Nero Walker, Book 3 Ch.61 (176) (Patreon)

Mage-adept Newbanks was shocked when Arch-mage Jennings suddenly ended their meeting by shouting, “What the hell is that insufferable woman doing?!?” only to then teleport away and leave her with nothing but questions.

Hurriedly taking a seat in one of the guest chairs and closing her eyes, she reached out to the personal connection she’d set up through the Tower of Magic and sent out a scrying probe to chase after the man so she could determine what was happening.

The connection was quickly established, and she watched as the arch-mage argued with Lord Walker’s proxy, Vera Salvatore-Verena. Frowning in confusion, she couldn’t understand what they were talking about. Was Lady Verena betraying Lord Walker somehow? Did the arch-mage uncover a plot of some kind?

Her concentration to the scry-link nearly shattered when she heard Arch-mage Mathers’ frustrated voice ask, “Well? Where did he go, adept?”

Splitting her mind to maintain the connection, she opened her eyes to see the scry-link through the communication relay still displaying the hovering image of Arch-mage Mathers in the middle of the room. She’d forgotten for a moment that it was his call that had prompted Arch-mage Jennings to close his eyes for a few seconds before running off.

Standing up out of her chair to address the arch-mage, she said, “It seems he’s gone to the Verena estate. From what I can tell, he’s unhappy with something Lady Verena was saying, or planning, but I’m not sure exactly what.”

Arch-mage Mathers, who was much more familiar with Jennings’ capabilities, replied, “He most likely reviewed the memory partition he’d created to monitor his scry-link with Lord Walker. I can only assume that he found himself disagreeing with something Lady Verena was doing.”

Rubbing his chin in thought, he went on to say, “Most likely she was recommending Lord Walker to head to Hennings to register for classes at the Center-point Academy. That would explain why I’m getting all these transfer requests. Honestly, what the hell is he doing out there? We agreed to let him go to Dorchester so that he could watch over the young man, and at every turn he’s been out-maneuvered and out-played by the locals. How in the infinite hells is that possible? Seriously, this isn’t a rhetorical question, what is going on over there?”

While he was thinking out loud, his tone was getting angrier by the second.

Mage-adept Newbanks was having difficulty trying to maintain her connection to the scry while also paying attention to both of the conversations she was hearing; the one she was having with Arch-mage Mathers, and the one currently happening at the Verena estate.

But, before she could formulate a politically sound reply to Arch-mage Mathers’ questions, she dropped her jaw in shock at hearing Arch-mage Jennings loudly invoke the military secrecy accords before shattering her connection to her scry. The backlash from the connection rebounding was enough to visibly stagger her.

At the same time, Arch-mage Mathers felt the age-old connection he’d shared with Arch-mage Jennings break. Raising his eyebrows in surprise, he muttered, “What just happened?”

Before he could check the automated records which were stored as a contingency protocol within the Hennings Tower of Magic, Mage-adept Newbanks answered his question.

Her tone was one of disbelief as she gasped out, “The arch-mage… he invoked the military secrecy accords then sealed the room. He… He… He isolated the entire space, severing every connection to anyone in the room.”

Arch-mage Mathers’ brow furrowed, and he angrily demanded, “He did what!?! Is he insane? What exactly were they talking about before the scy cut off?”

Mage-adept Newbanks paled at what she recalled hearing just before the scry-link cut off. Although she knew the truth would eventually come out, as there were most likely numerous parties watching the conversation happening, she did NOT want to be the one to utter the logical accusation of what was probably being discussed under the guise of military secrecy.

Gulping, she straightened her shoulders and said, “I’m sorry Arch-mage Mathers. For the time being, I’m under Arch-mage Jennings’ authority. Therefore, I’m unable to answer your question at this time.”

Raising his eyebrows in surprise, Arch-mage Mathers reeled back a little in shock. His mind raced through the various possibilities, trying to conceive of a likely scenario that matched the facts he had on hand.

