Shackled Exalted

Emil

The Courier directed him to a hospital situated on the borders of the Commerce and Administrative Districts.

Probably another medical facility secretly owned by Steiger.

The familiar smell of antiseptics assaulted him like a wave of miasma as he entered the building. The environment was nothing but sterile. The floor was caked in dirt and blood. Screams, groans and tearful sobs echoed from the rooms further down the ground floor. Emil quickly ducked to the side as a group of medical staff rushed in with an injured man on a stretcher.

Victims of the monster outbreak were being gathered here for medical care.

He steeled his nerves as he looked away and moved towards the reception. He gave the administrative staff at the counter the token that identified him as an associate of Steiger. Then, he was immediately led to a room at the rear of the building.

Graf was standing before a group of staff combing through paperwork. A map of Isarelle and the Canticle were spread out across a large table; both diagrams crowded with notes and scribbles.

"You're here," the bespectacled man said, barely masking the frustration and exhaustion in his voice, "I sincerely hope you have good news."

Emil wanted to counter with a snarky remark, but seeing Graf and his staff's faces made him swallow his words. The situation was too grave for him to air his grievances towards the man.

"I don't know if it's good news, but—" He dropped a bag containing the pile of Azurite that he and Anna uncovered in the Canticle. "The Canticle's ambient mana has spiked significantly compared to last night, which explains the monster outbreak. And the source of the spike is probably because of these stones."

Graf sighed upon seeing the Azurite.

"I suspected as much," he said, turning towards the maps on the table, "Where did you find the Azurite? For reference, this is the location where you found the Gutter Slime last night." He pointed at a circle on the Canticle map near the Black Shoal. His fingers then moved to a portion of the Canticle in eastern quadrant of Commerce District. "And this is the entrance you and your friend took today."

Emil raised an eye. "How did you know that?"

"I have Watchers and Couriers everywhere in Isarelle. It's how I manage communication across the city."

"Then why were there no reinforcements in my area today?"

Graf looked like he was about to punch something.

"You were there, were you not? We judged that you and your friend would be enough to take care of it. Other places that were attacked weren't fortunate to have two skilled Exalted in the area. It was a matter of priority."

"How about Her Highness and the rest of my friends?"

"They're fine. They weren't close to the monster outbreak."

Emil observed the map, noting the locations of the Commerce District that were attacked. In the grand scheme of things, the swarm outbreak appeared to have been localized to a few blocks within the eastern quadrant.

"…Judging by the scope of the damage, I'm guessing the Aurous Festival will continue as scheduled tomorrow."

"Correct. Despite the damages, all of the merchant groups, the Isarelle Opera Company, and their patrons insisted."

I really shouldn't be surprised. It's just like them to risk public safety for profit.

"Any other burning questions before you finally answer mine?" Graf asked, visibly irate.

Emil turned to the map of the Canticle while recalling the path that he and Anna took to find the Azurite pile. After tracing the map, he pinpointed the rough location.

"The Azurite was here. The water level in this passage was higher than normal. I suspect it's connected to one of the reservoirs that holds water to prevent overflooding during rainy days."

"You're right," Graf affirmed.

"Then there's a chance that the Azurite I found wasn't left here originally. Instead, it might have been carried there by sewage water from the rain last night," Emil stated, "If that's true, then it's possible that more Azurite might have scattered to other areas of the Canticle."

Graf turned to his staffs. A couple of them nodded gravely at Emil's assertion.

"Lovely. Just more things to be worry about," Graf spat out, "Are we able to approximate of where the scattered Azurite might have ended up?"

One of the assistants spoke up. "We'll have to make some assumptions about its original position, but it should be possible to make an educated guess with knowledge of the Canticle's ."

"Then get on with it! We have to make sure the city is safe as it can be for tomorrow!"

The assistants immediately got to work as they took out an abacus and multiple copies of the Canticle map. Urgency was important. The faster they figured out where more Azurite could have been displaced, the faster they could investigate and avoid another monster outbreak onto the surface.

"Any chance that this was a malicious attack? I don't see how a pile of Azurite could end up in the Canticle randomly. This feels deliberate," Emil asked Graf.

"You're thinking Vigil could be involved."

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Emil nodded.

"I've considered the possibility. But the Watchers have not found anything that would imply their involvement or their presence in the city. Neither the Lionheart nor the Belle family have reported anything as well."

Another third-party then? Vigil's raid on the Academy showed not just how strong they were, but also how fragile and arrogant the kingdom's leading institutions had become. It wouldn't have surprised Emil if this was a copycat attack.

"You should go back and rest. I'm going to need your help again once we identify the sites that should be investigated."

"Do I get anything for overtime?" he asked cheekily.

"…You'll be compensated accordingly for your contributions. Including the work you've already done so far."

At least he's not stingy with compensation. If there was one thing that Emil couldn't complain about Hortensia and the way she ran things, it was that she properly rewarded performance. The same philosophy seemed to have been adopted by her branch managers as well.

"Can I also bring my friend?"

Graf thought for a moment and sighed, "Frankly speaking, we need every hand that we can get. So do whatever you want. But I'm absolved of all responsibility if your cover at the Academy is blown."

***

It was late into the afternoon when Emil departed the hospital. With knowledge that Aoife and the others were safe, he went back to his inn worry free. Anna had already returned and was busy scarfing down food in the mess hall. The lack of dignity in her table manners put a smile on his face as he joined her at her table—much to her embarrassment.

"Good to know that you eat like a barbarian when no one's watching."

