Tori Transmigrated - Chapter 166: You're the Cause of My Stress

Chapter 166: You’re the Cause of My Stress

Was this how it felt when people said a ‘bolt from the blue’? Tori stared at Gideon and everyone else stared at her after her sudden comment caught them by surprise.

Gideon seemed especially stunned to hear her words and furrowed his brows as he jerked his head back. “What?”

“Rosiek gave Hart the Golden Cow?” Tori asked as she gritted her teeth.

“Yes, last week. She said she didn’t have time to really look it over since we had midterm exams-”

“I have to make a call.” Tori shot up and Ilyana let out a yelp as she nearly rolled off the settee. “Oh, sorry!”

Ilyana wrinkled her nose as Tori grabbed on to her and reshuffled her on the settee. Tori then scrambled upstairs and threw open the door to the small room upstairs. As the door slammed behind her she opened her mouth to use the comcry in her hand when the figure on the daybed rolled over.

“Too loud.” Piers turned his back to her and adjusted the pillow under his head. Tori’s shoulders fell and she narrowed her eyes.

“What are you doing here?”

“I own Cafe Fortuna.”

“No, what are you doing upstairs? Don’t you have exams or school?” Tori did some calculations in her head. She and her friends had arrived less than half an hour ago and aside from Gideon and his knights, no one had come in. Piers must’ve been napping for a while.

“I submitted some papers and then came here for a nap,” Piers told her.

“Your house is closer to Université than the cafe. Why did you come all the way here?” She walked across the room and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Axton is annoying.”

Tori took a deep breath and exhaled. “Don’t you have your own rooms?”

“I can still hear him.”

She stared at the back of his head and squinted. “All right, fine. I was going to call you, but since you’re here, I’ll just ask: did you know Adrien Rosiek gave the Golden Cow to Baroness Hart?”

“He didn’t give it to her. He exchanged it for some wasteland property that belonged to her late mother.”

Tori gasped and wanted to poke at him in frustration. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I found out today from a report from Hadley Voss.”

“That name is familiar….”

“Madam Voss’ second son. Senior Kasen is training him to work under him,” Piers told her. “The Voss family does not know the extent of his occupation, only that he has a part time messenger job.”

Meaning it was a secret and Tori couldn’t talk openly about it. “I’ll discuss with Kasen some other time, but is there anything else shocking that you’d like to share?”

“No.”

She stared at him. “You’re getting too comfortable with me, you know that, Piers?”

The first prince of Soleil slowly rolled over and lifted his arm over his head to stretch. Tori clenched her jaw. Just when she thought she was used to beautiful people, Piers had to flaunt the fact that he was beautiful amongst beauties.

“Tori, I am tired.”

“I am, too,” she said proudly. “I just finished exams and found out that Alessa Hart is the new owner of the Golden Cow. What’s going to happen with the investigation?”

“It depends on what is found out; however, Voss’ report says that the exchange was only for Golden Cow Mercantile store in the fourth district. No other stores under the brand.”

“What about the property from her mother?”

“Baron Hart hadn’t touched it as the late Baroness had planned to give it to her daughter as part of a dowry.”

“Dowry?” Tori scrunched her face. “They still do that?”

“It is still common practice in the aristocracy of the Central Corridor and parts of Anlar, Osten, and the duchies,” Piers said.

In Sur, children regardless of sex would receive something to be put towards their own household, even if they ended up living with one set of parents. Both the bride and groom brought their resources into the marriage, and they would become communal property for the new couple.

If they were divorced, the remains of the gifts would return to the individual who brought them.

Her brother and Idunn, due to their wealthy backgrounds, were bringing sizable resources that were mostly money and property. This didn’t count the numerous personal gifts they were giving each other. Guests to the wedding traditionally gave money to the couple. Close family assisted with the pre-wedding, wedding, and post-wedding affairs.

