Chapter 55: Special Consultant

"Anyway, good news," Reinhard said, leaning against the table with the smug look of a man who had been waiting all day for this moment. "The Lens has another function."

Lucien set down his coffee. "What is it this time?"

"It tells me the optimal way to use a relic." Reinhard raised one finger before Lucien could speak. "Before you say anything, yes, I already know I’m amazing. You don’t have to say it out loud, just think it very loudly."

"I was going to ask if it works on everything."

Reinhard paused. "That is a much less exciting question."

Lucien scanned the room until his eyes landed on a flaming sword resting on a nearby stand. He carried it over and handed it across. "Start with this."

Reinhard put on the Lens and studied the weapon while information unfolded in front of his eyes: the way mana circulated through the blade, the flame control, the release timing, the correct angle for each swing, and even the exact points where mana was leaking out. "So for three years, this thing has been used like a very expensive torch."

"It has an excellent reputation," Lucien said, frowning.

"It has an excellent reputation for setting people’s eyebrows on fire." Reinhard took the sword. "Come on, let’s fix it before you hurt someone’s feelings."

They moved into the nearby training area, where Archon sat on a bench at the edge of the room with a fresh cup of tea. Reinhard stopped walking and looked at her, then at the tea, and Archon slowly moved the cup farther away.

"I wasn’t going to scan it," she said.

"You were thinking about it."

"I was thinking about it respectfully."

Lucien sighed. "Can we focus?"

He activated the sword, and flames erupted along the blade, wild and uncontrolled. Then he followed Reinhard’s instructions, and the fire tightened around the steel and flowed along the edge like a living ribbon. When he swung, a concentrated wave of flame crossed the room and slammed into the barrier hard enough that a technician in the observation room dropped his clipboard.

Lucien stared at the sword. "That is..."

"Say it."

"That’s very..."

"Take your time. I’m extremely patient when I’m about to be complimented."

Lucien ignored him and swung again. This time the movement was smoother, and the flames gathered around the blade and released exactly when he wanted them to. He laughed. "Interesting."

"Useful?"

"Very."

"Now say the other thing."

Lucien lowered the sword. "What other thing?"

"That I’m a genius."

Lucien gave him a flat look. "Keep this up and you really will become Eclipse’s greatest consultant."

Reinhard pressed a hand to his chest. "Greatest? I was hoping for most handsome."

"That isn’t an official title."

"Then make it one."

"It’s already in the incident log," Lucien said, and from the bench Archon took another sip of tea without correcting him.

Reinhard smiled. "Excellent."

Lucien returned the sword to its stand and gestured toward the door. "Come with me."

Reinhard followed him upstairs expecting another meeting room, but Lucien stopped in front of a private door and opened it. Inside was a spacious office with a wide window overlooking Aurileus City, a large desk, a secure communication system, and an Eclipse terminal with several sections marked as restricted.

Reinhard turned in a slow circle. "What’s this?"

"Your office."

"Already?"

"You just made us millions." Lucien smiled. "Consider it an investment."

Reinhard dropped into the desk chair and spun around twice, then opened the top drawer, then the second. Both were empty, and his expression fell. "There are no snacks."

"It’s an office, not a kitchen."

"Then we’re going to have a problem." Reinhard shut the drawer. "I’ll need someone to fix that."

"You’re unbelievable."

"I prefer prepared."

He reached toward the terminal, and the moment his finger touched a restricted section the entire screen flashed red. ACCESS DENIED. Reinhard pulled his hand back and folded both hands neatly in his lap. "I was only checking that it works."

Lucien’s mouth twitched. "It works."

Reinhard turned the chair to face him, and the teasing left his voice. "How many more assignments do I need before Eclipse can help me find the three remaining materials?"

"At this rate?" Lucien smiled. "Not many."

Reinhard waited, and when Lucien said nothing, he waited a little longer. "That was a very dramatic pause for someone who already had an answer."

Lucien laughed. "I’ve already started. The Lightning Emperor Key is being searched for right now, and we have several leads."

The chair stopped spinning. "And the Lightkeeper Dew?"

"We’re negotiating with another company that holds a supply." Lucien let his smile widen. "And the Life Gold Water is already being brought here."

Reinhard sat straight up and stared at him for several seconds without saying anything. Then he covered his mouth, lowered his hand, and pointed at Lucien. "You could have led with that."

"I wanted to see your face."

"And?"

"It was worth it."

Reinhard leaned back as the news settled. Two of the five materials were already secured, and now one of the last three was on its way to Eclipse, while the other two had people searching for them. He had not begged for any of it. He had only made himself valuable enough that helping him became the smart choice.

"It worked," he said.

"What did?"

"Becoming useful."

"You say that like it was a plan."

"It was a very good plan." Reinhard tilted his chin up. "It also had a very good face."

Lucien shook his head, reached into his coat, and pulled out a small black card bearing the Eclipse insignia. "You’re officially a Special Consultant."

Reinhard took the card and turned it over, checked the front, checked the back, and held it up to the light. Then he gently bit the corner.

Lucien stared. "What are you doing?"

"Checking that it’s real."

"It’s a card."

"Cards can be fake." Reinhard lowered it. "So what’s the salary?"

"Five hundred thousand credits a month," Lucien said casually.

Reinhard’s eyes went wide, and Lucien actually took half a step backward. "Say that again."

"Five hundred thousand credits."

"Slower."

"You’re ridiculous."

"I want to remember this moment properly." Reinhard looked at the card and held it a little more carefully. "Money is useful, and it’s also very good-looking."

"Like you?"

"Exactly."

Lucien ignored that and continued. "As a Special Consultant, you’ll have limited access to the Eclipse database, our resource network, rare material searches, expedition support, artifact evaluation work, and direct contact with senior personnel."

Reinhard read the card again, and this time he took it seriously. The salary was good, but the access was worth far more, because Eclipse could reach places he couldn’t, find materials he couldn’t, and connect him with people who could help Emily.

Lucien held the door open. "You’re welcome to stay here for the week. There’s a bed upstairs, meals are provided, and you’ll have everything you need."

Reinhard shook his head so quickly his hair moved. "How am I supposed to spend a whole week in this building without my beautiful wife?"

Lucien stared at him and then burst out laughing. "Fine, go home. We’ll send the consultant assignments to you after you come back."

"Excellent." Reinhard took one step and stopped. "It’s also a matter of safety. If I miss dinner, my family will send a search party."

"That sounds dangerous."

"One of them has a way of underlining words that I would not wish on a stranger."

Lucien laughed, and Reinhard started for the door, then stopped again. "One more thing. How many assignments?"

Lucien glanced down the corridor toward the lab, where the enormous pile of relics was still waiting. "At the rate you’re going?" A slow grin spread across his face. "Probably more than you want."

Reinhard nodded thoughtfully. "Then I suggest sending them in batches, with pastries."

"Nobody is bringing you pastries."

"Then I’ll have to raise my rates."

Lucien was still laughing when Reinhard walked away, tucking the card into his coat. He stopped at the window near the end of the corridor and looked down at the city.

For the first time since he had started searching for Emily’s materials, he was not facing the problem alone.

Eclipse had opened a door that money never could have, and behind it were resources, information, and people who could bring Emily closer to walking again.

He thought of her wheelchair, her damaged Gnosis, and the treatments still waiting for her. Then he smiled. "Emily, we’re getting there."