Jackal Among Snakes

Chapter 578

“I’ve told you everything that I can remember,” the man who went by Xueyan pleaded.

Strangely, Argrave hoped that the man would be a constant rhymer, if only so he could have some vague tie to Norman even despite the strange situation. Apparently he could rhyme, but didn’t always do so. The more questions Argrave asked, the more of a dead end that he reached. Frustrating as it was, he’d gotten the full story from Maestro Baobao, and this empty shell bearing Norman’s visage told no more stories.

Xueyan had woke up on the eastern shores of the Great Chu without so much as a memory of his own name. He knew how to speak, how to live, but little more than that. He was taken in by a local village, then joined a travelling troupe, then joined the opera. A set of happy coincidences… but Argrave couldn’t believe things aligned that perfectly. Someone was pulling the strings. Erlebnis? Sataistador?

“I don’t think he lies,” said Anneliese begrudgingly. “Your memory of this man is likely better than mine, but they do look identical. I believe that is where the similarities end.”

“Do you know me? My real name, my memories?” Xueyan asked urgently, his haunting red eyes looking between them.

Argrave looked at the man, wanting to call him Norman. He felt what was almost an instinct to fight him. But in the end, Argrave suppressed these thoughts, turned around, and looked up. There, the Alchemist waited for his signal. With the slightest of nods from Argrave, he was spurred into action. Almost faster than Argrave could see, the Alchemist knocked Xueyan unconscious with a spell.

“I’ll find out any secrets he holds,” the Alchemist promised, stepping past Argrave. “Refrain from putting me in the stone for the time being. I would not wish to move him from this location too quickly. Tell Elenore to contact Stain.”

Argrave gave one last look at Xueyan—Norman—then turned around with a grim shake of his head. “I want to know anything you learn.”

“And you will,” the Alchemist vowed.

Argrave walked away, and Anneliese joined him. She explained what he’d missed, searching for answers down here. “Governor Zen was contented being foisted off to court Patriarch Dras instead of us. Once he learned the Veidimen were our allies rather than subjects, he almost seemed eager to proposition the elf. But the governor underestimates the steadfastness of our people. Dras won’t give him anything.”

“Mention anything to him about the Palace of Heaven?” Argrave asked.

“No, only that the plans would come after the wedding ceremony.” Anneliese opened a door, and they marched up the stairs of the opera houses back to the now-empty booths. “We shouldn’t be too far behind. A boat is waiting for us.”

Argrave and her walked in silence through the largely-empty opera house, but eventually he broke the silence. “Have you noticed anything strange?”

for him frantically, ready to draw it. Even Traugott wouldn’t be fearless

looked at her. “Sounds like something’s troubling

made when Anneliese had read his emotions, without a doubt. “I don’t feel it will be as straightforward as with Dimocles.” Anneliese looked into one of the empty booths, and the waterlogged stage beneath it. “Traugott is older. I think he’s smarter. And his A-rank ascension… it disquiets me.

stopped and looked at

I saw only darkness when peering into the Shadowlands. Alongside this darkness, there was a festering voice telling me to stop looking. I was never able to work out if those were

this, but she’d never mentioned it to this point. That, in itself, told of how deep her concern was. She was open about nearly

“Do you remember

eyes went distant as she lost herself to that memory, then she

remember anything like that. But the

her head. “But that’s what I remember, nonetheless. A hound. The impression is seared into my memory.” She gestured on. “We’re wasting time. Let’s not

content belongs on Royal Road. Report

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were still clear of any traffic, so it didn’t take long to return. Fortunately, he’d not missed any of his brother’s ceremony—there was still some downtime before that could happen. Indeed, there was downtime enough

concern from the palace guard, but Argrave prudently recalled him inside the Ravenstone and explained to the guards the existence of his guardian. Along the

there,

explained. “I will be brief, because I intend to return to this research as soon as I possibly can. The empty shell—it was

then felt some

dolls, just as ‘Castro,’ was created. I believe there are subtle differences in the methods,

deeply. “What does that mean

little,” the Alchemist said calmly. “There is a reason why the man you see retains all the features Norman had. And that is because Norman is all Traugott will be capable of creating. He has a template in Norman’s corpse. But the raw materials… I see the flesh of half a dozen different men and women, jammed together haphazardly in mimicry of their mold. I see a soul born from shattered remnants of several others. But this mold lacks that special spark that

for the heart of them. “Meaning… the only thing Traugott can make

minutely, as the man refines his methods. But ultimately, it’s nothing more sophisticated than the chimeras that I can already

relief in equal measure. Traugott was proving to be among the cleverest foes that Argrave had faced—cleverest mortals, at least. Argrave tried to ensure that he didn’t have any repeat encounters with enemies… no one to bear a grudge, come back prepared. Yet countless

was a message within his kidneys.

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