There was another door on the other side of the room, but it was a wide stone one with runes on the surface. I didn’t see an obvious door handle. It was probably meant to open and close under specific conditions.
“Looks like a spire guardian room,” Derek explained. “And I think I can see where the stairway will appear.” He pointed at a square tile in the middle of the room. “It should manifest once we beat the guardian, but I can’t say if it’ll go up or down. If it goes up, we’ll have to keep pushing on. The way down probably wouldn’t be much further.”
“How dangerous is the guardian likely to be?” Sera asked.
“Probably not too bad, given that we’re still on the first floor. As a general rule, a group of six Carnelians — or one or two Sunstones — can usually handle the guardians dedicated to blocking off the first few stairways. Obviously that means it won’t be much trouble for me.” Derek flexed his arms, and Sera rolled her eyes in response. “Better check that other door.”
Derek headed to the last door we hadn’t checked, which was directly opposite from where we’d entered. He opened it as soon as he got there, peering inside.
I considered our current placement while he was out of arm’s reach.
Vera was standing over by the entrance to the wind room, next to Professor Orden. That was bad.
Derek was about as far from Orden as possible, though, which was good.
Jin and Sera were right next to me, which was also good.
“Hey, Vera, come here a sec.” I waved to her and she approached.
One preparation in place.
“Not much in this one.” Derek turned around, closing the door. “Big box in the back is a mimic. I could handle it, but there isn’t much of a point. We aren’t here for treasure, and there aren’t any other doors in there.”
I leaned over to whisper in Sera’s ear. “When I give you the signal, make a wall.”
Sera gave me an inquisitive look paired with the slightest nod.
Two preparations in place.
I reached into my bag, adjusting the position of my return bell to make it easier to grab. Vera, Jin, and Sera were all close enough to be in the bell’s range.
Professor Orden turned toward the large group of us by the spider room’s door. “I believe that if we’ve discovered the location of a stairway, it would be prudent for the veterans among us to go handle the spire guardian and proceed.”
I shook my head. “Even if Sera needs to wait here, I really should go along. Jin can stay here with her and make sure her condition doesn’t get any worse, but I should really be there for the meeting with Katashi.”
“I’m sorry, Corin, but it’s just not safe for you to come along. I insist. You agree, don’t you, Derek?”
“Yes, Professor Orden.”
That confirmed it in my mind. She was actively trying to edge me out of completing this assignment. I folded my arms. “His agreement doesn’t exactly count for much when you’re controlling him, Professor.”
She folded her hands in front of her. “That’s quite an accusation, Corin.” A grin spread across her face. “But I’ll admit, it’s an accurate one.”
Derek’s hand moved — but not quickly enough.
“Derek, stop,” Orden commanded.
He froze in place. After a moment, he visibly trembled, his hand already atop the ring.
Orden casually gestured at him with her right hand. “Derek, withdraw your hand from the ring. Then freeze in place.”
He straightened his spine, moving his hand away from the ring, and then stopped moving entirely.
Near me, Jin and Sera had both drawn weapons, but they didn’t seem to know who to point them at.
“Now, everyone be calm,” Orden began. Derek visibly slumped, and Orden frowned. “I didn’t mean you, Derek. Bah.” She shook her head, turning toward me. “Now, Corin. I commend your observation, but you should have simply said something to me in private if you had concerns. Derek is under my control for all of our safety. You are, after all, the one who told me that you suspected he’d been involved in Tenjin’s capture.”
I sighed. “I was suspicious of him, yes, but this doesn’t seem like an appropriate response.”
Orden raised an eyebrow. “How so? Too extreme of a precaution? I do remind you that he’s an Emerald.”
Vera frowned. “She’s got a point, Corin. You think he’s the swordsman I saw before?”
I shook my head. “I was considering it, but I’m finding it less likely now. Professor, I’m not worried that it’s too extreme of a precaution. My problem is that if you can control his actions, you could have determined if he was guilty the moment he slipped on the ring — and you chose not to use it for that purpose.”
Orden opened her hands upward in a gesture of concession. “True, but I was trying to be subtle. I didn’t want anyone to have undue suspicions of Derek if it wasn’t necessary. Moreover, now that he’s aware of the ring, he’s undoubtedly going to try to find a way to break out. Difficult, to be sure. The ring is directly on his skin, so his shroud can’t help. Still, I would have rather kept him unaware of the ring except for emergency situations.”
“Well,” I began, “Now that he knows, there’s a simple way to resolve some of this. Order him to answer all of my questions directly and honestly, and I’ll ask him if he was involved.”
“Why the extra layer? I could simply ask him myself.”
“Because you’ve already been manipulating him to support your arguments. Like, for example, to leave me behind. I don’t trust you not to phrase questions in a way that forces him to reply the way you want him to.”
“Very well, I’ll humor you.” Orden turned to Derek. “Derek, answer Corin’s questions completely honestly.”
I backed up a bit, putting my back to the door to the spider room, so I could easily look to see both Derek and Orden on opposite sides of the chamber. “Derek, were you involved in the disappearance of visage Tenjin?”
He shivered. I braced myself, my hand going to the sword at my side, but his reply was simple:
“No.”
I nodded, relaxing my grip on the weapon. “Okay. Have you ever attacked Visage Tenjin or any other visage?”
“No.”
“When you entered this tower, did you do so with the intent of causing harm to anyone here?”
“Not if it was avoidable.”