Coming up with nothing, he sighed and muttered, “Whatever the hell is going on with that old bastard is for sure going to end up costing me hours of paperwork… I just know it.” He then abruptly closed the scry-link and vanished from the room, apparently done with this conversation.

—--

After he’d exiled Nick and Quincy from Vera’s office, the rate at which he and Vera were able to get through the backlog of pings increased dramatically. And without Quincy and Nick distracting him, Nero actually began listening to Vera’s explanations about what he was reading.

Unsurprisingly, the backlog of pings went back to when he’d initially been raised to nobility. It was kind of nice for Nero to go through an in-depth review of everything that had happened to him from a different perspective.

It was interesting to hear Vera’s interpretation of the reasons behind him receiving that initial invitation to the keep. He remembered at the time thinking that it was nothing more than the city-lord wanting to take his measure. But, according to Vera, it was also the city-lord getting it on record that she was personally supporting the new noble raised in her city, and a gesture of respect to the royal backing Nero’s new title granted him.

There were of course a lot of pings that were now completely pointless. But even those proved educational for Nero. Vera explained how the lesson plan Nick and his team designed mirrored the one used in the preparatory schools for magic academies. And how citizens could sign up as auxiliary soldiers to receive specialized training and take classes at their local command center. Then there was the explanation of his opening bank statements, his house creation paperwork, proxy authorizations, and numerous other incidentals.

Nero paused their review and asked her, “Vera, If you were capable of explaining things this easily, then why have you let me flounder around like an idiot for the past couple of months?”

Vera looked down disapprovingly at Nero who was sitting in her office chair. “Do you honestly believe these brief overviews have taught you anything of value? Each of these pings was an opportunity for a larger lesson that you’ve not only missed but still don’t seem to grasp the importance of. Here, take this one for example,” she said, pointing at the hovering screen on the desk.

“This ping was from when I leveraged your assets to bet in the arena. You can see the itemized list of what you’d received, and what you were still owed, along with an estimation of what you’d receive from the auction of House Dorchen’s property. If you read closely, you’ll be able to see reference numbers for the public filings that you could use to track what came from where. You can also see that there are references to the arena’s rules and regulations. While that is a simple overview, if you really wanted to learn from this, you’d have to research each of these topics to understand how I was able to get them to accept the leveraged assets for the loan which I then used to place your bet. An overview is just that, an ‘over view’. It tells you nothing more than a broad description of what something ‘is’. To actually learn something, you need to go much further than simply understanding the definition. You need to understand the ‘why’ and ‘how’ behind the ‘what’,” she said, sounding like a grade-school teacher harshly criticizing a disappointing student.

Nero, however, wasn’t impressed. As far as he was concerned, a brief wikipedia entry was more than enough for him to understand something. He didn’t have time for an in-depth analysis of every single topic he’d come across since he’d arrived here. Otherwise, he’d never have left the front gates, and he’d still be listening to someone explaining how Dorchester’s walls were raised through the application of enchanting, engineering, and other such pointless crap.

Just thinking about it, he could image Nick standing next to him at the wall, pointing at a giant stone and saying, “Each of these has been through the ‘blah blah blah’ construction process, which was invented by the brilliant researcher ‘whoever’ from the great city of ‘wherever’. Keep in mind, none of this would be possible if it weren’t for the ‘who-gives-a-shit’ provided by the kingdom.”

Nero looked up at Vera and shrugged. “I get it. You and Nick have the same problem. You’re too old and too smart. When it comes down to it, you simply know too much. When I ask you what something is, I don’t need to know everything you do about whatever it is I’m curious about. Think about it. Everything is connected, and if you pick any singular topic, it will eventually lead to everything else. So, in the future, just stick to the basics. Otherwise, I’ll never learn anything,” he said.

Vera frowned and asked, “What do you mean ‘everything is connected’?”

