While the Fawkes family was enjoying themselves, Popleigh’s streets were burning with Ralf’s name and stories. And just as hot air did, they rose, higher and higher until word of it spread to those at the top. Presently, the Duke’s ears were made to redden.
“Ralf Fawkes,” Vincent muttered with a dazed look. He was no stranger to the bizarre but the words his subordinate had rolled off his tongue wasn’t something he could readily process.
However, as he did, his face clouded over and droplets of apprehension began falling in the lake that was his eyes. They continued to fall, but as a certain voice struck his ears, they quickly dissipated.
“Fox? What fox?”
This confused question came from the entranceway; Chloe, his lover/bodyguard had returned from her trip to the bathroom.
Hearing her words, Vincent broke out of his daze and shook his head.
“Not the animal, the surname. Well, better to show you.” Letting his words trail off, he focused inward and instructed Dwayne, his assistant to share the video.
“Oh, what an outfit,” she commented.
The video began streaming through her head. Chloe moved to her couch and plopped herself down. “A Rank 3,” she frowned as noted his Psi Rank.
Vincent smiled wryly, understanding her feelings perfectly. “Just keep watching. That outfit isn’t the only mismatched thing about him.”
Chloe heard these words and adjusted her expectations. Still, this action would prove insufficient. The compilation video of Ralf’s qualification matches left her awestruck.
She was enthralled by the performance, so much so, that she became mute for the next few minutes, merely appreciating the impeccable martial ability, Psi control and overall presence the young man exuded.
“This kid’s amazing,” Chloe said at the video’s end. Her body, now at the edge of the couch, vibrating in place as frenzied emotions continued to writhe inside. Not only was she incredibly impressed. She found her fundamental understanding of how strong a Rank 3 could be, altered upon taking in Ralf’s performance.
The other’s excited face brought a smile to Vincent’s face, but this smile was quickly retracted.
Noticing this, Chloe tilted her head. “A problem?”
“He’s amazing alright…a bit too amazing.”
Chloe understood what he was insinuating and shook her head. “There’s no way. You’re just being paranoid. Every now and then, geniuses like him are born. And he’s a Fawkes right, they pop out a genius at this level every generation without fail.”
Vincent shook his head in return. “If I was just going off this video, I wouldn’t think any different. But there’s more to him.”
“More?”
The Duke didn’t answer and instead instructed Dwayne to give Chloe the same debriefing he had been given.
Several more minutes passed and Chloe was brought up to speed. By the end, her face was as taut as her lover’s.
“Can we confirm it?”
“Not with our current personnel. We’ll have to put in a request with the Psionic Association to send someone over.”
“Will we?”
The Duke went silent at the follow-up. He reclined back in his chair and let out a long sigh.
Chloe circled to his backside, wrapped him up in her embrace and said, “No matter what happens, I’ll always be by your side.”
“To protect me?”
“Of course…and to give you kisses.” Saying this, the female bodyguard planted one on his cheek.
Vincent’s face softened as his lover’s warmth spread from his cheek, outwards.
“Thanks, Chlo.”
Chloe smiled sweetly before pulling back. “As a ruler, considering the worst possibility is a must. However, worrying about an unlikely one is no good,” she ruffed his hair as though attempting to manually rid the negative thoughts from his head. “The Black Hat Scares tore up more nations than Dimitri and the Shadow Ravens ever could. So, let’s not jump to conclusions, okay.”
“Okay.”
“Good.” Giving one last head pat, she walked back to the couch where she collapsed onto it. “For now, we need a clearer picture of the individual known as Ralf Fawkes. Stories and rumours aren’t too reliable. Summon Samuel. He’s met him, and he’s a good judge of character; he’ll definitively know more about him.”
The Duke nodded. “That’s what I’m hoping as well. I’ve already put in the order. He should be here in a few minutes.”
True to his words, the double doors swung open minutes later and in came a smiling Samuel.
“Samuel Auburn, here to answer the call, my lord.”
Vincent instantly frowned at the display. “Samuel, I told you I hate that shit. Stop doing it. Anyway, you know why you were called. You’ve kept quite the interesting someone from me, that’s not very nice Samuel. Wouldn’t you agree Chlo?”
