (otherwise I would've been forced to throw him out, calming meditative circulation or not), and he began to talk in a leisurely tone. "I've been in contact with both Penelope and Roland over the past couple of days, and I think I'm already familiar with the broad outlines of the current situation. Some of these developments are… troubling, to say the least, but I have to give it to you; as unorthodox as your methods were, you have accomplished quite a feat here."
"I'll take that as a compliment," I stated flatly, which earned me a chuckle.
"It was. Honestly, just the fact that you made them believe you defeated a Chimera would've been amazing, but doing everything else on top of that… you must have worked hard."
"I did, and I did kill a Chimera."
Technically, it was more than one, though I wasn't sure the remote-controlled corpse counted.
"Did you?"
Sir Percival sounded eminently skeptical, and after taking a deep breath to rein in the impulse to jump over the table between us and sock him in the jaw, I slowly exhaled and told him, "I've got lucky."
"Hah! You, and luck! Who are you trying to trick here? Knowing you, I'd bet my beard that you set up a trap or two to exploit its weakness, created an opening, had someone else do the heavy lifting, and then stole the show at the very end."
It took a lot of effort to still my facial muscles, and I could feel a chill run down my spine. This cheeky old man knew me way too well, and he wasn't the least bit shy about it. This… might get troublesome.
"Let's ignore that whole Chimera business for now. You can tell me the details later," Sir Percival told me with an amused smile and circled his left wrist. "If you really have lost your memories, then I presume you don't remember why you came to Critias either, right?" He didn't even let me respond before continuing his previous thought, though this time accompanied by him repeatedly snapping his fingers. "Argh… What was the name of the boy? It's on the tip of my tongue."
"… Joshua?"
"Right! Joshua Bernstein!" he exclaimed with an extra-loud snap and pointed a finger at me. "He was the one the little missy of the Dracis had the hots for, wasn't he? Do you know how many favors I had to cash in just to find that out, only for you to come in and seduce her first? This outcome isn't half-bad either, but seriously, Leonard? Seriously?"
"Things just kind of ended up this way," I told him with a shrug, if only to hide how hard the gears in my head were spinning to keep up with the conversation, and a beat later I tentatively asked, "I guess the original plan was to let Joshua and Elly become a couple, and then…"
"And then induct the boy into the Brotherhood, make him a squire, and use him to infiltrate the family. It was a bold plan, and it was yours."
"Really?" I asked back in reflex, and I might've sounded insincere, as the old man on the couch narrowed his eyes and suddenly pointed a finger at me.
"The jade rabbit of the moon."
What followed after this was several seconds of some of the most awkward silence I've ever experienced, and it lasted exactly until Sir Percival clicked his tongue.
"Well, I'll be damned. I thought the third time would be the charm, but you really can't remember anything, can you?"
"I think we were already over this."
"You can't blame a man for trying," he responded flippantly and rested his arms on the back of the couch. "It's just a little vexing, but don't mind me. Where were we?"
"The plan to use Joshua as a sleeper agent." My flat response made him nod and level a stare at me as if expecting me to continue. "So… Did I bring Cal with me to test him?"
"Hm? Nah. I've checked; the boy didn't have any prominent bloodlines. There was no chance in hell that Caledfwlch would choose someone like him… but then again, I never would've expected that you would get a second chance, let alone be chosen. It absolutely boggles the mind."
"The world works in mysterious ways."
Sir Percival frowned at my filler response and shook his head.
"I see you don't want to talk about how you did it, but you don't have to be that blatant about it." I had no idea what he was on about, but then he let out a pent-up breath and mused, "In retrospect, the plan was doomed to failure from the beginning. Who would've thought that the boy was actually some hidden Old Blooded off-shoot?" Suddenly pausing, his eyes narrowed into suspicious squints and he asked, "Wait a moment. Did you change your plan and seduce the Dracis girl before or after you realized that he was a Draconian?"
"Does it matter?"