Aside from performing a blessing dance, Tori had set aside a few hundred gold coins. It was considered incredibly modest considering it was her brother and he was the future Marquis Guevera, but she was certain both Sebastian and Idunn wouldn’t care. In fact, Sebastian had told her that the dance was enough.

“Still, since it was a dowry, doesn’t she have to wait until she’s married to receive it?” Tori asked.

“Not necessarily. A young woman can add to her own dowry or change its contents.”

“Wasteland for a store doesn’t sound like a bad deal. Why is it called a wasteland?”

“It seems to be unused land at the base of a hill close to the Nord border. The ground is unsuitable for farming. Voss’ report stated that was where the late Baroness was from.”

“Unused because of something bad?”

“There was no further detail, but the estimated worth is not much,” Piers told her. “I recommend some people watch the land for any changes.”

Tori nodded her head. “Yes, if he wanted some remote, untouched land, I highly doubt it’s because he wants to quietly retire there.”

“Are you concerned about the Baroness having ownership of the Golden Cow?”

Tori took a deep breath. “Yes. Even if it’s just one store.” She narrowed her eyes. “What about all his other ones with the same name? The ones along the trade routes?”

“Sold to local merchants.”

Tori brought her knees to her chest and narrowed her eyes. “I don’t know what he’s doing. It unnerves me.”

A hand gently patted her back the way she often did when comforting Ilyana or the others. “It will be all right. We are watching him.”

Tori took a deep breath and released it slowly to relax. “By the way, did you talk to your grandfather about the crystal table for me?”

“Grandfather says you can come at any time. He’ll return when you visit to introduce you to the table.”

Tori furrowed her brows. “I thought he was staying for a while. Did he leave again?”

“He is at Anahata Island with Master Ramos.”

Tori pursed her lips. “It’s not for the air hockey table is it?”

“No. He says he is doing serious crystal work.” Piers had a straight face, but part of her didn’t believe him. “Grandfather’s father was a crystal master. Grandfather isn’t as good as Master Ramos, but he can be classified as a crystal master, as well.”

Tori relaxed a bit. “So that’s why he was interested in the island.”

“If you arrive at the palace the day before my brother’s party, Grandfather will be there. He can show you the table then,” Piers told her.

Tori nodded. “Okay. Confirm it with him for me.” She patted his leg and stood back up. “I’ll let you get back to your nap.”

Piers gave her a nod and rolled back over to continue sleeping. Tori slapped a silence charm on the door as she passed so he wouldn’t be bothered, then went back downstairs.

“You already received it?” Gideon had pulled up a chair and was looking at a proud Ilyana. “Can I see it?”

Tori knew what this was about. Ilyana was the winner of Ewan’s birthday tournament and now had a beautiful carved olivewood figurine of her sorceress character the size of her forearm on a small marble pedestal in the room. Engraved on the square marble base were the character’s name and stats, along with Ilyana’s name at the base. On the staff was a white light crystal that could light up.

When it was delivered, Ilyana had proudly shown it off her sorceress in an action pose of casting a spell. When Tori was putting in the order, she did the pose herself for the artisan.

“I will bring it to use as a display during the exhibition games for the club during the Spring Festival,” Ilyana replied. She was saying that she wasn’t going to bring it for him to see specifically.

Still, Gideon nodded. While there were figurines sold at Duel, they were smaller and generic figurines for each class. Ilyana’s was larger and custom. Ewan had been so envious, he regretted not joining the tournament. Albert had been the one to lose to Ilyana in the final round and he had moped around for days until Tori said she’d have one made for his birthday.

“Guevera, can I put in a custom order?” Gideon asked earnestly.

“I’m sorry, it’s not for sale. I’m afraid I can’t tell you any more details,” Tori said in a regal voice.

Gideon furrowed his brows and frowned. He seemed to want to protest, but looking at Tori, he kept his mouth shut.

Satisfied with his response, Tori ordered some drinks.

As Gideon’s birthday celebration approached, Tori once more grew busier. This was the first time their people from Viclya would come to Horizon for a private event. For some of the games, some staff from Duel were on hand.

