"Hey, Hellie." Charlotte said with a serious voice in bed.
"Yeah?" Helix asked.
"That letter. What was it, and why didn't you tell us?" She asked.
Marie and Riley wore uncomfortable expressions.
He looked up at the ceiling with a wry smile.
"I've been debating how to apologize tonight." Helix chuckled bitterly.
"It's dangerous for you to know about it, but I'm not hiding it.
I only hid it from you, so your shock during the meeting was genuine."
The women turned to him with baffled expressions.
"Marie, Charlotte, Riley—I'm sorry."
Their eyes widened in response.
Each was baffled and panicking.
"To be honest, I feel foolish giving them that scroll." Helix chuckled bitterly.
"I feel even worse not addressing all of you about it first."
"Woah, chief. Hold up! We support you in anything you do." Charlotte cried when she saw his face.
"Helix, we'll always support you even if you make mistakes." Marie said with a serious expression.
"We know your intentions are always pure." Riley followed.
Helix gave them warm smiles before his expression crumbled.
"Thank you for being so forgiving."
He took a deep breath and sighed.
"No. I'm very sorry. Yesterday, I was emotional." Helix reiterated.
"I was accused of treason, soldiers tried to kill me, and everyone keeps stabbing our goodwill."
Charlotte wanted to speak, but she understood it was time to listen.
"I did something reckless this morning." He chuckled bitterly.
"And it might have put you in danger. I really must apologize."
"Helix… what did you do?" Marie whispered while motioning Riley to turn her body.
The group had a laying arrangement for normal cuddling.
Marie and Riley turned their bodies so that Marie's head was on his chest, and Riley's was on his stomach.
They did this so everyone could get close.
Marie and Charlotte let Riley sleep next to him twice a week.
She refused nightly switching, so the arrangement was by her request.
"As you know, I haven't been able to tell you anything I've learned from Linux." Helix began.
"Most specifically, if I have or have not learned anything about the past Earthians."
Their faces became animated when they heard their words.
"I still don't see why not." Charlotte said with a wry smile.
"Because we are under a bloodpact." Helix sighed.
Everyone's eyes widened in fear and shock.
—Three months ago. Meeting Linus, the Scholar Grandmaster in Kozen, after waking.—
"Hello, Sir Helix." A man said while walking over for a handshake.
He was a pudgy man with a face that was constantly a light shade of red.
His brown hair was messy and slightly balding.
Those that looked at him saw him as a teacher on sight.
The man screamed [I'm a fifty-year-old historian that would've died a virgin if I didn't get married].
His gentle face made him look like he'd be awkward and jolly at a party if he weren't.
"Hello, Grandmaster Linus." Helix replied with a slight smile.
"Please, come sit. We have much to discuss and those heathens will beat me to death if we go over." Linus replied with a nervous laugh.
Helix hadn't known Tyrene or Tilo for more than three days.
However, he knew that they were the type that would threaten someone weaker if they pounced on an apprentice.
They didn't even like sharing him amongst themselves.
If Tilo wasn't a clear winner and Helix wasn't in a unique position, he was certain Tyrene would break the limbs of any dissidents.
Helix shivered and walked to the table with Linus.
The two were in a room Linus had rented in Lexion; every one set up shop in different ways. While Tilo and Tyrene lived like Spartans in room-sized trailers, Linus already had a room booked out.
They were in his rented study, which he would remain at for the next four months during his time with Helix before returning to Alzeria.
"I'm certain you know why I've traveled here." Linus asserted.
"Yes. I can take an educated guess." Helix chuckled.
Linus narrowed his eyes in interest.
"I can tell. You've requested that TIlo replace my Level 4 Circles of Privacy with the legendary Circle of Secrecy." He commented.
"Does that mean that you also seek information with gravity?"
Helix nodded with a serious expression.
"With the Myriad Library, I have access to nearly unlimited resources."
Linus started salivating at the reminder.
"However, I don't know where to look for certain information I wish to seek." Helix continued.
"To put it bluntly, there is certain information I want, such as the history of previous Earthians."
Linus froze with a serious expression and started trembling nervously.
