Chapter 72
Wait! Gray-hair called out to someone behind me.
I looked back, just in time to watch Sae disappear back through the entrance to the trial. I clenched my fist in frustration for just a moment, then released it. How long had it been? Gray-hair held a hand up and snapped his fingers, pointing to the doorway. A slim man in a tightly fitting suit stepped around Nick, who still held Jinny in his arms.
He squinted at the doorway, reaching up to adjust his horn-rimmed glasses. Already collapsed. She must have squeezed through at the last moment.
So shes dead now, too? I asked blandly. A seething hatred roiled within me.
Gray-hair studied me, then placed his hands in his pockets. It occurred to me that he was mirroring my body-language intentionally. No one knows what happens if youre in one of these things when they collapse. Hasnt happened to us yet.
It makes no difference to me. I glanced down at Jinnys body, then back to the trial with disdain. Nick and I go back a ways. Only met the rest of them a few days ago.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nick twitch.
Ah. Gray-haired studied me. Daphne said you were reasonable, but I'm not certain I buy it. No one would blame you for being upset by whats happened here.
Not really my thing.
Perhaps. I
Cut the shit. None of us have time for it. I interjected. I didnt like gray-hair. He had the tempo of someone who was used to negotiating, dominated it. It was dangerous to let someone like that control the flow of dialogue. The transposition event is imminent. Unless Im totally off the mark, Im guessing you have the same amount of information about that as us, which is approximately fuck-all.
Gray-hair gave nothing away, but the uncomfortable shifting of the minions behind him told me all I needed to know. Thats not what were talking about right now. He said, in the same tone a teacher might use to correct a student for going off-topic.
Maybe. But context is important. You obviously want Nick, considering what I just saw in the trial thats not exactly surprising. Its a powerful class, and capable of gifting User status to an NPC on top of all that. Thanks to dipshit over there, I pointed to the bowman, youve got an incredibly angry knight whos only going to get more angry over time.
He considered that, then opened his mouth. What are you proposing?
Get him under contract. I said immediately. Have him sign an exclusivity clause with your merchant, like the rest of the recruiters. Hell have to work with you to some extent then, even if he hates you.
Gray-hairs mouth quirked. And he stays with you for whatever the transposition event is.
Giving us enough time to figure out our next move.
It would earn a bit of good will back from this clusterfuck, yes. Hes upset right now, but honestly, they were dating for less than a week. Hell get over it. Im assuming, whatever you need him for, it would be easier if he did it voluntarily. And Im happy to give up the Page class after the event.
Gray-hair smiled, and I realized Id miscalculated. They didnt care about the Page class. Whatever they were after, it was something else.
Gains additional utility when used from behind. Horn-rimmed rattled off the description.
Didnt Dorian have one? Daphne asked. He never shut up about it. Its just weird, because with how many items there are, its the first time Ive seen the same one twice.
I tensed.
Horn-rimmed looked over his glasses at her. Its uncommon rarity. Does it really matter?
Daphne looked about to follow up, then glanced at me with a thoughtful look. I guess not. She turned back to gray-hair. No legendaries, no artifacts.
Gray-hair waved her off, then studied me. Im tempted to kill you. It would be easier that way. Cleaner. Yet, despite your friends foolishness, Id really like to avoid aggravating him further. Moreover, Daphne did vouch for you. He grabbed my hair and pulled my head up. In an eerily monotone manner, he listed my full name, address, and the names of my mother and siblings. All-in-all, far more information than I expected them to have.
If you interfere in any way? Well. Just use your imagination. Gray-hair finished.
I wont interfere, I lied.
He turned around, removing his hands from his pockets and summoning several of the Users waiting, indicating the two of us with a backward swing of his arm. Use an instance to clean up the body. Take the knight. Put the page to sleep.
I watched in silent anger as Nick was hauled away.
Something touched the back of my neck, and I lost consciousness.
/////
When I came to, both Jinny and Talias bodies were gone.
The ascending atonal wail of storm sirens filled the distance, accenting the profound sense of loss that radiated in my gut.
How long was I out?
I immediately pulled up the timer for the Transposition event.
