The Lesser One Arc 2 Version 2 Chapter 18: Deft Handler

 

Deft Handler

“Okay. You need to keep what I’m about to tell you secret.” I look straight into Esla’s eyes.

“Sir, are you sure about this?” Sebastian looks at me from across the limo’s small table.

“I think I just need someone else’s opinion on what’s happening to me right now.” I fold my hands. “I’m being scouted to join a secret organization of high level spirit users.”

“What does that have to do with all the terrorist attacks recently?” Esla tilts her head.

“Just a minute. The organization is comprised of two kinds of members. The good guys and bad guys, so to speak. The guy who captured you and cut off your hand was one of the bad guys.”

“Are there more bad guys like him?”

“Lots. There are at least ten that I know of. But don’t worry.” I look at Esla’s arm stump. “There are good guys too. I’ll introduce you to Mandrake when we get back to my apartment.”

“That butler is calling you sir.” Esla looks at Sebastian. “Who is he? Who is this elf girl?”

“Yeah, about that.” I shrug. “Keep this secret also. When I absorbed the spirit ring of that Balrog I helped kill back home, all the devils that lived in the portal decided to follow me.”

“So you have an army of devils working for you.” Esla looks like she thinks I’m pulling her leg.

I look at Sebastian. “Tell her.”

Esla raises an eyebrow. “Is he serious?”

“He is.” Sebastian lifts his chin. “We were rescued from a dark, deep pit by his actions.”

“But he just killed a big boss monster. Not even by himself.”

I shake my head. “It wasn’t that. It was the potion that Dr. Barrimore gave me.”

Esla blinks a few times. “What?”

“Dr. Barrimore. He gave me a potion before I defeated the balrog that caused some sort of resonance in the magical field or something, I’m not sure, but I can’t even ask him anymore because he Men in Blacked himself.”

“Wha?” Esla appears very confused. “You’re saying he wiped his own memory?”

“Exactly.” I take Sage’s console out of my pocket. “Sage. Can you explain this?”

Esla rolls her eyes. “And I’m supposed to just take in stride the fact that you have access to a sentient artificial intelligence.”

“I am not AI in the sense you are referring to.” Sage’s voice is annoyed.

Esla sighs. “Okay. Yeah.”

Sage’s face does a loop. “Dr. Barrimore knows a lot more than he lets on. He knew he traveled too deep into the fundamental facets of the universe when he created that potion.”

Esla turns to the window. “So we’ll never know exactly what happened.” She then glares at me. “You still haven’t explained what happened with that S class portal. You’re an S-class adventurer now?”

“Um, yeah. I think it’s an honorary thing though. I don’t think I actually technically qualify for the position.”

“Great. A year ago you were a little squirt with a low level spirit who just squeaked his way into Ixtham, and now you’ve got a higher level than Jane Bossman.”

“Right.”

Esla snorts. “Oh my god.” She leans against the window. “What are you going to tell me now, that you’re a multi-millionaire to boot?”

“I mean, yeah. I am.” I force a smile.

Esla stares at me. “You’re kidding.”

“No, no. I have so much money that I don’t even know how much I have.”

Esla sighs. “You think you …” She points at me. “You just …” She drops her hand and massages the stump where her other hand used to be. “Just make me that new hand and we’ll be good. Make sure it has all the Go Go Gadget stuff in it. Then I’ll forgive me.”

“What kind of stuff do you want in your hand?” I think it’s best that the conversation is changing topics.

“Um, a laser pointer? No, a laser gun. I want, like, a finger cannon that shoots laser beams.” Esla appears to actually be having fun with it.

“Done. Sage, can you do that?”

“Not without violating a number of international treaties and local ordinances. But yes.”

I grin. “Do it.”

“It’s done.” A schematic appears on the console’s screen. “What else do you want?”

“Um, super strength? I want to like, dominate those grip strength tests at arcades.” Elsa makes a squeezing motion with her hand.

“Done.” The schematic updates.

“And how about giving me Wolverine claws.”

“Okay.” The schematic updates again.

“And, uh, that’s it.” Esla sighs, leaning back into the seat. “Man, this is so much different than I thought it would be.”

“Right?” I look out the window. “I’m just wondering how I’ll return to normal life after this. I mean, even though no one knows who I am right now, I’ve got the assets to give famous adventurers a run for their money.” I look up at the London skyline, which is getting closer. “And, well, I created a metal that could totally change the world.”

Esla shrugs. “I’d just take it one step at a time. About that secret organization. Are they, like, Free Mason or Templar type organizations? Maybe the Illuminati?”

“If I told you too much you’d probably get hurt. Like, literally. The information has a spell on it that turns it into a memetic hazard.”

Esla sighs, thinks for a minute, and then she looks at Tia. “Your ears. You’re an elf, right?”

“That I am.”

“From, like, the fantasy novels? Including that big one?”

“Those stories always had an element of truth in them. The world is much bigger than just what you see in your reality.” Tia smiles. “I can answer some questions if you’d like.”

“Um, then how old are you?”

“I don’t know. Your realm’s year could be much different than mine. I’ve only been here for a few weeks.”

Esla crosses her arms. “Give me an estimate.”

“Two hundred? Maybe?” Tia tilts her head.

