Jackal Among Snakes - Chapter 521

Argrave felt that he had learned all he could about the time loop itself. The things that he had seen with [Minor Truesight], while lesser than what Anneliese might’ve picked out, still confirmed to him without a shadow of a doubt the truth of this endless repetition. And even more than that, he finally found a path to confirming some hidden things. If Sophia was the cause of the loop, and the Heralds were harnessing her power to kill all those that spoke of the prince, then she, herself, would most likely be untouched by it. In other words, she was his best source of information.

“I have to go now, Sophia.” Argrave took the lens and hid it away in his duster’s inside pocket. “We’ll see each other again. But before I go, can I ask you something?”

“Okay,” she nodded easily.

“You remember Mr. Butler? Bogart?” Argrave put his hands together. “I saved him. He’s the reason why everyone’s panicking, running about everywhere.”

Sophia went through uncountable emotions, and by the end of it all, only watched Argrave with her wide, uncertain red eyes.

“All that’s to say... your father doesn’t have power everywhere. I’m as much a king as he is, and I want to help you. But to do that, I have to understand things. Can you tell me about your brother?”

Sophia blinked her eyes and looked at the ground, then looked up suddenly in what looked like horrified revelation. “Then Sir Ghost... is King Charles? And you... you... came back from the dead to take revenge?”

Argrave smiled at her. “If that’s what you want, Sophia. But most of all... I want to help your brother, if I can—help him as I helped Bogart. And I think you’re the only one who can help me help him. Can you tell me his name? Can you tell me anything at all?”

Sophia played with her hands, and the hem of her red dress for a long time in quiet. Argrave waited patiently. “My big brother’s name is Griffin. He’s one hour older than me. He likes knights, swords, blueberries, and snow. He’s...” After she’d listed the mundane things, Argrave had little doubt that the more emotional memories were surfacing. What they did together, how they lived—their arguments, shared triumphs.

“He stopped daddy and the maids from punishing me when I made a mistake because I’m stupid,” she continued, suppressing her tears with practice a seven-year-old shouldn’t have. “And when daddy took us to the cellar, where those people were...” she started shivering badly. “Griffin did everything daddy wanted me to, because I couldn’t do it, because I’m a baby. Then, to punish me, daddy would leave me in the cells overnight, with all of the...” her eyes went distant, but Argrave got the image. Her father left her among the recently tortured—enduring their resentment, enduring the sight of their misery. To them, she was the daughter of the man that had tortured them. It would’ve been terrifying for anyone, let alone a small girl.

“My brother was going to be the best knight in the whole world, stronger than daddy, and he was going to make sure we never had to do anything we didn’t want to. But then the red knights came, a-a-and...” she trailed off as her shivering became more and more intense.

Argrave walked back over to Sophia and knelt down, tremendous guilt welling up from within for unearthing such memories. “You don’t have to say anymore, Sophia. I’m sorry,” he told her. “Your brother sounds like an amazing person. I’ll do my best to bring him back, just like Bogart. But you’ve got some things wrong.” He shook his head. “You’re not stupid at all. You’re one of the brightest girls I’ve met. And you’re no baby. You’re brave beyond imagining.”

Sophia started to cry, finally. She seemed to be very self-conscious about making any noise. Argrave tried to reach for a pillow on the couch to offer her, but she fell onto his arm. He hesitated for a moment, but he felt if anyone deserved it, Sophia did. He held the broken girl carefully, even as his mind danced with uncertainty.

While Argrave might scour the city, searching for vague answers about the Heralds from each and every ornery citizen... his endless treks through time not only frightened him, but enticed him. He kept his knowledge, his memories, but returned everything back to normal at the end. That was frightening, yes... but also a tremendous opportunity. What for?

Why, experience.

Argrave could practice what Castro had—shortening the casting time of spells. He could create new permutations of spells using segmentation. He had no new spells to learn, but he could simply make them. But most important of all, Argrave could finally deal with a fatal weakness of his—one that’d reared its head in the fight with Emperor Ji Meng.

Argrave stared at the Good King Norman as he walked out into the training hall, looking around curiously. Finally, the red-eyed man settled his gaze on Argrave.

“My servants told me of a man from the Heralds, come bearing a message,” the king said, walking up. “Yet you seem rather far from their kind. Spill your mind, or face a death unkind.”

Argrave smiled. “Congratulations, Good King Norman. You’ve won the lottery.”

The rhyming king didn’t answer right away—even the insane could grow confused. “What?”

“You’re a shitty father, but a good fighter. So, I’m going to kill two birds with one stone, you see. I’m going to fight you, time and time again, until I can put you down with ease.” His heart swirled with chaotic impulsiveness and sheer, unabashed nervousness as he stared this monstrous king down. “And once you die... well, I’d like to see what happens to this place. Maybe the truth will come out. I’m all out of leads, anyhow.”

Argrave was many things, but a fighter he was not. Castro had proven that. Argrave preferred to ambush and destroy in one fell swoop, but failing that, he was just a tall guy with a little too much magic. Things were moving beyond the point where ambushing would suffice. Even Emperor Ji Meng had nearly killed him hand-to-hand, and this was with divine artifacts and the Domain of Law empowering him to be at his peak. Now, however, he had the time to actually learn things. Who better than a terrifying conqueror with strength and skill enough to kill him many times over?

“My, my,” the king said in wonder as he walked in slowly. “I thought today was to be boring... yet it seems today I’ll be scoring. How very darling. Perhaps you’re worthy of adoring...”

Argrave could take one hit thanks to the Inerrant Cloak, and had long ago strengthened himself with the Domain of Law. He had tested shamanic magic, and it still functioned—he could teleport away. But death, torture—he didn’t care to experience either of those. If he did, perhaps he wouldn’t escape from this loop alive. Or sane.

With Good King Norman as his foe, death seemed a very real possibility. And that gave him incentive to give it his all. For the future, for Sophia, for Anneliese and everyone else he held dear—Argrave had to be more.

“This is long overdue. I’ll be putting you in your place, and making me worthy of mine,” Argrave called out.

“I love you more every second, darling.” King Norman smiled wide, and filled his chest with air.