"… No. You're right, it doesn't," he relented, but his eyes remained intensely locked onto me. "But if we're at that, is the rumor true?"
"Which one?"
"The one that says you have two fiancées," he stated bluntly, and when I still didn't react (I was using the meditative circulation non-stop), he stifled a groan and stopped beating around the bush. "Listen, Leonard. I understand that the mission went off the rails. I understand that you seduced the Dracis girl, and it was a good call; it made manipulating the Draconians much easier, and you probably couldn't achieve half of what you did without it. But what's the point of the other girl? As far as I know, she's just a mundane human without any remarkable assets or connections. She's useless."
This time, it took me several seconds to somehow stuff the slowly rising sense of scorching fury back into the pit of my stomach. It was hard, but once I was sure my emotions were in check, I slowly exhaled and forced myself to stay as diplomatic as possible.
"Judy is the asset. She had been a huge help to me, so I would advise you to think twice before you call her 'useless' in front of me."
"Oh? Did I touch a nerve?" Seeing my glare, the old man offered an olive branch. "I'm just kidding, of course. If you say she's useful, I'm not going to question your judgment. But to make her your second fiancée…" Sir Percival stroked his beard, deep in thought, and before I could get a word in to forestall any misunderstandings, he snapped his finger again and pointed a finger-gun at me. "I'm sure you wedged her into the family for a reason. Was it to infiltrate the household? If my memory serves right, the old steward of the family is unusually influential, and he's rumored to give preferential treatment to young girls. You used her to get in his good graces and ease your entry into the family, huh?"
This time, he was quite off the mark, but there was no reason to correct him.
"In a manner of speaking."
"Calculating, as always," he responded with a satisfied grin, and then fell into deep contemplation. "If you still keep her around even after she served her purpose, I guess she must be really resourceful. Maybe I'll have a talk with her; she could be a good addition to our ranks."
"By being my girlfriend, she's already pretty high in the ranks of the Draconic Federation and the Ordo Draconis," I pointed out, and the old man looked at me like I just said something weird.
"That's not what I meant by… Oh, right. Amnesia." His eyes lit up with realization, followed by a series of stifled chuckles. "No, I wasn't talking about that, but since you've brought it up, we might as well talk about this 'Ordo Draconis' of yours. As far as I've gathered, it is a progeny organization of the Brotherhood of the Most Heroic Bloodlines."
"That's the gist of it," I confirmed, and since he looked expectant, I figured I might as well put some effort into this talk. "Using the authority of the King, I dissolved the Brotherhood and reformed it into a new organization focused on regulating the Draconian clans and families from the inside. Arnwald came up with the name."
"It does bear his fingerprints. That said, I have my misgivings about this development."
To say I wasn't surprised at the least would've been an understatement. Now, he just had to pick what he was more outraged about; the fact I reformed a centuries-old organization without his input, the fact I didn't contact him about it, or that we now allowed Draconians in the ranks. I was prepared for any and all of those, so naturally, as per the rules of drama, he hit me with a curve ball.
"I have a suspicion that your memory loss was taken advantage of by a third party."
"Excuse me?"
"I don't blame you," he cut me off before I could say anything else and let out a deep sigh. "You did your best with the hand you were dealt, but after listening to Roland's explanation of the events, I'm almost sure your blind spot was exploited by the Abyssals."
"… The Abyssals," I repeated after him, my voice simultaneously flatter than a pancake and more skeptical than an economist at a multi-level marketing demonstration.
"I've already heard about this new menace called 'Bel of the Abyss'," Sir Percival launched into his explanation, his tone suddenly gaining a grave undertone. "According to what I know, this Abyssal was instrumental in serving as a catalyst for the formation of this Draconian Alliance of yours."
"Federation, but do go on."
He grunted, displeased by my interruption, but continued anyway.
