Быть Гладу и Хладу / There will be Hunger and Cold: 15.

15. How can a not very respectable, but very well-mannered individual get into the city library?

Camrad_RIP 23.10.25 в 12:55

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Camrad_RIP 23.10.25 в 12:54

"It all sounds and seems like complete madness." This thought, voiced by the Crown agent, is shared by everyone present, one way or another; they just remain silent, but they also share her next words, for otherwise they wouldn't have accepted the proposed plan. "But the craziest thing is that it might actually work."

Camrad_RIP 23.10.25 в 12:55

Lady ++Elfea D'Lerette now looked noticeably better than at the beginning of their conversation, helped in no small part by the decent mid-priced healing potions Magnus shared with her, swallowing tears of greed. Where he'd acquired such a high-quality first aid kit, of course, he wouldn't admit, but Ilya could guess. On the other hand, their hopes for salvation, or even any kind of profit, were practically stillborn without the help of these two. So both the Charmtress and her pet, in every sense, the Seeker, were extremely interested in providing the earthlings with any help they could. Because in doing so, they were helping, first and foremost, their beloved selves, who had almost said goodbye to life.

Camrad_RIP 23.10.25 в 12:59

"Madness often goes hand in hand with genius," the Executioner replies, quoting one of the Earth's leading experts in training for successful leveling in the Broken. "The main thing is to distinguish one from the other in time."

Camrad_RIP 23.10.25 в 13:01

This is already a jab at Ilya. The plan was proposed mostly by him, or rather, by those who passed it on through him. And it would be fine if it were a bad plan, one that would lead them all to imminent capture or death, but no, old Ryuk, may his sticky candy ass be forever stuck together, did a great job and created a perfectly workable plan of action for this cycle. The Earthling was absolutely certain that the Sage of the Ink Branch had not created anything on the fly, but had simply used some of his existing drafts. There was no doubt that he was ready to wreak havoc in the city at any moment.

Camrad_RIP 23.10.25 в 13:04

He has lived in this city for many years, studying it down to the last cobblestone, unable not to study it, for such is the nature of his class. And now, when the hour has come, he has merely taken the existing blanks from the shelf, sanding them down with a file to make them suitable for the motley crew of unwilling assistants he has gathered around him. In this game of life and death, a game with very high stakes, they will have to play not only defensively and hide and seek, but also counterattack where they least expect it. And old Ryuk, his mother, his father, his family, his shit, will take part in this game, albeit not directly. He's already taking part, damn it! Even the indirect help of such a person, the owner of such a class and rank, is worth more than all their combined efforts put together!

Camrad_RIP 23.10.25 в 13:07

"Then I can only express my hope that we ended up on the right side of this border." That's how accommodating cunning mentalist bitches can be when you press them hard enough against sharp steel. "This turn of events should be enough for us to recover properly. The ritual performed earlier should, no, must be enough for this period. And then we'll see if we're crazy or genius."

Camrad_RIP 23.10.25 в 19:35

How beautifully she said “we,” and she herself was embarrassed, or rather, pretended to be embarrassed, rather than angry with herself and those around her! Well, yes, very much “we,” if the mysterious mercenaries who pulled her out of the trap take on the main burden. And she still doesn't know — and won't find out if Ilya wants to live — who exactly came up with the plan, who is providing them with theoretical support. Right now, she is more likely to think of the usual Sage as a cover, or even a classic Dreamwalker. He may not seem like much at first glance, but he provides support to the whole group and keeps an eye on ++Elfea at the same time. If his comrades start acting strangely around the Charmtress, he will immediately sound the alarm and destroy her spell.

Camrad_RIP 23.10.25 в 19:37

Let her continue to think that way, rather than suspecting the true picture of reality, which has long since surpassed even the most insane theories in its madness. FaFo is FaFo — there's nothing you can do about it. Ideally, it would be best to start today, but not only do they need preparation, but Ryuk. It was this, and not the need to let the Crown agents recover, that forced them to take a break for a day or two. With the constant risk that they would still be found, they would be able to overcome the pure ritual with some specific class talents, possibly even not of the first degree.

Camrad_RIP 23.10.25 в 19:55

Magnus and Justine also conversed with him, barely audible whispers, mostly lip-reading, and speaking the liturgical language. It would have been easier to switch to Interlingua, but the otherworlder didn't really understand the Earthly language; at most, she could understand the simplest phrases. Earthly Interlingua is highly fashionable among the Pact, like an equivalent of Earthly Latin—the language of learned men, a language any self-respecting individual should master, so to speak. But understanding and being able to maintain a simple conversation is one thing; a dialogue steeped in specialized working terminology is quite another.

