Arcadia's Ignoble Knight: The Sorceress Of Ashtown Chapter 26

Something had changed.

Erica didn't know what that something was, but from the moment she saw Caspian that morning, she knew that something had changed between them. Or, maybe it was just something about the young man that had changed and she had nothing to do with it. She couldn't rightly tell.

"Caspie―"

"Don't call me that."

"―is there any particular reason you are here?" Erica asked, not even bothering to cease talking as Caspian interrupted her with his usual diatribe about not using the dreaded nickname. She did not bother to hide her smile. The young man tried so hard to pretend that he didn't care, to act nonchalant and cold, but he was like an open book to her, which made him oh so easy to tease.

Perhaps that explained why she enjoyed teasing him so much.

"Or, maybe you are simply having so much fun with the boy because he reminds you of 'him,'" a voice that sounded a lot of like herself reverberated through her mind. Erica ignored the voice as best she could, her lips twitching only once to to show her displeasure.

"I am merely doing my job," Caspian answered stoically.

"I told you, this is my job."

"You asked me to be a replacement for Derek, to protect you while he is recovering. I can't do that if I'm not by your side at all times," Caspian continued.

"As your Knight, I must remain by your side at all times."

Erica didn't know whether to cry or to smile. She looked at the young man standing by her seat, whose form soon became overlapped with the image of another young man. Dirty blond hair clung to a handsome face with a strong jaw and a sharp chin. Vibrant blue eyes glowed with an incredible l.u.s.ter. Thin lips quirked upwards into an amused smirk that set her soul ablaze.

"Sigfried..."

"Erica?" Caspian asked, his startled voice tearing her away from her haunted musings. "A-are you okay? You're crying."

The image disappeared. It was just Caspian again. Caspian. Not Sigfried. Eyes widening, Erica quickly wiped away her tears, drying them before they could stain her face.

"Crying? What an absurd notion," she muttered, sucking up the rest of the water works that wanted to stream from her eyes. "Of course I'm not crying. You must be seeing things."

Caspian furrowed his brows. "But... it looks like you're crying. I can see tears in your eyes."

"Like I said." Erica gave him a smile so large that it forced her eyes closed. "You're just imagining things, Caspie."

"Agh! Why do you keep calling me Caspie?! I told you, my name is Caspian! CASPIAN!"

***

A Sorceress did a lot more than sit around in her tower and sign papers all day. As the overseers of their territory they were duty bound to, well, oversee their territory. Most of this involved reading and signing papers, but some of it required them to be a little more hands on.

Caspian eyed the industrial-looking factory that he and Erica were being given a tour of. It was one of several hundred that dotted the city of Ashtown. From the reading he'd done, Caspian knew that Spirit Crystals were all refined in factories just like this.

Being a city renowned for its crystal refineries and mining, Ashtown was located several klicks away from a number of large mines. They mostly mined Spirit Crystals, though Caspian knew they also mined a few other types of ore--various metals and even precious gems. Spirit Crystals just happened to be their major export.

Spirit Crystals were a type of ore that took on the form of a crystal. Formed from the ley lines buried deep underneath the earth's crust, Spirit Crystals were the physical manifestation of Spirit Energy--the energy used by the Spirits. Humans used them as an energy source to power Magical Technology.

Caspian didn't know the specifics, but he knew that in order for them to be used as an energy source, the Spirit Crystals needed to be refined into a useable substance. That was what the refineries were for.

The manager of the factory showed Caspian and Erica around. They walked along the ground floor, between long conveyer belts, along which thousands of glowing green Spirit Crystals were moved through the refining process. It looked like the crystals were crushed into even tinier shards. Gigantic blocks of iron attached to a large machine slammed down onto the conveyer belt over and over, crus.h.i.+ng the shards until they looked more like a fine powder than the remains of a crystal. The powdery fragments were then poured into a trolley at the end of the conveyer belt which, once filled up, was pushed off to their next destination further in the factory.

Caspian watched one trolley that had just been filled get pushed by a worker, a person wearing a thick suit that was tan like rough leather. It had a large helmet that reminded him of a bowl. Because of how bulky the suit was, Caspian couldn't tell the person's gender. He watched as the guy or girl disappeared through a large metal doorway, which slammed shut behind them.

"As you can see, Lady Erica, the factory is proceeding smoothly and is well within MSC regulations."

The manager in charge of this particular refinery looked to be at that stage of life where he could truly be considered old. A large gut hung over his belt, fat rolls practically spilling out as they strained against his s.h.i.+rt. He had three chins, which wiggled and waggled in highly disturbing mannerisms every time he moved his jowls. Beady black eyes were set into a bald, wrinkled head that shone with a thick layer of oil in the low light of the factory. He reminded Caspian of a greasy salesperson, those people who owned vendors or shops, and tried to sell poor saps the newest piece of MagiTech (at a bargain price, too!), as opposed to the manager of a factory.

He was also short.

As in, really short.

Make that tiny.

Caspian had to tilt his head down to look at the man, who barely came up to his waist. The man definitely had one of the most disturbing appearances he'd ever seen. It didn't help that his head looked like a large balloon with jelly rolls hanging off of it.

"That remains to be seen," Erica spoke in a cold tone. Caspian found himself surprised at just how frosty she sounded, like she might summon s.h.i.+va at any moment and freeze the entire factory. He'd never heard her speak in such a cold manner before. "Show us the rest of the factory. I would like to judge its condition for myself."

The manager, who had introduced himself as Marco Truént de Picco, twitched at Erica's words, but did not argue with them. Not that he could. Arguing with a Sorceress was like admitting you broke the law. Instead, he rubbed his fat little hands together and smiled.