"Let us look at the bigger picture. The number of Abyssals capable of returning to the surface is small, and they invariably keep a low profile to avoid capture. Yet, the head of Inanna not only came to Critias and operated in the open, he even caused a huge incident. That is not the usual modus operandi of the Abyssals, so the only explanation is that there's something on this island that was worth exposing themselves and risking their connections to the surface. Then, not long after that, a powerful new Abyssal appeared, completely unknown to the world, and while looking for some kind of artifact, the power he demonstrated led to the forming of a new, potent organization that threatens to overthrow the balance of power on the surface. Only a blind man living under a rock wouldn't find this situation extremely suspicious."
"To be fair, your summary was rudimentary at best," I offered my five cents, and got summarily ignored.
"It is often in the broad strokes where you can find the patterns lost in the details. If my conjecture is on the mark, you might have inadvertently become a pawn in the greatest conspiracy of the century."
He… wasn't completely wrong on that, but as much as I resented that 'pawn' remark (even though I knew for a fact he was off the mark), I remained tight-lipped, which my guest mistook for rapt attention.
"The fact that the Inannas operated in the open tells us that there is some kind of plan in motion, and the fact that they did not come after your life in revenge after you foiled their initial plans means there is some kind of larger plan in play that forced them to stay their hands. Then, this Bel of the Abyss expertly manipulated the forces on the island, including you and the rest, to form this Draconic Federation of yours. But for what purpose? If you asked me, a rising power like that would naturally earn the suspicion and ire of the Magi, and disputes over authority and jurisdiction would inevitably sour relations even further. United, the Draconians possess the economic and military strength to rival the Magi, and with a few well-timed false-flag operations, it wouldn't be hard to cause the two factions to descend into total war."
"That's a pretty pessimistic prediction," I noted, and Sir Percival all but scoffed at me.
"Optimism is for children and fools. I thought I'd taught you that."
"It wasn't disagreement, just observation," I answered, earning another grunt from the old man.
"In any case, no matter who emerges victorious from such a conflict, it would leave them exhausted and weakened, ripe for the taking."
"So your theory is that the Abyssals manipulated everyone on the island to create an opponent for the Assembly, then they'll spark a war, and once the dust settles, they would invade realspace."
"When you put it that way, it is a ploy strangely elegant in its simplicity, isn't it?"
The old man smiled, as if expecting me to congratulate him, but instead I asked the first question that came to mind.
"Aren't you missing one piece of this puzzle? What about the Celestials?"
"They definitely aren't the mastermind behind this plot. If anything, they're also suffering its consequences." Before I could ask him to elaborate, Sir Percival dismissively waved his hand and told me, "It's pointless to go into details now; you'll see it for yourself soon. More importantly, now that you know that, what do you plan to do about the Abyssal girl?"
"Snowy?"
"Yes, the Inanna girl," he emphasized, then after glancing up the stairs, he lowered his voice and leaned closer to whisper, "I know you took her in to use her as leverage against her true family, but in light of everything I've just explained to you, it's just as likely she's also part of the conspiracy and she's keeping you under surveillance. I recommend cutting her off as soon as possible, preferably permanently."
This time, it took me even longer to keep my flaring temper under control, and even then, the best I could do was to squeeze out, "There's no need for that. It's better the devil you know than the devil you don't."
"That is… a fair point, actually. By keeping a close eye on her, we might actually catch the tail of the conspiracy through her." Pausing again, he peeked upstairs for the second time and then lowered his voice even more. "I knew you have been living together with her for months now, but you must always remember that she's an Abyssal. She's not like us, and does not deserve our sympathy or mercy. I hope you'll keep this in mind."
"I'll… certainly remember your words in the future."
We locked eyes for a while, and soon enough, the old man's lips parted in a wide smile and he leaned back on the couch again.
"I'm relieved. I was afraid that you would grow soft after pretending to be a common man for so long, but I'm glad to see you're the same as always. Memories or not, I guess blood will always be thicker than blood."
"We aren't related by blood though," I pointed out, but that only earned me another chuckle.
"Does it really matter? You and I are kindred, and I knew it the moment we first locked eyes with each other in St. Haerviu's."
