Page 22 of The Misfit Mage and His Dashing Devil

“I think that is wise, Chancellor Alden,” the old grumpy vanguard chancellor said. “Let’s avoid any discrepancies during such a dire time.”

I raised my brows. No. Fucking. Way.

“Psst. Psst. Psst,” I called out in a loud hush. “Walter. Earth to Walter.”

He ignored me, keeping his eyes locked on the chancellors, shaking like a leaf about to be swept into a hurricane.

“Is that your mommy? Damn. No wonder you’re so gloomy all the time. You mentioned your failures a lot, but I didn’t realize exactly how big of a legacy failure you were.”

He ground his teeth, tension so tight in his clamped jaw, I felt the slightest pressure in my molars. My chest heated. Ugh. It was bad enough feeling faint traces of his injuries, I didn’t need his physical reactions as well.

“Let us commence the tribunal on Walter Alden’s involvement in the attack on Magus Remington and the Magus Estate as well as the diplomatic integrity of our council,” the artisan chancellor said.

“A reminder: we cannot draw hasty conclusions. I would personally like to hear from Wally before we throw out swift judgments,” the archivist chancellor said. He was an older man, a bit rounder in the middle and with thinner hair than the last time I’d seen him. Guess as the leader of the archives, he didn’t prioritize spending much time in them. At least not the repository. In fact, once Walter started, this chancellor never came back around. Still, he had kind words and a creepy—I suppose some would say sincere—smile when looking at the shaky mage.

“I concur,” the panacea chancellor said. “Most of these allegations seem circumstantial, and I’d like—”

“Of course, you’d like to give your academy pal a pass,” the grouchy old vanguard chancellor interjected. “You shouldn’t even be in this hearing.”

Based on the calm composure of the young healing chancellor, I gathered the vanguard had showed off an arrogant need to talk over her on more than one occasion.

I chuckled. What a shitshow this tribunal was turning into. “Pardon, oh great and wise mages, best of your regiments and most suited for circle jerks, but can you get this started? The sooner you’re done, the sooner I can commence my newfound freedom.”

Vanguard practitioners on either side of me surged with mana, like they were flexing their feeble muscles to intimidate me.

“Or are we waiting on Walter’s representation to arrive?”

“That’s not how our tribunals work,” the archivist chancellor said, creepy smile intact.

“We are the authority here,” Chancellor Mommy Dearest explained. “It is Walter’s responsibility to explain his actions, his role.”

“I didn’t have a role. I don’t know anything."

If this were a Mythic hearing, Walter would have a real opportunity to explain his case, justify these claims. But mages only ever wanted things tucked into neat black and white packages.

“Well, I’m not a mage. And I sure as hell don’t acknowledge your authority—”

“You are a Diabolicthing; you have no voice in this hearing,” the vanguard chancellor said, utter disdain in his tone and a fiery glare in his eyes. I could’ve glared back, acknowledged how much I despised mages who dehumanized and devalued me by only calling me a thing, a monster, but no matter how sharp witted or cruel my comment, it’d only encourage him. So, I puckered my lips and blew him a kiss. The discomfort and disgust in his wrinkled old face was mildly satisfying. A threat would’ve been more enjoyable. Live and learn.“Why is this thing even in here?”

“We didn’t have a choice in its presence,” the artisan crone answered, “given Walter’s actions.”

Ah yes, Worthless Walter and our Diabolic bond.It forced our close proximity. During my elevator trip to this tribunal, the tether yanked the entire ride up. Thought I’d collapse through the bottom every single floor up. Walter reminded me of that expression ‘can’t live without him, can’t kill him until my essence left his system.’ I also couldn’t let this tribunal of regiment chancellor clowns kill him either. This long drawn back and forth really all came down to that.

“Walter Alden,” the vanguard chancellor began, “we have reason to believe you hacked into the Magus Estate systems. This turned off all early detection protocols, jammed alert signals, and sealed all portals in and out of the estate.”

Walter trembled, biting his lip as he listened to these outlandish accusations. It was what he did whenever he realized his thought process was best left internal, one of the few times he caught his need to speak his thoughts. It made him look like a weird squirrel, but it made for quiet working hours. Okay, minutes. It was Walter; he was allergic to silence.

“In killing Magus Remington, you also undid the protection wards across the estate.”

Yeah, since Remington arrogantly used his mana and magic as the catalyst to activate and seal all the artifacts, making him the key to his little archives. Narcissistic much? Pride goeth before the fall, or in this case, directly after. Good riddance.

I squinted because none of these details added up unless Walter had hidden his true intentions that night, and quite frankly, over the last three years. “Worthless Walter couldn’t have killed the Magus. He was with me when the wards failed.”

Also, he was too weak-willed to kill. Too weak in general to succeed.

“It’s our belief the Mythics and fellow misfit mages acquired in this conspiracy targeted the former magus while Walter raided the vaults.”

“I-I-I’d never.”

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