Его не звали, но он приперся / They never called, yet he is here: Интерлюдия седьмая: "Причина всего"

Interlude Seven: "The Reason for Everything"

Camrad_RIP 16.06.23 в 20:38

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Camrad_RIP 16.06.23 в 20:13

In recent months, Lawrence Farans, Master Investigator and Grand Detective of the thirty-eighth level was in the mood when more than anything else in the world, he wanted to send all his entourage to the monsters in Hell and submit his resignation. He has stopped only unwillingness to fall into the inevitable disgrace and a clear understanding that no one would not let him into this retirement. He knew too many secrets because of his position, and after the recent purges, these secrets became so many that he could only retire in his grave.

Camrad_RIP 16.06.23 в 20:42

The consequences of the mysterious attack on what was arguably Melareth's most important strategic node were still being dealt with, even though the Eternal Empire, which had funded the creation of the lacuna that had fallen into the Mist, had taken note of the Royal Office's version of events. Probably because the sabotage was executed with a level of skill that suggests that Melareth was simply out of the league.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 08:03

If the wolves of Atkins had simply been defeated, deceived, and taken advantage of the weaknesses available to achieve their goal, then the conversation would have been very different. It was Melaret who had made the mistake, who had misjudged, who had relaxed too much. But when such a defensible fort ceases to exist in a few hours, leaving practically no survivors, leaving no traces, no clues, and the Shoreless Eye finds only emptiness and scraps of bygone trivial events... Here it is clear even to an idiot that it was not the old and familiar enemies, like Sorz, but someone very strong, experienced, and hitherto unknown.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 08:05

The ambassadors and diplomats of Eternal accepted this version with some squeaks, but they accepted it. Largely because they could not give their own. Even after escaping the wrath of longtime creditors and allies, Melareth found itself on the brink of the biggest crisis in forty years. The death of an exorbitant number of elite soldiers is bad. The death of Ferer Roche, who is the kingdom's strongest ritualist and a leading expert in a dozen top-secret projects, is terrible. The complete destruction of the spatial fold, with all the accumulated equipment and the warehouse of super-valuable artifacts, among which there were even those recognized as legendary, is a nightmare. The disappearance of all, that is, all the works, which were stored in this place in a single copy because it is dangerous to make copies, can be equated to a disaster.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 08:09

Then there were long weeks of ceaseless work, which made his head ache and his nose bleed. There were attempts to track down some of the vanished retinue, for which there was not even enough time because His Majesty demanded answers, at least some answers. Futile inquiries were sent to the Chancery of Intelligence, which had enough of its own rubble. And this all-encompassing and soul-killing, even seemingly eternal lack of time, turns a proud and powerful nobleman into a shadow of his former self. That time had passed, but the consequences of that time had to be dealt with even now. And for years to come.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 08:11

At the very least, Lawrence is eager to understand who and why arranged for his entourage to "walk off into nowhere" just weeks before all this fuss began. He would gladly attribute Bastian's disappearance to attempts to reach his great-uncle's heart. The apprentice was pretty close by blood, and that's a great way to create a beacon for some creature to attack. Or to punch a way in through a spatial anomaly.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 08:12

The disappearance of his staff priest did not arouse suspicion at first. Despite all attempts to control him, Shyngys went on long binges, sprees, or other adventures, from which it was not so easy to get this drunkard out. Whatever his past, the perpetually drunken brute was very good at laying low. While he was able to find out about the death of his apprentice, while he was tying these facts together, while he was thinking about the missing road priest... well, here we go.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 08:14

Lawrence, who had managed to find a new priest and assistant (much less talented and promising), had only recently been able to return to work on the matter. He had recently returned from purging the spontaneous opposition, which had nearly turned into a rebellion - the sovereign was very angry at the former lacuna operators, who had the blood of the World of Infinite Mists in them. Farans himself did not share the official version that it was the Valtinor and Paarimis, resentful of the King's edicts curtailing their rights, who had surrendered the Stone's security signatures to enemy agents. But he kept silent - these families were no friends of his family, and their blood, lands, and holdings were coveted by too many.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 08:17

Alas, these two old and powerful houses not only had their own armies, but also a host of allies, debtors, and sympathizers (who feared to be next). The mutiny did not erupt, for through the titanic efforts of the royal services, including Lawrence himself, the main instigators and key figures of the impending turmoil was captured or eliminated. The others were either appeased, reconciled, bribed, or quite officially executed.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 12:50

