The cold night wind entered through the window like an intruder. The brief warmth emanating from the candle could not warm the present company. Basil rubbed his hands as he looked at Merlian and the others.
—So... two of you are empresses, and there's one more somewhere.
Merlian nodded calmly.
—Yes, I am an empress, and Aury is one too. —she said while pointing to the expressionless woman.
Basil looked at them and spoke in a mocking tone.
—In that case, I have two living legends in my office. Should I prostrate myself and pray?
He began to reflect on the current situation. He was waiting for the arrival of the Great Headquarters, all with the intention of starting a conflict between both sides. He strongly believed they did not belong to her since the Disciplinarians —especially those from that organization— were widely known, and Basil did not recognize any of them.
He thought about escaping amidst the chaos, but his legs broke, so he had to come up with something on the fly. If he did nothing, the Grand Seat would arrive, being defeated in an instant by those six Disciplinarians. If he were lucky, the scandal would make the Grand Seat send its elites. Otherwise, at least it would be thought that Magenta Seraph could easily dispose of a squad from the Grand Seat, causing them to send a more powerful squad, and so on, complicating things for the peculiar group. He was not afraid of being killed since they wanted information, and he wouldn't give it for a long time.
However, that mysterious group told the most fanciful story he had ever heard in his life. If he believed they were telling the truth and that such danger was imminent, Basil would have to warn them about the Great Headquarters because he could not allow his "protectors" to weaken. How complicated...
But he didn't even have the chance to make a decision as Merlian pulled out that ivory hummingbird from her bag. She activated the device with a smile, allowing everyone to hear Basil's message. His face went from surprise to resignation in less than a second. Merlian saw this and chuckled softly.
—Hehe... Mr. Basil, I suggest you stop prolonging the conversation unnecessarily. The Great Headquarters will not come.
—I guess I... lost... —he spoke with a heavy sigh.
—Don't feel bad. If I were a Disciplinarian, I probably wouldn't have noticed this toy.
Her attempts at consolation were ruined by that mocking spark in her eyes. But Basil didn't notice this; he was lost in his deepest memories, surrounded by boundless melancholy.
There is no victory without defeat... I can't stop here for losing once... I still have to... ah...
Little by little, Basil's gaze shifted from sadness to anger. He had promised never to lose again. And he lost that night; now he was at the mercy of those people. However, he was not going to give up so quickly.
It doesn't matter if I lost here; I still have much more to gain! The important thing is knowing if it's winter and planning for spring. For now, I will understand the situation, and based on that, I will ensure my victory!
—Please, I ask you not to get angry; we need to maintain a cooperative relationship...
—I must apologize; I did it without knowing you wanted to protect me. —Basil's golden irises pierced Merlian's black wells—. They have already explained everything to me, but I still feel there is a significant amount of information missing.
»Who is the Emperor who seeks to kill me? What do you gain by preventing it? What do I have to do with the ascension of a demigod? And above all, why do you not seem so sure you can save me?
The woman saw Basil's gaze and her expression returned to its usual seriousness.
—I can understand that you have many questions, but there are some things it's better not to know. —She thought for a moment before responding—. For now, let's refer to this person as "Mr. S."
It's none of the five nicknames I know... In fact, that person was called Aury, and as far as I know, there is no Emperor with that alias.
—I don't see why you couldn't tell me their name.
—There is a reason. When one is an Emperor, their name acquires Wanderer abilities. If I were to say Mr. S's name right now, seconds later they would be here.
—Damn it; that is...
—Indeed terrifying.
Hm, thinking about it, all five Emperors present themselves with nicknames. Is that why?
—So Miss Aury...
—It's just a nickname.
Someone doesn't like being interrupted...
Basil chuckled softly as Merlian continued speaking.
—Regarding what we gain; there are things it's better not to know. The same goes for your role in the ascension; you just need to understand that your life will be used in Mr. S's ritual.
»And regarding your last question... there are several reasons.
—that tone isn't good....
—I planned to tell you once you understand the main problem. —Merlian struggled to keep her distress off her face—. It's not just about an Emperor wanting to kill you; it's about two.
Basil felt he was losing any trace of sanity he had left. At that moment, it no longer seemed strange to him that the Great Hex or Celei were mentioned. He quickly reviewed all the mythical creatures that hadn't been mentioned, just to get used to the rhythm of that woman, who was spouting incongruence after incongruence.
—Since when are Emperors devalued? Now it turns out everyone is one!
