wizardmanor | Floor 5, Room 2

Oh, you're using the door this time?

[Really, who even uses doors anymore. That's probably why it takes a minute or two and some suspicious screeching noises for Cid to get to the door and greet his visitor. Or he's just also not used to using the door himself.

Is it really besties if you're just traveling a lot and talking to shady people while potentially drinking their entire stock of more-or-less expensive liquor? (Okay maybe not the entire stock but it feels like it sometimes.) At least it's more exciting than what he used to do hanging out back home.

He waves Khun in.]

What's the occasion?

[ compared to what he does with everyone else in the west? yeah. ]

I wanted to get your opinion on what the good general had to say this time. [ he's taking a seat somewhere that is not the bed which might be a desk, chair, or whatever else cid has in his room. ]

Well that in light of what Jing Yuan detailed at the West meeting.

[Fair shakes. Besties in alcoholism and espionage(??), the argument is sound.]

Oh, the general guy from the West again? He wasn't that friendly this time, was he?

[Or rather, it's kind of rude to just yeet when you're in the middle of a thing with guests, but it's less of a scheduled tour thing this time... so maybe? Or the general just doesn't like hearing about his people exploding. Either or.

He sort of wiggles his hand as he thinks about it. There's a decent amount of seating in his room, whether it's chairs or sofas or if Khun wants to hop on a table I guess.]

Uhhh. [Jing Yuan was the big guy with white hair... see... he can remember people because they're memorable] You mean the stuff with East that kept coming up. I mean... East really hates magic and West really wants to harness magic in their own way, right? It's not that unusual.

[Two seemingly opposite countries coming together for their own agendas... a classic trope of political intrigue in the shadows! He is confident of his reading. (His reading is very vague--)]

[ it does make sense, though khun was initially thrown off by how high and mighty the West was framed compared to the rest of the countries. the enemy of my enemy is my friend though, and that seems to be what's happening here.

he's set up on a chair this time because this is a proper talk. ]

One more question and then I'll pay you back. What do you think of the West's powerplay? In regards to us as wizards and mana stones.

[Sure, Cid will flop on the sofa but be more-or-less attentive for this!

Let's be real he still doesn't have a great sense of the relation between countries other than what's fallen into his lap or whatever people like to gossip about. If only the researchers were more prone to loose lips....... the curse of introverts in a laboratory.]

Powerplay?

[There was powerplay involved that involved wizards?? He's probably talking about all the crazy machines they're putting together... and also the. Stink.]

Well, it stinks. [literally, he wrinkles his nose a little remembering! but it's like riding a horse, you probably get used to the smell after a while, since the manor also stinks magically in its own way] But I guess that sort of thing happens a lot when technology and magic clash... people really like the convenience, so they want to get their hands all over it...

[Honestly he can understand it. No, he can almost applaud it. Being able to grasp new ideas in magic whatever the means -- how nostalgic. But well... There's a lot of buts, alas.]

It sure did. [ a light chuckle. ]

Ahh, but sorry, I lied. Forgive me. [ in the tone of he's not sorry in the slightest. ]

You do care about your own self preservation, right? [ usually this isn't a question he'd ask unless he's fishing for something else in relation, but for someone like cid who's so outside the norm of any box he could hope to put him in, it's an actual question. ]

I don't know about that.

[Wow, this guy is just full of questions today. They feel kind of like leading questions, like when an unscrupulous journalist really wants you to give some answer or other. Luckily, Cid has dodged almost all of those people, ever, just by virtue of existing. It's nice.

It's not an especially weird question, though, so he'll let it go.]

'Course, what do you take me for? Obviously West doesn't really have the best interests of wizards in mind.

[More's the pity. If they weren't interfering with him existing as "Cid" or as "Shadow" then he'd be much more inclined to overlook their mining activities. Probably.]

I take you for who you are.

[ a cryptid, but that doesn't really bother him. one of the most straightforward relationships khun has is with laure and that guy is literally asleep for 95% of the time. if cid's entire thing is being, well, indubitably cid, that's fine too (and shadow which he may or may not know because time is fake).

his voice is low, smooth like ice, and he regards cid's head on as he speaks. ]

A few things.

One: don't go off chattering about what I'm about to tell you. Until we need to make a move I think the less people that know the better, but I know word has begun to get around at least partially.

Two: Central is holding Oz in Granvelle Castle, though by holding it's more aptly put as protecting him. He's currently unconscious, but even in that state his magical signature is massive. The barriers they asked us to erect are an attempt to mask his existence, in addition to safeguarding him.

Given our meetings with the Western Magitech Army, you can imagine that them getting their hands on Oz's manastone would be disastrous. I don't think that the West knows he's being held there, but they likely have some sort of suspicion. Marching on the seat of Central would be the same as declaring all out war, so they'd likely want to avoid that route if they can.

The General mentioned Central fairly often our last meeting, which leads me to believe they're trying to take the diplomatic angle and get the faction of Central that is anti-wizard to give them Oz's location. Obviously this isn't in our best interest—I could care less that they're building weapons which could level their country, but I do care that they would be using us in a literal sense to do so.

All this being said, there are two key points. The first, prevent any of our number from messing with the barrier to try to free Oz from captivity or whatever idealistic idea they have in their head. He's safest where he is right now, and moving him would be too much of a risk. The second, find a way to sabotage the West's current gambit in regards to Central. Obviously that requires more intel in the first place, though both of us are on good terms with the General unlike our other Western counterparts.

Floor 5, Room 2

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