CHAPTER 326: THE MINIONS OF YOUR MINIONS ARE YOUR MINIONS

Then I would know their deaths were not justice.

I sat in silence, feeling the heat of Kai’s judgment, rolling the major’s words around in my head. I didn’t regret what we’d done, but it was a grim reminder of the cost of our decisions.

My ultimate conclusion from taking time to mull it over was that the man was hard as fuck. Misguided and understandably emotional, sure, but his position was reasonable given the information he likely had. Fortunately, Major Kai also seemed quite self-aware.

“If history were to repeat,” I said, “knowing all we know now, what would you have me do differently?”

Kai took a breath, steadying himself. “A clerical error led to your passes being declared invalid. You should have submitted to a peaceful inspection to allow it to be corrected.”

“I said, ‘knowing all we know now.’ That inspection was anything but peaceful, and the error would not have been 'corrected' in time for my good friend and party member to avoid some very nasty treatment. The blockade intentionally prevented us from withdrawing in order to take a shot at capturing Nuralie. She might still be in a black site somewhere, or worse.”

“Then you weighed the freedom of your friend against the needless deaths of hundreds of people who did nothing wrong. One woman’s liberty does not justify such a massacre.”

I leaned forward. “We weren’t the ones to open up with force. Your admiral decided how much Nuralie’s life was worth. He knew that fighting Delvers was a risk, and he chose to take that risk anyway.”

“You had total freedom to act. The admiral was following Command to the best of his ability.”

“Then his ability was garbage. Listen, think about how odd it is that a non-Delver officer was put in charge of the largest Littan military mobilization in decades. Why the fuck would command appoint a mundane officer to a front-line field position when they know he's going to go up against Delvers eventually? And why would the only real protection they give him be a megalomaniacal psychopath whose entire build was about being an unpredictable loose cannon? A blockade is the type of mission that demands the highest levels of patience and discipline, not whatever Yaretzi was.”

The major paused for a second. It seemed he was not entirely cognizant of the situation at ground level.

General Connatis cleared his throat. “The proclivities of the late Captain Yaretzi were not well understood until his death inspired a number of his victims to come forward.”

“You’ve got the second most Delvers in the world,” I replied. “Your intelligence apparatus probably knows what kind of toothpaste I use. I refuse to believe there wasn’t somebody with a psych profile screaming to keep that man away from anything sensitive.”

“I will say earnestly that I am not aware of any such reports,” said Connatis, easily. “But… Yaretzi was a Navy man.” He trailed off, not quite giving voice to the implied accusation against another branch of the military. I was surprised he’d come that close to an admission of any kind, but it may have been a hint for Major Kai more than anything meant for me.

The major looked between us, likely realizing he was stepping into some ‘bag over your head and make you disappear’ type of shit. Nevertheless, Kai took another deep breath and maintained his resolve.

“Are you saying that you were merely a pawn in Litta's agenda?” he asked. “That you bear no responsibility because of this?”

“There’s a difference between responsibility and fault,” I answered. “I’ll take responsibility for my actions, but not the dogshit decision-making of your fleet. You said yourself, the admiral was following Command. I understand your reluctance to find fault in the organization to which you’ve pledged your career, but that’s whose boot you’re really scumming about. If you spend some time figuring out who, specifically, that shoe fits, I'm betting you'll find a Littan senator who hoped the carriage wouldn't turn back into a pumpkin.”

The major thought for another long moment. “I do not understand what a gourd has to do with transportation–”

“Not the point. When leaders play politics for personal gain, people get hurt.”

Connatis was giving me a severe look, but didn’t say anything. The major’s frown deepened, and he gazed downward for a moment, but kept his strict posture. When he looked back, his eyes showed a layer of weariness beneath the righteous anger he was projecting.

“I cannot deny that there appears to have been a multitude of questionable strategic decisions, even besides the late captain’s presence.” He hesitated briefly, then glanced at the general.

Connatis raised his hands. “I am the Grand General, not the Grand Admiral,” he said. “I expected King Xor’Drel’s colorful version of events, but you will need to speak to someone else if you want to verify it. However, I would be careful whose tail you climb while seeking the information.”

Major Kai looked troubled by that response before he turned back to me. “What do you believe happened, Your Majesty?”