Camrad_RIP 23.10.25 в 19:58

The two earthlings, for their part, weren't fluent enough in the Pact's high dialect to converse with her on equal terms. They could also understand words and sentences, but couldn't maintain a fluent dialogue on specialized topics. However, all three had, for better or worse, mastered the theurgy of the Knowledge Collector, as well as its dialect, to a satisfactory level. It wasn't that they were particularly wary of ++Yozek, who was still recovering from the drugs and beatings, but the rules for conducting a conversation in the same building with a Seeker weren't written by fools, so they followed them.

Camrad_RIP 23.10.25 в 19:59

Frankly, everything went much easier than Ilya had expected, because both divers didn't exactly trust him; rather, they recognized the futility of trying to handle it themselves. They roughly understood that another force, lurking in the city, was behind him, one that didn't want them all there, lest those searching for the raiders of the secret prison discover it. They also roughly understood that Ilya, or rather ++Pity, had somehow bargained for his life and theirs. Of course, they didn't fully trust him; in fact, their faith was extremely limited, but they had no other options.

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 05:52

"You wanted to talk about something, bro?" The Executioner, though Ilya still couldn't quite believe he was an Executioner and not a class more fitting the name, looked relaxed and friendly. But he always looked that way, and, as the diver suspected, he could switch between relaxed and slaughter mode instantly, without pausing to think. "Because it's just you and me here, in such an intimate setting, I'm actually feeling all shy. And don't take it personally, the problem isn't you, it's me, and all that..."

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 05:53

"Funny." Ilya wasn't being sarcastic; he actually smiled slightly, trying to lighten the mood, but given the richness of his facial expressions, it's unlikely his interlocutor noticed. "But no, I didn't ask you out on a date, Magnus. It's not about you either, you understand... I'm more likely to have, say, a sales pitch."

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 05:55

While the red-haired jokester was trying to clear his throat after the joke returned, Ilya opened his bag, nearly emptied by the expenses of the ritual, and pulled out his most precious possession. The look the old fart had given him when Ilya politely and courteously asked him to help retrieve these items from their hiding place was beyond words, and beyond words. But he did it anyway, without interrupting their discussion of plans, demonstrating yet another reason to mortally envy the third-step biarer. Ryuk listened to the description and landmarks the earthling had given him, quickly found the place in the reflection of the ink spilled on the table, and then, just as quickly, drew a small door, literally scratching it on the table with his fingernail.

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 05:57

And he gestured invitingly directly to the door, hinting that Ilya himself would be the one collecting his things. The resulting opening in space could more easily be called a "pet's door," just big enough for a robot vacuum cleaner to fit through, but only his hand fit. The fear persisted until the very end, the dread that the spatial anomaly would burst right while he was inside it, and his limb would be torn off. It wasn't that he didn't believe in Ryuk's powers, but the gifted man's sensitivity was driven insane by constant contact with the anomaly. And while he was dragging the load, excessively charged with energy, heavy in every sense except the literal, the door's frame trembled.

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 06:09

He knew rationally that there was no point in the old man crippling him like that, just as there was no reason to doubt the quality of the spatial punctures, but it was still a nerve-wracking experience. It was nerve-wracking, but partially compensated by the look on Magnus's face as he assessed the items shown to him. At the same time, any doubts about him being an Executioner were finally dispelled. No, there are a number of specific Traitor builds and derived, advanced classes that allow the use of "foreign" class relics, but very few players play them. And few will show such a reaction, as sincere and pure as possible. Either the Earthling is an Executioner, or a natural acting genius, or he's simply invested heavily in his specific talents and quirks.

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 06:10

"Fuuck... Well.. Well, well, well!" He practically started rubbing his temples, as if fighting off a migraine. "So. I have thirteen drops in my forum account right now. I'll add another six at the standard rate, in credit equivalent. If you wait at least three months to pay, I can withdraw part of the funds and borrow some from my parents... okay, I won't borrow from them, fuck them, but I have a good credit history. Oh! I can also transfer the rights to a sports car. A two-year-old model Clevissort Roland L-62, two-seater comfort class. The insurance is fine, paid for five years in advance, I don't remember exactly. That's about two-thirds... okay, more than half, of the standard price for a knife like that. The mask is much cheaper, and I don't really need it, but I really want that broken piece.