He wondered if it was common material in the rise to divinity. And thinking about this, he broke into a cold sweat. If I'm common material, would I also be for their ritual? Is this all a subtle deception to guide me into the wolf's mouth?
Merlian noticed the unease in his gaze and spoke with a smile. She tried to seem reassuring, but her words didn't help.
—Don't worry, Mr. Basil. If we wanted to kill you, you wouldn't even notice. You are only necessary for Mr. S's advancement. Or at least, as far as our group knows.
»The other Emperor; Mr. O, wants to kill you to ruin Mr. S's ritual. —Merlian's smile leaned between irony and mockery—. We will save you to ruin Mr. S's plans. Hehe, wouldn't we be your heroes in any case?
Basil laughed heartily. Everyone could see how he blushed. Far from looking charming, his scarred skin created a stark contrast with the red glow, giving an uncomfortable feeling to Kaely and Fauste.
My heroes? Pure crap. "Two demigods decide to take the hard path to save me; how exciting." Thinking like this will only lead me to ruin. There must be something more, a reason I'm not aware of!
His laughter naturally ceased. He looked at Merlian with the same mocking smile she had given him.
—You tell me this crazy story but don't give me any clear proof. I ask you something and you don't answer, saying it's something I shouldn't know. How are you different from a bunch of crazies?
Merlian just sighed in resignation.
—Well, believe it or not, it doesn't matter. We will fulfill our mission even if it means dragging you along. —Her words left no room for objections.
There was a heavy silence in the office. The candle finished melting; the weak flame was extinguished by the wind. Basil's mind spun, thinking about what he could and couldn't do.
—I guess I have no choice.—he spoke after a while—. But if that's the case, please let me at least set some conditions.
—Heh, all Hex believers are the same when cornered.—Merlian laughed frivolously.
Basil only replied with a dry laugh.
—State your conditions. If they interfere with our interests, they will be rejected instantly.—His tone revealed a hint of anger.
—Thank you; actually it's not much.—His voice had a clearly marked plea—. Please let me take two of my men with me. Castian and a Wandering Apprentice; his name is Paul; he should be in one of the rooms downstairs.
»I know you're only going to protect me; I understand that; you don't need to protect those two either. They won't do much; Castian may be a Gear Warrior but has no exoskeleton. And Paul is just an Apprentice; they have nothing against you.
»I'm aware that I'm asking for a lot, but I can't trust you completely. I at least want trustworthy people by my side. Please allow me that.
The group exchanged glances, and after Auryn and Merlian nodded, they reached a consensus.
—As long as they don't do anything that complicates the situation, they can come along. But keep in mind that their lives will mean nothing to us.
Basil's expression brightened as he responded with a joyful "thank you." Merlian didn't pay much attention and began speaking again.
—Enough; we have to leave as...
—Just one more thing! Please listen.
—...Go ahead.
—As you may know, I'm a believer in Hex, so I must profess my religion on Sundays. If where we're going has a church, let me attend the sanctified meeting. You can escort me; no problem.
»In case there are no churches, I can build a makeshift altar. The place really doesn't matter; I just want to reaffirm my faith.
Merlian dragged the words with notable anger.
—Was that all? Alright, no problem. Now, let's go as soon as possible. Finish your business quickly. We leave when the sun rises.
Merlian stood up and approached the door, ready to step outside for some fresh air. But she was interrupted by Basil.
—Where are we going?
Merlian turned to look at him with a face full of arrogance. Any trace of elegance had vanished, leaving only a woman full of herself.
—I was going to ask you that, Mr. Basil. What place have you always wanted to visit but never been to? Choose one, we have no problem... Hehehe...
Basil reflected on that change in attitude.
What an arrogant woman... But there must be a reason; you don't get to Disciplinary with that attitude. Most likely, she's trying to discourage me. She's showing me that no matter what I do, they will have control... Does she suspect my requests?
He could only speak cautiously.
—Well, how about we go to Caleh? I've always wanted to see the prosperous square.
Merlian pondered for a moment. She nodded calmly and walked away.
Basil sighed once she left. Then he turned to the others with an exaggerated bow.
—Well, please take care of me.
They looked at him without saying a word. Fauste and Ferned quickly left until only the others remained.
Kaely asked about Paul's appearance, while Saudro and Auryn remained silent. The albino had a calm expression along with a smile; Auryn showed no emotion.
Basil looked at the moon through the window and wondered how long he could see it.