NOVEL NEXT 137 - Taking Inventory
Archmund didn't like feeling instructed. But his father insisted on taking inventory of the Gems he was going to bring on their trip to the Imperial Capital.
"I mean no disrespect, father," Archmund said. "But is it really necessary for you to judge what I bring?"
"Completely and absolutely," his father said. "I suspected you would buck against the cautions and mores of the Imperial City, like Amelia before you. But think on how I raised you. Would I make these demands of you for no reason?"
"I think you had tutors to give the harsh lessons and unpleasant ones, and kept much of our time together to pleasant shared meals," Archmund said.
His father chuckled. "It worked, didn't it? Do you resent me?"
Archmund had to admit that it had, and he didn't.
"So," his father said, "show me everything you have. We need to project a certain strength within the capital. It would be ill advised for you to bear all of your powers."
This was more than instructive. It was invasive, as if a needle was scraping under his skin. And yet he couldn't deny that his father made a very good point. In the Capital, he wouldn't just be Archmund. He would be the Heir Granavale, representative of Granavale County and Agraria Duchy, tolerated guest of the Omnio family.
"The goal," his father said. "Is that you bring enough of your power that should you be drawn into a fair fight, you might win — but to hide anything that would give you an unfair advantage."
He acquiesced.
He laid out all of his tools.
"The standard Gems are fine," his father said.
"All of them?" Archmund said.
"Just the proper ones," his father said. "Not the misshapen, malformed ones. The ones that look like you've scrounged around in a pit for any hope of power."
Practically, that meant Archmund could say goodbye to all of the misshapen and small Gems that he'd tapped his power on.
His father slipped on a glove placed the Ruby of Energy, the Onyx Cube, and the Ruby of Fireball to the side. "These are fine."
He gingerly touched the Storage Gem, a perfect sphere glowing with the faint blue of magic. "This, however… should stay here."
Archmund nodded gingerly. "Right. Because it's from the Arcane University?"
"Exactly," his father said. "It's not worth raising suspicions by having it. There are exceptions for Academy students, who are generally allowed free reign with their artifacts so long as they don't run afoul of Alexandrian Law, but at your level, you should not have such a thing in such a place."
Archmund frowned. "Raehel didn't mention this."
His father sighed. "She struck me as similar to you in some ways. I suppose I hoped a kindred spirit would accelerate your learning. Alas, I understand all too well now why geniuses don't take to each other so well."
Speaking of genius, Archmund presented to his father Gems of Physical Fortification and Gems of Mental Fortification.
"I don't think I need to elaborate on why those must stay here," his father said.
"They're very high quality," Archmund said.
"Indeed. As high quality as the worst of the Omnio Dungeon. Even with that debased level of enhancement, you do not wish to draw their suspicions."
This would definitely present a problem in selling them. The Omnio were legally the only customers, such that they maintained a monopoly on imperial power — but they would see this as a challenge. He would have to keep this a secret for as long as he could.
Next, Archmund laid out his Gemstone Gear. His Gemstone Sword, his Gemstone Rapier, and his Gemstone Cufflinks.
"All of this must stay here," his father said.
"Is that truly necessary? The Rapier has defensive properties. It gives me a defensive Skill."
His father looked at him. "You've attained Second Awakening, yes? Charge a Gem with that Skill."
Archmund had only just begun to will his magic into his Gems when his father threw a book at him. His reflexes moved faster than mind, and his Gems sprung up from the table and smashed into the book, knocking it into a wall.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
"Okay," Archmund said. "I can leave it here."
His father nodded approvingly. "I would keep you safe regardless, but doubtless you've seen the Blackstones' reactions to your use of Gemgear. They think it ill-advised, overly constraining, more suitable for the menial classes than those of our pedigree. Rest assured that what they think is equaled, if not exceeded, by the masses of the Imperial City."
Another thought. Had Angelina intentionally tried to cripple him by not telling him to attune the Gemstone Sword and Gemstone Rapiers, or did she just not care about such social distinctions? Or was she such a transcendent genius that these matters were beneath her? It was like the difference between old money and new money. New money did conspicuous consumption, while old money was quiet and invisible.
He liked to think she wasn't at the level of willfully sabotaging him — just burdened with blind spots and biases of her own, because of the environment she was raised in.
"How badly would they look upon it?"
His father shifted uncomfortably. "It's associated with the lowest classes of nobles. The most recently raised, those not descended from the Patricians, and foreigners. The Redmonts are recently raised. The Greenroots are foreigners. Neither are descended from the Patricians."
"And so they use Gem with defined forms? Instead of tapping into the limitless potential of human creativity?"