Nero looked at her in confusion. “Come on, seriously?” he asked, then pointed at the cup of pens on the desk. “If I ask you what that is, all I need to hear is that it is a cup full of pens. I don’t need to know the material the cup is made out of or the cultural history associated with pens. Nick would waste hours explaining how the pens were made, their manufacturing process, and the technological history of the various types of pens, all of which led to the modern pen that is currently resting in that cup. You on the other hand would probably waste an hour explaining why pens are still even a thing despite everyone having access to the Though-hub and these screens, along with being able to simply write stuff with your mind. Everyone I’ve met wastes too much time telling me crap I don’t care about, and ignoring the initial question which prompted your completely pointless lectures. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of what you guys say is really interesting, and someday I’d love to hear about it. But, right now, I just don’t have the time to care.”

Vera frowned in thought. She had to admit that Nero did have a point. On more than one occasion she’d heard him ask a question, and knowing about his limited understanding of the world, she’d gone into detail about whatever topic he’d asked about with the hope of helping him understand their society. Perhaps it was a little excessive.

Nero could practically feel the wheels turning in her head, and he added, “Now don’t get me wrong. I appreciate you and Nick wanting to implant your decades of knowledge into my brain as fast as possible. I’m just saying that I don’t have a month to learn all about one isolated subject before another one ends up biting me in the ass. When I ask what I need to do to become a unique, I don’t have time for a lecture on how the filing system works through the Tower of Law or any other nonsense I can’t even image right now. I just need someone to get me the files I have to sign and make sure I don’t do something stupid while I’m filling them out. Why do you think I put you in charge of stuff? Aside from the essential fact that I trust you, it’s also because I don’t understand any of this legal crap, and I don’t have the time or inclination to learn anything about it.”

Vera sighed. She couldn’t help but feel a little sad for the young man she’d taken under her wing. He really hadn’t had the time to figure anything out. One crisis after another had assaulted him from the moment he’d entered and taken refuge behind Dorchester’s walls. For her, the pace has been blistering, and she couldn’t imagine how he must have been feeling. But at least now she now had a better understanding of how Nero must have been feeling all this time.

Nodding in commiseration, Vera said, “I understand Nero. You never wanted lessons, you simply wanted answers.”

His eyes wide, and his smile bright, he looked up at her with appreciation and replied, “That is a really good way to put it. Thanks Vera.”

Turning back to the screens, she said, “All right, let’s start getting through these.”

Their speed at dealing with the pings became even faster, and Vera refrained from going into detail for the most part, much to Nero’s relief.

They blitzed through the numerous updates for the businesses. Including the creation of their Trading houses, mercenary corps, and manufacturing centers. Nero didn’t even bother to read most of what he was signing, as he quickly grew to trust that Vera would have chosen the best option without his input. He didn’t bother to waste time listening to ‘why’ she did something in whatever way she did it, he just signed and smiled like a good little absentee boss.

Everything was going exceedingly well until they came to a ping which stopped Nero dead in his tracks.

“What the hell is this?” he asked.

Vera replied, “Well, normally this would have been sent to House Walker’s Thought-hub account. But it seems when people heard that you’d become a unique, and were no longer part of the local nobility system, they decided to contact you directly. It’s pretty shameless, as you haven’t technically been inducted into your new citizen level, but I can see why they’d try to get to you before that happens. Regardless, just send me a copy and then ignore it. I’ll put it with the other ones I’ve received for House Walker.”

Nero frowned, simultaneously confused and a little angry. “You mean there have been others? How many ‘courtship’ requests have I received?”

Vera shrugged as if it didn’t matter. “Probably around 30 or 40. I just set them aside as you’ve been clear about your intentions to stay unmarried for the time being. As you’ve been busy, I’ve also politely rejected any party and dinner invitations you’ve received as the head of House Walker.”

Collapsing into the back of the chair in shock, Nero asked, “Are these people crazy? I haven’t even completed my noble trials. I’ve been here like what, a little over two months? What the hell, Vera?”

