Rise of the Godking - Chapter 88

A few moments later, Daneel was seated in the renovated master's hall. It had always been one of the most picturesque locations in the town, paved with glittering tiles that played with the natural light filtering through the blinds on both sides of the massive area.

There was enough place for more than 20 people to sit, but there were only a few gilded chairs present. All sorts of plants and even trees that had grown out of the opening in the middle of the courtyard were present, lending the place a peaceful aura that was perfect if one wished to relax…or plan.

Daneel was the opposite of relaxed, now, as he studied the object in his hands. It was the last remnant of the outsider: the crystal that he had taken out to call that murderous superior over, and currently, the system was actively scanning it to try and see whether any of the secrets of this bunch could be figured out.

In front of him, Reese, the man from the Courtyard, a cowed Lord Burrow, and Madeira were all sitting with thoughtful expressions and worried eyes. They had been summoned and told about what had happened, and so far, any of them had yet to talk.

He had come here after talking to the dead enforcer's family, who had obviously been bereft after hearing about the passing of their son. The kid had been young, and hence, had belonged to the innocent group who had escaped the corruption of all the other enforcers on the surface. He had had a younger sister whose cries still echoed in Daneel's ears, and as he was reminded of them once more, his hand tightened around the crystal and the sharp edges of the object drew blood from his palm.

The sound of a droplet dripping onto the wooden table in front of him made the one sitting in the chair beside his look up, then frown. Daneel had gotten used to calling him the 'one from the Courtyard', even though he had found out that his name was Michael. He didn't know about his past, and why he was here, but among all those present, he respected him the most, both because of the argument he had been having with Lord Burrow before and the fact that he was the one who had commandeered that group in the Courtyard that consisted of those who couldn't protect themselves.

"I just don't get it. We would have given them a lot of business…but they chose to do this! They might even have the succeeded, if not for…"

Daneel fixed Madeira with a steely gaze, making her gulp and stop whatever she was going to say as a bit of the Will leaked into the world due to his mood, causing a heavy weight to come to life on her head. It was obvious that she had been about to mention his strength which did not match, at all, that which a teenager should possess, and at the moment, he wasn't in the mood to give any answers.



Shaking his head with a frown as he heard Reese, Lord Burrow said, "We have already told you everything we knew about him. He came to us, and we were more than happy to obtain some help in our rebellion. It could be said that the item he gave us even saved our lives. Every time we talked, he insisted that they are a business, which meant that he only cared about profits. Perhaps…"

"I had the same thought. But what profits lie in the direction of killing the leader of the town, and throwing the island into open rebellion once more? In the end, he would still be dealing with a rebel. What did he even say to his superior? Could there be a clue in that? You said that the man and his guards attacked without saying a single word… so he must have made the decision based on the message." 

Reese shrugged. "All he said was that the town wishes to buy machines that will help in excavating crystals. I was keeping a close eye on him. There was nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing at all."

The room devolved into silence, again, as everyone seemed to have run out of things to say. Daneel had only been paying half his attention to them; the other half had been fixed on the life that had been lost because he hadn't been fast enough, and the system whose answer would decide his future course of action.

When it finally appeared in his ears, Daneel's eyes glazed over and he found himself concentrating with every ounce of his mind on each word that it said.

[Object analyzed. General direction of signal sent has been found. Accurate targeting will become possible when host is closer to target.]

It was short, but to the point, and it was also exactly what Daneel had been hoping for.

Normally, he would have been completely stymied as to what he could do even if he wanted to go after the one who had come here with such vile intentions, and left with no explanation whatsoever. Normally, he might have had to let it go… but where the system was present, the definition of normal always changed.

Getting to his feet, he garnered the attention of all those present.

"I know where he is. And I intend to go after him. It's not just the Graitonian that he killed… it's also what he can give us, and what we need to find out as it concerns the future of the town. I believe that there is something deeper going on… something related to all islands which rebel. I remember how shocked that guy was when I showed my genuine intention to care for the people, and not for myself. I suspect that this might not be the last attack that we will have to face. Before another descends without our knowledge… I intend to go find him, myself, and get as much information as I can."

For a few moments, all those around him could only stare as they registered his words. Then, all of them began to speak at once, but Daneel raised one hand to silence them all and said, "I've made my decision. It's best if I travel alone— I work better that way. And all of you need to remain here to continue everything we've started. Reese will lead the town in my absence. Every command of his is as good as one that has come from my mouth. You will all report to him. I don't know if I have to say this, but remember one thing. Soon, I shall return. There is no doubt about that. And after I do, if I find out that something that wasn't supposed to happen came to be… there will be another bloodbath in the streets of Graiton. Mark. My. Words." 

He spun on his heels and marched to the library, ignoring the gazes on his back. On the way, he tried to see why he was so angry. Was it the one who had died, and the family that he had had to console, in a repeat of one of the most harrowing experiences he had ever had to live through on Angaria? Or was it the fact that all his plans regarding how he would get those machines, educate the slaves, and help them rise to a higher status had been thrown askew?

No, it was something deeper than that. He hadn't been lying when he had talked about his instincts. With the knowledge of a ruler who had spun so many webs that he had lost track of them, he could tell that something was afoot… and whatever it was, it had given him such a bad feeling that it was putting him on edge.

The superior was targeting Graiton and its leadership. But before he could do anything…Daneel had to get to him, and find out why.

After closing the doors of the library behind him, he snatched one of the crystals from the walls. A moment later, a tiny wisp of flame was once again floating in his hand, and while basking in the light that it cast on his face, he closed his eyes and took in a few deep breaths. 

When he opened them again, his features were calm, his brow was smooth, and his back was straight. Nodding to himself, he began the preparations for the journey, and when he went about them, one thought remained in his mind.

'I'll be going nearer to the Mainland for the first time. I need to be careful…but I also need to gather as much information as possible. My goal is simple: if I manage to get a larger replica of this thing that the outsider used, I'll be able to draw on the power left behind, and then… very few in this area will be able to even think of going up against me. The might of Angaria will turn them to dust. But before that… I need to take care, because I won't even have the Will to draw upon. Well, I can't say that I'm not excited to find out more about everything, so…let's do this!'