"You think the strangest things sometimes, son," his father said. "Gemgear is just for the poor, and those who use Gemgear spend their lives doing one thing only. That's the stereotype. There's little more to it in truth. You speak like a Capital philosopher who has never actually used either."
Archmund chuckled too. "I suppose I think too much."
"There's no harm in thoughtfulness so long as your reflexes are fast in battle," his father said.
"What about the Cufflinks?" Archmund said.
"What do they do?" his father asked. "They look, to an untrained eye, like nothing more than vain jewelry. Right on the border of tastefulness, on the edge of noveau riche. I assume they are more than that?"
"They increase my charm," Archmund said, though he decided against going into further detail. They didn't protect him against other mental influences, if his understanding of what had happened in the Dungeon was correct.
"Then I would advise against," his father said. "In the Capital, everyone is sensitive to games of mental influence. If it were a defensive artifact, I could see the argument for bringing it. Is it? Unless you can suppress the power?"
Archmund shook his head. He hadn't trained with it to that extent. "It stays here."
His father nodded steadily.
"You still have more Gemstone. Artifacts won from the Dungeon."
Archmund pulled out the Diamond Hand and the Gemstone Trophy.
"What do these do?"
"The Hand allows me to warp space," Archmund said. "The Trophy… I'm not sure, but I think it allows me to restrict the flow of magical power."
"What do you mean, restrict the flow?"
"When it was used against me, it disconnected me from the strength I borrow from my Gems. It can weaken the flow of magic for gear."
"It must stay here," his father said, his voice allowing for no argument. "It's too powerful. I have half a mind to destroy it. Can you imagine how devastating this would become, if turned against a higher noble by a lesser one?"
"It can be fought and resisted. It's not a total shutdown."
"It's enough of a reversal to get the element of surprise , which can be utterly lethal. It cannot leave our lands. Nay, it cannot leave the manor."
That seemed excessive. In fact, it almost felt unfair. But Archmund unfortunately had to see the point, even if it chafed at him. Oh, it chafed at him.
"What about the Hand? It lets me bend space. Isn't that as dangerous?"
His father shrugged. "I've never found space-bending that doesn't have some immense restriction. Can you fold a man in half with it?"
"I… don't think so."
"Then it's fine. It's a spoil of war, unassuming as it is. It will legitimize your claim that you conquered a Dungeon."
The process ultimately ended up being rather exhausting. They'd gone over all of Archmund's gear with a fine-toothed comb, and decided in the end he'd only bring his Gems and the Diamond Hand. He would still retain the stat bonuses from his Gems and Gear, he would still have Gemmy lurking at the base of his skull, and because he was at Second Awakening, he would still have access to all of his Skills provided he could find a way to channel them through the Gems he did keep.
"Shall we go to dinner?" Archmund said.
"Not yet. You still have something," his father said. "In your bag."
"You can tell?"
His father looked at him with concern. "Did Raehel not—there's a disruption in the flow of your magic. An additional aspect to your field. I can tell there's another Gem artifact on your person."
"But you couldn't see it before?"
"Too much interference from all your other artifacts, so I wasn't sure. But now I have been familiarized with all that you wield. I see it now."
He held out his hand.
Still Archmund hesitated. This felt dangerous. He'd been terribly careless with showing this around already.
"Son, I'm serious. If you worry about showing it to me, then I must determine whether it's safe to bring to the Capital."
Archmund reached into his bag and pulled out his Gemstone Tablet.
"What is that?" his father said. His voice seemed grave.
"It's. The Omnio agent let me keep it," Archmund said. "But they said its existence was a state secret."
"I have the ear of the Emperor, though I try to never use it," his father said. "I can keep your secrets, son. Show me what it says."
Gemmy, show him something harmless. A map of the manor.
Archmund held the tablet up and let it flash its display.
"A Gemstone Pangraph," his father said uneasily. "Yes. Definitely an Omnio secret. How did you get it?"
His father knew what it was, or what something like it was.
"It was in the Dungeon."
"You didn't have to… kill anyone for it?"
"No one who wasn't already dead," Archmund said.
His father breathed unsteadily.
"I think it would be dangerous to bring this to the Capital," his father said. "They will be familiar with how these artifacts disrupt a person's magical field. With it on your person, it will be all the more evident."
"They would be able to tell?"
"After the Third Awakening, most nobles are familiar with enough with how magic flows through the world around them to recognize the disruptions cast by Gems and Gear. The Pangraph has a distinct signature."
"But Attunement and Awakening bind to the soul, don't they? Wouldn't it still be obvious?"
"If you drew enough attention for someone to look closely — the effects are subtle and faint when the artifacts are distanced from the body."
His father let out a long, slow breath. "And you're sure you don't have any more artifacts — any that might draw unwanted attentions from the Omnio?"
"I don't think so."
"Then soon, we'll be off."