“If you want the no-nonsense, no-bullshit version of events,” I said, “then here it is. We were given freedom to pass by the highest levels of the Littan government and had every reason to believe the pass was legitimate, having been assured of such by multiple Littan authorities. The admiral arbitrarily decided to ignore those legitimate passes for spurious reasons regarding his personal beliefs about what Litta did or did not want. That's called ‘going rogue,’ by the way, but let's put that aside. He then made overt and explicit threats against the lives of me and my party, and made it clear he had no interest in a peaceful resolution.” ⱤАɴΟ𐌱ΕŠ

“You’re claiming you were justified in taking all those lives as part of your self-defense?” Major Kai asked, stone-faced.

“First of all, we didn’t even touch most of your sailors. Second, if you tell me that I should allow anyone with a fancy hat to kill me and my loved ones just because they ask rudely, we’ll never agree on ethics. I didn't fire those cannons, I didn't order the ships to enter Eschen waters, I didn't attempt to kill a fucking Zenithar without authorization from the highest level of command I can imagine. Zura’s the one who sank most of the boats, and she did it while Littan ships were sailing inside her borders, firing their cannons at her and her people.

“So, yeah, self-defense. You’re arguing that my party caused that entire mess by defending ourselves, and when I'm looking around, I see maybe one thing that I could have done differently to achieve a better outcome. Meanwhile, if the admiral had handled any of a dozen of his own choices with anything better than gross incompetence, all those lives would still be with us today.”

It was my turn to take a deep breath. I hadn’t even mentioned that I suspected the admiral had been under Hysteria’s influence, but my evidence for that began and ended with a weird bow the man gave me, and I felt like that would just confuse the issues.

“The blame you’re laying at my feet is misplaced,” I finished.

“Let us move on from such heated topics,” said Connatis. “Major, the losses our navy suffered are tragic, but you have now seen proof that Fortune’s Folly are not frauds, yes?”

“As I said earlier, sir, it is difficult to tell.”

Stolen novel; please report.

Connatis frowned. His eyes became slits, and he leaned closer to me. “King Xor’Drel, it feels vulgar of me to ask, but could you help Major Kai understand the strength that your choices have brought you? The boy seems incapable of taking a hint.”

I looked between the two. The friction between myself and the major was something I was comfortable with, since I knew I could handle my own problems. On the other hand, I wasn’t comfortable at all with whatever friction was going on between the major and General Connatis, since it wasn’t my problem to handle. I didn’t really want to be involved in the kinds of problems a man like Tyvus Thaddacleus Connatis had.

“I’m not sure what you mean, General.”

“The major lacks perspective,” he replied, then turned to look at Major Kai directly. “And he is apparently too bullheaded for his eyes to see the mountain. Show him the gulf between yourself and someone like him.”

The literal grudge matches I’d been fighting all morning had been easier to navigate than this awkward verbal melee I was in the middle of. There was clearly a power play happening, where General Tyvus’s authority was being challenged by some unknown players behind the scenes. Kai was one expression of whoever was undermining the general, and the military commander was trying to use me like a lever to move Littan politics in a way that I found grating.

I took time to check myself against everyone else in the party, and Grotto made a compelling argument for how to proceed. If the general wanted Kai to see how high the mountain went, my familiar could show him an example.

Grotto opened a Closet portal and slunk through the dimensional bridge.

I did a brief double-take at the Core. He’d finally finished his new mini-c’thon disguise, and I found that I was very glad to finally have him out of little man mode and back to being a proper eight-legged terror. This new c’thon suit was larger than the one he’d had before. Now he was four and a half feet from the top of his head to his tentacle tip, instead of three.

“Grotto,” I said in greeting. “You got bigger.”

[The subdermal armor plating necessitated an increase in mass. I have also made various other physiological improvements to this organic shell that required additional musculature.

]

Grotto was broadcasting to everyone nearby, and Kai flinched from the unexpected psychic communication.

“Grotto, this is Major Kai of Seaward,” I said. “Major Kai, this is my familiar Grotto. Don’t let his size or general cuteness deceive you. He’d have about as much trouble with these matches as the rest of my team has.”

[The subtext of the general’s request–which I am more than happy to accommodate–is that I should both embarrass and shame you, Major Kai.]

I facepalmed, but let the Core go on about his business.

[To begin, I have access to all of King Xor’Drel’s intrinsic skills. This is in addition to my own full suite of intrinsics, which gives me more than 900 total intrinsic skill levels. If you, Major Kai, are following the typical approach of Littan Delvers on the Gold track, then you would merely have around 400 at Level 20. Does that sound correct?]

Grotto stopped and gave that a second to sink in. Kai was overtaken by an incredulous expression.

