The Simulacrum

~Chapter 157~ Part 3

The sun (or at least its effective equivalent) was sitting on the horizon, marking the end of a pretty hectic day. 'Hectic' in the sense of 'lots of things happened', as opposed to 'there were a series of unforeseen crises popping up one after the other'. I felt the need to clarify that, as my life had too many instances of the latter.

Of course, the day wasn't really over yet. Everyone still had to occupy their beach houses and unpack, we had already made plans to build a small camp fire by the shore and roast some marshmallows after dark, and the potential for some romantic starlit strolls on the beach was still in the cards. However, before any of that, there was something else that had to be taken care of.

To be perfectly honest, I originally didn't want to get any more involved with whatever Savir was cooking. I imagined that Judy putting her in her place would have her stay low for a while. Maybe I was still a bit too naïve, but not so clueless that I would leave her fully unsupervised, and so I inevitably caught her in a compromising position yet again.

Skulking behind the buildings in the twilight of the evening, a young woman wearing a curious mixture of a modern dress uniform and fancy bronze greaves and bracers was doing her best Mission Improbable impression, darting from wall to wall while trying to stay out of sight. I was vaguely familiar with her; this otherwise fairly unremarkable brunette was once of Savir's more loyal lackeys, and I had already encountered her once or twice. At one point she even pretended to interview me. That happened quite a while ago, but I had her marked anyway, just in case.

She dashed behind the very last building of the row, looking hella conspicuous in the process, and once she made sure she wasn't followed, she sidled up to the nearest window and made two short knocks, followed by a pause and three more knocks. The window opened a few seconds later, and Savir gestured for her to get inside, which she did in a single bound before the ex-director hastily closed the shutters behind her.

"Were you followed?"

"No, ma'am. I was careful," she declared confidently, and Savir let out a frustrated breath. She sounded a bit steadier than the last time I observed her, so either the wine she drank was already out of her system, or she used some kind of Celestial magic to detox herself.

In any case, she locked the window to be sure and walked over to the middle of the room before dramatically turning on her heels and facing the agent. She immediately fell to one knee in front of her and bowed her head in return.

"What are your orders, Matriarch?"

"Our intel on Judy Sennoma was incomplete and it put me in a precarious position. I need you to put together a team and investigate her recent activities, with a particular focus on her sources of information within the CIN." She paused to consider her words, her lips set in a thin line. "Also, you may approach her family. I authorize the use of mind-hymns. Try to unearth any hidden or potentially embarrassing information, no matter how mundane or insignificant it may seem. And then—"

"Eris."

"Kyaah!"

She honest to goodness screamed when I showed up behind her, sitting on the edge of her bed. Her agent jumped to her feet, only to realize it was me, and when I glared at her, she immediately fell back down to one knee, as if she never moved at all.

"P-Polemos?" the startled woman muttered in a daze, her eyes swimming and arms unable to decide if she wanted to cross them or not. On second thought, maybe she still had a fair bit of alcohol in her system. "W-What a pleasant surprise?"

I could've asked why that was a question, but I wasn't in the mood. In fact, I really didn't want to do any of this, because getting involved with her was a pain in the ass, but not intervening had the potential to be even worse. When I didn't respond right away, she somehow managed to gather her wits again, and she finally folded her arms.

"Since… when were you here?"

Ignoring her, I turned to the agent still kneeling on the floor.

"You."

"Yes, O Lord Archon?"

Her response was surprisingly calm, but the way her eyes were shaking told me she was only putting up a brave front. Still, she seemed competent enough, and I had a soft spot for competence, so I lazily pointed at her.

"I offer you a deal. You have ten seconds to get up, ignore everything Eris just told you, and then disappear from my sight. In return, I will forget I've ever seen you, and I won't bury you along with her. Take it or leave it."

Without as much as a word, she stood up and did her best to unlatch the window. However, maybe because she was secretly still a bit shaken by my sudden appearance, her fingers failed her.