“Right,” Chloe nodded as she plopped a biscuit into her mouth.
Samuel’s smile widened. “Kept someone interesting from you…that’s not the case at all,” the middle-aged man approached the desk and tapped the cube at the corner. “I told you about this, no?”
“They’re the same person?” Vincent’s eyebrows shot up. “Ralf Fawkes, he’s the young business partner you were referring to?”
“Yes, they’re one and the same. The creator of those toys is none other than Ralf Fawkes, or rather, the Silver Path,” Samuel picked up the cube and began fiddling with it. He pulled back and took a seat on the couch opposite Chloe’s. “I was expecting this summons sooner or later, though more later than sooner. Word travelled faster than I expected.”
With updated knowledge, the expression on Vincent’s face turned quizzical.
While he understood that Dimitri was one who walked many paths, he couldn’t imagine the infamous World’s Shadow making toys and board games. The two ideas were too stark for his mind to square.
“Samuel, explain everything you know. You’ve met him, so tell me your thoughts on the one called Ralf Fawkes.”
Samuel didn’t rush into his explanation and instead took a few seconds to focus on the cube in his hands.
After a few seconds, he spoke. “Has many sides, each bearing its own colour, simple and yet complex at the same time.”
“So like that toy in your hands?”
“Indeed, just like this toy. Though, I’d say Ralf is a far more puzzling existence.” Twisting several more times, the Rubik’s Cube was solved.
Vincent’s eyes flashed with admiration at the other’s swift success.
“So, he can be solved just as simply.”
“Haa, unfortunately not,” Samuel said with a bitter smile. “Though, he’s not entirely incomprehensible. I said it, in a way, he’s very simple to understand.”
Having solved the puzzle, the middle-aged man began tossing it about. “How much has reached your ears?”
“I imagine everything one can find on the streets.” Pausing to recall everything, Vincent then ran through everything that had been relayed to him. “The initial Red Star incident, the victory over Jeff, winning against Moriya at chess, the Silver Path stuff and multiple personalities, killing Morris Belcher, massacring the Red Star, destroying several Adventurer Guilds and finally the qualifying matches this morning.”
“Hmm, with the short time you had to gather everything, I imagine you’re missing quite a lot of pieces of the puzzle. Instead of filling in potholes, I’ll just start from the beginning and run through everything I know. I can’t guarantee it’s hundred percent true, but my account should help you understand things better.”
Vincent nodded. “Please go ahead.”
For the next fifteen minutes, Samuel went through Ralf’s story as he understood it. The pair of Vincent and Chloe interjected regularly with questions which he expertly answered with either words or shrugs.
Hearing it all the way to the end, the pair’s faces were freed from their previous apprehension.
“He doesn’t sound too bad,” Chloe commented with a chip in her hand. “Kind, warm, considerate, generous, intelligent and extremely affectionate. He sounds like a delight to be around.”
Samuel nodded. “He’s indeed a delight to be around, especially when his mother is present. The only troubling things concerning him are his killings and the claims about him being a vessel.”
Vincent squinted as he studied his advisor’s expression. With the explanation running as long as it did, beverages and snacks had been delivered. Samuel, not wanting it to get cold, was taking a moment to sip his tea.
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“From your expression, those don’t seem to trouble you, why?” Vincent followed up.
“They don’t,” Samuel said decisively as he lowered his cup. Exhaling a white mist, the middle-aged man looked towards the green-tinted reflection in his tea before continuing. “Regarding the former, I’d say the massacre is partly - no mainly our fault. Regular citizens shouldn’t have to engage in vigilantism. Neither Lagner nor Ganurg had adequate law enforcement to deal with the problem, leaving him to deal with it on his own. And remember, he’s a Rank 3, against around thirty people at the same time, with several being Rank 5 Telekinetics.”
Reminded of the fact, the pair of lovers jolted anew.
“I don’t know how strong Ralf is, but in that situation, I can’t imagine he could hold back. It’s a miracle he could walk away from that event without any permanent injury.”
