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Nero Walker, Book 2 Ch.23 (55)
🕑 Added 2023-12-20 23:30:02 +0000 UTCNick was in his lab reviewing the data from the essence collectors. Unfortunately, the interference from the noble war had ruined years of research. And it wasn't just Dorchen’s corrupted data. The Populators' destruction of the mercenary army resulted in localized low-level essence storms which were completely disrupting the area’s regular flow rates. Never the less, Nick couldn’t stop staring at the data overlay. His assistant, Kendra, was right, it could be a precursor to a beast wave.
As the holograms floated in a semi circle around his desk, Nick sipped his coffee. Over the past week, too much had happened. He hadn't been sleeping well. And now Vera was leaving her job to work full time on Nero’s new noble house. Even worse, Nick knew that she would soon be making him found his new house as well. With bags under his eyes, he slumped in his chair and shook his head in defeat.
He needed to put all of that nonsense out of his mind. He needed to focus, as there was something in the data that he was missing. He was sure of it. Manipulating the displays, he opened up the current scrying reports for the city. Superimposing them on the overlay with the essence flow data, he narrowed his eyes at the result. It was familiar, but he couldn’t place it.
His thoughts were interrupted when he received a ping from Vera.
Opening the connection he asked, “What is it dear?”
Vera’s nervousness was palpable through the link, “Why are you still in your lab? Nero’s pledging ceremony is in 20 minutes.”
Wincing, he replied, “I’m sorry Vera, I’m not going to make it. Before you get mad, just listen. Something’s going on with the data from the essence collectors. I just can’t figure out what it is. I received the data from the arch-mage which allowed me to re-calibrate the plotting, but I’m still missing something. I just can’t get it out of my head.”
Vera could feel his anxiety, and replied, “You just focus on your work. I’ll handle this. Is there anything I can do to help?”
Smiling, he said, “No dear. Thank you for understanding. Tell Nero I wish him the best. Try not to let him cause another noble war.”
He felt her amusement as she closed the connection.
Looking back at the map, he had a realization. He didn’t have enough data. The original purpose of the collectors was simply to map essence flows. After the noble war, those flows were completely changed along the eastern wilds, and in turn that affected all of Dorchester. His face paled, that’s why this looks familiar.
Quickly, he started using the link to find what he was looking for. In seconds, he brought up an old paper he had read on the effects of large scale casting affecting local essence distributions. The researchers were just focusing on density, but their overlays showed a similar pattern.
Immediately, he pinged Arch-mage Jennings. The connection opened quickly and he felt Jennings polite curiosity.
“Hello Nick. What can I do for you, I don’t see you in attendance for Nero’s big day,” said Jennings.
Nick seemed to ignore the question, and instead asked one of his own, “Yesterday, when we were looking over the data for our essence flow tracking, do you remember the question you asked me? You asked if we were able to calculate density thresholds with our local hub. I want to know why you asked that.”
Nick felt the arch-mage’s amusement. “Oh? Did something occur to you?” he asked.
“I’m not in the mood for games. I’ve been staring at these data sets for hours, and I’m terrified that I’m right. I want to hear it from someone else,” Nick said with terror coloring his psyche through the link.
Taking pity on the poor man, Jennings said, “You’re probably not wrong. Even before the Populators' little kerfuffle, the essence flow rates in the area had been showing signs indicative of a threshold event. You’ve probably got more than a beast wave to worry about. It looks like Dorchester is going to start having dungeons again. I think you’re in for a few exciting years. Before you over-react, I’ve already dropped a few hints to the people who’ll need to know. Now, after we finish talking, you should ping General Branson. Be sure to send him the overlay on your left. I'm confident you two will figure out what needs to be done.”
Nick sat back in his chair stunned. Realizing that the arch-mage was currently watching him work, Nick gulped. “I’ll do that. Thank you for your time arch-mage. Please enjoy the rest of your day. Sorry to bother you,” Nick said as politely as possible, then closed the connection.
It was easy to forget how powerful the man was. Nick pushed his terror down, and pinged the general.
As the connection opened, he felt the general’s attention was somewhere else.
“I’m in the middle of watching your friend become a noble. What can I do for you?” he asked.
Nick replied, “Arch-mage Jennings said I should touch base with you about the events outside our walls.”
