The Intruiging Spy [Private]

Lucille was nervous. This was something that was not a new feeling, but something she had rarely felt in the entirety of her life. Lucille hated being anything that resembled nervousness, always wanting to seem calm and collected in the face of any danger or problem. She had stared down many a fighter that was leagues ahead of her, and felt no nervousness at doing so. The dark mage had successfully accomplished a few infiltrations of her father’s business partners without any trouble, and it seemed like that would have ended in death had she actually been caught. So what would possibly make the unshakable Lucille feel like if she had messed up, she would fail her master epically?

Lyserg had called her in for a meeting. Now this would normally be okay, but Lucille had a sneaking suspicion he wanted to talk about the fact that she had been following him around for a while. She had been caught a couple times, yet continued to do it anyways. It was her way of being a true and loyal member of Tartarus, always making sure nothing could attack their master randomly. It might have gone a little overboard, seeing as how Lyserg was a freaking SS-ranked time mage who could take care of himself, but Lucille wanted to be absolutely sure he was fine and as they say, “If you want something done right then do it yourself.” So thats what she did. Maybe she distracted him at times and overdid it? Lucille didn’t know and was afraid to find out what her master might say.

Walking towards the meeting room, she put on an air of confidence around her. In reality she was extremely nervous, and hoping that it was just a formality for something he wanted her to do. As she entered the room, she spotted his imposing figure sitting down and reading. Obviously she didn’t want to interrupt his reading, but she also didn’t want him to think of her as late, so in as calm of a voice as she could muster Lucille would announce her presence. “Master. You needed my presence?”

Lucille walked over towards one of the chairs and delicately sat down when Lyserg offered it to her. She wasn’t going to possibly be so frightened that her legs would start shaking, and then Lyserg would notice it obviously. No, she would be delicate and ease into this conversation. When Lyserg mentioned exactly why she was meeting with him, she tensed slightly. There wasn’t going to be any beating around the bush for this, it was straight to the point and direct. Maybe in another world she would have gotten her wish of avoiding the subject, but now it was time to deal with it. But the true question was exactly why she was doing it, which almost stumped the blood mage herself. Truthfully her own motives were questionable, but she stopped thinking and placed her hands in her lap as she looked at Lyserg.

“My teacher Raylard once told me that loyalty is something that cannot only be given in words.” She began, slowly drawing circles on her lap. “One must always show their loyalty in actions, not words. Words can deceive, and lead to one being betrayed. Words are fickle, and mean nothing compared to actions. Actions portray everything about a person. From their behavior, to their interests, to their loyalty. I want to showcase my loyalty to the guild in everything I do. I follow you to protect you from any dangers, no matter what they may be. I am your sword and shield to use as you please, and without complaint my master.” Lucille’s face showed her dedication and determination. She wanted to prove that she was loyal to Tartarus in only ways that would prove her ultimate undying loyalty. No matter what it was, she wanted to showcase that she was a proud mage of Tartarus, even if she couldn’t proclaim it to the world loudly.

Lucille raised an eyebrow when Lyserg asked about her teacher. Raylard was indeed a figure that many would try to say they knew, but deep down only Lucille could figure him out. His motivations and reasonings were only known to his apprentice, and not all of them either. Raylard had done things that would shame him and his family’s name forever, but yet no one could tie him to them due to his careful planning. No one could ever pin any of his crimes on him, and those who might even have a clue would shrug it off. Lucille looked her guild master in the eyes, ready to respond to his question with the deepest of honesty and without holding back anything from him.

“Raylard Jebidiah Wayne. He’s a playboy, and extremely wealthy. His family is an extremely successful merchant business, and as the only child of his parents he inherited the entire thing.” Lucille placed her hand on the table in front of her, and crossed her fingers together. “To the people of Fiore, Raylard is a cool and calm, if a bit perverted, man who would do what is best for his workers and the people. However, the true Raylard Wayne is a man of sick pleasures only the darkest of those of us could comprehend, or stomach. I personally do not condone everything he has done, but even then I would not challenge him to change at all.” Lucille nodded to herself, and then cupped her chin as she continued to think. “The man was a genius though. His ability to tactfully defuse situations and come up with plans was unparalleled to anyone I knew. Hell, its how he got me to be his apprentice in the first place. Learning under him taught me many a thing, but one important one was about loyalty. Not much else about him I could tell, he is still a mystery even to me in some ways.” Lucille finished, looking at her master curiously.

“Is that what you wanted to know master? Or was it something else?” She asked, wondering if she just bored him with details he didn’t want to know.

Lucille stopped her initial retort of why this made any sense; Lyserg wouldn’t have said anything about it unless it had to deal with their current situation. Thinking harder, Lucille could honestly say the difference between the two was obvious in a way. “I would assume because the second worker could add in their own mixture of how they do things…...or something of the sort.” Lucille furrowed her eyebrows, trying to make an understanding of it all. The girl didn’t exactly know what it was that would attract someone to hire someone that would talk back. “Why would he hire him over the first worker though? The second could quite possibly second guess everything the master did, leading to frequent arguments and inefficient working. I don’t understand it at all.” Truthfully, she might have understood had Raylard not secretly beat undying loyalty into her mind. Each training session she would unknowingly have her mind warped by him, via his techniques or magic that he had his servants perform on her. It was the perfect way to create his own killing machine, but he did not expect his own untimely end thanks to an assassin. The Wayne fortune went to his only known child, and Lucille went off to look for a new master.

Silence fell after Lyserg finished speaking. Lucille looked away, towards the ground as she felt ashamed of herself for not having the loyalty her master wanted. In all honesty she knew she had only done this because she had nothing else, nothing that would have her take under a new master. But something screamed that it wasn’t right, and that she needed to follow under Lyserg not out of duty or obligation but out of her own free will. Looking back up towards him, her eyes slightly wavering and showing her vulnerability at the moment. “I was loyal….out of the duty I had. Out of the obligation I felt. I believe...that I have to prove my unblinding loyalty so your goals can be accomplished without hesitation. But…” Lucille’s face hardened into one of a determined warrior to get back to their former level. “I want to be an effective weapon, of my own free will. To be able to do things like question, do things in my own unique way and ultimately be worthwhile to the guild.” Lucille clenched her fists, knowing that it wouldn’t be easy to stop thinking like she was currently.

“I want to be strong….to be useful for you and Tartarus. As I am now…...I cannot be. But I want to become stronger.” Lucille was determined to not be weak and useless any longer. She was still the girl that Raylard Wayne had molded to be his perfect emotionless weapon. But she wanted to be better and more useful for Lyserg and his dreams. She believed in them, but she followed him only out of blind loyalty. She wanted to follow out of her own ideas of loyalty.

Lucille felt something well up inside her, and it felt weird to the Tartarus mage. Was this pride, from getting a compliment from her guild master. She couldn’t tell, but it brought a sincere smile to her face. Lyserg had commended her for something she did, and it made her feel proud. Lucille stood, and bowed to her guild master. “You have opened my eyes master. I have been blind but now I can become even stronger for Tartarus.” Lucille kept her head bowed as she spoke. “You have shown your wisdom to me, and for that I can better myself for everyone. Thank you. I will not fail you.” Lucille was determined that things would be different, even if it took weeks, months or years. She would do what was necessary to grow stronger, and lose the ideals she currently held on loyalty, in order to better fit the mold that Lyserg wanted. No not wanted, needed.

And it didn’t matter what else occurred, so long as it helped her on her quest.