Chương 165: Chapter 163: The Katalin Mystery IV

Polina eyed Katalin warily. The Blue Moon sat heavy in the sky, watching Polina try to keep pace with the Cascadian Highlord. The Asamaywa night was a gentle azure, yet the calming colour did little to ease Polina's concern. What were the demon's motivations? Was she really taking her to visit Amelia? Right here, right now? It seemed too good to be true. Should she use her blessing to determine the truth? No. That could get their visas revoked.

She should have—"You seem nervous," Katalin said, striding with noble grace.

"What?" Polina answered quickly.

"I'm not," she added.

"You just…" Polina trailed off, trying to find something to say.

"You walk fast," she muttered. It wasn't untrue. Katalin was more than a head taller than she was, rivalling Caolan in height. Her aura-enhanced cadence through the Asamaywa city streets meant Polina had to half-jog to keep pace. And I'm above average height, Polina thought bitterly, per Federation standards.

"Are we really going to see Ame—" Polina cleared her throat, "see Lord-Prospect Thornheart? Here and now?" Katalin's stride slowed, just enough for Polina to regain a sense of comfort.

"I said we'll go to her estate, not that we'll visit her. But who knows?" The demon's eyes twinkled.

"It is said that Lady Thornheart of the Lowlands can be seen from the entrance, relaxing in the estate's interior garden. Maybe you'll get lucky, yes?"

"... Maybe." Polina resisted a frown. The Bureau were aware of Amelia's miraculous healing of the Asamaywa slums. It was an event that rivalled some of Christdom's greatest events. It had earned Amelia a few epithets. Golden Healer. Lady Thornheart of the Lowlands. Katalin had just chosen to use the latter. Was there a hidden meaning in that?

"Are we allowed?" Polina asked.

"It won't cause… problems, will it?" She knew enough about the structure of the Empire to know that each Terra Firma's Cascadian Lords tended to be rather insular and reactive against outside influence. Greatlord Oshiro might not be too eager to see a Northern Highlord interfering with their new human Lord-Prospect, regardless of her status. Katalin smiled. A subtle smile that communicated just the right amount of amusement without being mockery.

"You worry a lot, yes?" she said. They rounded the corner, coming onto a large cobblestone street flanked by lampposts, their aetherlights turned off for the night.

"May I ask you a question?" Katalin asked.

"... Yes," Polina answered.

"Why did you come to Cascadia?" The demon flashed her a glance, her eyes serious.

"I have read reports on you and your friends. They were very detailed, but yours did not explain why you are here. I do not believe the Red Citadel sent you, so you must have come of your own accord. Your government paid us handsomely to exchange you. It was an enormous payment, yet its value seems to be nothing against the reason for your return." Polina took a few seconds to collect her thoughts. She had to answer carefully. As friendly as Katalin had been over the last few days, she was a Cascadian Highlord.

Her loyalty was, first and foremost, to Cascadia and its demigod ruler. Anything Polina said here she would need to assume would be relayed to Cascadian Intelligence.

"I am here of my own accord," she said carefully.

"So what does it matter? My actions aren't governed by the Bureau, so I should be free to do as I please." It was a slightly provocative answer, but Polina wanted to test the demon, just a bit.

"Some might say your actions were foolish."

"How so?"

"Mmm…" Katalin took a breath, looking ahead.

"You, a valuable Truth-Teller, are here as a private citizen, yes? You do not have any diplomatic protections. The East has very strict drug laws…" Polina could see the edge of the demon's mouth curl.

"Should we find a bit of dust or opium in your room or luggage, you could become a political prisoner. A very valuable prisoner." Polina calmed her breathing. There was no need to panic, not yet. There was a reason why Katalin had brought up the possibility in conversation.

"Is there a meaning behind this implied threat?" she asked the demon.

"Threat?" Katalin laughed, the noise every bit as soft and gentle as the Blue Moon overhead.

"You should know we are above such… tricks." The demon glanced at her.

"But you didn't doubt the possibility, did you? That is the difference between us and you." Polina tried not to show any reaction, but she couldn't help but admit the demon had a point. Slipping a small amount of illicit substances in the luggage of a visiting citizen or delegation was a practiced technique by the Bureau. It was an effective way to gain leverage over a problematic situation. Katalin was only half-right, though.

The Lords of the Eastern Terra-Firma were certainly above such methods, but Polina had been privy to all manner of underhanded tactics Cascadian Intelligence had resorted to across the years. Their victory in the conflict had given them newfound confidence that was manifesting in a massively expanded set of foreign operations. In one way, the next war was already being fought behind the scenes.