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 06:21

Magnus wasn't lying, though he was significantly understating the truth, bargaining in his favor. He quoted a price for standard bladed-strike relics for the Executioner. But at purchase price, without taking into account bargaining or even auction. He also hadn't yet gotten to the most important argument in his favor—the prices of relics in the Citadel, for example, are one thing, with a market for them and many solvent individuals among the divers. There, yes, loans, rent, installments, and leasing of powerful class or universal relics are commonplace. But only because we're talking about the Citadel, may its glory be eternal, and they're nowhere in the Citadel.

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 06:50

In such wild conditions, where new divers don't have enough supplies and a normal financial cushion, such prices are simply impossible; no one can afford them. Judging by his remarks, Magnus is clearly a rich boy, but that was already clear from his online communication, where he showed a tendency not to count his money too much. And other remarks showed that he regularly vacationed at resorts, raced on race tracks in his personal car, and so on. As a result, the picture is very clear and vivid, like a neon sign. But his wealth is still not at the level where he can easily spend the average annual budget of a not-so-prosperous neighborhood on his whims.

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 07:05

To Magnus' credit, he doesn't try to pressure Ilya with ‘we're on the same team’ or even use the argument ‘let me wear it, what's the big deal, are you stingy or something?’, but he's also in no hurry to offer the full price. Even if he did, Ilya would be the first to suspect a scam of the worst kind. He does not need to overpay. Because Ilya has no other buyers. He either has to accept the price offered or look for another customer, but among the locals. At the same time, he cannot get a microcredit on Earth from the possible amounts, because all payments will be made in the world of the Mechanism. And here, in Broken, in this sector, the relics on display are already known, and interested buyers have every chance of finding out who the trophy was taken from and asking for that.

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 07:10

The result was a classic classic: one offered more than he was willing to spend, but less than the actual value of a couple of class relics, and the other would get less than he wanted, but at least he got something. Frankly, Ilya would have given up those picking tools for a single drop, even for free. It wouldn't have been a pleasure, but he had to, because for his upcoming plans, he needed the most powerful support unit possible in the form of an allied Executioner. Fortunately, Magnus didn't know this, so he managed to make a nice profit where he least expected it, and even got rid of the "dirty" spoils, making them someone else's problem.

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 07:35

Had the situation been different, not only would Ilya have acted differently, but Magnus would have had significantly more arguments in his favor. If only because he, too, now needs all the strength he can muster and acquire. Ilya is certain that they weren't offering him everything the red-haired, smiling, easygoing guy had in reserve. More likely, he was offering him only what he could comfortably spend on his own enhancement without being left bare-chested in the middle of the Arctic. Yes, he might even be planning to sell his car, which he already has, and buy a new one! But such an act demonstrates how serious the buyer's intentions are. Yeah. Then again, why would Ilya need a car, even if it's a sports car? He won't accept anything other than anonymous payments through the Forum.

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 07:39

"Thirteen drops will do for me, payment via the Forum within 24 hours after the Cycle ends." He nods gravely and calmly, as if that's how it should be, handing both relics to his comrade. "I'm counting on your honesty. Do you need the reference ritual?"

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 07:41

The only option here was to rely on honesty. Apart from the word of honor and the fear of kicking, such exchanges are not regulated by anything. However, if he could escape the city and this whole adventure alive, Ilya would certainly be able to catch Magnus and confront him about his financial irresponsibility. The main thing, after all, was to get out, to extricate himself, to manage to escape this trap. In this regard, Ilya didn't care whether Magnus appeared honest and reliable or whether the red flags in him indicated an outright con artist. He simply needed an Executioner with a powerful pick, nothing personal.

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 10:57

"Heh. I wouldn't turn down a good offer, but thanks anyway." He may be calm, but his fingers, his fingers, are trembling slightly as he takes the broken piece of a bronze sword in his palm, running the pads over the fabric of his executioner's cap. "And the ritual, if it's written down, then go ahead. The class suits me; I intuitively sense what it is, but I could read a normal tablet, too. A drawing along the line? Or a dust method?"

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 10:59

"No, a more complex version of the winter Pleiades." Ilya didn't hesitate to cast the line, simultaneously providing another hint, one that should lead the other person and their guesses in a slightly different direction. "I didn't write it down, but I can easily recite the basic properties from memory..."