"I swear I'm going to kill you if you tell anyone," she hissed, shooting daggers with her eyes.

After their usual exchange of banter, Emil gave her a rough rundown of what he had discussed with Graf about the situation with the Canticle. He avoided any mentions of Steiger, instead pretending that the conversation happened with associates of House Belle. It was a logical cover story given the Belle's authority in this city and his visit of the Belle estate earlier in the day.

"So there might be more monster outbreaks?"

"Yeah. They requested my help. I want you with me as well if you're up for it."

Anna groaned, "Ugh, I wouldn't have changed my clothes if I knew I was going to head back into the damn sewers again."

"You're allowed to refuse."

She shot him a glare. "Yeah, turn you down when public safety is at risk right the day before Aurous Festival, just because I don't want to dirty a clean outfit. Do I look like a snobby jackass to you?"

Don't say it, Emil. He held his smile and suppressed the urge to make a comment about her temper. The low-hanging fruit was right there, mocking him for not taking it.

"You knew I would have said yes the moment you asked," she pointed out, "So let's not pretend this conversation was going to go any other way."

Emil raised his hands to surrender.

"When do we head out?"

"They'll make contact later in the evening. For now, we should stay put and rest up as much as possible. If their assumptions are correct, then there's going to be more monster to exterminate tonight."

After getting Anna onboard for a second trip down into the Canticle, Emil ate a modest meal and retreated back into his room. He wiped his body clean of the grime and sweat before flopping onto the bed. The soft blanket and the firm mattress molded nicely around his weary body. He closed his eyes. It had already been a long day—navigating the Belle family in the morning, his match with Sven, meeting with Otto and Liesel, and then dealing with the monster outbreak. Isarelle had been too eventful the past few days.

And to think this was supposed to be my vacation.

Problems seemed to follow him where he went. Or was it that he was deliberately sent to places where trouble was afoot? Whatever the case, he longed for more peaceful days.

He sighed to silence the bubbling thoughts. And his consciousness soon drifted.

***

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Emil opened his eyes to the incessant taps against his glass window. He grunted from the heavy sleep as he reluctantly rolled out of bed and pried open the curtains. A messenger pigeon from Steiger was perched on the sill, frantically trying to get his attention. The sight of it stirred him out of his stupor.

Attached to the messenger pigeon's talons was a map of the Canticle annotated with instructions. Emil committed it to memory. The site of interest was one of the areas where Graf's assistants thought additional pieces of Azurite could have ended up after last night's rain. The Canticle covered the entirety of Isarelle. Scouring every inch of it was unfeasible given that the Aurous Festival was scheduled to start in less than a day, and they had to avoid another monster outbreak at all costs.

Emil spent two minutes to make himself somewhat presentable before heading over to Anna. Her room was further down the hall.

"Is it finally time?" she asked immediately when she opened the door. Emil raised an eye. She looked already dressed and ready to go.

"Yeah, meet me outside the tavern. I'll be down there in a few minutes."

He retreated back into his room. Anna's apparent enthusiasm for more monster exterminations caught him off guard and so he hurried to put on his night gear. The outfit included the flame-resistant coat that Petra purchased using his monthly salary. With Anna present, he didn't have to worry about hiding Blaze.

After equipping himself with a couple of knives and some field rations for a potential long trip, he was ready. Emil lifted the window of his room. Night had descended upon Isarelle. It was unsettlingly quiet compared to the bustling chaos earlier during the day. The street lamps were switched on, illuminating the block. After confirming that there was no one in the vicinity, he climbed down from his room.

Anna happened to be waiting for him across the street. Their eyes met as Emil leaped off from his perch and landed on the ground with a soft thud. She had an expression of disbelief as though she had just witnessed something insane.

"…You know there's something called stairs, right?"

Emil shrugged, "I didn't want to be seen in my night gear."

"The lobby and stairwell were empty."

"How was I supposed to know that?"

Anna rolled her eyes. "Alright, where are we supposed to go?"

The instructions on Graf's note took them deeper into the Arts District. Emil was finally getting used to the winding roads, patterned brick buildings, and the variety of statues and fountains in the area. But as the Aurous Festival came close, the district only got more vibrant. Rainbow-colored streamers now crowded the airspace, stretching between the buildings and overhanging above the roads and passageways. Small platforms and stages had been built, scattered around to host street performances. Sculptures and wooden stands to hold paintings had been laid out for display. Stalls and tents were lined along the streets.

Emil could only imagine what the festival would be like tomorrow.

He took a deep breath. An overwhelming sensation pressed on his chest. The marvelous sight before him was the culmination of all the effort from the residents of Isarelle. It was a manifestation of their desire to make the festival succeed and to create a memorable experience that won't be forgotten. Seeing it firsthand made him emotional. It finally settled in just how much this festival meant to the people of this city.

"What's wrong?" Anna asked.

Emil realized that he had stopped moving to take in the views. He shook his head and continued to lead the way.

"Nothing. It just hit me how important this festival is."

Anna had a faint smile on her face. "Of course. This is one of the few festivities that everyone in Ardair can participate regardless of their social status. Some of the locals spend all year to prepare for it. That's why we have to make sure it can run smoothly."

After another ten minutes of walking, they arrived at their destination. Emil stopped before a narrow corridor branching from a side street. The entrance to the Canticle would be at the end of the path. But before they continued, he had to address the elephant in the room.

"Do you sense that?" he asked quietly, just loud enough for Anna's ears.

Anna nodded, tilting her head back.

"Yeah. Someone's following us."