"We are similar in many ways," Katalin said, smiling.

"But different in others. For most humans, those differences would prevent them from abandoning their motherland and coming here, where they risk all manner of things. So, I ask again. Why have you come?" The Highlord's tone changed ever so slightly, dropping the usual half-mirth that was normally present. It seemed Polina would have to satisfy the demon's curiosity a little more. No, that wasn't right. She would have to satisfy Cascadian Intelligence's curiosity.

"If you've read my file," Polina began slowly, "then you are aware of the… event that occurred when I was last here?"

"Your terrorist attack against the Sakamoto's lift engine?" The demon faced her.

"Yes, I'm aware." Polina closed her eyes momentarily, collecting herself. She so desperately wanted to refute the terrorist label, but she knew now wasn't the time. She was in no position to demand a Cascadian Highlord to change what words they used. Instead, she opened her mouth and said, "What happened… it happened because of the path I was on. It was a path… a path…" Polina clenched her fist reflexively. Forcing herself to relax, she finished, "A path of destruction."

"Destruction?"

"Yes." Ever since the Federation Convoy incident, where Polina had lost her husband and son to the actions of Captain Serena Halen, she'd been single-mindedly obsessed with revenge. Day in and day out. Every night she laid her head down, she would think about her vengeance. It had consumed her, and ultimately, led her down a causal chain of events that had culminated in the destruction of the Sakamoto.

"I did something I shouldn't have," Polina said.

"I was trapped, forcing myself to walk a path that was destroying me. Until the Sakamoto incident, I never thought it was possible to walk off that path. I had accepted that it would be my end. Only…"

"Only the interference of Lord-Prospect Thornheart changed that."

"That's right," Polina said. As she spoke, lingering memories flashed in her mind. A memory from Kenhoro, when she was in disguise as Tatiana—the merchant girl from Tanhae." Any distrust or conflict between demon and humankind is learned,"Amelia had said." Those children playing with each other will only grow up to hate each other if other adults teach them that! Who cares if one person has a pair of horns and the other doesn't? We all feel the same emotions for the same reasons…"

Amelia had said something else, hadn't she?" And that's why I'll heal whoever I want when I want." At first Polina had seen it as naive idealism. Then, after the Sakamoto incident, when Polina had had days to think over things in the Overlord's estate, she'd come to realise that while there might be an element of naivety in Amelia's vision, the human healer could hardly be accused of idealism. After all, Amelia was living her vision every day, showing the world that her words were not empty.

"She showed me that I didn't have to be trapped," Polina said.

"She showed me I could choose a better way. That it didn't matter if it was a little naive, or not pragmatic, or inefficient." As she spoke she felt an ethereal weight leave her chest, as if merely vocalising her thoughts was healing her further than what Amelia's magic had done.

"Sometimes…" she continued, her voice nearly a whisper, "sometimes all of that is secondary to just doing a good thing for its own sake."

"In the past," Katalin said, "people have done a great deal of damage by believing they were doing a good thing."

"They've also done a great deal of good," Polina countered.

"They—" she cut off as they rounded a corner, the bizarre view stealing her words. They'd entered a plaza; only, unlike a normal spacious area, this one had only a thin path circling a central fountain. Where there should be open space, hundreds of wooden pillars stood, each six inches wide and taller than Katalin. They were covered in papers, each one inscribed with black ink. At the base of each pillar and around the central fountain, bundles of flowers were arranged.

There were thousands of them, a vibrant field of colour. Amongst the flowers were carved wooden and stone figurines.

"Quite a sight, isn't it?" Katalin said. Polina took a few steps and examined the closest pillar. The papers were Manwese prayers. The carved figures were a mix of Manwese kami and Ainese stone spirits. The flowers… well, by process of elimination, Polina could guess they were from the local Samino.

"Is this…?" she trailed off, facing Katalin. The demon nodded.

"They renamed this square to Thornheart Square. Everything here"—she gestured around—"is a heartfelt thank you to the good Lord-Prospect. She saved countless lives by healing the lowlands. She saved countless more while dealing with the fire. And then…" Katalin's lips curled.

"She went further and publicly supported the reconstruction efforts to such a degree that poor Greatlord Oshiro had no choice but to throw his full support behind it. It was quite the economic boost, I heard."

"It's all… for her?" Polina swallowed. There were thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of bundles, papers, and figures. To think that each one was a message, a thanks. It was a monumental display of gratitude from the citizens of Asamaywa and a validation of everything Amelia had said.

