Chapter 271: Day 543 – The Astrologer Arrives

Chapter 271: Day 543 – The Astrologer Arrives

Clarissa and myself waited outside of my home as the Astrologer drifted through the air towards us. The soldiers at the wall had sent word ahead of his arrival. He was exactly as I remembered, only this time he had his right hand back. The silver glowing stars on his black robe and gloves. The silver rope belt. The hood, that hid his face.

“Astrologer, welcome,” I greeted him. “This is Chief Administrator Clarissa,” I introduced her. I wanted her present for any discussions with this man to help me evaluate him and what he said.

“Michael, Clarissa, we have much to discuss,” the Astrologer said. Well at least he wasn’t beating around the push and had finally arrived.

“Of course, a conference room has been prepared, if there is anything required, please let me know,” Clarissa replied. We had discussed going into the conversation with an agenda, but in the end decided it was better to let things naturally develop.

“Much is required, but you are all lacking,” the Astrologer said bluntly as Clarissa led the way to the conference room. His tone was distinctly colder than the last time we had met. I wondered what had changed.

We took our seats, and the door was closed. It was just us three. “Idiots!” The Astrologer slammed a palm down on the table with a bang. I quickly stood up to respond to any type of attack that might come. “Sit down Michael, just sit. My patience is at an end for plots and tricks. So, I will lay bare the reality of our situation. And I mean our situation, since we are now all on the same sinking boat.” I sat back down and looked at Clarissa who just shrugged. We both waited for the Astrologer to speak.

“Where to even begin?” he let out a sigh and slumped in his chair.

“The beginning?” Clarissa asked. It was annoying how he kept his hood on to shadow and conceal his face, but I didn’t say anything about that.

“Very well, we shall speak of the beginning of the impending disaster you have set into motion. While you did not understand before I will make things clear and answer your questions that I can. Her Divine Empress ruler of the West is close to making a move. Once she does, nothing and no one that currently exists will be able to stop her. I have stalled her for almost two years now, but that time is soon running out. Hold your questions for the end of my explanation.” The Astrologer held up a hand and then continued to speak. I closed my mouth.

“In the time before the calamity. There were two great empires or nations. The Empire of the West, controlled by the Divine Empress. The Nation of Unified City States of the East. This UCS, was ruled by a powerful and wiser leader. Who had uncovered many secrets of this land you call the Systemic Lands. Both these rulers had to seize power, to bring order to the chaos, much as you have here in Purgatory.”

“The ruler of the East’s knowledge and power were only matched by one other. The Divine Empress from the West. He had many powerful companions, known as the Valkyries. Five in total. Each a master combatant in their own right. The Divine Empress slew one Valkyrie and received a wound in exchange. This battle was not one that could be won without a loss by either side. So, the Treaty of West and East was signed.”

“Yes, I am skipping a lot here, but I wish to convey the important pieces to both of you and the true structure of this world outside of my protection you have enjoyed so far. This treaty had many provisions including a ban on summoning outside the System and crafting bombs. For reasons I will only tell you, if you insist, but you will be greatly harmed by this knowledge.” I didn’t say anything and kept listening intrigued where this story was going.

“Then a calamity struck. It is called the calamity, since there is no explanation why or what it was. Everyone in the UCS was killed instantly. Alive and then dead. The cities were wiped. The land torn asunder and remade in full by the System.” That did not sound good. Not good at all.

“The only who managed to survive was the leader of the East who was on an important quest. A quest to gather the power necessary to confront the Divine Empress and win once and for all. Unfortunately, the moment the calamity struck, he was in a critical situation and became trapped.”

“But despite being trapped he was not a fool and found a way to send his will forth from his prison. The will of this man has been trying to keep the East free from the Divine Empress who suspects he is no longer around. But she is loath to break her word to someone she sees as an equal. Someone who left a cursed wound upon her and the risk of a calamity striking once more and killing her.”

