The Cardinal of Sin

Challenges of War

Baharuth Empire, Arwintar, Palace

Leinas Rockbruise was using the meeting as a subterfuge to examine her new Master. He wasn't her Master yet, but since he knew how to cure her curse, by the Four Gods, the day he did, was the day he'd become her Master. This wasn't like Fluder or any of the other Empire's Magic Casters. She'd stayed here, serving the Emperor, because there was a chance one of them would have found something. Yet they never had, and Leinas knew that they probably never even looked for anything that might help her. Keeping Jircniv happy was their goal, not her.

The undead though had admitted he knew how to cure her curse. He hadn't even said he wouldn't. He'd just given her a warning. It was a useless warning. She would survive. She'd gone through too much to give up now. She'd been assigned to be the Sorcerer King's liaison during the war with the Slane Theocracy but so far the undead had not needed her assistance. So far the undead did not seem to be doing much. She was certain he was, but the Empire wasn't seeing it. How was she meant to make an impression on him when he was not in Arwintar?

Leinas put that thought from her mind as she pulled her attention to the meeting.

"The Theocracy is being slightly more intelligent than I gave them credit for," His Majesty, Ainz Ooal Gown was saying.

Slightly? Leinas wasn't the only one surprised at that assessment. She was one of the few present who best controlled her reaction. Emperor Jircniv did as well. His expression didn't even flicker but despite his youth, he was adept at the game. He raised one aristocratic eyebrow to express the question the entire table was wanting to ask. No one would dare insult the ultimate ruler of the Empire.

It was interesting to note that His Majesty's attendants did not seem surprised at his assessment. But then, he had probably already discussed this with them. There were two today. A tall woman, dressed as a maid was carrying a satchel, and the toadman the Undead had assigned to liaise with the Emperor. The woman was thin. She was the definition of willowy except for her generous bosom and her black hair, which was tied in a bun. There was a set of lenses over her black eyes and Leinas noted her hands. They were delicate. But the woman was a maid, so Leinas focused on the toadman, specifically his tail. It lashed behind him, almost as if he were laughing even when his expression remained strictly neutral.

The Sorcerer King waved one hand. "I had hoped to provoke them by taking Synoro," he said.

Field Marshal Taalay nodded. The man had been the first through the portal the Sorcerer King had opened to travel from Synoro. Leinas knew he wasn't blind to the implications of that. On a positive note, it spoke well that Field Marshal Ozols trusted the undead enough to pass through the magic field. More pragmatically, if there was an ambush on the other end, he would bear the brunt of it. Ozols had been followed by the toadman before the Sorcerer King had come through. It was a sensible procedure, one she as one of the Emperor's knights would follow if it was Jircniv they were protecting. Except she wouldn't have gone first. It showed that the Sorcerer King's servants took his safety seriously.

That was a good thing. She hated dealing with amateurs. She examined the toadman out of the corner of her eye. The demihuman was standing at the Sorcerer King's right hand but just slightly behind him. The position was obviously one of a trusted advisor but doubled as a bodyguard. She had a feeling the demihuman would not be an easy opponent. The undead magic caster was well protected.

"It is probably due to the season," Ozols offered the explanation though he was looking towards Kulap.

"We have detected no obvious build up in the Slane Theocracy's forces," the Empire's Head of Intelligence confirmed.

"Would you detect the Scriptures?"

Kulap's expression was answer enough. The Scriptures were quite small, and much more easily moved by the Theocracy. "There has been no official movements of the Scriptures," he admitted. "We monitor Cardinal Raymond Zarg Lauransan quite closely."