Psychokinetic Eyeball Pulling

Chapter 97: An Eavesdropping Attempt

Astrid gazed around the familiar study room. Often, it would give her the chills every-time she entered as it never meant anything good.

Since her father never left the study room, it was here that all of the punishments were meted out.

Stacks of paper were piled endlessly, and only seemed to have increased since the last time she had visited.

Her father wasn’t here yet, so that left only her and Leena in the room. Astrid’s foot tapped on the floor.

“How long is this going to take?” Astrid asked.

“Lord Sinwen is most likely finishing up discussing with the elders, my lady.” Leena stood straight, there was no sign of impatience at all.

“It has only been three minutes by my count, my lady,” she said.

“Yes well, I hate waiting,” Astrid said.

“It looks like your low patience is worsening my lady.” Leena warned.

Astrid smirked. “More than likely, but is that really a bad thing?”

After what felt like an excruciating amount of time, she couldn't wait any longer. Astrid teetered her body and walked forward with the extra momentum. She plopped herself down on her father’s chair.

It was as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. For once in a very long time, she felt unfettered.

“A bad thing, of course,” Leena said as she displayed a hint of worry. “Without patience, how can you prepare for battle? Think about the timing of attacks. Move too hastily and you will be placed into further danger.”

“You know me by now, especially after watching me down in the towns,” Astrid said. “After the event on the first day that I awakened I have always remained cautious. I don’t plan on changing that, but yes, I feel different.”

Astrid smiled to herself before picking a stack of papers that lined the desk.

“Should you be doing that, my lady?” Leena rubbed her hands together as she gazed at the door.

“Should I do this, should I do that,” Astrid continued. “What’s the worst that can happen?”

It was clear that she was loved so she doubted that rifling through a few documents would result in much of a punishment. Astrid could even help with whatever information the papers held, she held a unique perspective after all.

As she read through the texts one by one, it was clear what they were. Scouting reports from the Wayfaring division

Astrid scrunched her brows, the sheer amount of peculiar information displayed was incredibly confusing. It was thousands upon thousands of varying reports about peculiar activities that were currently happening within the small villages and towns.

Monsters were going missing, some were evolving past what they should, adventurers were going missing. Whether they were Wayfarers, or Seafarers.

Each piece of paper held a grade of marks at the top right corner ranking from no importance, to severe threats. She sifted through them until one caught her eye.

Town F-23.

It was the mission Astrid and the others had just come back from and in the top right someone had stamped a mark of extreme importance onto the fine paper.

Picking it up, she sifted through the text and every word or detail she had spoken of was thoroughly detailed. Not a single word, or mimed out action with her illusions were missing. It was the same with the whole debrief and not just her part.

So there are hidden class users within the debriefing hall? Astrid mused.

She hadn’t detected anyone within the room, or even a single sign that they were there. The fact that they had gotten her and Calums words onto paper so fast and distributed them meant that they had powerful hidden information classes around.

The information class users were vital in making sure that HMS Rebirth ran smoothly. Without them Rebirth would have long drifted into uncharted territory, or suffered a catastrophic fate from the innumerable surprise attacks that plagued the Great Oceans.

The outlining of the mission was the same content she had personally experienced, but it continued further than what she had gone through.

The mission report was soulless and lacked the usual human touch that often marked any letters. The class user that had created the report was either highly professional, or a robot void of a personality.

He must be an utter joy at parties. Astrid chuckled to herself as she imagined a man with a stone-like personality brooding in a corner by themselves.

Wait, that sounds like dad… Astrid sharply exhaled and continued on with the report.

It began a detailed accounting of the surrounding town and everything that was happening within it. She ignored the parts about the goblins and wolves until she stopped on a piece of information that made her ponder.

A group of kobolds were causing mayhem within the forests, defeating any and all monsters that they happened across.

It was rare behaviour for Kobolds as they mostly defended their territory and deployed traps to defeat their enemies.

These ones however relied on brute force to defeat any opposition and their combat methods were strangely familiar. Her mind travelled back to when she commenced operation: civil war. Leena had simply just charged at the enemies as she displayed the Sinwen martial-arts, piercing through her enemies with her lance.

She remembered the faces of the kobolds she had… befriended.

There’s no way right? Astrid thought.

As she continued, it seemed that she was correct. She read the only section of text that was underlined.

“Kobolds displayed the fearsome qualities of the Sinwen martial-arts–”

“Wh–how?” Astrid said.

“Anything wrong, my lady?” Leena asked.

She looked to the door before sending a sly glance to the papers in Astrid’s hand.

Astrid ignored her maid’s words as she was absorbed into the reporting papers.

But, the more she thought about it, it started to make sense. With all the crazy events that were happening, somehow it wasn’t that strange that a bunch of kobolds had learned the basic steps of the Sinwen arts just by watching. Although the memory and retention required to learn something at a glance either meant it had gone through a mutation, or it was a genius sword person in the making.

Well, Sword-bold. Astrid smirked at the funny name.