Samuel closed his eyes as he pictured the youth in question. “How he dealt with the Red Star was telling, but more telling was the other gangs. Instead of going on a slaughter fest, he chose to destroy them with almost no bloodshed. Even those who had robbed him in the forest earlier were spared. And speaking of the forest, pretty much everything done while there, speaks positively of his character. When given the choice, he won’t choose violence. “ His eyelids opened and he swept over the pair as he declared the following, “At his core, he’s a good person.”
Silence and the sound of sipping followed his words as the pair digested everything.
“Not to mention, the people he killed weren’t just random civilians, but among the most despicable dregs of humanity,” Samuel’s face began darkening. “To be so ignorant of who inhabits our domain that we allow internationally wanted criminals, human traffickers no less, to take refuge and even terrorize our citizens…we should be ashamed.”
The pair’s faces shadowed as the final words were spoken, with Vincent’s expression becoming vanta.
Seeing the weight of a ruler descend upon Vincent’s shoulders, Samuel showed a look of approval.
“Instead of talks of punishment and rebuke, I’d say a reward is in order. They were clearly getting more and more daring. What if they tried to repeat what they did in Kebria? Even if they were caught immediately, the result would be devastating for our future ambitions. Zudrad would be a laughing stock internationally…even more than it is already, and those other dukes would definitively seize the chance to undermine our goals. It would be a disaster.”
Sitting in his chair, the Duke felt gravity’s hand grow heavier with each word.
“Luckily, we were spared that disaster. And it’s all thanks to Ralf’s daring.”
Some seconds later, Vincent raised his lowered head and broke the silence.
“What you’ve said makes sense. When I see him, I’ll have to thank him personally. As for the domain’s security, especially in the south, that must be corrected at once.”
Samuel nodded. “We must. The move to prioritise Popleigh’s situation was correct, but by now, the culture around law and order has settled in; we can lessen the number of officers without fearing that things become unruly. As for the Fawkes pair. I’ve already taken measures. The pair is moving into the Blue Wing district where they’ll be safe and secure.”
“I see, I’d rather Zudrad not be the next Brenton.”
“You jest, but we were probably closer to that than you realise,” a bitter smile surfaced on Samuel’s face as he said.
Vincent shrugged. “Moving on, what about the vessel stuff. Was it brought up?”
“Naturally, he matches up the stereotype of a vessel nearly one to one. I asked him about it myself.…and he gave quite the interesting answer.”
“Interesting answer?” The pair repeated as their eyes flashed with intrigue.
Samuel smiled. “Yes, very interesting.” He took another sip and a lengthy one at that.
Anticipation quickly became irritation, but he continued nonchalantly. Only when he heard a chip’s death throes at a loud crunch did he cease his stalling. Lowering his cup, words flowed from his unoccupied mouth.
“How can one tell a vessel from a non-vessel? There are only a few ways. Mental Masters or Ascendants could verify it, that is unless they are not vessels themselves and are lying about it. In short, it’s a pointless exercise. Anyone can be a vessel. I could be one, you two could be vessels, and even all three of us could be vessels, effectively role-playing our different characters…”
“...Ralf’s feats make him seem more likely to be a vessel, but that’s not really the case. Looking at history, Dimitri’s vessels seemed to be chosen at random, and not all of them- or rather, most of them are ordinary as far skills and abilities go…”
“...If you’re accused of being a vessel, there’s not much you can say. There is a way of proving it, but those means are beyond normal people’s reach. The best you can say is: ‘I’m not a vessel, just trust me’. When I asked Ralf, I expected a similar response. However, that’s not what I got. No, instead, I got this,” Samuel paused then in his best Ralf impression continued, “‘in the near future, you’ll understand why I can’t possibly be Dimitri,’ that’s what he said. Interesting, right?”
The pair’s faces’ flickered at the cryptic words. Troubled expressions followed as the two racked their brains to decipher the meaning in Ralf’s words.
Failing, Vincent turned to his tea-sipping advisor. “Samuel, what do make of his words?”
“Hmm, I have some thoughts on the matter, but I’ll keep them to themselves.”
“Even at an order?”
“Even at an order,” Samuel said firmly.
Vincent sighed. “Ralf isn’t the only one like that cube. Dealing with you is just as frustrating.”