[I see that you are doubting me. Good. Despite my aptitude in Subterfuge, I seldom, if ever, lie. There is simply no need when the truth is already difficult enough for meatsacks like you to process. Now, one of the intrinsics that I possess is Golemancy, and it isn’t even particularly high compared to the others.]

Grotto waved a feeler, and a flash of portals summoned three Etja-clone golems. These were Grotto’s most advanced golems, the best he could control, wearing the highest-quality gear he had available. Each one was Grade 24.

[These golems are entirely my own creations,] he continued. [Tell me, Major Kai, do you believe that you could prevail over all three of these Grade 24s? I am hoping that your answer is ‘yes,’ because I am always in need of additional field data. I would be happy for you to volunteer as a test subject.]

Kai looked at the three golems and swallowed. His survival instinct had finally kicked in, and his bravado was beginning to crack.

[Pathetic,] Grotto grumbled in disappointment. [Regardless, this is the gulf between you. My bond, King Xor’Drel, is four levels lower than you. Despite this, you could not defeat him. You could not defeat me, even if I fought you without his aid, and I represent but one of his passive skill slots. If I were so gracious as to stand back and allow you to fight my golems alone, you would be slaughtered.

[I will state plainly what my bond is too polite to say. You described yourself as the scum upon our boots, and that is entirely accurate. There is no comparison between the two of you. Not only are you incapable of presenting a challenge to King Xor’Drel, you are incapable of presenting a challenge to the minions of his minions.

[You, Major, have been tolerated like a child throwing a tantrum only because my bond has a misplaced sense of honor. Your self-pity has been humored because the general still has some hope that you will eventually become a competent officer, and he has placed you here to learn a lesson on survival before you mouth off to the wrong demi-god.]

The chillest of silence followed that parade of insults, only broken when Xim muttered, “Damn, Grotto.”

As if to undermine everything he’d just said, the not-so-little octo floated up and plopped himself down on top of my head. His feathered feelers came down to my waist, and I had to swipe one aside to keep it from tickling my nose.

General Connatis gave a toothy smile at the Core’s antics, a warm expression so calculated it became terrifying. He then shrugged and turned back to Major Kai. “This strength,” he said, gesturing at Grotto and his golems. “This is the strength that Fortune’s Folly seeks to help us all achieve.” He sat back and crossed his arms. “Decide for yourself if you find that goal to be worthy.”

“This feels like bullying,” I thought to my people.

“The major was completely out of line,” Varrin replied.

“Was he?” asked Xim. “Given our impact on his life, I think he’s been fairly calm and collected.”

Another body fell from the rafters. General Bavecista gave them a cut-rate heal, then finally declared Nuralie the winner of her bout.

“I am inclined to trust the general’s approach,” the loson thought to us. “If Major Kai needed a wake-up call, then that is what he’s gotten.”

“Did you know that he’s the head of our security?” asked Etja.

“Begging your pardon?” I sent back.

“Since we’re attached to Colonel Tavio’s company, and Major Kai is his chief of staff, that means the major is in charge of our safety and well-being while we’re here!” Our mage was still chatting it up with some people who’d probably hated us this morning, but who almost certainly now loved Etja, and by extension, us.

“How do you know that?”

“These nice fellows over here told me!” She turned towards me, and I caught her grimace from across the arena. “I hope that getting him really mad doesn’t end up making him want revenge or something. According to these guys, he’d have the easiest time setting up a trap for us.”

I took another look at the major, whose expression was the kind of calm that could only exist on the face of someone furious beyond belief.

“Fucking wonderful,” I thought.

“Sir,” Major Kai said to the general. “Permission to be excused? Given what I have learned, I will need to reorganize some of my people.”

“Granted, Major,” Connatis said with a dismissive wave. He watched the man’s back until he was outside the training coliseum. “Well, I am glad that has all aired itself out.” He gave us all a bright smile. “I would hate for it to be festering while operating in a place so dangerous as the Forest.”

Connatis stood, along with his entourage, prompting the rest of us to stand as well. “It has been quite entertaining seeing how all of you fight with my own eyes,” he said, “but the call of command grows ever louder. Major Tavio will have more specifics on how we plan to make use of your generous assistance. Again, thank you for agreeing to all of this.”

The general made some more polite noises, which his entourage of brass parroted, then swept out of the coliseum. He left us with a starstruck sergeant who’d lead us over to Tavio.

“Weird kind of day,” I said.

Xim grinned. “Plenty of time for it to get weirder.”