Some time has passed since my unfortunate encounter with the dwarf and the blind girl, and during that time a few… unexpected things have happened. That is the only word that comes to mind to describe the arrival of the granddaughter of the Immortal Flame: the Changing Star.
Something interesting is the fact that most true names have a close connection to the person who bears them. They can be related to their personality, their abilities, or even their destiny.
And knowing what was mentioned above, there is a question that gnaws at me constantly—one that I think it's time to answer: what does Changing Star mean?
"Ink, you damned bastard, run faster!"
The answer to that question is something that, with my knowledge of symbolism, I will take upon myself to explain. To reach a conclusion about what that name might symbolize, we must first understand what star means and what changing means.
"Ink, what the hell is wrong with you? You're usually the first to run. What's got you so distracted?"
A star can be interpreted as a guide, a source of wisdom, a sign of divinity, and so on.
"Ink, don't ignore me."
Meanwhile, changing can be interpreted literally as something that changes or causes change, whether that change is good or bad.
"Ink, I swear I'll hit you if you don't answer!"
"Shin, don't talk."
"Did you see something approaching?"
"I'm getting to something important, so if you could stop distracting me, that would be perfect."
Where was I?
Ah, right. Since change doesn't fully fit with several interpretations of star, I have to believe that the continuity actually makes sense and means: a guide of change.
What does that mean for a place like this?
"What are you thinking about?"
"Important things."
"Does it have anything to do with the Needle Messenger we ran into?"
"Maybe. It's not normal for one of those to appear so close to the castle. It's a fairly serious problem."
"I'll inform Gema so we can prepare and go kill it."
"That won't be necessary. I'll mark its location on the map, so at least you'll be able to attack it more effectively."
"You do know we could kill it without your help, right?"
"The messenger destroyed several shortcuts while it was chasing us. It'll be best to wait until the new map is finished if you don't want to run into unexpected things along the way."
"And since when do you care about that?"
"If something were to go wrong, my sales would drop, and I can't allow that to happen."
"Okay… let me know when you finish the new map so I can go inform her."
"Perfect. I'll go do that right now."
**************
[Spatial Map]
[Description: As a being of divine nature, it is only natural that you know the surrounding space.]
Although the spell's description doesn't say it (as is often the case, from what I've heard), the effect of my Dormant ability is passive and grants me a mental map that updates at all times within a range of fifty meters in every direction.
It's complicated to explain how I see the world, but I'll try. It's like having an extraordinarily detailed minimap from a video game in your head at all times.
This ability was what allowed me to monopolize the cartographic market and everything that came with it—all those fragments that ended up in my hands, and all the trust I built with my clients.
And it also allowed me to finish the map I now have in my hands, the map I'm going to hand over to the person who may end up dealing with the Needle Messenger.
I passed by the guards of her "home," making sure not to let them recognize me, and I allowed myself to look around at the ramshackle surroundings. I understand why she chose to live on the outskirts of the castle—staying close to her people and all that—but why not improve the situation? Wouldn't that earn her more support?
When I grew tired of observing the place, I decided it was time to go inside and see whether my knowledge of symbolism had been of any use.
"May I come in?!"
"You may."
I carefully moved the door to open it without damaging the… "beautiful wood" it was made of. I truly hope that by the next time I have to see her, this whole moving closer to her people phase will be over.
"What do you want?"
"Can't I come in just to visit?"
"I can tell you dislike where I live."
"Well, it's just that I don't understand why someone with your abilities lives in a place like this."
"What do you want?"
Maybe what I said annoyed her, but how she could be annoyed about being in a situation she entered by her own choice is something I can't quite understand.
"What matters isn't what I want—it's what you might want."
"And what do you think I might want?"
"I have an idea of what you might want, but I'm not completely sure. Would you mind telling me what you want?"
"I don't think that's something you should care about."
Ah, there she is—the blind one who just happens to be able to see the future (quite ironic, in my opinion), the one who handles public relations from what I've heard, and one of the people I like the least in the entire city.
"A pleasure to see you, Miss Blind Girl, but as you might… well, I'd say see, but considering your situation, let's say perceive, this isn't something that requires your presence."
"That's not for you to decide."
"But it's not something you have the authority to decide either, am I wrong, little blind one?"
"Cassie will stay."
I could swear I saw the blind girl look at me with what I assume was satisfaction upon hearing that—or it might just have been my imagination, since she can't actually look at me in the first place. Either way, I had already prepared a countermeasure for a situation like this.
"Then I could simply hand this map over to someone who would actually appreciate it."
"And what's on that map, then?"
"Very confidential information which, coincidentally, you can't see. So you should leave the house so she can see it. What do you think, miss?"
"To decide, I need to know what the information is about."
"And for me to show it, I don't want to see you, alright?"
"That's illogical!"
"You're the one making it illogical. If you left, I'd show it to her and the whole problem would be solved."
"Why do you want me outside in the first place?"
"What are you talking about? Obviously, I'm just seeing how highly you value my support—and whether that's enough to make you step outside."
"And what do you plan to get from me if that's the case?"
"Neph—"
"I expect to have a place outside the bloodshed you're going to cause—or more specifically, very far away from it."
That seemed to get a reaction out of her. Apparently, my interpretation of her true name isn't too far from what it should mean. That tells me I'm doing the right thing by being here.
"Cassie, step outside for a couple of minutes."
It's a pleasant feeling when people accept that you have the upper hand in an argument—but even sweeter was seeing the look of concern on the blind girl's face as she headed for the door. And as I watched her leave, I couldn't help but say:
"Do you need me to guide you to the exit?"
*Whish!*
That sound was all the confirmation I needed to move from my spot, just in time to see a flying rapier embed itself where my head had been moments earlier.
"You can relax. I can walk without your help."
Maybe I touched a sensitive nerve—but in my defense, how was I supposed to know that the 'young lady who wouldn't hurt a fly' had such a… violent?… volatile side?
"What's on the map?"
"An opportunity."
"For what?"
"To kill a Needle Messenger."
"Why do you think I need to kill it?"
"Because you want a chance to achieve feats—feats that will convince the undecided to join your side."
"And why should I think this isn't a trap?"
"If you want to see it that way, I can't convince you otherwise. All you can do is trust that you're valuable enough for me not to move against you."
With nothing more to say, I withdrew from her "quarters," leaving the map behind for her to decide what to do, and returned to the castle to think about whether I could convince Sevec that this was the best choice—something I don't have high hopes for.
Maybe this is the moment to answer the question of what the existence of a star like her means in a place like this, and I can only reach one conclusion: there will be a bloodbath—and I hope this allows me to survive it.