Smiling as if she was enjoying seeing Nero so off balance, she replied, “Nero. You have to understand. One of the noble trials is the trial of legacy. You needed an heir and a family as the head of House Walker. Many nobles would be delighted to have a daughter or son paired off with a new noble who is both rich and under the protection of the royals. And now that you’re a unique, someone has to take over control of your interests in Dorchester. If you wed quickly, your wife could immediately take over House Walker and manage your interests here.”

Nero was stunned. ‘These power-hungry, money-grubbing, sons-of-bitches. I’m not sure whether or not to be excited, insulted, or depressed about this particular flavor of local insanity,’ he thought to himself.

Zeroing in on something she’d said, he asked, “Wait, you said House Walker has a separate Thought-hub account? How does that work? And do I have to go through that one too?”

Vera chuckled and replied, “Every house has an account which is usually handled by a management department. I’ve been covering yours by borrowing some administrators from Precision Shipping. Anything important I’ve already forwarded to you. Where do you think all of these pings came from? If you look at the ping’s history, you’ll be able to see everyone who’s looked at it before it was sent to you.”

Nero leaned forward to look at the screen.

He really did like these desks. It was a novel way to interact with the link. Instead of seeing it in your head, you were able to manipulate the displays as if you were the computer, and the interactive holograms were the monitors while your mind served as both the mouse and keyboard. It was intuitive to the point of hilarity. All he had to do was reach out, and the desk took over. It was brilliant.

After briefly studying the ping, he found the section covering the ping's history. With just a thought he was able to open another screen which displayed the trail the ping went through before it ended up in his account. He couldn’t believe how many people had contributed and seen this seemingly stupid ping about some party he’d already missed. And this one had been sent to his account directly. He couldn’t imagine how many people it would have gone through had it been sent to House Walker’s account first.

Nero looked up at Vera and asked, “Why would they arrange a party for me when I wasn’t even in the city? And how did they know about my change in status? Wait! The better question is how is all of this getting done so quickly? I mean, how quickly do people typically deal with their pings?”

Shrugging, Vera replied, “Well, once you get used to it, it’s pretty simple to open, read, interpret, then send off a reply. Even while we’ve been talking, I’ve probably dealt with around several hundred pings myself over the past few hours.”

Nero’s eyes widened in shock. “You’ve been splitting your mind to deal with pings this entire time?”

Vera looked at Nero with some derision. “Of course I have. You think you’re the only responsibility I’m dealing with at the moment?”

Nero shook his head quickly, and replied, “No, that’s not what I meant. I was just surprised to hear that you’re that good at splitting your mind. I’ve tried doing it, and I suck at it. I don’t know how many times I’ve found myself acting like an idiot by over-drawing on my brain by trying to concentrate on too many things.”

Vera’s expression softened as she heard his explanation. “Well, as your skills in ‘thought management’, ‘logical processing’, and the other mental skills increase in level, it will become easier. It just takes practice. Though, don’t get your hopes up. Everyone has a different limit to what their brain can handle, along with whatever their talents lean toward.”

Nero hadn’t heard much about skills, as he’d actively avoided dealing with that aspect of his identity. As far as he was concerned, his skills would level on their own. But he hadn’t heard anything about ‘limits’ or ‘talents’ before.

“Are you saying that not everyone has the same potential to level their skills?” he asked.

Vera nodded, and replied, “That’s exactly what I’m saying. Everyone has things they’re good at. I’m particularly good at handling information and processing data. But, I’m also rubbish at scrying. It’s not something I’m particularly happy about, so I’d appreciate you not mentioning it. However, I don’t mind using myself as an example. You see, I’m very good at receiving, understanding, and handling information. However, it is all internal. I’m not good at sending out my thoughts and following essence flows, which is an essential part of scrying and long-distance information gathering. No one is good at everything. Remember that Nero.”

Nero nodded, accepting that this world had a lot more in common with his last world than he’d liked to admit. ‘No matter who you are, you’re bound to suck at something,’ he thought to himself sagely.