The Midnight Sun

“Pleased to meet you, Ms. Elendrili. You have indeed come to the right person to seek employment within Isra, I am by far the largest- and many would say the best employer in Isra. You seem to quite the level-headed and competent individual, so I’m fairly confident I’ll be able to offer you a position you’ll find suitable. To do that, I would like to ask you about yourself. I’d like to know what field of work you’d be most interested in, and what skills, capabilities, and talents you have.”

“Well, alright then, there we go. Excellent, that was surprisingly simple. All I’m really looking for is information I don’t have about world events. There’s not really a good way to know what’s happening over in say, Gauldin, besides having someone who is there- or has been there, tell you. In Gauldin specifically, I have a sufficient number of informers and allies, but as far as the rest of the world is concerned, I’m essentially blind, save for what rumors drift about downstairs. I’d like information relating to essentially all aspects of other nations and regions, and their inhabitants. Information about the goings-on in their governments, rumors that circulate, noteworthy locations or events that you happen across, whatever you can find.”

“So! Here’s what we’re going to do. You’re going to make for me a list of everything that you need to travel the world. I intend to outfit you to the best of my ability up front, because I can afford to. Are your boots old? I’ll buy you new ones, that sort of thing. Whatever supplies you might need that would be pertinent, make a list, and I’ll have them provided. I’m also going to give you an assortment of magical communication devices and scrying foci, and you’ll carry those with you. Then, whenever you’re prepared to depart, you will do so, and head to some far off part of the world that I haven’t got enough information about. Once you’re there, you’re going to use the equipment I’ve given you to make regular reports back here, and tell us all about it. If there’s something that I’d like examined in more detail or investigated further, you’ll make a reasonable effort to do so, but not at risk to yourself.”

“Every month, I’ll send a messenger out to you with a supply of goods that are valuable in the land you’re currently in. That’ll probably mean gold, in more cases than not. Enough to support your travel-related expenses and some more on top of that as your salary. I’ll send that, and replacements for any supplies that you might need replaced. New boots if you wear yours out, or what-have-you.”

“For as long as you continue to supply information I don’t have, I will continue to supply you. Whatever you choose to do with your time beyond gathering and reporting information is yours to spend as you wish, just as so long as it doesn’t get in the way of your job for me. If all of that sounds agreeable to you, there should be some forms and writing supplies in the cabinet to your right. You’ll need to fill out your portions of those, so if you'd be so kind as to bring one of each over here, I'll guide you through filling them out. Though you don’t necessarily need to file for Isranian citizenship- since you're not going to be in the country, I would suggest doing so anyway because that makes doing my taxes simpler.”

   Whir hadn't been under another's regulation since he left his father's estate. It might prove annoying to have to answer to someone again... Still, what Naoki was offering was more than he expected or needed. And it sounded like if he wanted out of the agreement, he wouldn't be held to it, he'd just lose her support.

   He got up and found the equipment and paperwork, filling them out with Naoki's instruction. He paused at the form for citizenship. He wasn't sure what that would gain for him. He had been walking unimpeded through these lands so far... But if it came down to it, he could just say that he wasn't a citizen of this world...

   When the papers were in order, he looked back to the crystal ball. "Any place in particular you'd like me to start?"

"Not particularly, no. I hear rumors of a land south of Gauldin, but haven’t received trustworthy confirmation or denial of its existence. You could look into that, or perhaps the deserts to the south. I’ve heard rumblings of large scale activity there, but again, lack any reliable information about it. I’ll have you provided with a map. One of my associates is capable of creating enchanted parchment that can be made to be altered from afar. I will ask them to create a large map of the world as we’re aware of it, and leave you to fill in the parts we don’t. Along with this arrangement, I’ll also have you provided with any information you might need to suitably do your job. Have you made that list, as well?”

Naoki sits up in an attempt to look down on the documents on the table. However, due to the nature of how the crystal ball’s field of view works, she cannot quite see. All this motion accomplishes is placing her cleavage firmly in the field of view, and causing them to jiggle slightly as she cranes her neck, trying to resolve the documents.