Jackal Among Snakes

Chapter 559

Argrave once again stared upon a figure he’d hoped to forget. It was Sophia’s creation, Castro—the dim echo of the man that he’d taken the name from. Even today, he repeated things.

“I have a robust succession plan, Argrave,” her creation said.

Argrave looked upon his form with some unease. Anneliese was here as well, standing off to the side. But today, this thing’s creator joined them—Sophia. She stood just beneath him, hiding behind his legs in utter fear of what she’d made alive. Argrave kneeled down to look at Sophia in the eyes.

“Does he frighten you?” he asked her.

Sophia nodded.

“I’ll admit… he scares me, too, a little. Do you know why that is?” Argrave looked at Sophia, but she only tilted her head without an answer. “Let me put it this way. Do you know why he makes you uneasy? Say what you will, but he looks like a walking, talking person.”

“But he’s… he’s not,” Sophia said quietly. “He’s just… what I remembered of him. He can’t… he doesn’t have a voice inside his head. And he can’t hear us, understand us.”

As Argrave nodded, ‘Castro’ continued to repeat some of his final words he’d given before his death. Sophia managed to look at him. “I don’t know… I don’t know how to fix him, Argrave.”

Argrave nodded. “Honestly? I don’t, either.” He picked her up. “But that’s why we came here, today. To think about what needs to be done. To think about how we can do it. And then, to make everything right again. One day, each of us can look upon the life you made and think it belongs. We have to change this so it can be a point of pride, rather than something to forget.”

Sophia gazed at ‘Castro’ thoughtfully, then buried her head in Argrave’s shoulder. “What if I can’t think of anything? What if he stays like that? What if I can’t fix him?”

Argrave comforted her. “Anneliese and I are here. You don’t need to do all the thinking. But I can guarantee you this—you can fix him.”

her gaze to Castro again. She looked at Anneliese, too, who gave her an encouraging nod. Sophia

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the corner of the room that was watching him. Suddenly, he heard a noise, and when

walked through Governor Zen’s mansion. He popped the lid off the tube, reading it as he walked, and his smile only widened. Arriving at his destination, he looked around the courtyard where the governor often read. The man was absent. Stain asked some people nearby where the governor was, and they were only too

man in his

did eventually pry the message from Stain’s hands. He opened the letter and read it. As he did, Stain shut the door, and Zen looked up as he started to recognize

you see in that letter…” Stain pointed, Elenore using him as a mouthpiece. He had become practiced at reciting exactly what she said. “It’s

my staff?” the governor

today,” Stain shrugged, walking closer. “We knew this message would reach you today. And wouldn’t

held up the letter. “Care to explain how this is

was direly injured after fighting off assassins—is one of our men. The imperial court dismissed him from service. Now, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to make several commanders protest against the imperial court’s extended regency. The army

be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the

letter down. “I see. I thought we’d

gloatingly, “That’s what you’re reading, isn’t it?”

sat back down

as you present yourself. We’re inclined to agree

up at Stain. “Seeing as you know everything, why don’t you tell

is that you haven’t learned anything at all.” Stain leaned up against the wall, listening to Elenore carefully. “Someone like you—you’ve strings laid out across the whole of this empire. But you can’t even get so much

get direct answers, I’m sure. But I’d have to exercise some authority—moving in the open, which would draw the eye of the imperial

for an emperor,” Elenore kept pressing, and Stain kept delivering.

of mine, but it bore fruit. Grand Eunuch Hao, the de facto regent in control of the court, is working

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