Chapter 54: 57.

Oh shit shit shit shit shit. This is... not good. Not good. The hell is wrong with me, why did I get so irritated over a minor thing?... Admittedly, I have had been on edge lately, dealing with all the shits around... And I'm touchy about anyone impugning on my wives, but still, why did I go straight ahead for a mind-whammy?... This... Is NOT GOOD. If I were your stereotypical manga protagonist, I would run out right now and stage the whole production about not trusting myself with powers, and... yeah, let's not go there. Let's instead think logically. The command, such as it was, was relatively mild. They were simply told to trust Moon Unit. Which they already do, so it should not impact them in any noticeable way. Unless they're in a situation where they have reasons not to trust Moon Unit and yet continue to do so. Which is not an immediate concern, but might crop up later if I'm not careful. Aaand... they're up... And bowing. Goodness, this is not good.

"My apologies." - I tell them calmly (which, admittedly, is maintained by the vice-like grip I have on my own mounting panic over the situation) - "I... have protective issues regarding my fiancées, and they tend to crop up in... undiplomatic ways sometimes."

"...Nothing to apologize for, lady Gillespie." - Dweezil offers after a bit of silence, his voice cracking a little as he continues - "If anything, I am glad my little sister is involved with someone so protective... But what in the name of World's Tree was that?! I .... you... when you said trust, it was like a hammer blow to the face."

"Conceptual language." - I explain to them. Slow and methodical deescalation with plenty of explanations, go. "I try not to use this among regular folk, because simply hearing that might cause defilement."

Sparrow Jack blinks. "...Defilement?... Oh, I see. As Tool of Gods, you are inherently otherworldly, right?" - his voice is also strained, but it seems like they are recovering nicely.

Moon Unit chuckles - "You don't truly grasp it until you catch a glimpse of Alyssa's true nature. When I first heard... and saw? I..." She trails off, her face sporting a silly grin. Goodness, Moon Unit, why. Don't tell me you caught tentacle fetish from that.

Dweezil coughs. "I'm not ready to see." - he says resolutely - "Just one word knocked me down to my knees." Sparrow Jack nods next to him.

"I'm somewhat envious of you for being able to behold, but... I daresay you might be one of the very few who can among us." - he tells Moon Unit - "You should visit Evergreens sometime to speak with the Spinners. This... you have to tell them what you can, to weave this into Thread of Creation."

She giggles softly - "In time, I will. I might bring Alyssa with me, too. Spinners are bound to have all sorts of questions."

Sparrow Jack grins - "Indeed! Who knows, maybe we can even puzzle out some clues about the name of World Tree..."

And this is where I let my mouth run away for the second time. "YGGDRASIL? What's so...." - I begin, trailing off as all three of them sit where they stand, staring at me with open-mouthed shock.

"...I did not even THINK I could simply ASK..." - Moon Unit moans, as she covers her face with her hands.

Dweezil shakes his head and, with visible effort, turns to look away. "Lady Gillespie, please." - he begs - "Enough revelations for today. Especially..."

Ok, what's going on? "What is so important about the Yggdrasil? I was under the impression you had records of it in your Thread of Creation?" - I ask.

Sparrow Jack sighs. "We did, Lady Gillespie, but we did not know the name. That part of tapestry was singed during the Time of Ashes, and we had been searching for a way to regain the knowledge of it for almost six hundred years by now." - he offers quietly - "You have no idea just how significant it is to us. And now, we find out that the world tree is named Yggdrasil simply by chance, because I was making smalltalk... I'm... more than a little flabbergasted just how easy it was, and how close we came to never learning it simply by the dint of never thinking to ask you."

I chuckle. "Well, it's not quite as bad, you know." - I tell him - "I mean, I did plan on visiting Evergreens with Moon Unit sometimes. Getting to know my extended family and all that. I'm sure one of the Spinners would have mentioned it then."

Dweezil snorts. "I suppose, but that does not change the fact we will be hailed as heroes for simply stumbling on something so momentous by accident." - he replies - "I would feel like a fraud, I can already sense that."

"Does it matter how you found it?" - I object - "Sure, it was an accident, but that does not change the fact you did. Tell the story straight, and I'm sure no one would think less of you. Explain to the conclave that Moon Unit had managed to be courted by me and go from there."

"Conclave would insist on talking to you then." - he retorts.

"What's wrong with that?" - I ask him - "I already intend to visit someday, I would not be averse to speaking to Conclave and Spinners and answering all that I can."

He pauses. Hesitates. "They would want to hear your soul aria." - he admits.

I shrug at him. "So what? Do you suspect I might not have one?" - I ask of him.

"Goodness, no, you definitely have one. You'd be dead to magic if you didn't." - Moon Unit objects - "It's just that... it's an intensely private thing. No one but family members is usually permitted to hear one's soul aria."

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I raise my brow. "Moon Unit, correct me if I'm wrong, but if you're my wife, doesn't it mean I'm related to a part of conclave by default?"

Both she and Dweezil are brought short by question. Then Dweezil smiles slowly. "...You're right." - he says - "Your relationship to Moon Unit means you're... my sister?" He looks like he doesn't know how to feel about it.

