Chapter 22 – The Rat Sips Tea

【Norisa PoV】

The tea was perfect.

Not good, not decent, but absolutely perfect. The leaves had been imported from the eastern provinces, hand-picked by monks who understood that tea wasn’t just a beverage but a meditation. The water temperature had been precisely calibrated. The porcelain cup felt smooth against my lips, delicate enough to showcase craftsmanship but sturdy enough for actual use.

I took another sip and let out a satisfied sigh.

The world could be burning outside and I’d still appreciate a good cup of tea. Priorities, you know? And honestly, the world was kind of burning. Or at least one city was. But that wasn’t my problem anymore.​

The carriage rocked gently as we traveled down the road, far away from the ruins and the screaming and all that unpleasant hero-cleanup business. Silk cushions supported my back, the curtains were drawn to filter the harsh afternoon light, and a small enchanted brazier kept the interior at the perfect temperature.

Luxury suited me.

I’d worked hard to earn this lifestyle, spent four years building my reputation as the information broker everyone needed but nobody trusted. Blood, sweat, and carefully orchestrated betrayals had bought me this carriage, this tea, this comfortable existence.​

And I wasn’t about to apologize for any of it.

I set the teacup down on its saucer with a soft clink, reaching for the velvet bag beside me. Inside was my most prized possession, the tool that had made my entire operation possible. I pulled it out carefully, cradling it in both hands.

A communication crystal.

Not the cheap kind you could buy at any magic shop, the ones that barely worked across town. This was imperial-grade hardware, enchanted by the court’s best artificers, capable of reaching anywhere in the continent. The crystal pulsed with dormant mana, waiting for activation.

Only a handful of people in Eldoria had access to this level of magical technology.

And I was calling the one who sat at the very top.

I channeled my mana into the crystal, feeling it warm under my fingers. The surface began to glow, soft blue light spreading through the facets. Runes appeared along the edges, ancient symbols that predated the current empire. The air in the carriage grew heavy with power.

Not my power. Hers.

Even through the connection, even across whatever distance separated us, I could feel the weight of her mana. It pressed against my senses like a physical thing, vast and cold and absolutely terrifying. Most people would’ve flinched, maybe even severed the connection out of pure survival instinct.

I just smiled.

The crystal’s glow intensified, then stabilized. An image formed in the air above it, shimmering and translucent but perfectly clear. A woman’s face, beautiful in that way that made you forget to breathe. Sharp features, eyes like frozen amber, silver hair that seemed to move with its own wind.

The Empress of Eldoria.

“Your Majesty.”

I kept my tone respectful but not servile. We had an understanding, she and I. I provided information, she provided protection and resources. It was a business relationship that occasionally involved treason, but hey, nobody’s perfect.

“Norisa.”

Her voice came through clear, carrying that edge of authority that made even casual greetings sound like imperial decrees.

“I assume you have news. You wouldn’t risk contact otherwise.”

“Always so suspicious, Your Majesty. Can’t a loyal subject simply wish to check on his beloved ruler’s wellbeing?”

The temperature in the carriage dropped about five degrees.

“Right, down to business then.”

I picked up my teacup again, taking a casual sip before continuing. Let her wait a moment. I’d earned that much.

“The Janitor survived.”

“Obviously. Alfred doesn’t die easily.”

“True, but you never know. The Fred Incident was messier than anticipated. Kid went full yandere, leveled half a city, turned his crush into a vegetable. Could’ve gone sideways in a dozen different ways.”​

I swirled the tea in my cup, watching the leaves settle.

“But our dear Alfred handled it with his usual efficiency. One dead Otherworlder, minimal fuss, probably feeling guilty about it as we speak.”

The Empress’s expression didn’t change, but I caught the slight tightening around her eyes. Interest, maybe. Or concern. Hard to tell with her.

“And the second Otherworlder?”

“Still missing. Alfred found a clue though, a pendant. He’ll be chasing that lead soon, probably already planning his next move.”

I set the cup down again, leaning back against the cushions.

“The man never stops working. It’s honestly admirable in a deeply unhealthy way.”

“Did he suspect your involvement?”

“Not yet. I played my role perfectly, as always. Concerned friend, helpful informant, absolutely not the guy who orchestrated the entire situation.”

The words came out smooth, practiced. Because that’s what they were. I’d rehearsed this conversation in my head a hundred times, planned for every possible question.

Betraying Alfred had been necessary.

Not fun, not something I was proud of, but necessary. The guy was too good at running away from his responsibilities, too skilled at avoiding the one person who actually mattered in his life. Sometimes you had to burn someone’s bridges to make them turn around.​

“He will discover the truth eventually.”

The Empress stated it like a fact, not a concern.

“Alfred is many things, but stupid isn’t one of them. He’ll piece together your role in this.”

“Oh, absolutely. Probably within the week if I’m being honest.”

I grinned, knowing she could see it through the crystal’s projection.

“He’ll be furious. Might even try to kill me. Our friendship, such as it was, is definitely over.”

“And you accept this?”

“Your Majesty, I’ve been accepting worse for years. Besides, friendship with Alfred von Schmidt comes with a lot of baggage. The man attracts disasters like I attract fine wines.”​

The Empress studied me through the crystal, those amber eyes seeming to look straight through my casual demeanor to whatever calculation lay beneath. I held her gaze steadily. No point in flinching now.