"It was a practical solution to a new problem," Katalin continued.

"When Lord-Prospect Thornheart was awarded her new estate, crowds formed at the gates. The private trams couldn't get through. After enough complaints, they named this square after her and told everyone to redirect their energy here. It worked quite well, didn't it?" Polina gently brushed the petals of a crimson flower.

"This is it," she said, her mind coming to a long-awaited conclusion.

"This is the answer to your question, Highlord." She looked at Katalin to see the demon tilting her head.

"I came here because I had to leave my path of destruction behind. It was longer than I thought, trailing far into my future and even longer into my past." Polina resisted a shudder, remembering the terrible truth Caolan had shown her.

"If I stayed at the Bureau, I wouldn't leave that path; I would continue to… destroy. But this… this is…" Damn it. Her eyes were starting to water.

"It's a new path," Polina said, wiping her eyes.

"A path not of destruction, but one of… construction. A path of… good. I might not be as capable as Lord-Prospect Thornheart, but I can do good. I can make amends for my past sin. I can be better." She swallowed, looking at the demon, feeling her confidence brim.

"That's why I'm here. I want to learn from her. I want to…" A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Be like her, Polina thought. It wasn't that Polina had forgiven Captain Halen, nor had her anger vanished entirely. The loss of a husband who should be by her side and the child that should be in her arms was a hole inside of her that would never heal completely. She was just sick of walking the path of revenge. She was sick of hating life.

She wanted to be better. She would be better. She would control her anger. Anger that, for the first time in a long time, was directed at the true architects of her suffering.

"A strange answer," Katalin replied casually.

"But a truthful one." The demon picked up a blue flower and brought it to her nose.

"Yes, Lord-Prospect Thornheart is a force for good. Change is inevitable, but do not forget my previous warning, yes? Good intentions can lead to the worst outcomes, and even the good Lord-Prospect is not immune from that rule." Katalin placed the flower down.

"These prayers and messages come from gratitude and joy, but that same gratitude and joy came from destruction."

"The Asamaywa fire," Polina said quietly.

"Destruction and construction are intrinsically linked," Katalin said.

"You cannot build something great without equally great destruction. That goes for the reconstituted lowlands, or the reclamation of the Wilderness, or"—the demon's eyes twinkled—"the formation of Cascadia itself. So you must be careful, understand?" Polina nodded. Katalin smiled.

"Then I accept your answer. Let us continue. The Lord-Prospect's estate is rather close by, as it happens." They walked in silence. Polina ruminated on the conversation she just had. With every step, she felt her mind further clear and her determination rise. A path of construction. Yes. That was what she would write about in her request. She felt herself smile. For the first time since coming here, she thought that perhaps she could enjoy herself.

After all, she no longer had to disguise her identity or her persona.

"The estate was awarded to her, along with a Golden Horn," Katalin said suddenly.

"It was the former estate of Lord Kanamori, who resigned from his responsibilities out of shame. It was his poor governance of the lowlands that led to the fire spreading so quickly." She seems to know everything about Amelia's actions, Polina noted. Had the Highlord taken an unusual interest in Amelia after training her? Heavens, she couldn't blame her.

"I read that he's moved out of the Three Sisters," Polina said.

"To, uh, govern a mining village." She had no illusion that the Cascadian Lord's 'resignation' was forced upon him. The Bureau was no stranger to such tactics. All governments needed ways to remove problematic people without unnecessarily dropping morale. Although the way the Federation did it was a little more… permanent.

"Yes," Katalin responded.

"Although it seems that fate wasn't as forgiving to him as he was to himself." The demon cast a side glance at Polina.

"Lord Kanamori died last week. It was in the broadsheets before you arrived. A sudden heart attack, they say." Before Polina could ask why Katalin was sharing such information, the demon continued, "Those who walk their path with incompetence tend to find their paths cut short, by fate or otherwise."

"... Now you're threatening me."

"Yes," the demon shamelessly responded.

"Before the heretics invaded the North, we hadn't had any crusades since the Long Discordancy. As much as you might value this path of good, be careful not to start your own crusade."

"Some crusade," Polina muttered.

"One woman who can't even use aether." Katalin smiled and tapped her horns.

"You'd be surprised what's come about from one aetherless woman." Before Polina could ask the Highlord to clarify what she meant, they were hailed by a pair of guards before a large iron gate. Judging by the tram tracks in the ground, this was the entrance to the gated community that held Amelia's estate, along with several other residences belonging to other members of high society. Two guards on the outside, four on the inside. There were probably more nearby.