That was the name of the orphanage where Penny and I grew up, but putting my background minutia aside, the affectionate way he was looking at me was making my blood boil, it was getting increasingly harder to keep my temper under control when this man's words and actions kept making my indignation less and less inexplicable by the second. Thankfully, it was at this moment that a door upstairs was thrown open and Penny dashed down into the living room, cutting our conversation short.
"I'm done!" she declared and immediately sat next to the old man, and by then, he already switched back into his jolly old grandpa act. "What were you talking about? Did I miss anything?"
Instead of answering right away, I glanced at the second girl coming down the stairs, and when our eyes met, she hastily told me, "It's the first day after winter break, so we didn't have a lot of homework."
"Fair enough," I muttered and turned back to pair on the couch, where Sir Percival was already in the process of explaining what 'we were talking about'.
"… and since Leonard forgot everything, I guess I have no choice but to resume my duty as the Keeper of the Bloodlines, at least until he recovers his memories. Isn't that right?"
That question was aimed at me, and after a beat, I nodded.
"That was a short retirement," he lamented with an overdramatic flair, causing Penny to giggle uncontrollably. In the meantime, Snowy reached the couch and was unsure where to sit. Out of the blue, Sir Percival patted the cushions by his side and exclaimed, "Don't just stand around, girlie! Come, join us!"
My Abyssal sister sent an uncertain glance at me, but before I could respond, Penny butted into the conversation while repeatedly gesticulating her way.
"Don't be shy!" the old man followed her up with a disarming smile, leaving her without a way out and she ultimately took a seat next to him.
"In that case… please excuse me."
"Hah! There's no need to be so reserved! Leonard is like a son to me, and you're his sister now, so we're practically family!"
"Yes! One big family!" Penny followed him up with sparkling eyes, and it only made Snowy more uncomfortable.
"So, girls? My collection of equipment is still shipping, but I've brought the helmets with me in the big bag. How about we make something of them?"
"Ah? Like the mantelpiece back in Manchester?"
"Precisely!" the old man responded with a toothy grin and made finger-guns at Penny. In the meantime, Snowy kept looking at me, and while I felt conflicted about leaving her side, with my other sister around, I was sure the old man wouldn't try to pull anything.
Making sure that Sir Percival's attention was still on my knightly sister, I gestured for Snowy to pay closer attention, and slowly mouthed the words, 'Hold the fort. Don't let your guard down. I'll be right back.' without a sound. I thought I would have to repeat it a few more times, but contrary to my expectations, she firmly nodded and mouthed back 'I'll be vigilant.'
I flashed a reassuring smile at her and then cleared my throat to gain everyone's attention.
"You do that, but in moderation. Now, if you excuse me, I have to take care of something. I'll be right back."
"What? Why?" Penny complained and waved for me to wait. "Brother, we'll need you to move the furniture!"
"I just told you to do things in moderation," I snapped back, but once I realized that I let my temper slip, I cleared my throat again and added, in a more neutral tone, "On second thought, I'll leave things in your hands. I'm sure Uncle Percy will be happy to help with any heavy lifting."
"Aaah… You see, my back's not what it used to be…" the bearded knight complained while massaging his lower back and doing his whole 'charming old codger' act.
"I'm sure you'll manage," I told him with a reassuring smile and turned on my heel before he could object.
"We have been abandoned!" Sir Percival cried with the flair of a community theater actor, but then he froze mid-shaking-fist-against-the-heavens pose and shrugged. "Oh well, let's work with what we have. Girlie? Could you please open up that bag and bring some helmets over here?"
"Y-Yes, sir."
"Oh, don't be like that!" he moaned, followed by a hearty chuckle. "I just told you, we're family! You can call me Uncle Percy, like the Beansprout over here."