"Of course, of course. Just follow me and I'll show you the rest of my factory," he said, his voice an incessant, nasally whine that grated on Caspian's ears. Erica's, too, if the way she clenched her jaw was any indication.

As Marco led them up a set of stairs leading to a network of walkways that hung over a dozen meters above ground level, Caspian leaned over to Erica, so that he could whisper in her ear without being overheard. "You're acting awfully cold. Do you have a problem with this man?"

"You mean aside from the fact that his horrid existence offends my sense of aesthetics?" Erica whispered back. "Yes, I do have a problem with him. This fat little fool has been a thorn in my side for years. He owns several of the refineries in this city, which I suspect he managed to acquire through illegal means, though I have no way of proving it. I have also come to suspect that all of his factories fall below MSC standards, but every time I do an inspection, they're just above the line of violating MSC laws."

MSC was an acronym that stood for Magical Safety Coalition. The group had formed several years after MagiTech hit the market and became so popular. Caspian remembered hearing about how several Spirit Crystal refineries had been responsible for the death of 63 people and the poisoning of another 50, which had sparked much rioting and led to the eventual formation of the MSC.

Spirit Crystals, in their refined state, were highly toxic to humans. Just breathing in the fumes could make someone sick. Touching it with your bare skin had a 99 percent fatality rating. Hence the need for a group like the MSC. They created laws and set down standard practices, ensuring that the people who worked in factories would be protected from harmful practices.

"I've even tried making random inspections of his factories, but he always seems to know when and where I'm going to be inspecting."

"How do you figure that?"

"Because he's always waiting for me when I arrive." Erica glowered at the short fat man's back. "I have tried multiple times to launch a surprise inspection, hoping to observe one of his factories while he is not present. Yet, no matter how many times I show up unannounced, he is always there, always waiting. He even has the gall to act surprised when I show up, as if he had not been expecting me." Eric nearly growled. "It is most frustrating."

"That does sound like it would be annoying," Caspian said, surprised. The normally exasperating Sorceress was taking her duty surprisingly seriously. After spending almost an entire day shopping with her, he honestly hadn't thought much of the woman. This new side of her showed that there may be more to the woman than he'd first come to suspect.

They strolled over several large vats whose circ.u.mferences had to be at least thirty-feet. They were gigantic, cylindrical vats filled with bubbling green liquid that poured in from a mult.i.tude of metal veins. Equally green fumes rose from the surface, wafting about in lazy patterns that defied all forms of geometry. Looking at the fumes as they rose made Caspian think of d.a.m.ned spirits rising up from Tartarus in their quest to consume the flesh of the living.

"As you can see, the vats are always kept at a safe level, exactly five feet below overflow levels," Marco said, smiling at Erica in a way that could only be considered smug. The raven-haired Sorceress did not look pleased to be on the receiving end of that expression. Caspian couldn't blame her. That smug smile wasn't even directed at him and he wanted to punch Marco's face in.

"And what about the refining room?" Erica asked. "I wish to see the place where Spirit Crystals are refined into their liquid state."

"Of course. Right this way."

They continued moving, their feet clanging against metal as they strode along the walkway. Caspian's ears twitched beneath his bandana. He stopped, a small frown forming as a sound reached his ears, just barely heard above the noisy rattling of machinery and their own footsteps. It sounded almost like... squealing metal?

Looking up, Caspian saw several steel girders grinding against the rest of the ceiling's metallic network, teetering perilously before falling off. He then looked back down, and his eyes widened when he realized where they were going to fall. Or rather, who they would fall on.

Erica.

Rus.h.i.+ng forward, Caspian shoved Erica out of the way just in time to let the metal bars fall onto the walkway instead of the woman. Good thing, too. The bars, which had descended with far more speed than Caspian would have thought possible, struck the walkway with a loud shriek. His eyes widened when all six bars somehow managed to strike the walkway tip first. They went straight through the metal, piercing the five inch steel sheet like it was made of tin. The bars then fell into the vat of irradiate liquid with a powerful splash, causing a good deal of the green goop to spill over the edge. Fortunately, no one was beneath it, or they would have just been doused.

"L-Lady Erica?!" Marco's shocked voice sounded out, along with the sound of tiny feet pounding against steel. "Are you alright?! I swear to the Spirits, I have no idea what just happened!"

Caspian would have glared at the man, but he ignored the fat manager in favor of Erica. He lay on top of the woman, his hands on either side of her head. Erica's eyes were wide, and her mouth had dropped open to form a tiny "o" of surprise.

"Are you alright?" he asked, somehow noticing that, even when surprised, Erica still looked every bit the enchanting beauty. Her lips looked so kissable that Caspian had to forcefully keep his head from lowering and locking with them.

Spirits be d.a.m.ned hormones!

"Y-yes." Erica didn't just look stunned, she sounded astonished as well. The woman got over herself quickly however, proving that she had not earned her t.i.tle of Sorceress just because she could use Spiritual Evocation. "Yes, I am fine. Thank you, Caspian."

Now it was Caspian's turn to be shocked. "Did you just use my name?"

"I did, but don't get used to it."

Standing up, Caspian offered Erica his hand, which she took with a grateful smile. Once she was back on her own two feet, the woman whipped her head around, raven hair flying behind her, and turned a venomous yet triumphant glare on the now paling Marco.

"It looks like your architecture might be unstable." The smile Erica wore was positively vindictive. "I am afraid that I must close down all of your factories until further notice, in order to run a more comprehensive investigation. Do not worry. This is just to make sure none of the other factories have an unstable structure like this one does. I hope you understand."