Chương 67: Book 2 Ch 5: Queen

Scandal is simply a byproduct of being the best and most interesting person around. Lady Arbessa's Collected Letters The rest of the day passed with Solomon attempting to busy himself with any matter that wasn't Song's investigation. Planning out his budget for the rest of the year, writing letters, conferring with Barnabus on how long the repairs to the damaged kitchen might take.

All the while watching the inquisitor bring servant after servant into one of the servant quarters for an interview and watching her go through each and every inch of the fire damaged kitchen. He made no attempts to direct her away from the library or his own quarters, feeling that any such attempt would likely backfire on him. By the end of the day she had moved her investigation into the woods, refusing an offered escort, but seeming to know exactly where to head into them.

When she emerged she walked calmly around the estate and back into town. Solomon felt some relief as she left, as did the entire manor. There was a tenseness among the staff from her presence and Felicity in particular seemed to be cleaning without focus, running into furniture and even nearly breaking a vase. Solomon got a few hours sleep before waking to the sight of the Hermit statue glowing. It was time for the next meeting of the Arcana.

He walked calmly to the statue and slid his walking stick into the Hermit's hand. There was a moment of blackness and then he found himself standing in the ballroom. The mural of the major tarot looking down on him as his mana form took shape. His stag-horned mask now had a larger pentacle in its center and across the antlers was a red cloth that hung from them like deer velvet being shed.

He felt less substantial than he usually was when he attended the Arcana meetings, likely due to how little mana he currently had available. He cast his gaze all around, seeing a number of men and women looking at him with curiosity, interest, or outright malice. His sudden ascension from the Ace of Pentacles to the Page of Pentacles seemed to have put far more attention on him. Perhaps if they were jealous they could consider fighting and killing a god too.

He ignored their stares and walked toward the usual pillar where he found the Knight of Pentacles waiting. She leaned against it in the same relaxed manner as usual, her arms folded across her chest as she silently observed the meeting.

"Welcome, Page," she said, a bit of warmth in her voice.

"Thank you, Knight. How are you?"

"I'm well. I'm about to come into a fair amount of gold."

"Oh?"

"The item you requested is ready. It will cost four-hundred-thirty golden draks." Solomon let out a breath, as if he had real lungs in that place.

"Excellent. And it's not cumbersome? It's something I can easily hide?" She nodded.

"It's a bangle. It should be easy to conceal beneath clothes."

"Perfect, World, act as witness." As he said the words he felt the attention of the space turn to him. He extended a hand and the Knight shook it, giving a firm squeeze before they released one another's hands. With the item he would no longer need to drain his mana to conceal it. Considering there was a man out to kill him, that was a great comfort. The cost was high, but given the utility of the item and its necessity he didn't have much of a choice. He was burning through his personal stipend quite quickly.

With their business done Solomon made his way to the private request room. As a Page he was now able to make anonymous requests. The first thing he did was look through the requests that had already been posted, but he found nothing new or notable after a quick scan. He then turned the page and found a quill and an inkpot suddenly to his right. He thought carefully before he wrote out a number of requests and appropriate rewards.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Seeking: A spell that allows one to affect another's will.

Make them change their minds Offering: Gold, Advanced Homunculus Rituals, an array of basic spells, or some combination Seeking: A curse of impotence Offering: Gold, basic spells, or knowledge of homunculi and a basic spell Seeking: Knowledge of Ancestral Weapons/Items Offering: Gold, Assistance seeking equivalent knowledge in another domain Solomon considered adding an additional request for knowledge on how to create a magically binding contract, but he believed the demonic summoning ritual may lead to him finding the information.

Most of what he'd heard of demons involved dark pacts, so that was likely within the knowledge Agog may be willing to bargain for. When he was done writing out each request he looked at them carefully. It was likely that one could determine that the requests all came from the same person, but Solomon appreciated the added layer of anonymity and convenience of the ledger. If he'd simply stood and asked for each of these spells it would paint a picture of him that others could use, and he didn't want that to happen.

It also saved him the trouble of asking every meeting. The purpose of each request was simple. He would be travelling home and then to the front in the month of Dentus, which meant he had the opportunity to work toward a number of his goals. He needed a spell that could affect one's will in case he could not convince his sister's betrothed to end their engagement. He wanted knowledge of ancestral weapons so that he could perform a more thorough investigation of the Crimson Command, his family's ancestral sword.

The Curse of Impotence would be a gift for his brother Jude. Given that curses were among the spells that were forbidden, he felt that the Arcana would likely have access to them. The binding was something he felt could be generally useful when dealing with his family or those around them. It would be good to make other's promises as binding as they should be. As he walked out of the room and back into the ballroom he saw a woman in a crowned mask with the tips of the crown each ending in a pentacle.

She smiled as she approached him and he gave her a bow.

"Queen of Pentacles, it's good to meet you," he said as he rose.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Page. I would've preferred to meet you as an Ace of course, but who could've expected such a rapid rise?"

"Not I, I'll say," he responded.

"Would you join me for a private conversation?"

"Of course," he said, gesturing toward one of the side rooms. He had no other transaction he wanted to attempt, and aside from seeing what information he could eavesdrop he had little else to do unless he heard an item on offer from the lesser arcana that interested him. They settled into a well appointed room, sitting on lavishly cushioned chairs. Solomon tried to discern as much about the Queen as he could.

She was older, perhaps in her early forties, and had heavy wrinkles on the corner of her mouth as if she frequently smiled. Her eyes were hazel and sharp, seeming to focus on minute details as they moved around. She was short, with her crown only barely bringing her to chest height.

"Knight told me that you were travelling." She smiled, nodding.

"I was seeking something. An important reagent for a potion."

"Did you find it?"

"I did. It took quite a lot of effort and a high price, but what's worth having that doesn't?" He nodded.

"And what of you? You appear suddenly, have the eyes of the major arcana on you and are able to offer up the corpse of a dead god? What is it you are seeking?"

"Initially, survival. Now, a bit of everything," he answered cryptically.

"Everyone must start somewhere. It sounds to me though as if you have yet to find your focus."

"Focus?"

"Your area of expertise. The type of spells that resonate, that cast with clarity and focus beyond any other. It doesn't surprise me that you're not aware of this. Most who come to the Arcana are powerful in some way, but lack foundational knowledge. All mages have a type of magic that they are more attuned to than any other. By focusing on that magic they are able to draw more from it than most other mages. Eventually this distinguishes you, makes you unique among those with magic.

For me, as you may have guessed, the focus is alchemy." She paused looking thoughtfully at him.

"Normally I would sell this kind of information." She sighed.

"I suppose my good mood has made me a bit soft. Lucky you." Solomon smiled in return, his mind already drawing a number of conclusions. His mana ran wild with basic spells like light and spark, but when he cast blood control or performed Homunculus rituals he had no issues. What kind of focus was that?

"I have one more thing to ask of you. I know you already sold that dead god's corpse to The Devil, but if you ever come into contact with such materials again, I'd appreciate it if you could call upon me first." Solomon nodded.

"I can do that."