The Way Ahead

Chapter 80a: Meet and Greet

The soldiers stood straight, staring expectantly at Edwin. He sighed and downed the remainder of his soup in a single gulp, dismissing his Apparatus utensils as he stood up. As an experiment, he enabled Flight to suspend him just a hair above the floor. He might as well use the time somewhat productively, as he didn’t really expect this meeting to go all that great. Best-case scenario, he’d be bored out of his mind.

“Fine, fine. I’m coming. Don’t get too excited.”

As he approached, the guards shuffled… not nervously, but expectantly, and he approached the avior who had addressed him, doing his best to not look down at the shorter individual, “Well? Lead on.”

Apparently the Senior Skyguard hadn’t been expecting that, as they- Edwin still wasn’t sure how to tell the gender of the avian humanoids most of the time- started slightly before nodding, “Correct. Follow us. She awaits your presence.”

Some spell seemed to break as they began to file out of the inn, allowing conversation to start up again at full bore after it had been dispelled, which Edwin mentally tuned out as they ventured down the streets. If movies had taught him anything, he ought to try and strike up a conversation with the guards as they walked, so he could build up a rapport with them and potentially have some allies in case this went badly.

However, personal experience told him there was no faster way to make someone not like him than to talk to them, it probably wasn’t a great idea for him to try and copy that tactic. He could put on a bit of a show to make himself seem decent, sure, but… he also just didn’t feel like talking. So he instead simply allowed himself to be led by his flanking guards, the avior before him and the two humans behind. There weren’t too many gawkers as they passed, which Edwin appreciated, and the few who did pay attention to them only spared a scant handful of glances at most.

When one removed the ‘getting lost’ part involved in getting from the garrison to the Golden Grain, it was actually a pretty short walk between them. He couldn’t help but feel unusually intimidated as they passed under the outstretched wing and scepter of Emperor Xares’ massive statue, leading Edwin to a section of the building he hadn’t yet explored or even looked at in all that much detail despite it objectively being the most ostentatious part he’d yet seen.

Massive marble pillars flanked an arched room as it seemingly stretched on to infinity. Some few hundred feet past the demarcation of this section’s beginning, a dais rose from the smooth stone floor, a single block of stone melded into the floor, intricately worked with all manner of naturalistic engravings, some of which even moved. There were swaying stalks of wheat, a glimmering blue vein of stone that seemed to flow like a river, and much like the Blackstone carvings he’d seen so long ago, there seemed to be an almost fractal nature to it all, with details recursively spiraling to and beyond the detail he was physically capable of seeing from this distance.

Atop the dais there was, unsurprisingly, a throne of sorts. From what Edwin could tell, it too was a part of the same massive stone block that made up the dais and even part of the floor. Upon it sat an imperial-looking avior with jet-black feathers and an almost corvid-like beak, instead of the hawklike ones he normally saw. She was busy speaking to someone, but Edwin noticed a Skill which interfered with his efforts to tell what was being said or to who.

Interesting.

In any case, it was only a few short minutes before the audience before him came to its conclusion, and he was prodded to approach the throne. His feet fell silent against the stone floor, their force precluded by his Flight as he ventured forth, but he still felt every eye in the infinite-looking hall turn to face him. Though by modern standards the crowd may not have been enormous, there were still dozens upon dozens of individuals present.

Edwin felt small. Oh so very small. It was even worse than his last presentation, because this time he didn’t have a topic he knew intimately that he could ‘prattle on’ about.

Unpleasant memories aside, he didn’t want to screw this up. Should he bow? He should probably bow, but that felt so very awkward, and what if he wasn’t supposed to? Hmm. Instead, he settled for something between a deep nod and a shallow bow, inclining his head and shoulders in respect before he straightened up, squaring his shoulders and looking up at the looming Canny Ruler of the Fields, trying to look her straight in the eye.

Or should you avoid doing that with royalty? Ah, whatever. He would do his best and try to not get executed for doing something really minor and really stupid, but without knowing the customs…. Dang it, he should have asked his escort about what he was supposed to do. Who knew that avoiding being social at all costs might actually have costs associated with it? Truly, a shocking and wholly unforeseen development.

Well… He’d just try to be as polite as he knew how to from back from Earth. He’d always been able to put on a good show, after all. It was how he fooled some people into thinking they’d like him!

He was... fairly certain the governor was supposed to say the first thing, though he couldn’t really explain why he felt that way, so he just stayed silent while the avior assessed him in his position beneath her throne. Do not speak until spoken to, or something? He had the feeling that stepping out of line would not be healthy for him, and that meant playing it as safe as humanly- err, Outsiderly possible.

There were a whole host of Skills at play, permeating the air with so much noise Edwin could barely parse any of it, even directing the totality of his Perception to the task… which was probably a bad idea, in case the governor decided to speak. He reluctantly disabled the Skill, making a mental note to return here to help level it in the future.

Level Up!

Skillful Assessment Level 16 → 19

Yeah. He really needed to return at some point. Also, he needed to disable his System notifications. It wouldn’t do to have another thing distracting him during this.