"Just use the door," I growled. She froze up and then gave me a hasty salute before practically dashing out of the building, slamming the entrance shut in her wake with a bang that made Savir shudder. But speaking of her… "You. Sit down already."

The ex-director gulped and calmly walked over to the other bed in the room. She took a seat and looked at me with a mixture of anxiety and resignation, like a kid who was just caught with her hand in the cookie jar and was expecting to be scolded. There wasn't any visible indication of a sense of guilt though, but that much was to be expected, considering it was Savir we were talking about. If she showed any remorse at this point, it would've only made me more suspicious.

"So, Eris," I began, making sure my words were accompanied by my deadpannest stare. "Do you remember what I told you when we first arrived at the beach?" She was about to respond, but I beat her to the punch. "I told you that if you tried to heckle my fiancées, I would bury you. Literally. Right now, I'm tempted to do it with your feet up, and then leave you there until the tide rolls in."

"Elysium's waters don't have tides," she pointed out, only to realize that it might not have been the best idea to 'Um, actually…' me at this point and shrink back.

In return, I leaned forward and let my brows naturally descend into a glare.

"I can arrange for that," I growled at her, and for once, she looked suitably frightened. She even let out a hiccup, which was yet another tally mark in favour of my 'she's still tipsy' hypothesis. I didn't mind, as it made her easier to deal with.

"Listen, Polemos. I… I didn't mean to anger your consort, I simply—"

"I'm well aware of your intentions, Eris," I cut her short again and straightened my back. "I might've even let it go if not for you trying to dig up dirt on Judy right afterwards. Let's make things clear: tomorrow, you're going to apologize to her. I don't care about the exact circumstances of it; make it as private or public as you want, but get it done. After that, if I smell just a whiff of you trying to scheme something again, I won't just bury you; I'll strip you of all of your remaining titles, bar you from entering any of the Migdáls, and I'll publicly denounce you in front of the entirety of Elysium."

Whatever little colour was left in her face drained at once, and she hastily sputtered, "But… But the power vacuum of such a decision would be—!"

"I'll deal with it," I uttered blandly. "If anything, making an example out of you will probably make everyone else behave. It's a win-win." I fell silent, inserting a purposefully tense beat into the conversation, just to make her squirm a bit more. "So, Eris. Can I have your word that you'll be on your best behaviour from now on?"

"Y-Yes," she blurted out, and after holding eye contact for a few more silent seconds, I let off the pressure.

"All right. Just remember; I'll be watching you closely." She hesitantly nodded at that, which was as good an opportunity to conclude this topic as any, so I relaxed my posture and flashed a thin-lipped smile. "I'm glad we're now on the same page. So, let's move on."

"Is there more?" she asked, and this time I raised a critical brow at her.

"I was under the impression you have some very important information 'for my ears only' that you were hankering to share with me in private. We're in private right now, so get on with it."

"Ah, you're right." As if I'd just given her a glass of water in the desert, her complexion immediately improved and she casually fixed up her hair, as if it was her turn to shine on the stage. "Indeed, I have multiple pieces of information that you will most certainly find intriguing."

"Sure, sure. Get to the point."

She nodded and her lips bent into a smile that didn't touch her eyes at all.

"First and foremost, there is the issue of the old Hymnos that we agreed that I would… keep discreet."

That made me narrow my eyes at once. She was clearly referring to that ancient tome of law she unearthed that required powerful Celestials to get married to produce powerful offspring. She tried to hold that over my head as a sort of Sword of Damocles, except it was a threat of annoyance rather than anything else. Also, a bit petty, but that was neither here nor there.

"What of it?" I asked, and she cleared her throat.

"As you're well aware, Bel of the Abyss set fire to the Grand Archives, where I hid the original text, out of sight of prying eyes. I thought it lost to the fire, or at the very least mislaid amongst the thousands of similar copies of ancient Hymnos, yet to my shock, I recently discovered that it was amongst the first books the librarians of the archive catalogued." She paused to gauge my reaction but soon continued all the same. "Not only that, but during the restoration efforts, they immediately discovered the pages detailing this old law. I'm afraid by the time this news reached my ears, its contents already became a topic of fervent discussion amongst the Synderion."