That faux-affable comment nearly made me turn back on my way up the stairs and kick the old bastard so hard, all his descendants would be born with foot-shaped birthmarks until the end of eternity, but I somehow managed to restrain the urge and head into my room. It also took way too much effort not to slam the door behind me, but once I was out of sight, I finally let all the pent-up anger show on my face, and I was really glad there was no mirror nearby, as I was sure I wouldn't have recognized myself.
"{I must admit, young knight, I'm rather bemused by this situation.}"
Cal's voice came just the right time, and for once, it actually served to calm my nerves a bit. I took several deep breaths, and while I still wasn't in perfect condition, I was good enough for now. Without further ado, I hung the sword from my belt, and after telling them to keep up the circulation for a while longer, I reached for my phone on the nightstand.
"Hi, Chief."
Judy picked it up right away, and her voice was like salve to my soul, and hearing it finally let me calm down to the point I was no longer afraid my facial muscles would start cramping.
"Emergency meeting."
"Where?" she responded without batting an eye.
"Your room. I'll pick up Elly on the way there."
"I'll tell mom you'll come over. The time?"
"Don't know yet. It could be late. I have to wait until my guest goes to bed."
"Do you mean Sir Percival?"
That threw me on a loop for a second, but then I connected the dots.
"Penny told you."
"Yes."
"Figures."
"Is he troublesome?"
"Worse," I uttered with undisguised distaste. "I'll explain the detail in person."
"All right. I'll be waiting. Love you."
"Not as much as I love you," I responded on a whim and got a huff in return.
"Was that a challenge?"
"No."
"You know I'm still going to prove you wrong, right?"
"I'm looking forward to it."
Judy let out another playful huff, and after saying our goodbyes, I cut the line. In retrospect, I really needed that. After bottling up all my various colorful emotions while listening to Sir Percival, I felt like a water boiler with its safeties removed, ready to blow everything up. After my talk with Judy, I was closer to a soda bottle that spent ten minutes on a rodeo machine. Still explosive, but at least there was some progress.
"{What now?}" Cal inquired in an unusually low voice, and after some thinking, I shook my head.
"It's too early to say. First, I'll go take a cold shower, and then we go down and mark our very own Knight of Cerebus."
"{I'm… afraid I'm not familiar with the term. Who is Cerebus?}"
Chuckling softly, I shook my head and answered in a low voice that sounded sinister even to myself.
"It means someone whose appearance causes everything to become darker and bleaker. Whether he does that by his own actions, or by causing me to break my no-killing rule… well, that's still up in the air."
Comments
Enrico Snipes
Rather than psychopath, which they may or may not be, all signs point at him being part of a secret organization within an already secret organization, which have their own agenda and don't care about the means to achieve it.
carebear90
So... I'm not sure if I'm mixing up terminology here, but it sounds like Percival is a high-functioning psychopath. And pre-story Leo probably was too? Now I wonder which secret organisation he referred to with 'our Ranks' if he didn't mean the Knights. Probably something else stemming from the Celestials considering he seems to know about their recent ideological split? Anyways, I'm really enjoying where this story is going at the moment. Well done!
Egathentale
I tried to broadly explain in the last lines, but here's a more detailed description: The core trope is called "Cerebus Syndrome", named after an old story arc in an old comic that nobody really remembers anymore. The idea is that you have a nice, wholesome story (think "Saturday morning cartoon" nice), but then they suddenly add a serious and dramatic story arc. For example, imagine that you have something like My Little Pony, the whole season is fun and saccharine, and then in the last few episodes, suddenly there's a huge threat, everyone is about to die, and someone has to sacrifice themselves to save the rest, leaving behind emotional scars and melodrama. When that sudden shift of tone is injected into a story by a new character, it's called the "Knight of Cerebus", aka the harbinger of the Cerebus Syndrome. It's usually a villain, or at the very least a character with a terrible backstory and/or character that heavily contrasts with the rest of the established characters and settings.
Enrico Snipes
Knight of Cerberus? Is that a trope name? I think it's one of the few tropes i hadn't heard of and couldn't understand from context
