PftA Book 5 - Chapter 8 - Answers and Updates

“You didn’t find them initially because the illusion array made the facility appear to be a normal demi academy,” Anya informed me when she finally reached out. “Since it was a normal academy before the war, it’s understandable why it would be overlooked.”

“What happened to the students?” I asked as I sat in my demesne.

The time dilation had automatically synced to Sira to facilitate the call. Anya never even commented on it. Since she was the one to initiate the call, it made me wonder how much she knew about my little pocket dimension.

“The academy officially closed for renovation about three years ago,” she replied. “The students were all transferred to other academies to finish their studies. It appears as if the enemy has been using the facility since then, hiding in plain sight.”

“And nobody noticed?” I asked skeptically.

“No, but that’s not so unusual since most high-end academies are not open to the public.”

It still seemed strange that nobody would notice, even if the campus was mostly isolated from the rest of civilization. Surely, someone would have visited or commented on the change.

“What about the other locations?”

“Mostly more illusion arrays,” Anya replied. “Don’t feel bad. You ultimately managed to find them. It’s more than the others assigned the task have managed.”

Anya’s words made me feel a little better, but only just.

“So, what now?” I asked as I fiddled with the ring on my hand.

It wasn’t a storage ring like most people thought. Instead, it was part of the [Disguise] array I wore almost constantly. Though I wore it all the time, I only activated it when I was out in public.

“Now,” she said with a coy smirk that I could sense through the call, “I’m going to ask you to transport one of our best stealth specialists to the room where you encountered the shaman. I know you have a secret method to get inside their wards after you’ve already been there, so I’ve instructed the asset to allow you to place them in stasis during transit to protect your secret.”

My eyes widened at her comment. Really, just how much did she actually know?

“Don’t worry,” Anya continued. “I’m not privy to the secret either. I just know it’s within your capabilities.”

Shifting uncomfortably, I said, “Okay. And after that?”

“After that, you should take a break,” she replied. “You’ve been going practically non-stop for a year. Go visit your family or something. And no, they aren’t about to be attacked or anything,” she said, anticipating my reaction once again.

I was starting to wonder if it was something she could do as a Fate Mage or if I was just really predictable.  

Not missing a beat, she continued, “I just think it would be good for you to spend some time with them. You only have so long before you have to return to the dungeon, after all. Oh, and you might want to explore Collective space a little bit if you get the chance. I hear there is an Arcane mana well on one of the uninhabited Tier Nine worlds.”

“Really?” I asked with sudden interest. It was probably no secret to the Oracle that I was hoping to increase my weakest affinity.

“Really. While you likely won’t get much use out of it while the war is ongoing, it would be worth locating in advance. I just ask that you share the coordinates whenever you do find it.”

Seeing what she was doing, my face split into a grin.

“So, you want me to find the mana well for the Alliance, then? Am I going to get contribution points for reporting its location?”

“Of course,” Anya said. “And maybe when you leave the dungeon, you can move the planet somewhere more convenient. That should be within your power as a Pinnacle Space Mage.”

I could only shake my head at the Fate Mage’s comment.

Sure, I’d heard such a thing was possible, but it wasn’t something I’d ever considered doing. And even if I could, I didn’t really see the point in relocating an entire planet when a semi-permanent portal would work just as well.

The only exception would be if the planet was deep in Collective space, making it too dangerous for others to visit without completely subjugating the Collective.

While subjugating and eventually assimilating the Collective wasn’t the worst idea, I didn’t think the Council had any plans to take the war that far.

= = =

Two days later, I was sitting at Council Headquarters meeting with Anya in person. Beside her stood an androgynous individual with completely forgettable features.

The effect was so pronounced that magic almost had to be involved.

“Welcome back, Trinity Emie,” Anya said with a friendly smile when she saw me. “This is the specialist I told you about. I’ve already explained that your method of infiltrating certain locations is a secret, so they’ve agreed to allow you to place them into stasis. I’m sure you recognize the amount of trust that requires for someone.”

“I do,” I said, meaning it.

It took a lot of trust to leave yourself vulnerable like that. Even if Stasis was supposed to be one of the most protective spells in existence, just allowing someone to have complete control over you like that had to be difficult.

“It would be best to allow them to activate their spells first since I imagine you’ll both need to be in stealth when you arrive,” Anya commented.

Without needing any further instruction, the individual disappeared.

“I’m going to touch your arm to make sure the spell works,” I said, moving close to where the specialist was likely still standing. “It’s hard to target a spell like this when I can’t sense your presence.”

It was actually quite an excellent form of stealth since the spell used erased them from Spatial Sense as well. I wondered what combination of affinities they had to make their spell work so well.

Technically, my Arcane Stealth would do the same thing. It was just that my affinity was too weak to use for the amount of time that an actual stealth specialist would need.

When my hand met the soft cloth where I suspected the specialist’s shoulder was, I said, “To your perception, we will appear in the enemy location in three seconds. Three, two, one.”

I cast the spell. I could feel the specialist freeze beneath my hand, but otherwise still could not sense them. Even the Time mana I’d used to place them in Stasis was hidden from my senses.

“That stealth spell is really good,” I commented.