"However, that information is classified.
Therefore, I ask that our conversations are secret and we enter into a blood pact together to never share our information sources.
Also, not to share information in a context that could threaten the source of the information unless agreed upon."
Linus gave Helix a troubled expression.
"Sir Helix. I've traveled 1000 miles to speak to you for information from the Myriad library." He replied nervously.
"It's expected that I gain knowledge from you in exchange for information I can provide you.
That is the purpose behind me being here."
Helix gave the man a slight smile.
"Yes. As I've said, we can agree upon information that we share." He continued.
"You can share most of the information you gain from me, as you're here to obtain information from me, and I'm here to give it to you.
However, I seek a relationship where the knowledge you give [me] is not exposed, and I do not have to fight for your loyalty or secrecy to protect it.
Bare in mind that all information that you can be tied back to the Myriad Library. Therefore, you're not responsible for teaching me anything."
Linus' eyes widened in surprise.
"Yes… that is reasonable. However…." The man grimaced.
"Sir Helix. You do understand it sounds like you're seeking information that could be harmful to the Alzerian kingdom. Right?"
Helix nodded with a serious expression.
"I do understand that. I do not expect you to answer my questions."
The man gave him a puzzled expression.
"However, this is a give and take relationship." Helix continued with a calm voice.
"During our time together, I will answer your questions and let you [copy] works verbatim if you wish."
Linus' eyes widened in shock.
"That is an exchange for providing me with the answers I seek." Helix reasoned with a slight smile.
"I do not expect you to answer, but I ask that you respect my intentions and answer my questions.
I will not ask about the Earthians until we build a relationship of trust between us."
Linus' eyes glided to the left.
"So if I enter into a blood pact with you, I do not need to answer questions and I can justify reasons for not doing so?" He asked.
"Yes. I'm not an unreasonable person." Helix said with a smile.
"I won't take your hesitance or unwillingness to answer certain questions as a reason for a breakdown.
I'd only ask that you try and be willing to give me some information if it's not absolutely threatening."
"If that is the case. I'm willing to enter into a blood pact with you after negotiating a contract." Linus replied.
"However, I ask that Grandmaster General Tyrene Masney and Grandmaster Tilo Salazar agree to it and oversee the blood pact ritual."
"That is acceptable." Helix nodded.
The two spent a whole day working out their contract with details on how to exchange and handle information from the other party.
Tilo and Tyrene both took that matter seriously, as a bloodpact would kill the other party.
Therefore, setting up the contract was a serious ordeal that needed flexibility.
Once they completed their bloodpact, as promised, the two started their relationship, providing information to each other twice a week, building trust.
—Present Time—
"You're under a bloodpact!?" Marie cried. She understood just how dangerous they were.
"Hellie, why—"
Helix sighed and raised his hand. Everyone quieted down instantly.
"We have an ultra-flexible contract." He explained.
"One of the stipulations is that we can share information if we can corroborate the source of it.
Naturally, I can corroborate just about anything with the Myriad Library, and I gave him permission to share anything he learned from me.
The contract mainly protects him from disclosing what I learned from him. So I'm not in danger.
However, there was no way for me to corroborate the information that I got from Linus about the Earthians, and I could not search for the information in the Library. It's locked."
Everyone fell silent, looking at him in confusion.
"However, I requested the aid of Zenith to tell me what happened to the other Earthians."
However, they saw Helix's harrowed expression and calmed your enthusiasm.
"Since I didn't learn the information from Linus, I can share that now." He continued.
"Did you use our [present] from yesterday to get the information?" Riley asked with a warm smile.
Helix shot her a gentle smile in response.
"Yes. Thank you Riley, Charlotte." He chuckled.
"If it weren't for you both. I would have died today."
"Died today!?" Marie cried.
Helix chuckled and ran his fingers through her hair.
"No. Not literally." He said with a slight smile.
"It's just…. She was seriously pissed when I asked for the information."
—
[A/N: A reminder: Zenith shows up in chapter 6 or 7, and then he ghosts her. You'll figure out what the present was in the next chapter. It's pretty amusing.
Thanks for reading, everyone!]
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