Percy's actions and words left Daneel tongue-tied for a moment, but as soon as he recovered, he stepped forward and raised the man by his shoulders.
There were a few moments in his journey in Angaria so far that he cherished so much that he would be reminded of them in times of peace or strife, and instantly, this one was added to them.
Someone who had seemed like he was just an annoying brat had proven himself to be one of the most reliable individuals that Daneel could trust, and today, he had taken that one step further.
Truth always had a way of either binding or breaking relationships, and in this case, it had clearly taken the effect of the former.
After looking into Percy's sincere eyes for a few seconds, Daneel grinned and replied, saying, "Only if you're still that kid at heart who hit himself to make it seem as if we had fought."
His reply made Percy beam, and with a nod, he said, "It's a deal."
He looked as if he was going to bow again to formally accept him as his master, as the last one could be called a sham, but stopping him by not letting go of his shoulders, Daneel said, "Don't bother with the formalities. You're now one of those in my inner circle. And…I'm still thinking about it, but perhaps you will head a different group like the 'Sovereigns'. When I think up a name, it will be formed, and although there are other candidates, you are the first to be formally inducted into it. Don't take it lightly, though: it means that you will have a lot of work to do, and for the good of the continent…we will even be endangering our lives."
With a shrug, Percy said, "If it weren't for you, I would have either killed myself or been killed by my father by now. I now have 3 reasons to live for: myself, you, and this world which suffered so much because of me. Yes, I am speaking about all those people my father killed out of sport in order to keep me in line. I have many things to do, but right now, of course…the priority is to beat that Church back like the dogs they are."
Barking out a laugh, Daneel clapped Percy's shoulder again and said, "Exactly. Now, let's get straight to work. Who is this, by the way?"
Daneel's question was in regard to the individual against whom Percy's apparition had been battling with before.
His objective had been clear: he had been training his Path which enabled him to mimic that of others in order to find weak points in them, but why was he doing it here? And who was this individual he had found?
Although Percy had made him leave the premises due to Daneel's arrival, he was still being held in a place closeby, and with his curiosity piqued, he had decided to ask.
"Oh, him? You must know the history of this place, right? I heard long ago that the paranoid guy who built this did leave behind a treasure, so because I had a little bit of free time, I decided to investigate. Turns out that it was all a scam…the old man survived like an Empire Spirit, and his family, or at least, the remainder of it, was cursed to keep bringing innocent people to him so that he could forcefully possess them and cling on to sanity. He lost it a long time back, though, so what he usually does with these innocent people is go on rampages in small towns or villages once every century or so which are hushed up. I HATE old men who impose themselves on their children, so I put myself on this case…and the result was quite satisfying. Over time, they had all weakened a lot, so all it took was a ruse. I acted as if I was the long-lost wife of that old guy who went missing and had survived as a consciousness, too, and after gaining access to the object in which he was living… I destroyed it right away."
Daneel couldn't help but blink and recall the shamelessness that was inherent in almost all members of the Sect of Hedon as he heard this tale.
Percy, in particular, had a specific way of thinking which he quite liked. When he had spoken about that part about a ruse, he had transformed into a mature woman with a seductive smile who was wearing a very, very tight-fitting dress, and seeing how perfectly he had pulled it off, Daneel had wondered whether this wasn't the first time he was using a plan like this.
Either way, different perspectives were always welcome, so shaking his head and patting Percy's shoulder, Daneel said, "Well done. I'll make sure this tale is immortalized in the Empire we're building. 'Percy, the Seductress,' it shall be called, and it shall be sung of in bars and taverns across Angaria."
This instantly made Percy blush and get a sheepish expression on his face, and seeing it, Daneel burst out laughing before controlling himself and motioning at the man to continue, because the tale was clearly not finished.