It seemed that the East was taking Amelia's security seriously. They were only held up momentarily. Katalin identified herself and Polina, proving her identity with an insignia of House Driss—a snowflower. While Polina received a few cautious stares, a few of the guards seemed rather smitten by the appearance of Katalin. Well, Polina could appreciate why. Katalin of Driss was famed for her beauty as much as she was for her talent.

She was tall, even for a demon, with auburn hair, a smattering of freckles, and perfectly symmetrical horns. For the Samino guards, the Northern Highlord would be a sight to remember. They left the guards behind. They barely waited before they started gossiping about Katalin's appearance. Men, Polina thought with a sigh. Demon or human, they're the same. Amelia's estate wasn't far.

They paused outside, only to immediately be approached by another set of guards who only backed off once Katalin identified herself again. Hedges and a thick wooden gate denied them access to Amelia's estate, but, through a gap in the fencing, Polina could make out what looked like a winding path through rockery and water features.

"Here we are," Katalin said softly.

"Is that…?" Polina pointed at the gatehouse. Emblazoned on the gates was a symbol she had never seen before but quickly recognised. It was the universal symbol for human layered upon the symbol for demon.

"Her insignia? Yes." Katalin nodded.

"A little blunt, but as I know from training her, and I'm sure you know, the good Lord-Prospect doesn't do subtlety particularly well, yes?"

"You can say that again…" Polina murmured. She looked at the imposing wooden gate, which both served to celebrate the wealth of the newly formed House Thornheart and block any undesirable guests. To think, beyond that gate was Amelia, only metres away. Could Polina really just walk away now? With Katalin, surely her Highlord status could give them access? Her rising hope was cut short by a pair of footsteps crunching on the gravel beyond. A small side door opened, and a demon stepped out.

She was a young woman, with what Polina suspected were Ainese features. Although she likely wasn't a full-blooded Ainese, for she didn't bear their characteristic single horn. The demon stifled a yawn.

"My apologies," she said.

"But I must request that on behalf of Lord-Prospect Thornheart and her need to rest that you don't loiter around…" The demon slowly trailed off, her eyes widening in recognition at Katalin. The demon swallowed, loud enough for Polina to hear, before throwing herself into a deep bow.

"My apologies, Highlord Driss! I did not recognise you! You are…" The demon straightened up, breathing heavily.

"You are…" She looked at Katalin with sparkling eyes of wonder.

"Beautiful…" the demon girl muttered. Katalin raised an eyebrow, throwing Polina a side glance.

"I like her." Polina would never roll her eyes in front of a Cascadian Highlord. But she was tempted to.

"Remind me," Katalin said with a smile, "who might you be?"

"K-Kiku, Highlord Driss!" The demon bowed again.

"Chief Steward-in-training!"

"In training?" Katalin queried.

"Master Johan from House Halen is training me, Highlord!"

"I see," Katalin said, "and where are you from?"

"The lowlands, Highlord."

"From what house?"

"I grew up an orphan, Highlord." Kiku shifted awkwardly. Whatever the gap in status between Polina and a Cascadian Lord was, it must have felt even wider for Kiku. But, Polina thought, an orphan? Here? She'd expected Amelia's house staff to be well-trained warriors. She didn't need to be an aether user to tell that this young girl wasn't a hidden Speaker. What was she, fifteen years of age? Sixteen?

"A lowland orphanage," Katalin said.

"Could you explain how you ended up in such a prestigious position?" Kiku swallowed and went on to explain her story. An orphan from the lowlands, her home had been burned to a crisp by the Asamaywa fire. Afterwards, Amelia had inherited the orphanage, funding its reconstruction. She hadn't stopped there. She'd employed Kiku, taking her and her brothers and sisters under her wing.

The young girl talked so fondly of Amelia that Polina couldn't help but smile, but as she smiled, she felt a bitter question rise in her mind. Had anyone ever talked about Polina in such words? It was there and then that a goal manifested. She might never do something so great as heal the lowlands, but if she could do enough good in the world that one young girl, whether demon or human, could talk about her in such kind words… It would be a start, wouldn't it?

"Thank you, Chief Steward-in-training," Katalin said. The demon turned to Polina.

"Do you have any questions for this rising talent?"

"Uh…" Polina looked at the now-blushing girl.

"Is Lord-Prospect Thornheart's recovery going well?"

"Yes!" Kiku responded quickly. A little too quick, Polina thought.

"She is getting better by the day," Kiku continued.