Esla whistles. “So it’s true.”

“I heard that humans are a famously short-lived race.” Tia wrinkles her nose. “I find it quite sad.”

I shrug. “We work with it.”

Esla claps her hands. “Tell me something about your home world.”

“Have you heard of the term ecumenopolis?” Tia folds her hands. “Our world was totally covered by a city. But it was not a scar on the landscape like your cities are. It was a beautiful planet full of trees and powered by fusion.”

“So what happened? Why are you using was?” Esla appears very interested.

“We were invaded. By the Triptefelexians.”

“Who? What?” Esla frowns.

“We also awoke to the power of spirits. In much the same way your people did. But we played our cards wrong and attracted the attention of some bad folk.”

“These Triptefelexians.” Esla raises an eyebrow.

“Yes. We were subjugated by them and forced into slavery. They are a species that embraces pain. Pain is the foundation of their entire culture. They believe that to be in pain is to be in transcendence, and they’re very religious about it.”

“So how did you end up here? In a portal on planet Earth?” Esla points upward.

“I do not remember. The last thing I remember seeing was their capital ship sending down a ray of destruction upon my home.” Tia looks away, far out the window. “Your species is lucky. You’ve been smart enough to not contact the beings who would be your destruction.”

“You’re talking, like, aliens.”

“That is what I am, technically.” Tia shrugs. “But that distinction doesn’t really matter right now.”

“You speak good English for an alien.”

I raise my eyebrow. “Babble fish?”

“No. I do not understand why I am able to speak your language. Perhaps you should ask this Dr. Barrimore person.”

“Right. If anyone would know, it would be him.”

The limo pulls into the front are of the Esmex building. We step out into a slight drizzle and cloudy skies. There are a number of businesspeople walking about with umbrellas. We enter the building.

“So you have work?” Esla puts her hand on her hip. “When you’re done I’ll be waiting for you to make that bionic hand.”

“Automail.”

“Say what?” Esla appears confused.

“I’m sorry, I had to. Call it automail.”

Esla sighs. “Your naming conventions always seem to follow a certain logic. First Rearden Metal, now this.” She turns away. “I’ll be reporting back to Ixtham. Don’t get yourself into any more trouble.”

I nod, turn around, and take the elevator up to the lab floor. It’s about half an hour before I was scheduled to be here. The timing of the whole underground fight club thing really worked out in the end.

I count on my fingers. “Neo, Az. Gall. Sesnet and Liliana. I’ve got five votes.”

Sage replies. “You are going at a good pace. You still need nine votes.”

“You’re barking up the wrong tree.”

I turn around to see Mandrake behind me. Mandrake grimaces. “What did you do? You disappear into a portal following a Dark and now you’re just going to work like nothing happened?”

“Sorry, Mandrake.” I smile, giving a thumbs-up. “It was harrowing, but I got two votes.”

“Boy, you’re going to give me a heart attack.” Mandrake takes off his hat and sits down. “Don’t ever do that again. I had to mind wipe about two dozen people after that stunt you pulled.”

“You can do that?”

“Yeah, it’s not hard.” Mandrake takes out a little electronic stick. “Don’t make the obvious reference. Please.”

“Wow. Those exist?”

“Nope. Not officially, anyways.” Mandrake slips the device back into his pocket. “In any case, I think we have a bit of time to talk. About what your purpose is. What are you going to do after you join the Silverbones?”

“I’m just going to head home and finish my schooling.”

“Are you sure about that?” Mandrake takes out a cigar and cuts it. “You’ve got the tactical potential of an entire armored battalion. Plus a literal battalion of strong portal beings at your beck and call.”

“I really don’t know what I’m going to be doing. Look, I just turned sixteen a few months ago. Can you just let me be a teenager?”

“You’re pretty prescient for a teenager.”

“Yeah. I know.”

Mandrake lights his cigar. “There is one thing I want you to do if you actually manage fourteen votes.”

“Yeah?”

“Prepare for war.” Mandrake puffs.

“War?” I think back to what Tia spoke of. Her entire planet being destroyed by a race of diabolical aliens.

“Yes. War.” Mandrake shakes his head. “That’s all I can tell you right now. I’ll give you a full briefing if—when—you have all the votes.”

“What about your vote?” I brace myself.

“I don’t know enough yet, kid.” Mandrake taps ash off of his cigar into an ash tray.

Several lab techs smoke.

Mandrake sighs. “You’ve proven that you’re hardy. That you can make good decisions when under pressure. But I don’t know what you’re really like without all of the people who are helping you. I don’t know what you’re going to do with that fortune of yours.”

“That fortune of mine?” I shrug. “I guess I’m just going to use it to turn my favorite manga into an anime.”

Mandrake appears genuinely confused. “Say what?”  

“Oh, yeah. Sorry, I meat that I was going to finance an animated film adaptation of a source material that I think deserves it. Plus buy a few really expensive Jenma cards and finally play in a Firstborn tournament.”

“Now you’re talking my language.” Mandrake pulls out his Jenma deck. “How about a game?”

I pull out my Jenma deck. It’s the one I built a year ago, and it’s aggressively a budget deck.

“Let’s play.” I sit down across from Mandrake and shuffle my cards.

 

19

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