Blacksmith vs. the System 304

I didn’t start questioning him immediately. Instead, I first created a dark little corner on the third floor of the decay dungeon, buried deep underground, surrounded by several alternating layers of enchanted steel and wards, perfect for a long-term stay.

Only after everything had been arranged, did I sit across from him in the room, which was far too luxurious for a prison cell. “Ambassador,” I said even as I poured him a nice wine, yet my smirk seemed to intimidate him more than the earlier threats.

Or maybe it was just the after-effects of the Charisma.

He took the glass, examined the color for a while, trying to hide his trembling fingers. More courage than I expected, but maybe it was my prejudice coloring my perspective. Just because he was a scheming politician didn’t mean he was a coward.

Not in a world where monsters and duels were equally common.

“Delicious vintage,” he muttered.

“It’s an old bottle, one before everything that … locals call Cataclysm. Sixty years old. A pity almost all of it had been destroyed during the first days of the disaster.”

The ambassador sighed. “Lucky we were not there. The System's arrival is seldom a kind affair.”

My face showed no reaction while the memories of endless carnage popped to the surface. They were not good days. “Especially when locals sabotage their own efforts.”

“Ah, the Horizon Institute,” he muttered, his distaste clear. “A vicious bunch, even for savages. They are as mysterious as they are vicious.”

“I know,” I said, smirking, my gaze moving around the room, implying the only reason for his comfort was those mysteries. “I just need to understand whether they will be an impediment to my Emperor’s plan.”

“The plan?” he asked.

“Oh, this and that. Nothing to worry about,” I said, my smirk tightening just enough to warn him not to ask what he should not ask. Ironically, that warning made him relax slightly. He probably believed that secrets were a good sign that I might keep him alive.

Well, he wouldn’t be wrong.

“Horizon Institute,” he muttered, setting his glass down after taking another sip. “You already suspect that they have been involved in the Cataclysm.”

“Belief implies uncertainty,” I said.

“True,” he replied. “However, just to be clear, Tristelion has very limited interaction with them, and what they were doing. We were not particularly high in the totem pole, or otherwise, we wouldn’t have been limited to these mana-poor lands.”

“Don’t worry. As long as I believe you’re not hiding anything, everything is fine,” I said confidently, acting like I knew what he was talking about. He might be referring to the coastal area, or he might be referring to the whole continent. Luckily, we were not having an equal exchange of information, so I had no obligation to speak and reveal my limited understanding.

That made him tense, smart enough to realize the problem with the open-ended threat. My fictitious background meant that he had no idea what I might be hiding, forcing him to be even more open than he was prepared.

“Fair,” he muttered, then chuckled. “Your reputation undersold you.”

I shrugged and waved my hand dismissively. “I do have to let them believe I’m a mere Blacksmith. Our grand plan can’t afford to lose our planet to a bunch of upstart savages, or … heretics as they call themselves here.”

His face tightened, his flash of emotions shockingly intense. “On that, we are in agreement, Your Majesty.”

“Horizon,” I repeated. “Start with the past. From your first contact.”

He considered his fingers for a moment, then began. “According to the notes I received,,” he said, “Horizon first contacted us …” he paused. “Which time measurement should I use?”

I smirked, as if I had caught him pulling a mischievous trick. He was trying to understand where my mysterious backing came from. Then, I slammed him with a momentary blast of Charisma, enough to warn him. “The local time is more than acceptable.”

His face lost its color, his trembling fingers reaching for the glass to take a big gulp. “Their first contact with us was five years and three months ago, but at that point, they were already active, making deals with multiple domains. We first thought that it was arrogance, a way to start the local System with as many skills as possible.”

I nodded, even though I had no idea about the mechanics. Did every arrival bring their skills with them? Was there a process? Did registering them to the dungeon somehow allow natural evolution. Too bad I couldn’t ask those questions without revealing my hand.

“But, they surprised all the arrivals,” I commented.

He spat in anger. “They certainly did. I have no idea how, but those bastards already had access to magic before the System’s arrival, and before we could even start arriving, they had surrounded their local base aggressively, turning that island into a fortress.”

My best guess, he was referring to Great Britain, possibly Ireland as well, as originally, Horizon Institute had their base of operation there. “Nasty trick.”

“Yes. And, for three years, they have had a perfect hold on that island, occasionally raiding the rest of the continent,” he said. “Even now, we have no idea where their true target was.”

Combined with everything else, I wasn’t surprised by their performance. After all, before the Cataclysm, Horizon Institute had collected a lot of people with high soul power. Combined with their preparation, they must have put together a truly intimidating Ascended force. I still didn’t know why they would do so and stay locked on Earth.

I wanted to hope that they were planning to prevent the Void invasion, but that would be false hope. Nothing they did showed any care about the fate of people. I doubted it would be different. Too bad I couldn’t ask questions about it directly.

“First rule of pulling a grand operation,” I drawled instead. “Never let them know what they were targeting.”

“Yes. Whatever they were looking for, thankfully they found out and disappeared. Along with all the Ascended.”

“They were able to build a passage already?” I questioned, asking at the risk of revealing my hand. I couldn’t help it.

“Thankfully, a temporary one that barely managed to hold their one-way retreat,” the ambassador responded. “Even with their tricks, three years is too little for a stable passage from a savage planet. Even now we have no idea which domain was crazy enough to give them passage and risk a Void incursion.”

Once again, it took all my willpower to hide my reaction. Just a few sentences, yet they exploded like a bomb in my mind. The fact that Ascended could actually leave, the potential high cost of such a move, the potential risk of leaving a trail for Void to follow, a collaboration between Horizon and mysterious external force … and above all, a casual declaration that the invasion of Void was not only expected, but treated as inevitable.

“Very tricky for a bunch of upstart natives,” I commented.

He nodded. “They certainly are,” he said. “There are many domains they would be massacred the moment they step up. They have gathered an impressive number of enemies. Somehow, they don’t care.”

“They must have backing,” I said, then frowned. “Too bad I have to keep a low profile for a few weeks still…” I muttered, then stayed silent, giving him a potential timeline for freedom without being explicit.

He looked excited about the idea.

“Do you have anything concrete about what they were trying to do in Europe?” I asked. “Any specific target?”

“Not as much as my Lord would,” he admitted. “It’s too far away from our operation, but city lords talk whenever they travel back to their respective domains.”

Implying that traveling between their planets, or at least what I assumed their domains were, was easier than traveling between continents on Earth. Though that was a dangerous assumption.

“Meaning you’ll learn more once we let you go. A nice threat,” I said, challenging him openly.

He blanched. “I … I didn’t mean it like that, Your Majesty. I was just —”

I cut his reaction with a gesture. “Don’t worry. I’m not angry. Only lies earn punishment, not undercover, inefficient pleas for freedom.” My smirk grew, and I once again used my Charisma. This time, I focused on radiating just one emotion. Fear.

Even a fraction of the pressure was enough to turn him into a trembling wreck. Though, I wasn’t sure whether it was the power of my Charisma, or my fake background. I suspected it was the latter.

“It was a good talk,” I said and stood up. “Occasionally, some of my agents will visit and question you. Don’t try to be smart with them, or try to use your Charisma on them. You never know when I might be watching.”

“You can trust me, Your Majesty,” he said, managing to keep his voice mostly still.

Once outside his cell, I changed locations through a gate, and appeared next to Rosie, who had been watching us all along.

“It’s a true mess, right?” I asked.

Rosie just sighed.