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 11:00

And he recounted those properties, once again convinced that it was the Executioner, not the Traitor, who truly knew what kind of relic he held. Only the bearer of the appropriate Lot could read the relic without additional evaluation rituals. Well, almost, almost only the bearer, there are variations. Ilya even shamelessly added an extra aspect to the relic's properties, purely for testing. In response, he received a disapproving look from Magnus, who understood perfectly well why ++Pity had lied. Ilya responded with an insincere apology and said he had simply misspoke.

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 11:02

"Winter Pleiades..." The thoughtful tone doesn't fool Ilya; he sees that Magnus has already remembered everything, he's just pretending to think long and hard. "No, okay, ice branch, but this is wild magic. I mean, I understood from the ritual that you can practice wild elements, but what the hell are you, a Shaman-Witch? Ah-ah-ah, screw you, goldfish, if you don't trust me, then fine, I won't insist. But... If you can't cover and hold the team together in battle because of your secrets, then I'll consider you an asshole."

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 11:15

"A goldfish?" The tricky questions, like the thinly veiled warning not to expose the pair, didn't bother Ilya, unlike the strange phrase. "Is it some kind of creature, or something connected to theurgy or mythology?"

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 11:03

"No, I mean, yes. It's a creature, and mythology, and all that." Ilya merely continued to stare, his gaze filled with curiosity and melancholy, not spoiling the other's attempt at being clever. "It's a reference to a classic fairy tale, probably from the early nineteenth century. My mom is a fan of the phrase, and before her, my grandfather used to say it. It doesn't matter. If you want, just search it, otherwise I'll bore you with a whole swathe of classic children's literature and a dissertation on early twenty-first-century memeology."

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 11:05

The ally's thoughts were clearly far away, all his attention focused on the blade in his hands, broken almost at the guard, a blade that seemed to grow sharper and sharper, incomparably more dangerous than it should have been. Ilya could almost swear that barely discernible crimson droplets appeared and disappeared on the bronze blade, sinking back into it. Well, if it enhances the executioner's combat abilities, and it will, their delightful, beautiful, reliable, magnificent, and all that with huge doses of sarcasm plan will have a slightly better chance of success. They have so few chances as it is, so any increase will seem so significant.

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 11:18

"Well, get used to it, you'll have to use them very soon." He's always ready to state the obvious, especially if that obvious fact adds even the slightest sourness to the satisfied expression of his interlocutor. "And yes, I warn you again: these relics had owners, and they are almost certainly the same individuals we're confronting here in Lazy. It's even possible that our local allies will recognize these objects."

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 11:22

"If this little one had owners, it's purely their fucking problems," Magnus counters with a slightly manic smile, practicing several stances from the classic fencing course for bladed weapons, one after another. "And God forbid, they try to make these problems mine."

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 11:20

Ilya couldn't think of a response, choosing instead to turn around and retreat deeper into the house occupied by his temporary allies. He, too, had much to think about and prepare for; he, too, had a difficult day ahead.

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 11:19

So he sat, meditating and breathing steadily, exploring his talents, monitoring the density of the veil of Lurking Evil, and barely moving. It was as if he'd truly dozed off or quietly grown stiff. He'd deliberately chosen the attic as his location because it was very cool there. Of course, he could have ignored the heat and the warmth, or bathed in the sauna, but Cald adherents of any persuasion dislike heat, and so Ilya pretended to be equally uncomfortable in the well-heated room. In a way, he, too, had been driven out by the uncomfortable surroundings, but instead of heat, it turned out he categorically disliked interaction with the individuals imposed on him.

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 11:41

Unfortunately, these same individuals, every time you think about it, your hand involuntarily goes to the ink-stained fabric bracelet on your arm, sometimes don't mind socializing. He heard her footsteps in advance; it wasn't that she wasn't hiding, but rather that she was deliberately making noise, so as not to alarm the nervous gifted. This is, in general, one of those special cases of etiquette that have arisen and become entrenched in the societies of natives, earthlings, and the otherworlders.

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 11:42

There's essentially only one rule, albeit with a ton of variations: don't fucking sneak up on gifted ones who aren't expecting your visit and are generally in a relaxed state. It often ends with either injury and destruction, or even reincarnation or even corpses, if we're talking about locals or those individuals who spent their remaining lives emptying their Vessels of Rebirth. Ilya had read a monograph by Academician Edinitsyn on accidents and murders disguised as such, resulting from such attempts to satisfy one's ego.

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 12:48

In general, it was a code of conduct based not on empty posturing, but on a clear understanding that there are many nervous and deadly dangerous individuals around you, all of whom suffer from or enjoy a variety of mental disorders. It's not a question of good manners or social conventions, but a guarantee of your own health and survival. And if not your own, then that of everyone who happens to be nearby at the wrong moment, yeah. Otherwise, a nervous wave of the hand from some four could wipe out an entire city block.