"She hopes to be ready to receive guests in the coming weeks." The demon bowed.

"I see. Thank you." Something was off. In the first place, Polina wasn't sure if she believed the story about a recovering Lord-Prospect. She'd seen Amelia's capabilities. While she wasn't as knowledgeable about Second-Word embodiments, she just couldn't see Amelia being stressed to such an extent as to warrant an extended leave of absence. Was Amelia really in her estate? She couldn't ask that outright, but perhaps…

Her second blessing, the one that turned the world into a strange sepia, allowed her to see the capabilities of people. Amelia was unusually strong, denying all conventions of the Known World. Perhaps, if Polina used her blessing here, she might catch a glimpse of Amelia's glowing power and verify her presence or absence. It was risky to use it next to Katalin, but Polina was sure that as long as she didn't use the blessing to detonate any crystals, it was undetectable.

Steeling her nerves, she reached within herself and toggled the mental switch. She braced herself, prepared for the sudden onslaught of sepia. Only it didn't come. Instead, her eyes were blinded by a brilliant white light. She snapped her eyes closed, turning instinctively away.

"Excuse me," she said quickly, rubbing her eyes.

"Something in my eye." It was a hollow excuse, but it would buy her a few seconds to figure out what had happened. Had her blessing gone wrong? Katalin hadn't said anything, and Polina still had her head, so her activation must have gone undetected. The light didn't dim, but as the seconds ticked by, Polina's eyes adjusted. The pain dimmed, and she saw that it wasn't that something had gone wrong; her blessing had worked fine.

Beyond the burning white light the sepia world was still there, in familiar muted browns and oranges. But the light… It wasn't coming from the estate. It was coming from Katalin. She was burning as bright as a second sun, pouring out glistening rays of ethereal light that screamed power. Was this… the power of a Highlord? No, that didn't make sense. Polina had used her blessing before.

When Katalin and Caolan had duelled, she had watched them through her sepia-vision, identifying who was stronger by how bright their souls glowed. Then, Katalin was the strongest, but that was a candle in comparison to how she was now. How was that possible? The demon wasn't doing anything right now. There was no sign of her using any aetheric abilities beyond a subtle red aura that Polina could barely see. Was this her true capability? Why could Polina see it now?

While she didn't have an instinct for evaluating someone's capabilities, her blessing made up for that. She felt it artificially flash a warning alarm in Polina's mind. Power. Titanic power. Beyond the natural order of things. Beyond what a Cascadian Highlord should have. Beyond a First-Word. Beyond— Polina's mind, as sharp and analytical as ever, went over the previous days. There had been subtle changes in Katalin's speech patterns.

Subtle changes in how she took her tea, her opinion of literature, and her eagerness to duel Caolan. Polina had thought it a little strange, but merely put it down to the unusual behaviour of a normally isolated Northern Highlord. But now, with what she saw now… this raw difference in inherent power. That wasn't something that could just change. There was only one rational answer. Katalin of Driss was two people. Twins? Polina thought. But why? Why keep that a secret? Or, were they not twins? Kanaxai?

Could the person next to her be a Kanaxai Speaker in disguise? But, that didn't add up either. Katalin's horns were real. She'd seen the demon tap them this very night. They were real, corporeal horns. Kanaxai at a higher level could provide some physicality to the aetheric illusions, but Polina was trained in spotting that. There would be signs. No matter how good the illusion was, it couldn't interact with the physical world perfectly. And this second Katalin's disguise was physically perfect.

If they weren't identical twins, then that meant someone capable of perfectly changing their physical form was assuming Katalin's identity, swapping out with the real Katalin. Sharing the burden of being their liaison. There was only one person in the Known World capable of changing their physical form like it was mere clay. Someone who the Bureau had verified did, indeed, go out in disguise, blending in perfectly with the local population. Polina's heart began to beat rapidly.

She cut off her blessing, facing back to Kiku.

"... Sorry," she said. Her voice was weaker than she would have liked. She felt the person next to her look at her. It was a monstrous feeling. Despite every nerve in her body begging her not to, Polina felt herself drawn to the presence. Against her screaming mind, she slowly turned her head. A pair of purple eyes, impossibly deep, looked back at her.

"... Yes?" It was a great effort for Polina to squeak that word out. Somehow, she managed three more.

"What is it?" The person smiled.

"Hello," the woman-in-disguise said. Polina felt her heart sink. Adrenaline flooded her body. What… what should she do? What should she say? There was only one thing she could say. She took a shaking breath and opened her mouth.

"... Hello," she said back.