“It is,” Anya agreed. “Be safe with your infiltration, and enjoy your break afterward. I’ll have Lance contact you when we need you again.”

“Any idea when or what my task will be?” I asked.

“Nothing concrete,” she replied with a shake of her head. “Just try to enjoy your time off. We want to end this war as soon as possible so the children can be released from stasis.”

“Do you need me to donate some Time mana to help?” I offered.

“We’re always happy to take donations of mana, especially for rare mana types. But don’t feel obligated. The method we’re using is efficient. If you would like to donate, though, any Adventurers’ Guild can facilitate it.”

My expression dimmed at the comment. After my recent experience with the Adventurers’ Guild on Sira, I wasn’t inclined to go back unless I had to.

I wasn’t sure what happened to the clerk who’d blurted out my information, but I hoped she was punished. Violating anyone’s privacy like that was a big deal. The fact that I was a bit of a celebrity only made it worse.

“I’ll think about it,” I said before casting my own Stealth spell. “See you later.”

I teleported myself and my invisible cargo into my demesne and immediately opened a micro-portal into the enemy’s stronghold. Once I verified there was nothing in the space I wanted to occupy, I shifted our location to the basement room where the shaman was busy stitching various body parts together like a magical goblin Frankenstein.

I hoped the stealth specialist was ready for the smell. I probably should have warned them in advance.

With a thought, I released them from Stasis and gave their shoulder a quick squeeze before letting go and stepping away.

My part of the task was now complete, and sticking around would only increase the chances of one of us being caught.

Wishing the specialist a silent ‘good luck,’ I returned to my demesne alone, grateful to escape the smell and the macabre setting.

= = =

After leaving the repurposed academy on Davrim, I decided to stop by my Mom’s temporary apartment for a bit since Anya had specifically mentioned spending time with my family.

She and Daniel had reached Tier Four during our power-leveling trip, so the two were sharing an apartment on Osana as part of their defense assignment. Oddly enough, they were assigned to Oceanside City, the same city where Jorenda had settled years before.

I doubted she was still there after all this time, though. She’d probably reached Tier Five and moved on, though I supposed it didn’t really matter what tier a patient was when it came to earning experience as a Healer.

The merfolk in the underwater city adjacent to Oceanside City had been temporarily relocated along with the rest of the demis, which I felt was sad considering the previous relationship between the two cities.

But I understood. Too many people were afraid, and just because the relationship between the two had historically been positive, it didn’t mean it would remain that way.

Unfortunately, that meant that the oceans on both demi homeworlds were vastly overpopulated by the influx of merfolk. It was to the point that I suspected the Council would need to step in soon.

“How is Eve doing?” I asked Daniel.

Though he’d reached Tier Four during the trip, his wife hadn’t quite made it. She’d started off a few levels weaker, though, so it was to be expected. Maybe if we’d managed to take a couple more trips, she could have succeeded.

“She’s good,” my nephew stated. “She and Kaylee are staying in Mom’s apartment on Earth. Kaylee is working at Mom’s hospital as a Healer while Eve is focused on crafting. She had to rent a crafting room to work out of, but she seems to like it well enough.”

Eve was a Magma Mage by affinity and a Glasser by profession. Her affinity gave her some control over molten glass, though it technically wasn’t Magma (or lava). It was one of those weird quirks.

With an expression that blended pride and longing, Daniel continued, “She’s doing a lot more functional pieces instead of being artistic with her craft, but that’s to be expected during war.”

“Is there a lot of demand for glassware right now?” I asked curiously.

“Strangely enough, there is. It’s probably because people are still getting settled from their forced relocations,” he replied. “And it isn’t just glassware. Or, at least, not the type you’re probably thinking of. The Alchemists have a pretty high demand for glass items. They are some of her biggest customers.”

It made sense, given the demand that Alchemists were probably under. I imagined they were being pushed to produce a lot more potions than normal.

“Grandpa James has been really busy too. But I guess it’s not much of a surprise that crime has spiked with the war going on,” Daniel added.

I could feel Mom’s attention sharpen, though she turned toward the kitchen and started puttering around as if distracted.

“He mentioned something about that the last time we talked,” I said. “I was surprised they let him stay with Caesi on a Tier Five world, considering he’s still Tier Four.”

“It was the weapons you gave us,” Daniel replied knowingly. “He used them to justify staying with her since he could arguably defend himself from Tier Five attackers. The other enchanted items you gave all of us probably helped, too.”

“What about your brother?” I asked. “Have you heard from him? I never got around to getting him an E3 before the war broke out. I need to try to get him one soon.”

I actually felt a little guilty about the oversight.

Daniel shrugged lightly and shook his head. “A few weeks ago, maybe?” he said uncertainly. “He’s been busy with the SEF, though I don’t know what they’ve been doing.”

“He won’t tell me either, which makes me worry,” Mom interjected with a frown.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” I said supportively. “He’s got a whole ship’s worth of support and a ton of manatech at his disposal. I’ll see what I can do about getting him an E3 while I’m between assignments. That way, we can all rest a little easier.”

It wasn’t a guarantee by any means. Justin had died while wearing one of the older versions, after all. Based on the flicker of emotion that crossed my mom’s face at my comment, the thought probably occurred to her as well.