It turns out that the scouting team, or information user had left them alone. It didn’t surprise her. For a town or city to remain, there had to be a natural ecosystem or it would just die out.

The mana from the monsters and the air made sure that minerals continued to grow. Their corpses over time would help the grass to grow. The residual mana would also filter down into the dirt and be absorbed by the plants and fauna. It would then continue further until it crystallised into various metals and ore of varying quality depending on the level of the monster.

Wiping out an entire town meant only one thing. Unsustainability. It was the reason wanton slaughter was restricted by the Wayfaring Corps.

The report also mentioned the kobold leader suddenly going through a metamorphosis–an evolution.

The detailing of events were incredibly vivid and accurate, even to the image of the newly reborn white kobold raising his hand just like she had done to inspire the other kobolds at the time.

No way, do I have my very own troops? Astrid pinched her upturned lips.

It was difficult to get the full image with only text on a page, but everything seemed to add up with her own recollection of events.

If that’s the case… then awesome. Astrid cackled to herself.

Leena recoiled back a step as she shot her master a look of concern.

“Leena, we need our own ship!” Astrid peered up from the paper.

“Ship?” Leena asked.

“Or boat, whatever, no…” Astrid mumbled, then her voice raised. “It needs to be a ship. Go big or go home, is what they say isn’t it?”

“I’m not sure, my lady,” Leena said. “Where will we obtain the funds for the ship?”

Astrid flashed her pearly white teeth and a void opened up within her palm. She turned her hand upside down as a multitude of iridescent pearls clanged onto the table. Tens of sharpened blades that looked like they had been torn off a beast left marks on the solid wood table.

“That,” Astrid continued, “along with the payment from Malisa, it shouldn’t be a problem to equip ourselves for far ocean exploration.”

Astrid rubbed her hands together in anticipation.

“Are we really doing it?” Leena cracked a wild grin.

“There’s that look I love,” Astrid said. “Of course we are. Now we are no longer restricted. We will take our own missions, although it might be hard to convince the others to leave the clutches of father.”

“Astrid, you shouldn’t be looking at those.” A cold voice wafted into the room.

Astrid almost jumped on the spot at the sudden voice of her father. She hadn’t heard a single footstep, or any notice of his arrival.

“I was uh–”

“My lady was checking the quality of the papers, my lord,” Leena innocently said.

“Yes, that’s right. I was just checking the paper!” Astrid exclaimed as she inspected the paper closer and trailed her fingers across the grain of the smooth paper. “It’s quite good, yes.”

“Is that so?” Lord Sinwen smirked. “Maybe I should send thanks to the press maker?”

“Definitely!” Astrid said as she bobbed her head.

Lord Sinwen stepped past Astrid and took his seat. He glanced over the papers, then moved to the objects Astrid still hadn’t taken off the table.

Astrid’s eyes widened and with a swipe of her hand, they were sucked into her storage.

Lord Sinwen’s eyes were like tranquil oceans as they took in the information in front of him. He tapped his finger on the table, then his eyes rested on a small cut that was freshly etched into his table.

His brows twitched and ran his finger along the smooth cut.

Astrid wasn’t sure why, but the room’s temperature suddenly dropped. Sweat formed on her forehead as the expression on her father’s face didn’t change.

“This wasn’t here before, was it?”

“Oh that? I think it was?” Astrid craned her neck and nodded.

“I’m sure it wasn’t, Astrid.”

“Well father,” Astrid continued, “you know what they say about old age.”

“Are you calling me old Astrid?” Lord Sinwen smiled.

“Ah, no of course not,” Astrid said as she vehemently shook her head. “Just your memory might not be as sharp as it used to be, father.”

“That’s Lord Sinwen to you.” Lord Sinwen reminded.

“Yes, Lord Sinwen.” Astrid bowed her head as she hid the grin on her face.

“Do you want to tell me about your mission within the gateway?”

“But–”

“The real accounting of the mission, that is,” Lord Sinwen said.

“Was it that obvious?” Astrid asked.

Lord Sinwen shook his head. “Your story held too many holes, but I doubt you cared very much.”

“I just wanted to hide the details that one shouldn’t share,” Astrid admitted. “About my cl–”

Lord Sinwen’s expression turned savage.

Astrid had never seen her father with such a face, it sent a shockwave down her spine as his primal strength surged forward. It was akin to a ravaging storm that would leave nothing alive in its destructive wake.

Lord Sinwen clicked his fingers, and the air around them halted. There was a picture of white, then the buzzing of static electricity that penetrated deep into her bones, then a catastrophic explosion obliterated the wall to the study room.

Lord Sinwen ignored the destruction within the room. The papers were littered all over the floor, and dust from the smashed wall wafted inward. Yet he closed his eyes and listened.

“An eavesdropping high level assassin,” Lord Sinwen said, then cracked his knuckles. They sounded like crackling lightning as they popped. “It seems I have stayed my hand for too long on this metal ship. It's time for a shake up.”

Astrid absent mindedly nodded her head.

What the hell just happened?