Chapter 69 – The Archmage

Mirian met with the newly elected Mayor Ethwarn on Fourthday again. She had wondered if the election would turn out the same way. After all, the process was a messy thing involving most of the town, and she’d changed a lot of variables this cycle. She’d thought that with so many hundreds of people vying for the office and different interest groups making and breaking their hourly alliances that even small changes would lead to a different result. Instead, it seemed his prominence in town, the connections he had, and the money he’d thrown around to build support had outweighed all of that.

Their discussion was similar enough. She made her predictions, and he sent out his zephyr falcons. It would be a few days yet before her predictions were confirmed, and the militia started to organize and train. Her battlemaps were already ready, so she focused her efforts on magical research and practice. A few times, she stopped by the Luminate Temple to read the holy texts, where a friendly Priest Krier had already prepared several volumes for her to pour over. It all still seemed strange. Her best guess was that the death of the spy who was working as Mayor Wolden’s assistant had somehow influenced events. Perhaps if he was left alive, he falsely reported Mirian spouting blasphemies. Perhaps all she needed to do was check in before her reputation got out of hand. She came to his Seventhday sermon. This time, it had changed, from a lecture on Xylatarvia to more about the tribulations of the First Prophet.

Meanwhile, Jei had continued to harangue Archmage Luspire about a meeting, eventually roping in Professor Torres (who in turn talked to Cassius and Seneca) to help her. The Academy staff, annoyed that Luspire had done a terrible job handling the break-ins, mostly had no problem needling him to respond to some part of the developing situation, whether that was the fact that foreign spies had been running rampant in the Academy, or that time travel might be possible.

Finally, he agreed to meet on Secondday.

Respected Jei found her in the grove before the appointment, practicing. “Sloppy,” she said after observing Mirian go through the middle group of exercises.

“Sorry. I’ve been having these… dizzy spells lately. I keep losing focus.”

“Hmm. Rest, then.”

Mirian shook her head. “I still have a few elixirs left. I can keep going.”

Jei raised an eyebrow. “Spellcasting is more than simply using mana. If you use your mind, it is connected to your body, and bodies need rest.” She said a phrase in Gulwenen, then said, “It means, ‘only the fool breaks themselves into pieces to cover more of the ground.’ Do you have this expression?”

“Probably. I can’t think of it at the moment. The meeting is soon, right? I should probably get ready.”

“Yes. And I will tell you what I have discovered,” Jei said as they began to walk towards Torrian Tower.

“Oh?”

“I do not have many friends among the professors and researchers. Many people are like Roland. You understand. I have worked to ‘be friendly.’” Jei put on a fake smile. It was mildly disturbing, and looked unnatural on her face. “This is how Baracueli act. Many smiles, even when you are not happy and you are just doing simple things like talking about work. You must smile to reassure them all is well, or they get nervous. I have been smiling and talking. Also, if you bake people pear tarts, they like you a lot better, and they tell you things they did not before.”

“Pear tarts… should I be taking notes?” Mirian asked.

This time, Jei gave one of her genuine smiles, a subtle smirk that barely moved her face. Her laughter was in her eyes far more than her mouth. “This is all to say, I have been getting people to tell me what the Archmage is up to. He wants badly to leave this, what was the word? Backwater. Instead, he wants to go get an appointment at Vadriach University.”

Mirian snorted. “Well that isn’t going to happen.”

“Yes. Unfortunately, Medius Luspire is very smart, and smart people are the best at deceiving themselves.”

“Huh. I never thought of it like that. So… has he been working with the spies like the mayor was?”

“Maybe. If he did, he was more clever. He met with Captain Mandez regularly, but those were official meetings about the break-ins. No obvious bribes or any other connections anyone I talked to knows about. Maybe he was just thinking about his career. Ghellia—sorry, you do not know first names—Professor Marva, did you have them? The illusionist?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. Smart. They know more than just illusions. Good to talk to about spell efficiency, and maintaining concurrent mana flows. Anyways, Marva heard that Luspire went on a trip to Vadriach two years back. They did not treat him well. He was quick to judge me for being from Zhighua, but he was baffled that the Akanans might do the same to him for being Baracueli. Probably the only time he encountered prejudice. Marva thought this was very funny.”

“Okay. It shouldn’t be that hard, then, right? He wants to be buddy-buddy with the Akanans, inviting their team to check out the Divine Monument should be exactly what he wants, right?”

“No,” Jei said.

Mirian made a face. “Really? I guess I should expect that by now. Why not?”

“Because if our research team makes a breakthrough, he gets to claim credit, and that guarantees he gets recruited to Vadriach University. If the Vadriach researchers come here, why do they now need him?”

“Oh. Ugh. So what do I do?”

Jei said, “If I knew, I would tell you. But inevitably, you will discover this.”

She sighed. “I suppose I will.”

Mirian had never actually been inside Torrian Tower before. At the gate entrance, an attendant and special Academy guard allowed them in. The short entry hall quickly spilled out into a cavernous central room. Tiered balconies of black and white stone from the higher levels overlooked the first floor. Dangling from those balconies were the ancient red and white banners of Torrviol, before it was incorporated into Baracuel during the Unification War. High above on the ceiling she saw beautifully gilded honeycomb vaulting in a style she’d previously only seen in Alkazaria. Along the balconies, she saw researchers wearing their formal robes striding about. Her arcane sense could feel how much magic was flowing through this place.

They crossed the room, which turned a corner and led to the stairs. As they did, Mirian observed several arcanists had disassembled part of the stone facade around the archway, and were taking readings on the glyphs. She recognized the sequences immediately; they detected both weapons and illusions. The Impostor must have found a way to bypass it, if she was disguised as Gavell, Mirian realized. And they don’t know how she did it.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

The spiral staircase wrapped around the circumference of the tower, making for a long trek up to the upper floors. Along that staircase were portraits of the archmages of the Academy that had come before Luspire. Everything was made of the same white and black polished stone, and each tapestry or rug had a decidedly crimson theme to it. Archmage Luspire’s office was on the sixth floor. On one end of the room was the singular balcony of that floor, overlooking the interior room that dominated the lower levels. On the other, a vaulted window looked out at Torrviol, the overcast light from it mixing with the warm glyph lamps. Ornate bookcases lined the walls, interspersed with small red marble statues of the Gods atop pedestals. A second door led out of the room, presumably to his personal quarters.

As soon as Mirian saw Archmage Luspire, she could see what Jei had described. While he still wore the formal embroidered cape of his station, he wore a suit that looked more like what the Akanan arcanists preferred, and unlike most of his male colleagues at the Academy, he was clean shaven. The faintest hints of wrinkles had started to crease his face, and his dark brown eyes projected an easy confidence.