I shake my head as I sit down next to Moon Unit and hug her shoulders. "Very well. Let's put it off for a bit, shall we?" - I suggest - "Here is the plan, Dweezil. I'm going to give you a copperphone, so you could keep in touch with Moon Unit. You're going to take the cure and go back to Evergreens and tell them everything you learned here. I imagine such news would make the conclave want to talk to us personally, so... Given the permission of conclave, you will call Moon Unit next weekend and I will teleport with her to your location. This way we can settle the matter quickly and easily."

He blinks. "Teleport?" - he repeats.

"I have taken the secrets of instant travel from Sultanate mages and refined spell so it doesn't kill the mage on use." - I tell him, and his mouth falls open - "Yes, I can instantly move to any spot I have seen before. Or, any spot where someone with one half of copperphone pair is. Copperphones maintain a permanent connection which I can use as a guide for teleportation."

Sparrow Jack chuckles wryly. "Why so surprised, Dweezil?" - he quips - "Tool of Gods. Of course she would be capable of ridiculous feats of magic, it's pretty much a given. I have to ask, though, what is copperphone?"

I bring in one of the pairs I keep handy just in case there are people I need to keep in touch with and demonstrate the operation. Both elves are extremely fascinated with the design. "This is..." - Sparrow Jack begins, as he rotates the receiver in his hand - "...Yeah."

I... decide to try and keep the pair from any more outrageous news, they look more than a little shell-shocked by now.

___

Sending elves off is a bit more involved than I thought. Apparently, they came with intention of stocking on the cure because they were not counting on just being given the recipe, so their expedition is actually geared for the cargo. Which means that three of them are on horseback and two are driving a wagon. Which, as far as I can see, contains six full barrels. I have a moment of terror when I think all six of them are full of cure, but thankfully, Dweezil disabuses me of this crazy notion. Only one barrel is the cure, the rest are wine and flour. Second of which is, apparently, a bit of culture shock for elves, who expected to buy grain in sacks. The availability of barrels of flour floors them, if you pardon the pun, and they quickly snap up three of them. According to Dweezil, they trade for grain fairly often, as Evergreens is not exactly conducive to fields of wheat.

I get introduced to the rest of the expedition. Two of them are clearly guards, if the bows behind their backs are of any indication. Dweezil introduces them as Hawk and Astoria. The remaining person is... interesting. Magnolia is, apparently, a bard. And is currently entertaining herself and a fairly noticeable crowd by singing and playing something similar to a mandolin. She's pretty good. Good enough that the crowd shouts entreaties to come back again once they finally mount up and start their trek to the city gates. Dweezil and Sparrow Jack apparently been telling stories, because all three newly introduced elves were extremely polite and formal to me. The kind of formal you do when royalty suddenly shows up in your pub and asks what's on tap. I hope they will ease up if they're going to pop up in my life again. This is seriously nerve-wracking for them, as far as I can tell.

___

I barely get to my dorm rooms, when a servant starts knocking on my door.

"I beg your apologies, lady Gillespie, but there is an irate man demanding to see you!" - he breathes out - "He insists that he is owed money and is not afraid to go to the king to get his dues. What should we do?"

Hm. I don't think there actually is anyone I owe money to, but that doesn't mean I can just dismiss the situation. It might be someone trying to swindle me, which is best nipped in the bud. It might be also someone genuinely misled about things. It might even be someone who had been swindled by Konistan and seeks me as the new owner. Whichever it is, I'd better deal with it.

"Take him to my rooms." - I tell servant - "I'll sort him out personally." He is visibly relieved when he dashes away. I, meanwhile, settle myself down in business mode. At the table, paper and quill handy, inkwell opened, ready to talk money. The guy who is brought to my rooms in short order is... impressively thick. Now I can see why the servant was so nervous, he looks like he can benchpress a horse and call it a warmup.

"LADY!" - he begins from the door impatiently - "I need to speak to Vole Konistan. This vor owes me money, and I will go to the king himself to seek justice if you won't."

I sigh at him. "Have a seat." - I offer - "I might be able to help, but I have no idea what are you talking about. If Konistan stole anything from you, I'm listening."

He... is apparently a little surprised someone is willing to just listen, and cautiously takes a seat. The chair creaks alarmingly under his weight, but holds up valiantly. The story that spills out of him is so mundane I have to sigh. Konistan had been buying up horses in Confederacy. He started by picking one or two, paying for them promptly. Then placed a huge order for about fifty of them at once and... at this point everyone involved suddenly developed amnesia about the deal and had been kicking the guy out of offices by force. He did not hold back and almost got arrested in Mersaille for it, then someone clued him in to go to Parsee to seek justice. And here he is now. Annoying, but manageable. I should be able to find where the horses were taken and either release them back to the guy or pay him the proper price if they're actually put to something useful.

"Roxy?" - I shout to the adjacent room - "Come on out here and bring me the black ledger, please. We have another of Konistan's victims here."

She comes out of the door, smiling... and her eyes widen at the sight of our visitor. Who, in turn, is pale like he just saw a ghost.

"....Ivan?" - she gasps, as the ledger slips out of her fingers and falls on the floor with a bang.

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