"Oh, great," I muttered. "So I'll have to deal with that too, now…"

"Actually," she cut me off, her smile growing wider, yet still not showing in her eyes. "I have taken it upon myself to rectify this situation. By gently reminding key figures about the fact that Joshua Bernstein, also known as Her Grace's Justicar, also possesses the four pairs of wings signifying his status as a hallowed Ophanim, I have successfully diverted the conversation in that direction, sparing you any potential annoyances."

She continued to beam at me, and for once, I couldn't find a fault with what she just said. If anything, it made a lot of puzzle pieces I previously struggled to figure out fall into place. Future-me's notes never explained why he, meaning I, had to/will have to set the archives on fire, but now it made sense. By independently spreading the information through the librarians, it not only took the leverage out of Savir's hands, but by re-focusing it upon Josh, it gave the relationship between the childhood friend couple a solid justification in Elysium, silencing any potential naysayers.

I didn't expect Savir to be playing a major role in this though. But then again, maybe she was just trying to take credit for the development to curry some favour with me. It was hard to say.

"That was commendable," I concluded, and for the first time, her smile looked genuinely delighted. We couldn't have that, so I added, "In recognition of your efforts, I promise I won't bury you upside down."

"I… erm… thank you?"

"Don't even mention it." I flashed a grin, taking her even more aback before stilling my face again. "Was that all you had for me?"

"N-No, far from it!"

"Then go on. Only give me the important news."

"In that case…" She hesitated for a bit, and then raised two fingers, as if showing a victory sign. "I have two more pieces of vital information your ears only." She curled one finger, only showing her index, and solemnly stated, "First and foremost, I have investigated the bloodline of Her Grace."

"Have you now?" I responded flatly, and the corner of her mouth twitched.

"It was all done with the utmost care and with well-meaning, I assure you."

I was tempted to point out that most people didn't have to insist like that when they were doing something 'well-meaning', but I didn't want to get bogged down here longer than necessary. I still owed a romantic stroll to the girls, and the sooner I could get to it, the better.

"Let's say I believe you. What did you find."

She let down her hand and cleared her throat.

"By analyzing the census records for the past fifty years, I have successfully traced back her lineage in search of any living relatives." She paused for a beat and shook her head. "Unfortunately, the situation with Her Grace's parentage is… problematic. Her closest known living blood kin is her grandmother. Regrettably, she's currently not in Elysium and cannot be contacted. Her Grace's mother passed away in an unforeseen accident not long after she gave birth. Furthermore, Her Grace was born out of wedlock, with the identity of the father ambiguous."

"Uncertain, or unknown?"

"I was sure you would recognize the nuance," she told me with just a hint of a smirk, but then she hurriedly cleared her throat again. "Indeed, the problem is that there are multiple potential fathers. Her Grace's mother was known to be rather… free-spirited, and she had multiple lovers. After meticulous investigation, we have managed to narrow down the list to three potential fathers who were close to Her Grace's mother around the time of her presumed conception. With your permission, I'm ready to call them over to—"

"No," I cut in, a chill running down my spine. "None of that. I'm going to ask Deus if she even cares about her parentage, and if she does, then we'll do a DNA test or something. We're not inviting all three of them over."

"As you wish…" Savir responded dourly, looking almost disappointed.

I couldn't care less, because I was too busy being relieved that we just dodged a bullet. If she brought them in as a 'surprise', it would've been probably too late to stop our vacation from devolving into some hackneyed rom-com jukebox musical. Not that I had anything against those and Swedish pop music, but this beach-episode/training-camp/fishing-trip already had too many sub-plots running in parallel, and I had to draw the line somewhere.

"Moving on. Any other potential family members?"