The general’s psyche radiated satisfaction, as if some plan of his was coming to fruition. “Be at my office in central command in an hour. We have a lot to discuss. The arch-mage made me promise to let Center-Research do its job, but he offered enough hints for me to get a head start. You should start thinking about a replacement for your position as the director of research for your gate. If things work out the way I think they will, you'll be too busy to run Center-Research. I’ll see you in an hour,” he said, then closed the connection.
Nick sat in his chair, unable to fathom what had just happened. Dorchester was leveling up, and he was going to have to accept it, and then figure out how to deal with it.
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Nero was slumped in his chair as he listened to Vera lambasting him for his behavior. Rather than argue, he took his lumps like a man. Which, to Nero, meant sitting quietly while whoever was angry at him vented, and making sure he looked sufficiently apologetic.
To his credit, he managed endure for almost 2 full minutes before he got fed up and snapped.
Vera had been sitting next to Nero in the conference room. So, she had turned to face him in order to shake her finger at him while speaking louder than necessary. “All of these people have taken time out of their day to work on finding a way to help you with your trials. The least you could do is pay attention to them. General Branson obviously put a great deal of effort into this plan for the defense of the city YOU just pledged to defend,” she said.
Nero’s eyes shot to hers, and he replied quickly, “Hold up! You don’t really believe all of this crap is actually about ME, do you?”
Brought up short by Nero’s question, Vera paused in her tirade. She gave Nero a confused look.
Nero pressed on, “The general is in charge of the entire city’s defenses. He had to make a plan to defend it, one which has nothing to do with me. I’m a new noble, a 14 year old kid who is only a noble because Lord Cosgrave is scared of the royals and Lord Bennings is a stickler for the law. This meeting isn’t about them helping me, it’s about them asking me to do something for them.”
Vera looked stunned. Everyone else in the room seemed to anxiously squirm in their seats. That is, except for the general who looked extremely pleased with Nero’s deduction.
Nero looked around the room, then continued, “Obviously there is a lot of bad stuff going on outside the city walls that needs to be taken care of. But do you really think they need MY help for it. Literally everyone in this room could kick my ass. The general only wants me involved because he thinks I’ll develop some camaraderie with the army or something. It’s the same reason Lord Cosgrave is here. She wants me to feel like she cares. Think about it. Her son tried to have me killed. And I'm guessing she’s been putting out political fires left and right, so getting me out of the city would be great for her. And Lord Bennings doesn’t care, she’s just here so that she can tell the capital that the law has been followed. Even Jennings doesn't care about any of this, he just likes watching me play with magic.” Nero looked over to see Jennings smiling, and he pointed a finger in accusation at him, “Don't give me that look old man! I felt your psychic field watching me practice. You’re not as sneaky as you think you are.”
Waving his hand as if none of this mattered, Nero went on, “You’re here, because you are who they have to convince. I’ll do whatever you say, they know that as well as I do. They’re just confusing you with more information than you can handle. Let's make it simple, like Lord Bennings did.”
Nero pointed at the general’s giant hologram, which was currently displaying a map of the eastern wilds. “Bad stuff’s happening outside Dorchester. Rather than letting me spend money, and hide in my fancy new estate, they want me to go fight in a forest. The general wants me to use it to train. That way, I’ll be away from you and Nick and have to rely on the army, hopefully resulting in my indoctrination. Then, Lord Cosgrave has demonstrated that she doesn’t want any trouble by hiding her son as far from me as possible, probably so I don’t have to kill him. Then, Lord Bennings is here to sign off on everything being a good plan to fulfill my noble trials. There. We didn’t need a long-ass meeting. But, because you put me on the spot, now everyone knows that I don’t care about any of this. And I didn’t even get a free meal out of it,” Nero finished with a huff, then crossed him arms and pouted.
Jennings stood up out of his chair and started clapping. “Wonderful! Well reasoned, Nero,” he said happily.
Turning to look at Vera, who was leaning back in her chair with a calculative look on her face, Jennings said, “It’s just as Nero said, it’s all up to you. If you think it’s a good idea, he’ll do it. Otherwise, he’ll retire to his estate and study magic in solitude. He probably didn’t understand half of what we've discussed, and he still saw the game for what it was. Well done, my boy.”