Samuel smirked. “Good to know,“ draining his cup, he continued the previous topic.“I don’t think he’s a vessel. But even if he is one, our stance shouldn’t change. Dimitri has proven himself to be an unsolvable problem. Vessels will probably exist as long as humanity does. If that’s the case, one can only hope that the vessel you run into is closer to the Morning Light than the World’s Shadow. Ralf, if he is a vessel, would be closer to the former by a long shot.”
“I can’t argue with that,” Vincent said.
“Wait,” Chloe interjected, gathering the pair’s attention. “You’ve been talking about Ralf, but what about the other two personalities in him? If not for Dantry’s influence, Dimitri would probably not end up as he did. Ralf seems like a Kai clone, but what about the others? What are they like?”
“Hmm,” Samuel rubbed his chin, “I don’t have a good grasp on them. I’ve not had the chance to formally meet them nor have I breached the topic…from the looks of things, it should not be approached carelessly. Still, while I haven’t actively probed, I have managed to learn a few things about the other two. The first thing to know is that they are Ralf’s equals.”
“Equals, in what way?” the Duke asked, following up.
“Equals in value. From the way Hana speaks about them, it appears that she considers all three of them as her sons. From what I’ve gathered, the black personality is called Ray, and the silver personality is referred to as Silver.”
“Why a colour and not a name like the other two?”
At Chloe’s musing, Samuel shrugged. “I have no clue. Greg, who’s known them for weeks, and has gotten into their good graces hasn’t been allowed to know, so I didn’t want to push my luck. Ray and Silver. There’s not much to go on. The best source of information comes from Jeff, the Adventurer Association instructor Ralf sparred against. According to him, Ralf mentioned that Ray isn’t a peoples person and doesn’t like physical contact. As for Silver, Ralf mentioned that one is unlikely to meet him and that he is very intense.”
“Intense…in what way?”
Again Samuel shrugged. “No clue. Anyway, these two seem to prefer remaining in the shadows. Introverted and possibly antisocial. This would usually be a cause for concern, but their relationship with Hana eased my worries,” the Senior Advisor got to his feet. “From the looks of it, they communicate regularly and there is a strong mother-son bond present, no different than what exists between Ralf and Hana. The fact the trio get along so swimmingly with Hana reassures me that their values aren’t too wildly different. Ray and the strangely named Silver must also be good people,” he said as he returned the Rubik’s Cube to its initial place.
The pairs’ eyes fell on the six-sided figure and fell into contemplation.
As they did, Samuel moved to the window sill and looked out. There was much to see from where he stood, but at this moment, his gaze was capturing a totally different landscape.
“In the dimly lit Zudrad, I believe the flame known as Ralf Fawkes is much needed. With him at our side, I believe our goals won’t just be achieved but surpassed.”
“That’s high praise,” Vincent said, his voice echoing with scepticism.
Samuel shrugged. “I’d say I’m underselling his worth. Even if his Silver Path talk is bogus, Ralf, as he is now, is incredibly valuable. His combat prowess is exceptional, but at Rank 3, he’s not going to shake the world. However, the same can’t be said of the knowledge he holds.”
“Like what exactly? Not the toys right?”
Samuel smirked. “No, not the toys. Compared to his other ideas, the toys are just that, toys.”
“Some examples?” Impatience leaked from Vincent’s voice.
The Senior Advisor shook his head and said, “Find out for yourself. I’ve mentioned you to him, and he’s shown interest in meeting you,” Samuel’s gaze focused on the Combat Arena dome in the distance. “You might meet as soon as tonight, so keep that in mind. Just be yourself. The genuine approach is the only one which will work on people like him.”
“I see, I’ll do just that.”
“Good. I’ll be on my way then.”
“Already?”
“I have much on my plate these days. I want to get them done before tonight’s match. Make sure you’re there.”
“You don’t need to tell me twice, or once even. Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Samuel nodded then turned on his heel and headed for the entrance. He paused as he arrived before the double doors.
“What stands before us is a golden - no silver opportunity…we must grab it with both hands.”
Making his exit, his words were left to echo in the room and the minds of the pair.