- Knock, knock...
A rhythmic sound of knocking reverberated around a room as its door was knocked on.
"Come in." A voice responded, neither demanding nor authoritative — but a rather neutral tone.
Receiving permission, the door of the room opened, and the figure of Madam Z walked in, her expression as calm as ever with a tinge of wiseness in her eyes hidden behind her glasses.
Seeing who it was, the person who let her in spoke once more, a small smile present on her face. "What brings you here today, Z?"
"What's the point of a question if you already know the answer?" Madam Z nudged her glasses as she spoke casually with the person. "You should know why I'm here again, Constantine."
Constantine, the current vice president of St. Pavlov Foundation, sat behind her desk while idly playing with a chess piece she had picked up, a self-assured smirk playing on her face.
She had fair skin and sharp, delicate facial features, with narrow, pale green eyes that give off a calm, calculating expression. In addition, she had short, platinum-blonde hair that was neatly styled with a soft wave, giving her a refined demeanor.
She wore a dark, intricately patterned sleeveless vest adorned with a golden emblem of the Foundation at the waist. Beneath the vest, she sported a crisp white shirt with voluminous sleeves, cuffed at the wrists with gold accessories, and a high collar that curved quite dramatically.
Lastly, she also wore a pair of tailored white trousers with a high waist and sleek fit, tucked into polished white boots secured with gold-buckled straps.
Her appearance screamed authority, to say the least. If not, then the monochromatic color scheme of her clothes would surely point to her particular chess hobby, which indicates her intellect.
Indeed, coupled with the chess piece she was holding, she gave off an intellectual who has a grasp on every variable — an intimidating, logical, and pragmatic manipulator.
"..." Constantine scoffed lightly before putting down the piece she was holding onto the board on her desk. Then, she spoke slowly. "You're here to inquire about the Timekeeper team, aren't you?"
"You should already know that they all won't join the Foundation without Vertin's advice." Madam Z tucked her arms into her coat as she spoke. "But I know you won't give up. What are you gonna do?"
"Hehe, who is the superior here, Z? You speak as if you're sure I'll give you all the answers." Constantine, contrary to her words, didn't display any negative emotions and maintained her smile. "You don't need to be concerned with my methods."
In other words, she wasn't gonna say anything.
"..." Madam Z remained composed and didn't react to her response, as if she already anticipated it.
Constantine, meanwhile, continued speaking, her eyes locking in Madam Z as if looking right through her. "I heard an interesting thing the other day... Do you perhaps know anything about it?"
"A delegate from the House of Integratus would be arriving soon, and it's Delegate Mark." She continued. "The same person who had once proposed that rather brazen draft in the past but was unfortunately not passed."
"Now I wonder... Why is that person back here again?"
At this point, Madam Z knew what Constantine was hinting at. She had already seen through her and what she was planning, and was dropping warnings.
However, Madam Z had already made her decision. The moment she had taken Vertin's plight into consideration and decided to help her, she knew that a conflict between her and Constantine was inevitable.
As such, she was unwilling to be put down by those warnings.
"Perhaps he's attempting to test his luck again. After all, his draft is still available for screening and review by the Pax Security Council." Madam Z retorted calmly and slowly.
The draft that Mark had proposed to the Foundation in the past was about letting the arcanists within the Foundation have more autonomy that could potentially bolster the Foundation's power.
Of course that draft was turned down in the past since it was deemed too risky. But with Madam Z's proposal for a change in the paper, they came up with a new clause — to put Vertin as the figurehead of the group of arcanists. Naturally, if that were to happen, then Vertin would receive a more respectable status within the Foundation.
If such a draft were to be passed and implemented, then the war between the two factions within the Foundation would temporarily cease — this was what Madam Z would use to help Vertin's team.
Constantine's self-assured smile widened slightly. "That's only if it gets through a democratic and legislative process."
"...That's right." Madam Z nodded lightly. What she had pointed out would most likely be the most difficult part of this whole operation.
Bureaucratic processes.
"If you already know, then let's end this conversation here." Constantine gestured for her to leave. "Let's continue this in the next committee meeting, shall we?"
"Okay." Madam Z didn't object, as she also noticed that their talk was going nowhere. "I'll be leaving now."
Seeing how Constantine was not gonna reply, Madam Z turned around and walked towards the door and left.
Constantine, meanwhile, gazed at the door of her office before looking down in her chessboard.
Then, a smirk formed on her lips.
"The game has begun."
---
"Mr. Isaac, do you know what will happen to Ms. Vertin now?"
Back in the suitcase, Sotheby, who was sitting in the lobby together with Isaac, asked a question.
Isaac, brewing tea for her, took his time to slowly answer. "She will get proper treatment for her problem, don't worry."
"But when will she come back?" She further inquired. "I still have many things I wanted to talk about with her."
"I'm sorry, Ms. Sotheby, but I fear that even I don't know the answer for that." He smiled wryly. He then stood up and walked over to her, carrying with him a warm cup of chamomile tea. "But trust me when I say that when she comes back, everything will be fine."
Accepting the tea from him, Sotheby, like a proper young lady, cradled it while letting it cool off, before taking small sips from time to time. Since it was chamomile, it held a sweet taste, suiting the young lady's tastes quite well.
Isaac, meanwhile, sat down on the sofa not far from her and gently cradled his tea near his nose, smelling its fragrance. Unlike her tea, the one he had possessed a more smoky and fragrant smell.
The soft sound of the light drizzling rain outside, coupled with the serene atmosphere they currently had, calmed down Isaac's senses, enabling him to unclog his troubled min for a bit.
"Ms. Sotheby..." While they were both enjoying their teas, Isaac suddenly stopped sipping and turned to the young lady. "May I ask a favor?"
"Hm? What is it?" Placing down her teacup, she looked back at Isaac, sensing the gravitas in his voice.
He lingered for a while before replying. "...if we were to suddenly be separated, can you promise that, even without us, you can stay optimistic?"
"Separated? What do you mean by that, Mr. Isaac?" Unaware of the situation they were currently in, Sotheby asked a question befitting her young age.
"I'm going to be honest with you, Ms. Sotheby. We're currently facing a problem... You don't need to trouble yourself with the specifics, but just know that it will affect all of us." He explained. "But no matter what happens, can you promise that you'd never lose that joy in your eyes?"
"I don't know what you mean... But I'll try my best!" Sotheby nodded, her expression bordering between confusion and determination. "Well, if you want, I can even come up with a potion that can preserve that particular aspect in my eyes if you want, Mr. Isaac. All I need are a couple of ingredients..."
"Just... make sure they're safe, Ms. Sotheby." Isaac wryly smiled. "And... Thank you for understanding."
The two of them soon finished their afternoon tea. Sotheby decided to visit Druvis who was currently staying inside Isaac's cabin, while Isaac himself decided to leave the suitcase. Since the two ladies were staying in his cabin, it would be unwise for him to be with them right now — it was better to return once they were gone so they could enjoy the cabin for themselves for a while.
Once outside, he went back to his room and lingered there for a bit, as if pondering his next course of action. Lying face down on the bed, he stayed motionless for a good minute or two.
After a while, he finally made a decision, murmuring muffled words while still lying down.
"...Time to act."
It was now time to start his promise.