As early as a few days before, the spacious courtyard with an ornamental pool was being prepared for the celebration. That was when the Empress called Tori directly.

“Wouldn’t it be novel to freeze the pool and ice skate?”

Tori stared at her comcry as she sat to one side of the sword training grounds, taking a break from some stress-relieving practice. Sweat was still across her brow after she removed her helmet, and her face was flushed.

When the Empress suggested something, it was really more of an order. Tori tilted her head back and sighed.

“I would need to see the pool first to make sure it is suitable for freezing. If it’s deep enough, there aren’t any obstructions, or fish….”

“There are no fish and it’s a reflection pool. There is a fountain that pours into it, but nothing juts out that could potentially trip a skater. I know it’s short notice, so I’ve had ice crystals procured for your convenience.” The Empress sounded excitable, and Tori pursed her lips. It seems that the Empress had done her homework.

Why was Tori so truthful about how the ice-skating rink at Viclya was made when the Empress asked? She should’ve been more suspicious. The last time the Empress had so many questions, Tori had to send her a boat and paddles.

Sometimes, she thought that the Empress was purposely asking for so much because she kept overcharging the Emperor. Was this some sort of weird revenge?

“I will be arriving after sword practice today to begin preparations, Your Majesty. I will check to see if the pool is usable.”

“Wonderful! I will see you in a few hours, then!”

Tori pursed her lips as the call ended.

“My lady, the ring is free for your next match!” Tiff shouted and Tori pushed herself up.

She grabbed the helmet that was resting at her crown and pulled it down over her face. She put on her gloves and put her comcry on to the bench. “Who am I against?”

“Von Dorn!”

Beneath her mask, Tori smirked. “Good.”

Nothing like letting out her stress and taking it out on the former knight who’d come crawling back to the Sword Association so he could exercise in preparation for the naval academy summer training sessions. Fabian never really quit, not that there was a formal way to do so. People just stopped coming.

A few weeks ago, Fabian silently followed her after dance class to the training grounds. While he received a few stares, no one said or did anything resentful towards him. Master MacDouglass pulled him aside and asked what he’d like to work on. Then it was like releasing a fish into water.

Water dominated by a stressed and petty shark.

As she entered the sparring ring, she saw Fabian awkwardly tense. Students were sorted into grades of ability for sparring, and she and Fabian happened to be in the same grade. When signing up to spar, their names would be picked at random.

“Guevera.” Fabian straightened up as she stopped across from him and lifted her cross guard in greeting.

“Von Dorn. I see you’re a bit out of shape.”

“I was told you weren’t attending as often.”

“I am a busy woman,” Tori replied in a cool voice. She lowered her arms into a passive stance and waited. Fabian took a step forward and Tori waited until he closed distance to lift her elbows to parry and then pushed out her arms to thrust. The tip of her sword rested against his gorget, and he had to stop himself from running into it. “You can do better than that, von Dorn.”

She didn’t even need to take a half-step to the side. She heard him huff and he returned to his spot.

“His Highness told me you will be attending his birthday celebration tomorrow?”

“Attending. Organizing. Same thing to me.” Before she finished her sentence she took an angle and moved forward. Fabian blocked her cut and she retreated to put space between them. “Don’t just block. Parry. Blocking means you’re stopped action.”

He didn’t say a word, only nodded. He was surprisingly obedient recently, and at first, it had unnerved her. Then she thought perhaps he was just used to her instruction during dance class, coupled with his little argument about Adrien with Alessa, and Gideon’s efforts to properly socialize him.

The next time he moved to defend her attack, he took a quarter step and deflected and cut up, getting her arm.

“Good.” It was important to praise someone when they did a good job. It made them more confident and willing to take risks to improve. “You’re moving too quickly, and the distance is too far. You’re only grazing my arm. You need to get closer to me.”

She heard his breath hitch. “Closer?”

“Yes, so you can give me a proper hit rather than just brush my body,” Tori told him. “That’s not going to do much in battle. You may not even get past my clothes to touch my skin.”