He was able to exhale... a little bit.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 12:50

And begin to clear the piles of accumulated debts, resentments, and insults as well as rewards, encouragements, and unresolved tasks. The list of which included the fate of his apprentice. Still, the detective did not have much faith in the basic version. There was no sign of any protection being broken by the blood ritual. There just wasn't. And hiding them from the Eye was so difficult that it was easier to find another way into the Stone.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 14:24

And so began what Lawrence Farans was hated for - no clairvoyance, no visions or insights, a minimum of intuition. Only a cold mind, relentless logic, and the ability to process monstrous amounts of information in a short time. Even before his death, his apprentice had been working on the Red Knot issue, deeming the event important enough to devote more time to it.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 14:25

Justifiably so, for the event was quite unusual, ending in the death of one of the largest courtiers in the entire kingdom. The mentor did not immediately take up the latest documents he had requested through his name. Or rather, not so. He found out at once but did not pay proper attention due to the workload and his levity, which for the owner of his class and profession, is still a shame.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 14:27

The boy had long been interested in the subject of using the summoned, which annoyed Lawrence somewhat. But wisdom must be gained by specialists, as well as mistakes. It was a touchy subject, but it was a permissible one for an apprentice to one who would in the future Head the kingdom's Secret Service (now, due to major purges, the issue was almost resolved). But if Lawrence had dug a little deeper...

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 14:29

To begin with, there was no information about Bastian's last requests, which at the time were not listed as dead, but only as abducted, in the files of the archives. The amulet was recorded in the fields of the Royal Library, but the amulet itself was missing along with the apprentice, and the logs of reports and materials issued were simply missing several pages. And they were so cunningly missing that you wouldn't even know they'd been taken and swapped. Without Farens' intervention, they might not have been noticed at all, not even out of spite, but because of the skill of the forgery.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 14:30

It gets worse: every single witness who spoke to young Roche on the day he received his last packet of scrolls, everyone who helped him search for them, is either mysteriously missing or not mysteriously dead. Time has passed, but for Lawrence and his class, time is no barrier, even if it is a far more effective tool than he would like to admit.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 14:32

Someone fell down the stairs, another was poisoned by mushrooms, a third was hit on the head in the alley and his head accidentally fell on a pebble, and by morning he had passed on to a better world. A quick exhumation of all the bodies confirmed the truth of all versions - the poisoned man had really been poisoned not by a special poison but by stale and poorly cooked food. This was not the first time he had suffered from indiscriminate eating, so no one was surprised by the situation, even though everyone he knew was saddened.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 14:33

But a little closer scrutiny, expressed by exhuming the corpse and paying for the work of a rather specialized necromancer, revealed something else. For example, the little nuance that the dead man's last meal had so much harmful fungus and mold in it as if he had chewed the purest rotten meat rather than a slightly tainted dish. There was more, for every one of the dead was exactly murdered.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 14:34

Unfortunately fell down the stairs.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 14:35

Robbery in a dark alley.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 14:35

Fall from a high shelf and the fall of that shelf on the fallen person.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 14:36

It's hard to dig it up, but Lawrence didn't need to prove malice to the judge. He is a judge and executioner if need be, and simple logic dictates that such accidental deaths associated with the disappearance of his apprentice are not accidental at all. After that, it was easy enough to piece together what happened and the disappearance of his staff priest. He was rumored to have joined the priesthood from the liquidators.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 14:39

The Great Detective class gives no bonuses to intuition, post cognition, or foresight, which often makes life very difficult for its owner. Lawrence can piece together any pictures if given the information - that's why he joined the Royal Inquirers, because, without the state machine behind him, his class loses the lion's share of its advantages, turning them into disadvantages. Except even after understanding who killed Bastian, Lawrence could not understand why he did it.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 14:40

Well, he wasn't connected to the Red Knot, was he?