“So, she hesitates. Held in check only by the memory of a trapped man and his will acting upon the wider Systemic Lands. Of the danger of the calamity and that it might strike again and kill her. Her suspicion grows, only fueled more by the idiotic actions of people in this part of the world. For if she decides to move, then no one will be able to stand against her,” the Astrologer finished speaking. The silence stretched out for a bit.

“You are that will, aren’t you?” Clarissa asked what I had been thinking.The original appearance of this chapter can be found at Ñøv€lß1n.

“Yes, I am. I am not truly here. Merely a trick the real Astrologer used to circumvent his prison where he remains trapped even as we speak,” the Astrologer or projection replied. Just a projection was able to confront the Ritualist, it made me wonder how strong the real Astrologer truly was and this Divine Empress.

“And what of your dealings with the Ritualist?” I asked. I was paying close attention to how he would respond to this question.

“A gambit. I sent him to the East with the hope he would deal with a thorn and stay there in reserve. To strike at the Divine Empress and distract her if need be. If she stepped into the East and harry her forces on my behalf, a force multiplier that would give us a moment to breath. The thorn was removed, and the Ritualist put into place to wait for when he would be useful. But someone just had to go and bother him. To stir up old grudges. They couldn’t just let. Him. Go.” The Astrologer jabbed his finger in my direction to punctuate each word.

I didn’t know what to say. It was impossible to imagine the scope of terror the Astrologer described. For one person to inflict continual misery and suffering seemed stupid. In my mind evil was what the Ritualist had done. Brutality was a steppingstone for efficiency, not an end to itself. This Divine Empress just wanted suffering as the end goal which was completely alien to me.

I knew it was something people could want and do, but it just felt stupid. Where others might succumb to hedonism or indulgencies with their absolute power, this woman had gone the opposite direction. Without the personal power that was present in the Systemic Lands, she would have been assassinated. In some respects, it felt like the Nazis. Just blatantly wasteful, because they were caught up in their own hatred.

“So, you want freedom? Where and how exactly is your main body trapped?” I asked changing the subject from the terror I had just learned of. I needed time to process what the Astrologer had said.

“Telling you that ahead of time is a risk the information would fall into the wrong hands. We still have not reached an agreement. My knowledge in exchange for your help.”

“Unlimited questions?” I asked.

“You are allowed to ask more the closer you get to freeing me. As for the level you need to be at. You need to be able to fight a level 6 monster and win.” There was utter silence at that declaration.

“That is not happening for a long time at the current level of power scaling,” I replied. “Certainly not before this divine empress acts.”

“And that Michael is the problem. If I told you to do things? Would you trust me without question? If answering your questions would ruin the outcome?” I frowned at that.

“That is unfair,” I replied. I could never put my life into someone else’s hands like he was asking.

“It is. But this entire place is unfair. What is a little bit more unfairness? Still, I know you will say no, regardless of what I say or offer. Then you will want answers. Those answers will ruin everything. Then we will have to truly gamble on insanity. You will have to attempt to free me without being able to kill a level 6 monster.”

“Is a monster like that trapping you?” I asked.

“Perhaps. That is something I cannot and will not reveal. The risk is too high that people, however remote, would use that knowledge to strike at me. When you are ready to act, I will tell you then, not a moment sooner,” the Astrologer replied.

“Naran. Can you help him?” Clarissa asked. I nodded at that question. It was a good one to ask.

“Your companion. What happened?” Clarissa explained Naran’s situation and the treatment the good doctor had attempted and possible future treatments. The Astrologer let out a long sigh after hearing everything. It did not sound like a good sigh.

“He is cursed. That is the technical term for injuries to a person’s energy that cannot be fixed with a restoration. I can fix the problem, but there is a great cost to me. One that I am not willing to pay.”

“Is it a matter of points?” I asked.

“If only it were that simple. I am merely a proxy for the Astrologist. This body of mine, while having many benefits, has even more drawbacks. Teaching you how to heal him, will be too late. He has been injured for what, five days?”

“Yes,” I replied.

“Then, your window of healing him is closing fast.”

“You clearly want something, since you brought up the option to heal him. Let’s not beat around the bush. What do you want?” I asked.

“Your absolute trust without question,” the Astrologer said.