She returned to her position and when she turned around to take a stance, she saw Fabian rushing out of the ring.

“Von Dorn, what are you doing? No one got five hits yet!” someone shouted, irritated.

Fabian didn’t answer and instead rushed to the changing room. Several students stopped what they were doing to watch him flee.

“What is wrong with him?” someone asked with a shake of their head.

Tori crinkled her eyes. She lifted her hand and lifted her helmet above her face. “I assume many things.”

Practice was just about over and SIG One was waiting to take her to the imperial palace, so she didn’t ask for another partner. She grabbed her things and, still in her practice clothing, headed towards the front gate to the good-byes of her peers, many of whom said they’d see her the next night.

SIG One was waiting along with four imperial knights in plainclothes. Tori greeted them cheerfully and climbed into the carriage. A meow was heard, and Tori’s face lit up when she found Alexander on his cat bed next to her. Tori had a relaxing ride to the imperial palace holding her cat while casually complaining to him about everything and everyone.

The Empress said she would wait for her at the palace, but Tori didn’t really expect her to be at the gatehouse, waiting for her at the top of the steps. The corner of Tori’s lips twitched. The older woman looked eager to see her and Tori had no choice but to hand off her things to a maid and follow the Empress to the courtyard that was being prepared for tomorrow night’s party.

Alexander trotted proudly behind them, his tail up and ears alert.

The Empress was extremely excited to show Tori the pool and when they stepped out, Tori could see that most of the decorations, including the tables, were already set up. The areas that Tori arranged for the games and food were corded off with signs indicating what went where.

They were set to arrive and set up tomorrow morning. Most of the tables surrounded a long rectangle pool. As the Empress said, the fountains were on the outside pouring into the pool and the pool itself was inground with a small ledge.

Tori circled the entire pool and checked the depth.

“I think it’s doable, but we should have some fencing put around in particular areas so guests who lose control don’t run into the tables where other guests are eating,” Tori said as she waved around the perimeter of the pool.

“Done. Sarah!” The Empress shouted as a capable maid appeared by her side. Tori gave some simple instructions, and the maid was off to get some fencing that was usually used to close off a body of water when it was being cleaned. “Years ago, someone wandered outside at night and fell into a drained pond. Since then, we had fencing prepared for maintenance purposes. Will you be able to freeze it, Countess?”

Tori nodded. “I’ll need a good number of ice crystals-”

“Sarah! The crystals!”

Tori drew in her lips. How much did the Empress like ice skating? Another servant rushed up with a latched wooden box the size of a shoe box. He opened it to reveal the raw chunks of ice calcite.

“Is this enough?” the Empress asked with a tentative look.

Tori nodded. She didn’t need this much for the rink in Viclya and it was almost three times the size of the reflection pool. “Yes, Your Majesty. I can charge them first.” Tori took the box and knelt on the ground. She didn’t bother with taking each small chunk and individually charging them.

Tori put her left hand in the box of ice calcites and charged them in bulk. They only needed to last for two days, so it wasn’t necessary for them to be fully charged. Also, if she used the entire box, it would be overkill.

When she was satisfied with the amount charged. She stood up with the box and carried it around the pool, dropping a thumb-sized chunk into the water in as even spaces as she could. She tried to get them in the center of the pool.

There were still plenty of pieces in the box when she returned it. Tori took a deep breath and knelt by the pool’s edge. She fidgeted with her bracelet to get the ice calcite before putting a hand over the water. She closed her eyes and focused the cool energy around her through her body and out of her fingertips.

She heard the crackling of ice as the water solidified. The air around her dropped in temperature. Even as her body heated up with energy, she didn’t break a sweat. In her mind, she could see the energy coming together and it wasn’t until it seemed to solidify into one, thick rectangular solid did she open her eyes to check on the pool.

“No wonder Ramos took you as his pupil,” a voice said behind her. Tori kept her hands on the ground to keep herself steady. She looked over her shoulder and saw a white-haired old man with a pleased and impressed smile standing beside the Empress.

