[Current Balance: 11,888,530,000 R]
---Pennsbury Manor, 1 PM---
Hours had passed since the Kenway contingent and their allies had arrived at Pennsbury Manor. The initial flurry of activity had subsided as everyone began to settle into their temporary accommodations.
Lunch, a simple but hearty affair prepared by the combined efforts of the manor's staff and some of the Kenway cooks, had been served in the large dining hall. Alaric had taken the opportunity during the meal to formally introduce Kassandra to Elizabeth Scott and Aveline, the three women exchanging polite, if somewhat curious, greetings.
Now, with the remnants of the midday meal cleared away, a core group had gathered in William Penn's spacious office.
The room was lined with bookshelves filled with leather-bound volumes, a large mahogany desk dominating one end, and several comfortable, if slightly worn, upholstered sofas and chairs arranged around a low table.
Alaric sat on one of the sofas, Kassandra beside him, her hand resting lightly on his arm.
William Penn occupied his usual chair behind the desk, though he seemed more relaxed than Alaric had seen him in weeks.
Elizabeth Scott and Aveline sat together on an adjacent sofa, their expressions still holding a trace of the worry Alaric had sensed earlier.
Reuben and Thulani had found seats on sturdy wooden chairs brought in from the hall, while Flavia sat close to Reuben. Bernard and Leonard Kenway, along with their wives Eleanor and Linette, completed the somber gathering.
"Let me get this straight," Alaric began, massaging his temples lightly as if trying to ward off a headache. "Caroline… my cousin Caroline… went to Japan? As in, the actual country, Japan? Land of samurai and shoguns?"
"Yes..." Aveline nodded, her fingers twisting nervously in her lap. Her voice was quiet, laced with anxiety. "I don't know what's gotten into her, Alaric. She was the one who convinced Mother and me that migrating here to Pennsylvania was the best course of action after… after everything in Bristol. Then, just a few months after we settled here, she became… obsessed. Utterly obsessed with this distant land called Japan. She read every book, every translated scroll Mr. Penn could find for her. Talked of nothing else."
"..."
A heavy silence filled the room. Everyone exchanged bewildered glances. Japan? It was a land shrouded in mystery, almost mythical to most Europeans of this era, a closed-off nation on the other side of the world.
What could have possibly possessed Caroline Kenway to undertake such an improbable, dangerous journey?
Suddenly, Kassandra's eyes, which had been thoughtfully observing Aveline, lost focus for a brief second, widening almost imperceptibly. She then turned her head sharply towards Alaric. He caught the movement, raising an eyebrow in silent question. He knew that look… Aletheia was communicating with her.
Kassandra scanned the room quickly, her gaze lingering on each person for a fraction of a second, before leaning closer to Alaric and whispering something urgently in his ear, her voice too low for anyone else to catch.
Alaric listened, his own eyes widening slightly as she spoke. He straightened his back, his expression turning serious, and his gaze swept across the room, meeting the curious and worried eyes of everyone present. He looked at Penn, then cleared his throat.
Before he could say anything, however, he tilted his head slightly, his attention suddenly fixed on the closed office door.
Everyone else looked at the door, puzzled by his sudden shift in focus. A moment later…
Knock. Knock.
Gasps and widened eyes went around the room, excluding Kassandra, Reuben, Thulani, and Flavia, who were perhaps becoming more accustomed to Alaric's uncanny abilities. The timing was too perfect… his anticipation was also too precise. It was another display of his almost inhuman senses.
"Master Penn, Sires and Madams..." A familiar voice called from the other side of the door. The old butler, Sebastian, the same one who had greeted the Kenway family at Penn's Bristol estate sixteen years prior, opened the door slowly. His hair was mostly white now, with only a few faint streaks of its original blond, but his posture was still upright, and his demeanor was impeccably professional. "I brewed you some tea..."
Sebastian smiled warmly as he entered, carefully maneuvering a laden service trolley into the office. The trolley held a silver teapot, fine china cups, and the distinct, fragrant aroma of Celestial Tea… a blend Penn had clearly stocked in his manor long ago, a cherished gift from Alaric.
"It's been a while... Sebastian," Alaric smiled, his earlier tension easing slightly at the sight of the familiar, loyal servant. "Two years, has it?"
"Indeed, Sire Alaric," Sebastian replied, his own smile genuine as he began to expertly arrange the tea service on the low table. "It is a pleasure to see you again, looking so well."
'I should buff and train this guy...' Alaric smiled and nodded, watching the old butler, as a familiar consideration surfaced. 'Reverse his age, give Penn some protection. He doesn't seem to have any family, no wife, no kids, not even distant relatives I can sense… he's basically living for Penn. He deserves a bit more than just a quiet retirement.'
