Chapter 35

“Why don’t we leave it there, Mellay?” came the low voice of a man, another participant, cutting into the conversation. “You have brazenly pointed out that there are some unusual circumstances regarding Miss Minaha. What the old say in passing, the young take to heart. Or do you not understand that?” “What a commendable thing to say, Gustavus. When did the man who was brought to court over interrupting a priest’s sermon become so gallant?” “Not this again,” said Gustavus with a sigh. “What do you think, Minaha? Why don’t you dine with me below the noon sun, just once?” proposed Mellay, turning back to Yuui. “Please don’t worry—I am not making an attempt to discern your true identity. I simply wish to have a nice long chat with you. It’s not just me; I’m sure anyone who invited you would feel the same.” “That is not my concern,” said Yuui bluntly. “Cold as always. But that’s fine for now. I’m not searching your closet for imra spirits, after all. I do wish for you to actively participate in the meetings, however. Though you have been ardent in your statements lately, which leaves me with little concern in that regard.” “I understand what I am meant to do.” “Then all is well.” Mellay nodded in satisfaction. Just then, the door opened. The light from outside briefly illuminated the chamber but was immediately shut out. The flames in the lamps throughout the room all fluttered in the same direction. A slender man had entered. His long hair was tied back in a single bunch. He was clad in a dark coat, the same as the other participants, but he took it off at the entrance and handed it to his attendant before approaching the small round stool at the center of the room. That was his designated spot. A scribe wordlessly pulled out their writing instruments just as the man got up on the stool. “The 933rd meeting will now come to order,” said the man quietly, with no prior introduction or explanation. “The fiftieth edition of the Standards of Faith is scheduled to be distributed shortly. We are on track for submitting it to the spring conference without issue, but it goes without saying that there remain areas into which we must delve further. Do we require a recap of today’s topics?” The attendees shook their heads vaguely. “Very well.” The man nodded. “Additionally, I have an announcement to make before we begin our discussion. As was previously pointed out, we have no wandmaking experts among us. However, I have found an excellent solution to fill that gap, and they are planned to attend the next meeting, which will be the last of the year.” “It’s rare to hear praise from you, Seyoh,” said Gustavus. “Your playing up their quality leads me to believe they must be famous. Though the only one I can think of in Estosha would be Mr. Coaku Shtah.” “He unfortunately had a prior engagement,” said the man, Seyoh, with a shrug. “But they were recommended by Master Coaku himself. They are a very suitable choice. I’m sure that everyone here knows the name of the most lauded wandmaker in the kingdom, Munzil Alreff?” The crowd gasped, impressed. There was of course no one in that room who hadn’t heard the name Munzil Alreff. “But Munzil has already passed,” noted Mellay sharply. “That is correct.” Seyoh nodded slightly. “They studied under him.” Yuui couldn’t help turning around and glancing at Nova, who shook her head. It’s just a coincidence, she seemed to be saying. Yuui decided to believe her, since even Nova wouldn’t lie that brazenly. Yuui turned to face front again and saw that the room was filled with quiet chatter. “Studied under Munzil?” asked Gustavus again. “Forgive me for my lack of familiarity with his apprentices, but the only one of Munzil’s students I am aware of is Layumatah, and she’s based in the capital.” “Just as darkness blots the vision, so does intense light blind the eyes,” said Seyoh as he held a hand in front of his face. “I myself am not acquainted with all of Munzil’s apprentices, but many are hesitant to make themselves known. Their skills are excellent, but they prefer not to rely on their master’s name for work. There are few opportunities to meet with them outside of academic and military spheres.” “Minaha seemed to know something about this,” noticed Mellay, suddenly turning the conversation toward Yuui. “And so the girl gains yet another wrinkle. Acquainted with wandmakers, are you?” murmured Gustavus. He and Mellay were on the same page only at moments like these. In a reserved tone, Yuui explained, “I have merely heard a few of their names.” But this just seemed to solidify their hypotheses, in light of their previous statements. Whispers of “She knows more than one…?” spread throughout the gathering. Yuui was frustrated that they’d misinterpreted her words again, though it was true that her relationship with Munzil’s apprentices went beyond having “heard a few of their names.” Her wand had been forged by the man himself, after all. And when it had broken, Yuui asked one of his apprentices to repair it and even stayed at the shop of a different apprentice in the process. At that moment, it dawned on her that her relationship with Munzil and his disciples was more than superficial. Not that she had any intention of revealing that to anyone else at this point. “Well, perhaps you know them, then,” said Seyoh in amusement. “I have heard that they are particularly knowledgeable about wands and that they always work as a pair.” “There are two of them?” With that information, Yuui had no idea who they could be.