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 14:41

And then began the epic with the failed mutiny, during which the case of Shyngys and Bastian had to be put in a box so that he would not lie in such a box - it was a bad crisis when many cases fell on one man at once. Against the background of a successful terrorist attack, His Majesty trusted almost no one, and Lawrence, as one of those who was trusted, had to put the cause of the almost certain betrayal of Shyngys out of his mind for many long months. Limited himself to sending a standard message to the secret guard so they knew about the frame-up and the possible re-recruitment of their retired man.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 14:47

Time passed, webs of intrigue unraveled, rebels were apprehended, and he even occasionally returned to a forgotten problem. He even used the services (reciprocated, come to think of it) of one of the kingdom's strongest seers. Persea Tiaram was an experienced Seer and, like him, had every chance of leading all the king's seers at the end of the turmoil. Old Bernard, for all his patronage, was clearly not holding his ground - it was he, not without Perseia's participation, who had been responsible for the failed search for saboteurs and the damaged Eye.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 14:49

The work on the troublemakers had to be done with minimal use of the mythical artifact, and here Lady Tiram showed her best side, surpassing Bernard, who had grown quite old and unused to working outside the all-penetrating gaze of the Eye. Alas, but tired as he was, the woman could only confirm Bastian's death and also point out the near-perfect sweeping of the picture of events from any attempts of insight. He'd figured that out without her, but where one thing didn't work out, another did.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 14:50

Lawrence would lead the Inquirers in the next couple of years, and Persea would take the same position with the Seers. The very search for the great ritualist's missing grandson was the perfect occasion to discuss a possible alliance. The alliance was recognized by both participants as a very promising course of action. They had nothing to divide, even in theory, but they would be working under very similar conditions - it was very logical to stick together in such a situation. The Seer is the best friend of interrogators and detectives because these classes complement each other perfectly, and without the help of a comrade they lose effectiveness.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 14:54

Bastian has forgotten again. Even Lawrence, though he felt the lack of a grasping and executive guy, had no time, no energy, and no desire to pretend to mourn. But every crisis ends, as happened with the present one. And now the detective had time to deal with old questions and a heap of new ones.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 14:56

To begin with, when he attempted to obtain from the Secret Service a detailed and complete dossier of the priest who had once been implanted in him, Lawrence was softly and gently sent to the devils. This is given his present position, which is well-established and close to the throne! And from an organization that had been fulfilling his requests and demands for a couple of months now, allowing himself only a quiet "will be done"! From such impudence Lawrence even found time to go to the capital's Secret Guard Corps, directly to the next - the fifth in the period of turmoil - interim head.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 14:58

The interim looked at him with the melancholy look of a gallows man, pointing to the document with the royal seal - the order to refuse the request came directly from His Majesty's Chancery, that was another matter altogether. At the same time, he was told in confidence that though the priest of Ansham-Nar, named Shyngys, was assigned to the secret guard, the assignment was imposed on them by a direct decree of someone who, if not sitting on the throne, was standing beside him.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 14:59

Lawrence was an intelligent and understanding man, but he was also inquisitive - his class demanded it. He was also sensible about his importance to the Crown, so he sent a second request to the Chancery. He reasonably thought that in such a mess, his request might have been ignored simply out of inertia... or by the will of some possible ill-wishers who saw one of their people in the chair he had been promised.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 15:10

The request went out, and after a week, during which the detective uncovered several more networks of malicious elements (left without the patronage of smugglers, to be exact), he received a reply. Well, not exactly the answer. An invitation for a private conversation and far from someone in the office. Another invitation, to which you can only attend or run away from the country, changing citizenship and hoping they will not catch up. And even then, there is little chance.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 15:12

Virgil Ariala Pinementron was the one who ran all of Melareth's combat operations outside of Melareth's territory and jurisdiction. She didn't lead armies, though she did show her talents as a commander. All the liquidators and saboteurs went under her orders and practically prayed to this lady. The great aunt of the current King, whose fame came precisely in his reign, had the tenacity of a crocodile, the greed of a wolverine, and the bloodthirstiness of a marten. And she never forgot anything, good or bad, about anyone.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 15:20

She has worked hard to build a reputation as someone who would destroy the life of even an entire count because of one careless comment about her person, but for some time, she is simply feared to be touched. Even those who would, in fact, be her equals. Not to mention her inferiors, whom she harasses mercilessly. On the other hand, this well-respected lady is always worthy of reward - many people go to her department, despite the high mortality rate and the likelihood that you will be recognized as having "nothing to do with Melareth". They go because the reward always goes to those who deserve it, not to the next relative or lover.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 15:22

