D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad

Chapter 1988: Chapter 1988 Lasting Hail

— Kat —

“Was that a bit fast?” asked Kat a few moments after the guards had left.

“What do you mean? Which part exactly?” asked Lin.

“The interview?” Kat offered.

Lin shrugged, “Truth be told, most guards aren’t taught proper techniques for it. They get the absolute basics and then move on. Unlike other places where there is a chance that the criminal can simply leave the city, or that nobody will know them… here it is essentially a guarantee that they are identifiable with a description and a name.”

“You didn’t provide a name though,” countered Kat.

“Ah, I DID though. I just gave them yours and they didn’t notice I hadn’t mentioned my own. Still, that’s fine. I’m rather particular about my wardrobe and I’m quite sure that anyone with any seniority in the guard stations will know who I am. In addition to that… well…” Lin gestured at Kat’s wings, tail, and horns. “You stand out quite spectacularly. If they need to know who I am, asking you is something they can easily do.”

“Wait… so what’s the point of having so many guards then?” asked Kat.

“A few things. They primarily focus on crime prevention by just being in the area. On top of that, they do have investigators. It’s just a specialised role. In this case… they likely realised that anyone capable of setting of an explosion like this isn’t something they can handle. So instead they’re working on crowd control and cordoning off the area so those experts can get more out of it.

“Though…” Lin paused to glance around at the ruined park. “It is a bit odd we weren’t asked to leave. Normally they don’t like to have people in the area while the cordon is going up. It’s not illegal until it’s complete but a warning is standard… hmm… we best make our way out regardless but. Hmm…”

“Is this something I should be concerned about?” asked Kat. “The… everything else not the explosion. We can cover that in a bit.”

“Oh? Still interested in spending time with me? How nice of you!” cheered Lin. Kat was getting used to her. It was nothing compared to Sue. Just that Sue was a lot weaker and less subtle. Which perhaps helped brush the comments off as her exaggerating a tonne. Even when that wasn’t the case.

Lin continued, having no regard for Kat’s internal realisations, “As for the investigation angle? You? Not at all. Steel will likely be around to smooth over any issues.”

“You seem… a little displeased with him,” Kat offered.

“Perhaps, but not overly so. He does his job and is rather predictable… until suddenly he isn’t. I might wish he was more bribeable or less easily influenced…” sighed Lin.

Where Kat cut in, “Wait don’t you mean more of both?”

“Not at all. See, the issue with Steel’s strong moral standard and lack of flexibility with the rules, is that he can be poked and prodded into doing certain things. He’s not a fool, he won’t make the same mistake… but just similar ones. Protocol is just about everything to that boy and he allows it to influence him in major ways.

“If he just had a strong moral compass that would be one thing. You can count on those people to do the same thing every time. For Steel, it depends mostly on the rules surrounding the issue and what he considers most important when they start to collide. ’Easily Influenced’ was perhaps the wrong way to put it, because it’s not truly easy… but it is more malleable then I’d like.

“I find I work best with the more standard extremes. There has been one individual even more by the book than Steel it was hilarious running rings around them. They would stop themselves the MOMENT they were about to cross the line. They worked firmly within the bounds of the law and never once crossed any of them. You could do amusing things with that.

“On the other hand, having someone willing to look the other way for a price is nice when you have the money. The correct application of funds is something my family has always been skilled at, and being able to control the guard force makes a LOT of things super easy. Steel doesn’t quite sit in either of these camps. Personally, I blame Ramor for that,” explained Lin.

“I have no idea what Ramor or Steel would say to such a description…” sighed Kat.

Lin shrugged, “That’s the thing. I’m also not sure about Steel though Ramor would laugh. He’s a bit of a bleeding heart. Though Steel has infected him a fair bit over the years as well. Ramor can be remarkably predictable until suddenly he isn’t. For such a bleeding heart, he can be… creative in interpreting the rules into unpredictable outcomes.”

“Alright…” sighed Kat as they exited the park. The street was covered in rubble, and some of the houses had broken windows but nothing looked irreparable. A bit of work and a lot of cleanup and everything would be fine. “What does this explosion mean? For you, for us. For… the city I suppose.”

“It’s going to get bad,” admitted Lin with a sigh. “Two major explosions in two days? That’s not the sort of thing that can go ignored. I’m going to have to do some investigations of my own… but it’s probably going to end in a mini-war. The battle lines will be a mess too. I suspect anyway…”

Lin shook her head. “The main issue is that there was no obvious culprit and unless my people watching the area saw something the guards are going to have to come out in force to ensure this does NOT happen again, not any time soon anyway. The issue with that is they don’t have infinite resources and the force can’t cover the city. How they deal with that fact… I have no idea. What I do know, is that the underbelly of the city is going to want to take advantage of the response.

“I can’t be sure which parts. If it will be the more organised crime looking to confront them with everything else going on, or if it will simply be a wave of annoyed teens wanting to do some petty theft to essentially wave the flag.

Kat nodded with a sigh of her own. “And Steel was trying so hard to prevent this from happening.”

“Perhaps, but while you’ve seen him working hard for the last few days… this is a problem that goes back years. Years he hasn’t been working on it so intently. I will not deny that he’s made a real effort to try and help once it became serious in his eyes… but he’s young. He doesn’t quite realise that it was serious before he was even born,” sighed Lin.

Kat grimaced. She wasn’t sure she agreed, but Lin definitely believed it. The problem was that there was no way to tell just how true it was. For the all the history the city supposedly had this was a brand new construction time set up recently. With their time magic there was probably evidence of different ages to corroborate but how real did that make it?

The other issue of course, was the growing worry of just how much she could change the narrative. Was it even possible to just… stumble into the answer? Were there clues she missed? A lot of what Kat had done was rely on other people to find the answers and wait. It was their job sure, and she wasn’t worried real people would die anymore… but it made her feel like she needed investigation training or something.

*Not that I really WANT that sort of training. It would mean going on Contracts with that as the goal or a requirement and honestly I just don’t want that for me. Puzzling out the culprit with real lives on the line? Much cleaner to just have a target and go after them. If they’re not truly guilty I can worry about that AFTER I catch them. Especially if the manhunt has been called.

Here and now though? I feel like I’m just floating down a river while other people get smashed into rocks. I really should be helping them… but if I can’t see them through the rapids then how am I meant to know they need help? And what did meeting with Lin actually accomplish. The chat was nice I guess, and I don’t regret it… but a park is gone.

Was I the target? Was she? Was the PARK? Lin doesn’t seem to know yet and I have no idea on how I’d find out. I also don’t know how I’m going to feel if Steel tells us to watch the recharge station. AGAIN. Orbs don’t feel like a big worry right now. Though… wait.*

“Lin… would having a big stockpile of orbs help someone make explosive enchantments?” asked Kat.

Lin nodded, “Of course it would. Barring anything else, they’re a solid source of concentrated magic.”

*Well fuck. I don’t like this newfound knowledge can you take it back?*