Scratching his head and hoping that Daneel was joking, Percy said, "Most of the family had been forced into oaths, so they had no choice but to bring innocent lambs to slaughter. But this guy…loved it. He was the eldest son, and it seems that he has inherited all of the things which gave his ancestor such a terrible reputation. The rest were relieved when I destroyed that object, but this guy attacked me! So…I decided to 'recruit' him as my training partner. This way, he'll at least be of some use to the world before dying…"
With a nod, Daneel decided that they had dallied here enough.
First, he flicked his fingers, and at first, it looked as if nothing had happened.
A moment after that, though…a terrible scream rose up in the air, and it felt as if it were coming from a place far, far away.
Percy looked surprised, at first, but just as he started looking around…he grabbed his head and fell to the ground, before opening his mouth and joining that scream.
His was filled with pain, while the other was filled with unwillingness, and while Daneel watched on with a stoic expression, it seemed as if a battle had begun between the two, with the victor being the one that would last longer.
"AAARGH!"
Finally, through sheer will, Percy managed to get up, and at that moment, both screams ceased.
His face was completely white, devoid of blood, and as he looked at Daneel while sweat poured down his cheeks, the King gave the answer to the question in his mind.
"Consciousnesses can be tricky things. I had two reasons for asking for the tale: one was because I felt something on you, and the other was curiosity. You managed to give me the answer for both. That old man managed to worm his way into your consciousness, and if he had been left unattended, he would have succeeded in taking control of you. It might not have happened any time soon, but he would have started to change you bit by bit without your knowledge, and maybe a century later, he would have been reborn. I have quite a bit of experience in the topic…so I took care of it for you. Percy, I know you've gotten used to doing things alone, but now, you have people you can rely on. I could have explained this beforehand to allow you to brace yourself, but that would have sent him into hiding…well, this way, you'll remember, too. In the future, work together, either with me, or my sovereigns. They are all also very fond of you for what you've done, and I can confidently say that if you are open to it…we can be the family you never had."
Daneel would normally not have said something as cliched as that last sentence if he were talking to anyone else. In Percy's case, though…he didn't find a way in which he could express his intention better, so he went with it, and when he saw the slightest hint of tears in the man's eyes, he knew that he had struck the right cord.
It was hard for someone who was used to being a loner to accept that he didn't have to continue to be so. Like a famous actor said on earth, loneliness could be a disease, and it would cling on to someone in order to try and not and let go of them.
Turning around and pretending as if he hadn't seen anything, he flicked his fingers again, and this time, they were teleported away.
The place they arrived at, though, was all too familiar to Percy, and after a few seconds, he recovered and asked, "Why are we here?"
They were over the Sect of Hedon, which seemed to be in a state of high alert. People were hurrying in all directions, tensions were high, and it seemed as if everyone was bracing themselves for something.
Looking at this, Daneel chuckled and said, "We're at war, my boy. A war that might actually be just as important as the one we will have to face when the Church returns. That war is for the present, whereas this one…is for the future. Anyway, here's what I want you to do…"
…
"We're ready."
At the same time, in an underwater cavern hidden deep in the Endless Sea, 30 individuals had gathered, and were sitting around an archaic table on which tea had been served.
Only vague humanoid shapes could be seen, and no matter how much anyone tried, no other details could be gleaned about the inhabitants.
As soon as this message was heard, all of them raised their teacups and drank.
Setting the cups down, they looked at each other, and it seemed as if they were hesitant regarding who would speak first.
Finally, it was a man who did so.
"First, let me reiterate: all communication shall only be done through consciousness linking. The tea we drank has initiated the link. Even the Church can't eavesdrop on us now. Second, let us get right down to it: I don't know what that kid is doing, but my Path…tells me that it is not good for us. We have gathered because we all share the same thought: whether we side with Angaria or the Church, we just want to continue to live. With that kid's appearance, it started to seem as though Angaria might have a chance. But if my premonition is right…what is going to happen is going to change Angaria in ways we cannot imagine. All I know right now is that it won't be good for us. So, we have gathered to create a backup plan- and that brings me to my guest. Everyone, please welcome Sir Kovac, Master Assassin of the TriCobra Society."