Tori slowly stood up, making sure she wasn’t dizzy, and then bowed her head. “Good afternoon, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor Emeritus gave her a nod and walked past her. He knelt and knocked on the ice. It was frozen solid and he nodded, satisfied. “I heard your eldest brother has a terrifying amount of energy control that you have yet to reach. If this is your ability now, I’m a bit frightened of what the future Marquis Guevera can do.”

Tori cracked a smile, proud of Sebastian, and nodded. “Sebby can charge a dead crystal full in a breath.”

“Monstrous,” the Emperor Emeritus said. He stood up and dusted off his pants. “Monica, is the Countess done here?”

“Yes, Father. She just arrived a several minutes ago-”

“Wonderful! Come with me, Countess. Let’s discuss crystals!” He walked past an exasperated Empress and Tori.

The Empress gave her a dismissing nod, hinting that she should follow the old man. Tori gave her a bow and scrambled after the Emperor Emeritus.

“Are we going to the table, Your Majesty?”

“Only if it calls for you,” he said, glancing over his shoulder. “The table doesn’t always call for a user. While I know where it is located, I don’t always feel the energy pulse summoning me when I am present.”

Tori frowned a bit. That meant that if the table didn’t call for her, she didn’t need to come. She couldn’t help but be disappointed at the thought of a wasted trip. However, once they got closer to the center of the palace, closer to the old remains, she could feel the pulse. She glanced at the Emperor Emeritus and didn’t say anything, wondering if he’d ask.

He glanced back at her a few times and after he seemed to realize she was staring at him, he smiled. “Do you feel it?”

Tori nodded. “I do.”

The old man chuckled. “I thought you would.” They turned a corner and Tori recognized the hall entrance that led into the old part of the palace. She also recognized the fluffy gray mass seated at the intersection, appearing to wait for them.

“Isn’t that Alexander?” the Emperor Emeritus asked. “What a magnificent specimen. I’ve never seen a gray temple cat. I was told he was quite intelligent, as well.”

Tori looked at her cat and squinted. “Alexander, what are you doing here?”

“Nyaow!”

“I don’t know why I ask you….” Tori shook her head as they reached the hall entrance. Her cat stood up and seemed to lead the way.

“Temple cats are sensitive to crystal energy,” the Emperor Emeritus told her with a hint of mystery in his voice. “The Declian temples are inlaid with crystals and the cats can sense fluctuations in the energy.”

“Have you seen the temples?” Tori asked. The old man nodded.

“That sort of architecture built with crystals as a foundation, not only as an embellishment, is practically a lost art. Very few buildings survived and in many cases, the crystals have long lost their energy, so it is unknown that they have crystals within the skeleton of the structure.” The Emperor Emeritus sounded disappointed by this. He lifted his hand and ran it along the large stone blocks of the dark hall. “These blocks are cut from stone with quartz in them.”

Tori drew her head back and looked around. She lifted a hand to touch the stone bricks on her left. She let out a little bit of energy and found that there was a slight tingle returning through her fingertips.

“The energy is very faint.”

“Yes, the pieces are tiny, like powder in the stone. The use was to funnel energy towards an energy point, like energy veins leading to a nexus. Anahata Island is one such nexus.” The smiled as he looked back at her. “You’ve stumbled upon quite the ideal location for a crystal research facility.”

Tori chuckled. “I do have big plans for it.”

They rounded a corner and Tori could see the open door ahead. The energy pulse coursing over her felt stronger with each step and it didn’t stop until she walked through the threshold.

“This crystal was created by our ancestors from a large chunk of quartz where we are standing now. Legend has it that there was an earthquake when our tribe first came here, and this protruded from a crack in the earth. For some time, it was revered as a holy item. They built a village around it that is now Horizon.