"Ah, yes…" Savir absent-mindedly readjusted her dress, probably just so that she could collect her thoughts. "I've also learned that Her Grace had an aunt, but she has unfortunately perished in the line of duty. I'm afraid that's all the information I have on her at the moment, at least until Her Grace's grandmother can be contacted and interrogated."

"And there's nobody else."

"Not that I could unearth, no," she concluded and looked at me expectantly.

"I admit this information was at least nominally interesting. Good job." She kept staring, probably expecting that I would tell her that I was only joking about burying her in the sand, but I refrained from doing so and linked my fingers in my lap. "Very well. What's the last piece of information you wished to share."

"Ah… um…" She took a deep breath. "I'm sure you're already aware of the volatile situation unfolding within the Abyss."

"Bel is stirring the pot and now the Abyssal houses are embroiled in a civil war," I stated stoically, and she nodded along as if that much was to be expected.

"Indeed. The head of House Inanna, Noir Irdu Inanna, has declared himself the herald of the Abyssal Emperor, and launched a surprise attack on the Nergals and the Gulas, with the Enlil and Shamash families also joining the fight. With the crippling of House Ashur, and House Ninhursag remaining neutral, it's four against one, and yet the war is still undecided."

"Because Crowey got a power-up," I commented, and she gave me an odd look. "I was referring to Noir."

"Yes, quite," she confirmed. "However, the crucial detail I wished to share with you was that, despite us already acknowledging Bel of the Abyss as the incarnation of their Emperor… they do not."

"Let me guess: they think it's a ploy by you. I mean, the Celest—" I exhaled a groan and tried again. "Us. They think it's a ploy by us." She nodded. "Okay, so the point you're trying to get to is that…?"

"It's something we can take advantage of," she emphasized, her eyes practically shining. "Using agents embedded in Abyssal society, we can further reinforce the idea that we endorse the identity of Bel of the Abyss. By doing so, they will be even more convinced that it's false, and it will further entrench their resistance against House Inanna! Furthermore, we can also leverage the fact that you hold the sister of Noir Irdu Inanna hostage to sow even more confusion among their ranks! If they believe that he's secretly following your designs, it will extend the infighting, theoretically indefinitely, reducing the power base of Bel of the Abyss and potentially allowing us to uproot their menace once and for all! I have already put together a twelve-stepplan to exploit this conflict, only requiring two public appearances and one proclamation from you, and I'm ready to put it into action at your earliest convenience."

I waited for the to finish, and once I was sure she had nothing else to add, I let out a shallow sigh.

"First off, you're sounding like Dolion." That comment took her aback, but before she could get a word in, I quickly moved on. "Secondly, Snowy is not my hostage. If I ever hear a peep of that again, I'll have you strung up in public with a sign saying 'I'm stupid' around your neck. Thirdly, we're not going to interfere with the situation in the Abyss. At least not yet. Got it?"

"But…!"

"A sign saying 'I'm stupid and can't keep my mouth shut'," I corrected myself, and she immediately fell silent. "I take that as a 'yes'."

There was another lull in the conversation, during which I evaluated everything we just talked about.

Overall, we had one positive-ish development with the dumb law book, one neutral one I didn't really care about with Angie's parentage, and then there was one annoying bit with the whole Abyssal situation. While future-me didn't write much about that one in the notebook, I could imagine how trying to balance and guide that whole conflict was a pain in the neck. The last thing he/I needed was present-me also meddling with it unnecessarily.

Of course, it was something that had to be dealt with one day, but for now, we were in the middle of our beach episode, so that took priority. Now that I mentioned it, I glanced at the window, and not seeing any sunlight seeping through the blinders, I figured it was time for me to return to the girls and proceed with some light-hearted shenanigans.

"If that's all, then I'll be taking my leave for now. Remember what we discussed regarding Judy, don't do anything stupid, and…" I stood up and flashed an amicable smile at her. "In recognition of your efforts, I promise that I'll bury you in a place where people can eventually find you."

And with those final words, I disappeared from the building, leaving the rest to her imagination. I had more important things to do. Like my girlfriends.

…

Ack. That came out wrong, didn't it?