As Sebastian finished placing the last teacup and saucer, he gave a slight, respectful bow. "Will there be anything else, Master Penn, Sires?"
Just as he turned towards the door, Jonathan Hugh appeared in the doorway, also about to enter. Jonathan's eyes widened slightly in surprise at seeing the older butler, then a polite smile touched his lips as he gave a subtle nod of acknowledgement.
"Ah... Sebastian," Jonathan said. "Allow me."
"Master Jonathan," Sebastian smiled back. "Shall I also get you a cup of tea?"
"No, thank you, Sebastian. I am quite alright," Jonathan replied courteously. 'I'm a butler like you…'
"Well then..." Sebastian nodded again, then quietly exited the room, closing the door behind him as Jonathan stepped fully inside, taking up a discreet position near the wall.
Everyone reached for a cup of the steaming tea, the familiar, calming ritual a welcome respite from the troubling conversation. As they sipped, their gazes inevitably returned to Alaric, waiting for him to continue.
Seeing that he had everyone's attention, Alaric casually flicked his fingers. An invisible barrier of Fuinjutsu shimmered into existence for a fraction of a second around the office, sealing it off from any outside listeners. No sound would escape this room now.
"Aveline, Elizabeth," Alaric began, his voice calm again as he took a sip of his tea. "You said Caroline became obsessed with Japan. Before that, did she ever come across a… a weird object? Something she might have found, something out of place? An object you've never seen before?"
Aveline and Elizabeth exchanged a look, then both nodded slowly. It was Elizabeth who answered, her voice tinged with a lingering unease. "Indeed, Alaric… now that you mention it. Shortly before her fascination with Japan began, she… she found something. A sphere of some kind. It was dark, metallic, cool to the touch, but it seemed to… hum, very faintly. It definitely seemed out of place, not of any craftsmanship we recognized."
Both Alaric and Kassandra exchanged a quick, almost imperceptible glance from the corners of their eyes. They didn't need to speak; the silent confirmation passed between them.
Alaric then asked, his gaze sharpening, "And where do you think she got this... sphere?"
Aveline took a sip of her tea, her brow furrowed in thought. "I… I believe she found it during one of her visits to the… the Indians," she said hesitantly. "She came back from one of those trips, and she had the sphere with her. She was very secretive about it at first."
Alaric and Penn eyed each other at the mention of "Indians." Penn leaned forward slightly.
"The Indians… you mean the native tribes, Aveline? The Lenape, or perhaps the Susquehannock? Caroline went into their territories? Why?" His tone was one of surprise and concern; relations with the local tribes were generally peaceful, thanks to his own efforts, but venturing into their lands alone was unusual.
"Iroquois… that was the name she mentioned once," Aveline replied, taking another sip of tea, her gaze distant. "She said she wanted to learn more about their culture, their ways. She took several boxes of the Celestial Tea, the ones you gifted her, Alaric, and said she was going to trade them for knowledge, for the chance to live amongst them for a short while and understand their connection to the land."
Aveline sighed, a look of helplessness crossing her face. "We tried to dissuade her, but she was… adamant. And when she returned from that particular visit, that's when she had the sphere. And soon after, the talk of Japan began."
Aveline trailed off, clearly not knowing what more to say. The room was quiet again, everyone contemplating this new, strange piece of the puzzle. It was Leonard Kenway, Alaric's usually quiet father, who broke the silence, his voice surprisingly firm.
"'Laric, son…" he said, looking directly at Alaric. "This sphere… it seems you have some knowledge about it."
The directness of the question, coming from the usually reserved Leonard, surprised everyone. Bernard even let out a low whistle. "Damn, Leo… didn't expect that from ya, twig."
His comment, though perhaps ill-timed, made everyone chuckle, even Aveline managed a weak smile. The gloomy tension in the room lightened considerably. Bernard grinned, then quickly adopted a more serious expression as Linette shot him a playful glare, though her eyes were smiling.
Alaric was actually thankful for the interruption. It gave him a moment to gather his thoughts.
"Yes, Father, I do," Alaric finally replied, setting his teacup down. His gaze swept across the expectant faces in the room. "That sphere… it's an artifact. An ancient and powerful one. It's called an Apple of Eden."
The name clearly meant something to Kassandra, whose eyes sharpened with recognition. Matteo and Flavia also exchanged knowing, concerned glances. For the others… the Kenways, Penn, Reuben, Thulani, Elizabeth, and Aveline… the name was new, but the gravity in Alaric's voice was unmistakable.