Jennings sat down with a large smile on his face, then summoned a plate with what looked like a burrito on it. Nero’s eyes lit up as Jennings slid it across the table for him.
Vera looked around the table at the stunned faces, and to her credit, she mastered herself faster than anyone else in the room. Lord Cosgrave didn't handle Nero's evaluation well at all, she still looked pale from Nero’s blunt dissection of her strategy.
Addressing the general, Vera said, “I agree that something has to be done about the events occurring outside the walls. But Nero makes a good point about it not being his problem. However, I have a counter proposal. Since Nero will be voluntarily aiding the military without rank, he should be able to collect what he kills as an independent contractor. His spoils are his. In addition, I’ll be sending along a bodyguard to ensure that he doesn’t meet an unexpected end, as he will be surrounded by people who don’t necessarily have his best interests at heart. Also, Nick will be going along with him, as he can start his trials at the same time.”
The general nodded along, up until Vera mentioned a bodyguard. At that, he visibly bristled. Then, at the mention of Nick, he started shaking his head in refusal.
“My men would protect him. Every one of them is hand picked by me,” he said.
Nero snorted, and said, “Lord Bennings is right here, wanna have her oversee a bet? I’ll wager everything I’m owed from the arena that at least one of the people on your list is in the employ of a noble house. Wanna roll the dice?” Nero offered the general an evil smile.
As the general was about to speak, he was interrupted by Lord Cosgrave. “Not a word general. I’m still doing paperwork from the last time we allowed him to make a bet. You’d lose anyway,” she said with a sigh.
Nero leaned forward so he could look at her from where he was sitting, and asked with curiosity, “Another assassin? Or just observation? I’m guessing observation, but I could be wrong.”
Lord Cosgrave offered a polite smile, and replied, “Observation only. They have already been sufficiently threatened to ensure they will not do anything stupid. You’re correct in your assessment of our intentions. House Cosgrave has no ill will toward House Walker.”
Nero nodded with a smile and leaned back. He then turned to Vera, “What’s with the spoils? Will this be another source of income?”
Vera gave him a look that told him to shut-up. Nero held up his hands in surrender and went back to enjoying his burrito.
General Branson just stood there with his hands on his hips, glaring at Nero for doubting his professionalism.
Vera said, “Well general, are the two additional recruits to your squad acceptable?”
Nodding in defeat, he replied, “Very well. But Nero will have to be active, and enthusiastically participate in the training. Otherwise this is all pointless.”
Lord Bennings chimed in, “Participation with a passing evaluation from his superior is required for the Trial of Service to be completed. And his fight must be verified as single combat with a class 3 in order to satisfy the Trial of Combat.”
Arch-mage Jennings was eating a burrito of his own, and offered his own addendum. “Captain, you should bring that mage you were going to use to train Nero in combat casting. Along with the woman Mrs. Salvatore is thinking of, Nero would nearly have a full hunting team,” he said while sour cream was clinging to the side of his mouth.
Nero asked, “Like an adventuring party?”
Nodding, Jennings replied, “That’s a very good way to think about it. You need some front-line fighters, some ranged, and a healer. Everyone has some specialties and the team works in concert.” Holding up his fingers to count off the team members, he continued, “Angelton is the healer and front-line. His mage is with you at range. Nick is crowd control and specialization. Vera’s bodyguard will be another front-line. You could use an archer, but I’m sure the general could provide one.” Finishing with a smirk, he gave the general a knowing look.
The general coughed into his hand, and said, “I’m sure we can find someone. For the first week, you’ll just be training anyway.”
Nero nodded. He was warming up to the idea. Looking over at Vera, he saw her give him a nod. That decided it. He was going on his first adventure.
Nero pointed a finger at Jennings and said, “Alright, Vera says I’m going. But I need something from you.”
Jennings leaned forward in his chair, and his eyes sparkled with curiosity. “What did you have in mind?” he asked.
Nero smirked and said, “I need books. Specifically books on hunting, a monster manual of some sort, how to harvest valuables, healing, and last but most importantly, a book on personal space magic. I need storage. And if you have a magic tent or something, I’ll take that too.”
Turning to Vera with a toothy grin, he said, “If you weren’t in charge of House Walker before, you are now. I’m going camping in a magic forest!”
