“She’s your family.”
Malice’s easy, casual acceptance was only making Yerin angrier. Charity came across as cool and distant, but genuine. Like she was really that detached from everyone else.
This Monarch struck Yerin as an experienced liar.
“She is a member of my family,” Malice corrected. “A valuable member, and one who I’m very fond of and in whom I have invested time and attention. I would be devastated to lose her, but if I did, the family would continue. The Akura name is greater than any one member. Even me.”
Bold as she was being, even Yerin wasn’t so cracked in the head as to call a Monarch a liar to her face.
But she came close.
“Say I lose, and Sophara gets Penance. She kills you. Heralds crash on Fury, kill him, kill Mercy. You’re telling me the Akura clan doesn’t slide right down after House Arelius?”
Malice waved a hand lazily, still unshaken. “Of course the family still needs a Monarch. It’s the position that’s important, not who fills it. You also must know that I wouldn’t allow myself to bet everything on one turn of the cards. I have plans to account for your loss.”
That let off some tension Yerin didn’t realize she was holding.
“But those are a last resort. If you lose, then your failure still puts my family in danger.” There was no extra spiritual pressure and Malice’s face didn’t change, but her words carried an extra edge. “If I had to give up Fury and Pride and Mercy for the good of the family, it would tear my heart out, but I would do it. So I suggest you fight as though your life is on the line, because if you don’t, you can imagine my…disappointment.”
Maybe Yerin’s survival instinct had been knocked askew by her fight today, because she felt no fear at the threat, only anger and disgust.
“You can bet I’ll bring everything I have,” Yerin said, “because it’s not my life that’s on the line.”
Whatever plans Malice had, it was clear that Lindon, Eithan, and Mercy would be safer if Yerin won. So she would win even if it killed her.
“Wonderful,” Malice said pleasantly. “I’m glad we understand each other.”
Yerin was certain they didn’t.
“Now, as I said, Charity has been doing a fine job putting you in a position to advance, but I could give you my perspective.”
“…please,” Yerin said grudgingly.
She didn’t like this woman, but she wasn’t so upset that she couldn’t recognize an opportunity.
“An Icon, as I’m sure you’ve picked up, is a symbol of a powerful concept. The more you represent that concept, the better. In your case, you yourself must become a symbol of swordsmanship. Not in the eyes of mankind, but by the measure of something deeper.”
“Heard that one,” Yerin said.
Malice’s smile widened. “You have to. Imitating another symbol isn’t good enough.”
“True enough.” That was why Sages didn’t take apprentices. Anyone they trained would just be a weak copy of themselves.
It was the whole mountain Yerin had to overcome.
“You know this, but have you become a symbol of swordsmanship? Or a copy of your master? What is your signature?”
Bleed me if I know, Yerin thought.
The Sages had taught her that it was easier to manifest an Icon the more advanced she was, and since she was already sensing it distantly, she was probably straight on the path to becoming the next Sword Sage as soon as she reached Archlord.
Anything she gained earlier than that was a bonus.
Malice leaned back in her chair. “You’ll have to meditate on it. I can’t give you more time, as Northstrider did. Becoming a Sage takes mostly individual insight and accomplishment, so there’s only so much that can be taught or trained.”
If not for the rest of their conversation, Yerin would say the Monarch was looking on her fondly. “You’ve already done the Akura name proud. Under other circumstances, I would reward you handsomely, win or lose. In this case, I will treat you like Mercy’s sister if you win.
“You can marry into the head family. Take Pride, if you want. Take any of the Akura men who catch your eye, and your children will be considered full-blooded members of the clan. I will grant your every wish.
“Don’t fail.”
She sounded pleasant, not as threatening as she had before, but Yerin still didn’t back down.
“Might be I’ll take you up on that,” she said. “But I can’t be sure. I’ve seen what you think of your daughters.”
22
As Yerin and everyone else in the world expected, Sophara obliterated Brother Aekin.
She didn’t use any techniques other than her Enforcer technique and her dragon’s breath, so Yerin learned nothing from the fights. Both of them together took about twenty total seconds.
That evening, she found herself once again floating on a column of rainbow light in the center of the arena, being celebrated for her accomplishments in having made it to the top two.
She was deliberately placed so that she faced away from Sophara, which was good, because her eyes would ache if she spent the whole ceremony glaring.
There was much greater fanfare for top two than there had been for the top four, meaning it took over an hour for the Ninecloud Soul to get to the point.
“And now the time has come,” the Soul announced, “to award the prizes!”
Yerin’s attention stopped drifting.
“The Divine Treasures, which will be awarded to our fighters, have been crafted by the finest artisans of the eight factions with these individuals in mind. They are custom pieces, unique, never to be seen again!”
Though the crowd was much smaller than it had been before, their roar was still impressive.
“These are guaranteed to improve combat ability, so they are being revealed publicly now, to avoid imbalance in the final round of the Uncrowned King tournament!”
You’re fine with imbalance in the other rounds? Yerin thought.
“First, for Yerin Arelius!”
Yerin perked up and looked to the cloud of multicolored light hovering over the stage. She had expected to be awarded second.
A shimmering ball of pale white madra streaked down from above, leaving a trail like a comet. She couldn’t quite pin down what kind of madra it was, but it looked like a misty star.
“The Moonlight Bridge!” the Soul announced, and for some reason everyone cheered at the construct’s name. “This Divine Treasure allows near-instant transportation anywhere in the world! Special credit is given to Reigan Shen, whose personal attention was crucial to the…”
Yerin’s ears blanked out as her mind went still.
Instant transportation?
Anywhere?
Her own master had admitted that his skills in spatial transport were pretty poor, which meant they walked or flew most places instead of taking portals, but she knew Sages had limits on how much they could walk through space.
This sounded like a power of a Monarch. Or even the heavens.
With this, she could save Lindon. And Eithan and Mercy.
How was this possible?
“There are some restrictions, of course, on such a miraculous power!” the Ninecloud Soul went on, and Yerin quenched her expectations. “Yerin cannot bring anyone along for the ride, and the Treasure cannot be used in quick succession. If she moves all the way around the world, the Moonlight Bridge can take up to three days to recover. But traveling within sight? That, she can do as much as she likes. Imagine the possibilities!”
The Ninecloud Soul went on listing those possibilities, but Yerin’s racing heart returned to normal.
This was still a prize worth calling a real Divine Treasure, but it didn’t solve Yerin’s current situation. She could go visit Lindon, but what good would that do if the Bridge couldn’t take him back with her? She would risk getting trapped by Heralds with no chance of bringing him away.