Lament of the Slave

Chapter 128: Courtyard Walk

"Walk with me, Grey," Imperial Agent Sah spoke to me the moment I stepped out of the training room where I'd spent time with Aspen, trying to get my mana under control.

Honestly, I've learned so much about magic that it will take me a while to wrap my head around it. In contrast to what I came to know about magic, my progress with mana control has been far less impressive. My work with this magical substance dwelling in my body and coursing through my veins has improved. Even Aspen acknowledged that. Only, the improvement wasn't as striking as I thought it would be when I had [Mantle of Magic] among my skills.

I guess I asked for too much, too fast.

At least the way I worked with the skill brought me another level up in it, a small solace.

"S-sure, Agent Sah," I said to the man, whose expression was hard to read and who didn't wait for my answer. Before I knew it, Sah was already several steps ahead in the hallway. One didn't have to be a genius to understand that he wanted me to follow him.

Actually, having him waiting for me in the hallway made my life a bit easier. Sah told me himself that we needed to talk, then the guards at the gate informed me to seek him out after my lesson with Aspen, and so I racked my brains on how to find him. My teacher of magic suggested I find Rayden, or Travis, her assistant, first. According to her, they should know about Sah's whereabouts.

No need for that now.

"So what happened to the trickster woman?" I asked as we walked in silence for what seemed like forever, or at best, long awkward minutes.

"Questioned, filed, processed, will serve three days in jail and go on her way."

What I heard nearly made me stop in the middle of my stride. "Sorry, what?! You're just going to let her go?"

"After she's done her three-day time in jail," the Imperial Agent said, reminding me of this small detail as if it made a difference.

"For the fuck's sake. She stabbed me," I argued, pointing to my stomach, where I had a bleeding stab wound less than two hours ago.

"What are you getting at, Grey? You don't have any permanent damage. In fact, as far as I can tell, you're perfectly fine now. She didn't steal or destroy anything. Three days is a standard sentence if that is her first offense of this nature. Which, in her case, it is."

"She ruined my bath," I muttered, knowing I sounded like a petulant little child.

"I wouldn't mention it if I were you. The place is horrid, Grey," Agent Sah said and paused. "Why didn't Deckard arrange something better for you?"

"He probably would have if I'd asked for it."

"You're really determined to earn everything yourself, aren't you?"

"Is it a bad thing?"

"No! Respectable, if anything. I myself have worked my way up to where I am through my own hard work. No shortcuts."

"Oh, I see?" I uttered, hesitating to say more. "About that....sorry you ended up babysitting me. And thanks for not leaving me in the lurch out there."

"Just doing my job, Grey. I'm not gonna fuck up twice in a row."

That was something I was glad to hear. Despite the fact that I found his constant presence out there in the shadows annoying, I was really relieved that he took his assignment seriously. In a small corner of my mind, I had to admit that it was reassuring, to a degree, given my situation.

"So...you're not pissed?"

"At you, Grey? I've never been."

"Seriously? I would have thought that because of your transfer here and...the babysitting thing, you would, Agent Sah."