It is a very delicate topic - in unofficial operations, there is no place for careerism and thirst for promotion. Or rather, there is, but the consequences are much heavier. Lawrence knew that the real situation was different from the rumors that circulated, but he also knew that a reputation could not be built on rumors alone. There was no doubting the temper of the one who had summoned him to talk.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 15:25

They did not meet in his office but in the ornate carriage that had picked him up from his workplace. Lawrence simply waved goodbye to his coachman, his entourage, and his guards, for it was unlikely that someone else's carriage would be allowed into Lady Pinementron's estate, and if they wanted to kill him, they would kill him anyway. And if they didn't kill him, they would give him a lift home. It's high society etiquette.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 15:27

The lady looked barely twenty, so it was hard to believe this woman was in her fourth decade. Whether it was the effects of the many alchemical preparations or whether the stories about the drop of elven blood that ran through her ancestral veins were true. She could have conquered balls and gala dances and taken broken hearts, but she preferred other activities.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 15:31

A thin and airy face framed by blond hair, curling wonderfully lovely curls, and a fine and very graceful figure that might even be called too thin were complemented by piercing blue eyes that seemed to look into the very soul and deeper. Her gaze alone pierced any armor of confidence and steadfastness more than Lawrence could admit.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 15:32

The conversation began unhurriedly, as if with some fiddling. First of all, because of Lawrence's stiffness. He had no idea why he had been summoned by this woman. She traditionally, defiantly even, paid no attention to domestic politics, and their departments did not overlap even in small ways. And yet she was talking to him now. On the one hand, he was already almost equal to her now, and in time without any almost. But on the other hand, she was still of royal blood, and that meant a lot.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 15:40

As said before, his companion was not that high-ranking - not for someone who already went to the King's report regularly, and in person, not through letters or referents. Still, reputation is a scary thing, as is knowing how to present one's appearance properly. Virgil didn't even try to appear feminine, dressing solely utilitarian, even if it was a reflection of her position and status.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 15:41

All in all, talking to her was exhausting and nerve-wracking. Until she asked another question that almost made Lawrence choke on the air despite all his restraint.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 15:42

"So you're saying that the Marked killed your apprentice?"

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 15:33

Marked is not just a nickname. Marked is, you might say, an era! Considered the best liquidator not only of Melareth but of all its environs, this character of heaps of tales and rumors was one of those who execute even the most terrible and dangerous targets. For what it's worth, his blade is the blood of the Singing with Fire and Cold, two of Sorz's potentially strongest summoners who never grew into truly dangerous chain dogs.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 16:03

Lawrence knew very little about it, for he was just beginning his journey upward to the legendary class, but even that was enough to impress the detective. The two twins, summoned and chained by the Sun King's will, had quickly become a tremendous pain in the ass of all the damn sun-worshippers' neighbors. With their incomprehensible blood bond, combining two nearly incompatible planar elements, the pair could wipe out an entire border fortress or a medium-sized town. The Summoned is no gift but working in pairs, protecting each other, and not being killed by a conflict of powers... Nightmare incarnate. They never went it alone, always having a whole squad of cover, small but elite and toothy. And they easily evaded those battles where they could be seriously harmed.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 16:08

One day the twins simply disappeared, and the generals of Melareth breathed a sigh of relief and strained their backs even harder, waiting for the odious pair to reappear. The pair appeared falling out of the windows of the frontier mansion of one of the princes of Sorz, along with the prince himself. Three dagger blows, without the slightest trace of a struggle and without a single witness - even throwing the corpses through the expensive stained-glass window was purely a showstopping performance. Yes, both of the sorcerer bedfellows were somewhere around level thirty-eight, and their full power was revealed when working in pairs, but still! They were killed quickly, without a fight, and just in front of a whole regiment of guards and sensors. And the feat was accomplished by only one man.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 16:11

Marked.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 16:03

Either summoned or just a very skilled inhabitant of Alurei. Unknown level, class, or even race. But he was sent after those who could not be eliminated in the usual way. The Elven Blood Witch, who never left the Dawn Forest, or the rebellious Duke of Norshenton. The target was always eliminated. Sometimes quietly, sometimes not so much, but even through all the secrecy, information about the king's executioner leaked out. Especially in the ranks of interrogators and other members of the secret guard.

Camrad_RIP 17.06.23 в 16:06