“They say the idea to turn it into a strategy table came from the then eldest daughter and later tribe chief who dreamt it. The ancient chess sets were said to have come from the design of this table.” The Emperor Emeritus stepped around the table and tapped the carved edges with his hand. “The carvings were created during the final great expansion, when Soleil united the region. Before that, when change in territory happened, the previous carving reflecting that territory was chiseled off and updated with a new carving of the expanded territory.”

“What made this be the final carving?” Tori asked.

“We don’t know if it is the final carving,” the Emperor Emeritus said with a chuckle as he rounded the table. “It only reflects what we have now.”

Tori nodded. She stood beside the table and fixed her eyes on the little obelisks dotting the carved map. “Piers said that these are important people to the empire.”

“Yes, and they are moved around the map.”

Tori looked up and across the table at him. “How do you decide where to move them?”

A slow smile crept on the old man’s face. “I don’t decide, Countess.”

Please stop being mysterious and just explain this to me. I am tired. “Then how do you know where you can move them?”

“The table is connected to the nexus under Horizon. It is not as powerful as the one on Anahata Island, but this table is directly on top of the nexus that connects to all energy veins through the empire.”

Tori cocked her head. “It’s placed exactly on top of the nexus?”

“It’s not placed on top. This crystal table isn’t resting on stone. The palace is built around this table.”

Tori stared at him for a moment before stepping back and getting on her knees to inspect the base. She didn’t pay attention before, but now that she did, the stone floor slabs fit perfectly around the base, but the base of the crystal table sank beneath the floor like a tree trunk and roots.

Tori looked up and peered over the top of the table. “This crystal is still partially buried?”

The Emperor Emeritus nodded. “That is why it is so strong. Now, you ask how we know where to move the obelisks. We read the energy of the table.”

Tori slowly rose to her feet and looked down at the table. “I don’t know how to do this.”

The old man’s guffaw filled the air as he placed a hand over his stomach. “That’s why you’re here! To learn!” He laughed and walked closer to the table. “It is believed that the crystal pulses energy that follows the energy veins. If there is a disturbance in the energy somewhere, the pulse in that region will be different from the surroundings.”

“What do you mean by different?”

“Well, that depends on the user. My father said that he felt that there was an energy vacuum in certain spaces and that’s how he knew to move an obelisk there. In the past, I could feel that the energy was turbulent. The pulse didn’t match the other locations.”

“And how do you know which obelisk to move?”

“Gut feeling.”

Tori blinked. She looked at the old man and then at the table, and stifled a cry. Part of her was hoping this was some Deus-ex-machina that could tell her what to do to cut off the enemy’s plans, but now she didn’t have much faith in it. The old man was telling her to follow her intuition, which had no experience with this sort of thing, so how would she know if she was moving the right piece?

I’m not even good at chess….

“You look doubtful.”

“I can doubt my own abilities,” Tori replied. She looked at the table and shook her head.

“You should at least try it,” he said. “Beneath this floor is sacred geometry to enhance the user’s senses. Ground yourself and hold your hands over the table. Let the table communicate with you in the way it knows.”

I don’t have anything to lose. Let’s just try this. Tori took a deep breath and stood in place with her feet planted firmly on the floor. She closed her eyes and held out her hands. Usually, it was her right hand that was sensitive to energy, but she could feel some beneath her left hand.

She tried to connect to the table and moved her energy over it to pick up any dips or fluctuations in the energy the table was giving out. She could feel it, but it was steady all over.

Tori cracked an eye open. “Everything feels even. There is a steady pulse, like a heartbeat, but I can’t sense any different levels of energy on the tabletop.”

Confusion and surprise graced the Emperor Emeritus’ face. He furrowed his brows and looked down. He held his hands over the table for a moment and looked back at her. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“What about here?” He moved his hand over Pargath, the port city-state where Kasen had been sent to, though Kasen’s obelisk was no longer there.

Tori followed the old man’s movements. She kept herself grounded and moved her hand over Pargath. She hovered close to the table, almost grazing the tops of the tallest obelisks. She closed her eyes and focused, but shook her head after some time. “I don’t feel anything off.”