Edwin shifted slightly, his hand itching to fidget with something, but he squashed the urge before he could do something so rude. Still, with the System, he never really didn’t have something to keep him occupied, be it working on his Almanac or Visualizing and Prototyping various objects.

So far, he could make two objects or one fairly complicated one, even if he couldn’t make anything more complicated than a rigid body yet- he could make a two-link chain, but not a rope. He felt pretty confident that in time stuff like flex and tensile strength would eventually start being included in the simulations, an occasion which he eagerly awaited.

Edwin flicked Perception and prodded his Memory to ensure he hadn’t missed the governor saying something- he hadn’t- and while he tried to stay focused and at attention, he settled for leaving a sliver of attention on hand to make sure he didn’t miss anything while his mind wandered elsewhere. Honestly, what was taking so long? Were they waiting for him to make the first statement or something?

The governor didn’t look impatient, so... probably not? She was still studying him like he was a particularly shiny piece of bread. Well, when she wanted to talk, he’d be here. He wasn’t going to be tricked into doing something stupid and rude.

Prototyping seemed like it ought to have been super abusable, but the only information he was able to get was how whatever he Visualized physically interacted with its surroundings, and even then the objects reminded him of basic video game graphics. He could Visualize a mirror, but it wouldn’t automatically show anything he didn’t actively imagine in its reflection. He could Prototype a massive ear trumpet, but it wouldn’t make sounds any louder.josei

He could also Prototype with his eyes closed, in which case his simulations would play out in an empty, featureless plane instead of the…

“Do you know why you are here today, adventurer?”

Oh hey! The governor was talking to him. How long had it been? Unfortunately, Numeracy didn’t tell him how much time passed unless he actively focused on it, so it didn’t have an answer for him. This time.

Edwin quickly routed all his Perception to listening and watching the ruler, “I cannot say that I do, no,” he tried to answer with his best ‘I’m competent and nice’ voice.

“Disappointing,” she sneered, “Though not unexpected. And you would disrespect me in this manner? You will address me properly!”

Well, this was off to a phenomenal start, and Edwin bit back a sarcastic comeback. No, no agitating the governor. He was better than that, “Apologies… ma’am?” he tried, “I do not-”

“Do you not know the proper manners of redress? You truly are a pathetic little thing, aren’t you?” she cut him off before he could finish, “Address me by my full title or not at all!”

“Do you wish for me to address you as Governor Shash’falara… Governor Shash’falara?” his mouth wrestled with the tongue-twister of a name, but if he could struggle through S’Fishkill properly, he could manage this. Seriously, was it some kind of rule that people in power had to have obscenely overcomplicated names? Well, no. Xares was a simple enough name. Weird. Everyone else had normal names. Maybe it was a modern trend of royalty or something?

At least she hadn’t complained this time about his address, which he took as confirmation that he must have been doing something right, and so continued, “To answer your initial question, I would presume it has something to do with finding out what Tara and her superiors find so interesting about me…. Governor Shash’falara.”

“You disrespect Enforcer Lisana as well? Have you no shame after she took such pity on you?”

Edwin raised an eyebrow, “Are you… are you trying to antagonize me? Governor Shash’falara,” he hastily added, before quietly cursing himself. He had not meant to say that, it had just slipped out. Could he blame a Skill effect for that? He’d blame it on a Skill.

“Answer the question. That is your role here!”

Edwin wrestled his annoyance back in place, trying to get this debacle back on track before it could devolve further, though it did still seep through slightly in his response. “My apologies, Governor Shash’falara. Tara has never once voiced a complaint about my manner of address with her, nor is her interest in me on account of pity. I am a person of interest for her, and her superiors trust her judgement, I would advise you to do so as well. Assuming, naturally, such an action pleases you, Governor Shash’flara.”

Edwin winced as his tongue tripped over the name. Gah, he messed it up that time. Ah well, can’t get them all.

The avior’s beady eyes stared down Edwin, who returned the gaze unblinkingly. There was some emotion behind the motion, but Edwin had no clue what it was. Hopefully not anger?

“Yes, well we’ve all seen the level of competence we can expect from her and her associates on firm display today. Regardless, your assumption is unusually well-placed for an adventurer, so please do enlighten the court as to what makes you so special.”

“I have been advised by… Tara that the story should not be shared widely. Declaring my history in public is momentously against that advice, and so I would like to decline. Governor Shash’falara,” he hastily added.

“You would defy me?” her voice rose, and Edwin felt his resolve crumble… hang on a moment. He flicked on Skillful Assessment and noticed a sort of radiating presence from the governor, waves of some kind seeking and attempting to intimidate him. Knowing it was indeed a Skill effect made it… marginally easier to deal with, but just barely. Honestly, the sheer pressure without Skills, from a person of authority, would have likely been enough to make Edwin give way.

Nearly made him give way.

All but made him give way.

“Alright, alright!” Edwin gave way, and the pressure was released “I’ll tell you! Just… could I have some level of privacy? You won’t want this story shared around your entire court any more than I do.”

“No. Now speak.”

The pressure returned, and Edwin struggled to fight it off once more.