"An Apple of Eden," Alaric continued, his voice low and serious, "has the ability to do things that defy reality, to bend the laws of humankind as we know them. It can create illusions so real they can deceive armies, control minds, even alter perceptions on a vast scale."
A collective gasp went through the room from those unfamiliar with such artifacts. Eleanor's eyes widened in alarm. "Gods preserve us! Such a thing exists?"
Alaric looked at his mother for a second before shaking his head. "Not Gods, Mother. But ancient beings of immense power, yes."
Thulani, ever the pragmatist, leaned forward, his brow furrowed. "You mentioned 'one of'... you mean there are many more of these artifacts?"
Alaric turned his head to Thulani and a faint smile touched his lips. "Yes, Thulani. Many more. Excalibur, the greatsword I gifted you..." He then turned his head towards Reuben, "...and the Sword of Dikastes that you wield, Reuben, are both artifacts of that same ancient civilization."
Reuben and Thulani exchanged wide-eyed looks. Thulani touched the hilt of Excalibur, which was never far from his side, a new understanding dawning in his eyes. 'So the sword's name is Excalibur... the mythical sword that King Arthur once wielded. And it's… an artifact?'
"Before you guys ask me about anything else," Alaric stated, cutting off the inevitable flood of questions, "I got all this information from my travels after I left Monteriggioni." He let that sink in for a moment.
Silence descended again, thicker this time, as everyone tried to process the sheer scale of what Alaric was implying. Ancient civilizations, reality-bending artifacts, mythical swords… it was a lot to take in.
Linette was the first to break the silence, her voice trembling slightly. "This… Apple of Eden… that Caroline has. What does it do specifically, Alaric? If it can control minds…"
Alaric looked at Kassandra, a silent question in his eyes. She understood and took over the explanation, her voice calm and steady, drawing on millennia of experience and Aletheia's knowledge.
"The Apples are tools of immense power, yes," Kassandra began, her gaze sweeping over the room. "They can project illusions, as Alaric said, on a grand scale. They can influence thoughts, sway loyalties, even incite or quell conflict. Some are said to hold vast repositories of knowledge." She paused, her expression turning grim. "But they are also incredibly dangerous. Their power is seductive. Prolonged exposure, attempting to wield them without the proper training or strength of will… it puts an immense mental strain on the user. It can corrupt, twist the mind, lead to paranoia, madness… to the point of no return. Many who have sought to control them have ultimately been controlled by them."
Another wave of shock rippled through the room. The implications were terrifying. Caroline, young, perhaps naive, in possession of such a dangerous artifact…
Bernard Kenway shot to his feet, his face flushed with anger and fear. "Then we better find Caroline, immediately!" he shouted, his voice cracking. "Before that… that thing… destroys her!"
"And that's where I ask..." Alaric turned his head, his gaze settling on Aveline and Elizabeth, his voice calm but insistent. "Did Caroline tell any of you where she might be headed? Before or after Japan? Any specific locations, any names, any clues at all?"
"..." Aveline and Elizabeth looked at each other, their faces pale. The weight of Kassandra's words, the danger Caroline was in, seemed to finally crash down on them. Elizabeth, after a moment of stunned silence, mustered herself to reply, her voice choked with emotion.
"...She… she mentioned that she was going to visit an archipelago named 'Las Islas Filipinas'," Elizabeth said, her words tumbling out. "Then Japan… then something like… 'Joeson'? And after that… she spoke of traveling throughout the continents, from east to west… to 'collect' something. She never said what."
And boom. That revelation hit the room like a physical blow. Caroline? Traveling throughout the continents? Alone? With a dangerous, mind-altering artifact?
'Damn... she's got a lot in her itinerary,' Alaric thought, taking a slow sip of his tea to mask his own shock. 'Philippines, Japan, South and North Korea... then throughout continents? So like Asia, Europe, then Africa? What in the blazes is she collecting?'
"When... when did she leave?" Alaric finally asked, his voice weaker than he intended, as he rubbed his temples.
"S-Six months ago," Elizabeth whispered, the words barely audible. Tears began to stream down her face, and she couldn't hold back her sobs any longer. "W-What's going to happen to her, Alaric? I don't know if she's safe... I only have two daughters… and Jenny… Jenny needs her mother…"
'Six months...' Alaric calculated quickly. 'Assuming she traveled from New Spain, or even directly from here… Caroline would've been in the Philippines two to three months ago, maybe more. And now… Japan? Or already moved on to Korea?'
He looked at his distraught aunt, then at the worried faces around him.
"Damn..."
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