“You understand what you’ve committed to.”

It wasn’t a question.

“I do. When Alfred figures out I sold him out, he’ll come for answers. And those answers will lead him straight to you.”

I paused, letting the weight of that settle.

“He won’t come willingly, Your Majesty. We both know that. The man’s been running from you for years. We had to burn his bridges, force his hand, make him desperate enough to finally face what he’s been avoiding.”

“His son.”

She said it softly, almost gently. The contrast with her usual cold authority was jarring.

“The boy is growing fast. He asks about his father.”

Something twisted in my chest, an emotion I didn’t want to examine too closely. Guilt, maybe. Or just the recognition that I was playing with real lives, not chess pieces.

“How is the kid?”

“Strong. Intelligent. He has his father’s eyes and his mother’s temperament.”

The Empress’s expression softened fractionally, a crack in her imperial mask.

“He deserves to know Alfred. Not the legend, not the ghost—the actual man.”

“Even if that man hates being caged?”

“Especially then.”

I took another sip of tea, buying time to think. The Empress wanted Alfred back, wanted to rebuild whatever they’d had before everything fell apart. And she was willing to manipulate, scheme, and sacrifice friendships to make it happen.

Honestly? I respected the dedication.

“He’ll fight it. You know he will.”

“Let him fight. Alfred fights everything, it’s his nature.”

Her voice took on that cold edge again, the ruler reasserting control.

“But he’s also a father, whether he wants to admit it or not. And fathers have responsibilities they cannot run from forever.”​

“You’re going to cage the Wild Red Wolf.”

I used Alfred’s old nickname, the one whispered in intelligence circles and military briefings. The unstoppable operative who’d never been caught, never been defeated, never been controlled.

“Are you truly ready for that fight, Your Majesty?”

“I’ve been ready for years. It’s Alfred who needs to catch up.”

Fair point.

The crystal’s glow flickered slightly, indicating the connection was straining under the distance and power requirements. We didn’t have much more time before the mana drain became noticeable.

“One last thing.”

I leaned forward, my casual demeanor slipping just a bit.

“He will be furious when he finds out I sold him out. Not just angry—furious. The kind of fury that ends with property damage and creative threats.”

“Let him be furious.”

The Empress’s response came swift and cold as winter steel.

“As long as he returns to his family, I don’t care what emotions he experiences along the way. Anger fades. Duty doesn’t.”

“And if he refuses? If he decides his freedom is worth more than fatherhood?”

“Then I’ll drag him back in chains if necessary.”

The temperature in the carriage dropped again, frost forming on the edges of the crystal. Her mana flared, a reminder of exactly who I was dealing with. The most powerful mage in the empire, a woman who’d crushed rebellions and bent nations to her will.

And she wanted Alfred back.

I suddenly felt very grateful to be on her side of this equation.

“Understood, Your Majesty. I’ll continue monitoring the situation and report any developments.”

“See that you do. And Norisa?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you. For doing what I could not.”

The sincerity in her voice caught me off guard. For just a moment, she wasn’t the Empress. She was just a woman who missed someone important, who’d been forced to play the long game while watching from a distance.

“It’s what you pay me for.”

I kept my tone light, not wanting to dwell on the emotional weight.

“Plus, the entertainment value alone is worth it. Watching Alfred have an existential crisis should be comedy gold.”

“You’re terrible.”

“I’m practical. There’s a difference.”

The crystal’s glow began to fade, the connection reaching its limit. The Empress’s image started to shimmer, breaking apart into motes of light.

“Stay safe, Norisa. And stay far away from Alfred until the right moment.”

“Way ahead of you, Your Majesty. I value my internal organs exactly where they are.”

Her image disappeared completely, leaving only the dormant crystal in my hands. The heavy mana pressure lifted, and I could breathe normally again. I carefully tucked the crystal back into its velvet bag, then reached for my tea.

Cold.

Damn. That’s what I got for mixing business with beverages.

I knocked on the carriage roof, signaling the driver.

“Take me to the eastern safehouse. And stop at that tavern we passed earlier. I need a fresh pot.”

The carriage shifted direction, wheels crunching over the dirt road. I settled back into the cushions, mind already racing through contingencies and backup plans. Alfred would figure it out eventually. He’d track the clues, connect the dots, realize his old friend had betrayed him.

And then things would get interesting.​

But that was future Norisa’s problem.

Present Norisa was going to enjoy his tea, his comfortable exile, and the satisfaction of a job well done. The Empress had her weapon pointed at the right target. Alfred had his motivation to finally face his past. And I had plausible deniability for at least another week.

Everyone won.

Well, except Alfred.

But honestly, the guy needed a push. Someone had to force him to be the protagonist of his own story instead of everyone else’s cleanup crew.​

I just happened to be the villain of this particular chapter.

The carriage rolled on, carrying me away from ruins and consequences. Behind me, Alfred was probably neck-deep in investigation, chasing the Missing Hero, completely unaware that his real problems were waiting at home.

I smiled, imagining his face when the truth hit.

“Sorry, old friend. But some bridges need burning.”

The tea might be cold, but the satisfaction was warm enough to compensate.