The old man frowned. “That’s strange…the table called for you. Why would you not be able to sense the energy changes?”

“What do energy changes mean?”

“That area something may happen, such as a natural disaster or manmade problem about which we don’t yet know. At least, in the past that is what was believed. Our ancestors noted that where there was a change of energy, something bad would happen that would affect the stability of the empire or one of its regions. The obelisks are moved according to intuition because we subconsciously take in information from everything we hear and read, and analyze it. We will naturally select the appropriate person that our intuition tells us would be able to stabilize that region. That is the belief.”

Tori shook her head. “I don’t feel any energy changes, though.”

“That is strange…the table called to you.”

Tori wrinkled her nose. “Maybe it wanted to show off and knows I like crystals,” she said with a tired sigh. “I must admit, it’s an amazing piece. It lights up and glows and it even makes the obelisks glow.”

The Emperor Emeritus lifted his head. “It lights up?”

Tori nodded. “Yes. Like a sort of dim light crystal. All the crystals here are a bit dim actually.” She looked around. Perhaps it was because the light crystals were in awkward corners or were too small that the light produced wasn’t enough to keep the room brightly lit.

“Countess, is the light even on the table?” the Emperor Emeritus asked with a slight tremble in his voice.

Tori looked at the table. She shook her head once. “No, it’s a bit brighter around this side,” Tori said, motioning her hand around the borders of Sur, Anlar, and Nord. “These areas are still lit, but some areas are a pale yellow.”

“Where is the pale yellow?”

“Let’s see…Osten’s southern border, this area near Pargath, this mountain region here and then around some trade routes cutting through the Central Corridor and into Anlar’s plains….” Tori made a little ‘o’ with her mouth. “I see….”

“What about the obelisks? Any difference?”

“There are a few that are paler than others. My obelisk is a saturated color, but this one isn’t as saturated as the rest.”

“That is your brother, Kasen de Guevera.”

Tori looked at the crystal beneath her fingertip and cautiously pinched it. She wanted to lift it up, but hesitated to move him. She looked at the old man, who nodded.

“Place it in the first place you think of.”

She plucked the red obelisk and moved it across the table, placing it in a seemingly random area next to the main trade route going from King’s Harbor to Horizon in the Central Corridor. The obelisk deepened in color.

“Oh…the color darkened…this one paled!” She picked up another obelisk and placed it on the sea, just offshore between Osten and Pargath. She looked at the old man. “Who did I move? They’re from Sur…are they a relative?”

“Lorenzo de Guevera,” the Emperor Emeritus stared at the table and narrowed his eyes. Tori felt her heart quicken a bit. That was her uncle, her father’s younger brother. The old man reached into his pocket and took out his comcry. “Call Matthieu-Philippe du Soleil.”

There were only two pulses before his call was answered. “Father?”

“Send Commander Lorenzo de Guevera and the fleet under him to northwest Ora, a half day’s travel from Pargath and have him investigate the maritime traffic.”

“…are you at the table?” the Emperor asked in a hesitant voice.

“Yes.”

The Emperor let out a tired sigh. “Father, are you absolutely sure-”

“Countess Guevera moved the obelisk herself,” the Emperor Emeritus said in a low voice. “Have Commander de Guevera investigate maritime traffic. Our intelligence mentioned some suspicious activity there. This only confirms it in my eyes.”

“Lord Kasen already went to investigate. He didn’t see anything beyond what we expected in that some Duraga Federation tribes are doing more business there.”

“He investigated Pargath’s port, not the maritime traffic in the region itself. Send his uncle.”

“Father-”

“I know you don’t believe in the crystal table, Mathieu-Philippe, but I only tell you when I feel something is important.”

“Such as when you had suggested Countess Guevera moved to the Cosora Delta two years ago?”

“Yes!” the old man looked frustrated. “And I was right!”

He looked across the table and Tori stared at him with a gaping mouth. “You’re the cause of my stress?”