12 Divination

After observing the situation for a little while, Laylah grasped the situation.

Her cousin Greem no longer was the weak, untalented boy from her childhood who could not stand up for himself and defend his position against the exile, even though he came from a secondary family branch. 

Well, he still was untalented, but his spirit was...incomparable to what it used to be. It was like looking at a different person.

"Go to Marsaskala and pay a visit to your cousin Greem", Lady Catherine, her own mother, told her.

Although she was no magus, Lady Catherine was peak advanced rank acolyte, meaning that she was one of the most powerful acolytes in the Steelguard family. She also happened to be the only one who had reached this realm by focusing almost exclusively in the divination arts, which took a lot of affinity and patience to study.

Divinations were a school of magic that was thought to be impractical and unreliable, because no matter how strong you were, divination magic only allowed you to see one future. The smaller the event, the more branches of possibilities opened and the more likely your divinations are to be false.

Yet, Lady Catherine sent her to this port city with a reason. Was it to defend against a threat?

The fire ants were definitely an issue, but even a 100-fire-ants army would not be enough to threaten Marsaskala, which possessed four knights, three of which were under the Steelguard Mayor's grasp. With its walls and elite archer soldiers, it was unlikely to fall.

There was something else.

Was it Greem himself?

Was it for her to gain an ally in the succession battle within the family? 

"Now...Could you please share with us the reason of your visit?", Greem asked with a piercing gaze

Laylah was surprised at the straightforward question. Usually, Greem was the one bowing and unable to articulate a proper sentence, not to mention having the guts to question her visit.

"Since when does a Steelguard need a proper reason to visit their blood. Did you forget our motto?"

Greem did not laugh, or did not break contact, which made his cousin very anxious. Sometimes, silence was more intimidating than a thousand words.

Unable to break the tension, Laylah ended up giving in: "Mmh, I apologize, I ended up disrespecting the host. I will be transparent, I came here under the orders of Mother, lady Catherine"

Greem pondered for a while, trying to recover memories of his interactions with the woman, but an untalented child like him did not know much, except the stories of her successful divinations.

"Should I be aware of a misfortune befalling Marsaskala?", Greem asked her

Laylah shook her head: "I do not know the specifics. The more you change the future, the less likely the divination is to become true. Since Mother has not told me anything, it probably means that the outcome is good enough for her to risk not telling me anything, and by extension, sharing any of her findings with you"

Greem scuffed: "It means that it is good enough for you and the family for her not to change the outcome of divination. You cannot assume it will be the same for the Marsaskala's inhabitants or even me, who was exiled. I appreciate your transparency though"

As Greem shared these words, the three knights' expression instantly became serious.

Unwilling to waste time, Greem began whispering orders to each of his knights. 

"Albert, prepare our finest guest room for Laylah. Most likely she will stay for a couple of weeks", Greem said.

Something terrible was going to befall Marsaskala, but he was ready.