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 12:49

That's why the figure approaching him is making noise, why it cautiously and unobtrusively announces its presence by knocking on the doorframe. Without waiting for a word from Ilya, ++Elfeya, leisurely and languidly, concealing her still occasionally wobbly legs with her slowness, entered the attic. Reading the Charmtress's face is utterly pointless, as is analyzing the tone of her words or the kinesthetic movements of her body. He's too lazy to even consider the talents that could allow him to disguise such things, to pass one thing off as another, or even to force yourself to sincerely believe you're experiencing the very emotions you're describing.

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 12:51

"Will I distract you too much, venerable ++Pity?" He very much wanted to say yes, but he shook his head in denial, giving her a chance to bury herself deeper, trying to seize the perfect moment to influence his mind. "Your colleagues have become immersed in their own affairs again, and I intuitively sensed that my presence nearby had become unwelcome. You, however, preferred solitude, and if you continue to prefer it, I will leave you quite calmly."

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 14:09

"What do you want?" His tone is as even as a cardiograph line connected to a fresh corpse. "Just be specific, I can’t stand long conversations about nothing."

Camrad_RIP 23.10.25 в 19:31

There, by the way, it's easier to conceal, if not a mental suggestion, then to purely psychologically assess a person and create their personality profile. A part of him almost begs to start some kind of mental bullshit or cascade hypnoinduction, but ++Elfea D'Lerette turned a deaf ear to his pleas and, on the contrary, opened and stabilized his aura, demonstratively making no attempt to use her magical powers in any way.

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 14:13

"You may have tried to hide it, but it's still obvious your groups were operating separately." Well, who would doubt that she was too accustomed to noticing such things? "It feels like a shared school, if you will, but at the same time, different cells. You and a couple of your companions. And I, alas, having become accustomed to noticing such things, can state with some certainty that you personally, esteemed ++Pity, are hardly happy with the current conditions and the need to enter someone else's game. That's why my proposal is addressed specifically to you."

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 16:59

It's... it's so blunt and brazen that he can't help but look for a hundred tricks in a row, while also trying to figure out if she's taking him for an idiot or if she's simply so desperate that she's ready to grasp at literally any straw. Or maybe she's partially read him using empathy and cold reading alone, to find the most suitable negotiating tactics. Although no, if she'd managed to push through the indifferent and dreary boredom of the veil, she would have seen not human emotions, but his Hunger, an echo of the echo of the Wendigo's essence, after which she wouldn't have seemed so calm anymore.

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 17:06

"And no, I'm not suggesting a betrayal of your interests or anything equally, um, large-scale, let's say." She seemed to take his silence as permission to continue the conversation. "All I ask is that you deliver a note to one of the agent addresses. You are free to read it, honorable, as it is encrypted and brief in essence. Just a few lines, and I'm ready to swear at any ritual that these lines don't concern you in the slightest. You can deliver this message by any means, even in person, even by leaving the note in a hiding place or passing it through a runner."

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 17:09

This was more interesting, if only because he had a rough idea of how she wanted to use him, namely to pass on a message in the event of her death. Most likely, those lines would contain the encrypted name of a village and the location of the hiding place of the box that had been bothering Ilya so much. He had a slight feeling of déjà vu, reminiscent of that meeting with the liquidators, whose relics Magnus was now studying. It was not for nothing, not at all for nothing, that Ilya suggested not showing these very relics to ++Elfea and her comrade for the time being, otherwise she might recognize them. And it is completely logical, but at the same time fundamentally wrong, to assume that the three of them are hunting for the same box.

Camrad_RIP 23.10.25 в 19:30

That would be funny, wouldn't it? After all, the three divers aren't hunting for this box at all.

Camrad_RIP 23.10.25 в 19:30

"I'll be honest, I don't have much faith in my own survival, no matter how much I'd like to believe otherwise," the woman continues to sing like a nightingale, not even touching her class talents. "No, no, not because you'll eliminate me, although I suppress that fear, too. We have nothing to divide, whether you're the duke's men or even the Princip's envoys, and I demonstratively refuse to know anything about it. Alas, unlike you, I'm not suited to combat and likely won't be able to keep up the pace we've set. In that case, the only option left for me will be death, which would violate my duty to the Crown."

Camrad_RIP 24.10.25 в 17:14