After convincing Mr. APPLe to join his little project, Isaac soon made his way to various sections of the facility they were currently in.
Indeed, the facility was more like a holding cell rather than a guest area of the Foundation, albeit those two can be synonymous to each other if one can twist it around a bit.
He wasn't just exploring out of pure whim, however, and was instead engraving the layout of the building itself in his mind.
Information was a vital resource in a siege, and knowing the intricate passages, rooms, and entrances was essential if they were to defend themselves for the next couple of months.
While he was on his stroll, however, he wasn't completely alone. The guards assigned to watch over him were still present, albeit giving him some space — about ten to fifteen meters away from him at all times.
Needless to say, he didn't like the ones accompanying him that much. From time to time, they'll interject with what he was doing, blocking him off certain areas, or even outright dragging him away if he were to suddenly enter somewhere.
In the end, after memorizing the layout of the building, Isaac finally felt satisfied and went back to his room.
On his way back, however, he suddenly saw a familiar figure walking down a hallway.
Immediately recognizing who it was, he quickly greeted her with a jovial attitude.
"Ms. Vertin! What a coincidence to meet you here." He called her out while waving his hand in the air.
Turning her head and looking at Isaac, she scrutinized him for a moment before nodding lightly. "Well, we are in the Foundation's grounds. The chances of us meeting are always high."
"...that's a good point." Reflecting back on his words, he had to admit that what he said was quite thoughtless. Conjuring a wry smile, he lightly shrugged. "A habit of mine, apologies. But enough of that — what are you doing today, Ms. Vertin?"
Seeing how Vertin was yet to be taken away and put in an artificial somnambulism machine, it meant that the start of the third chapter was yet to commence. Of course, he still can't rule out the possibility that she was currently on her way to the said machine and he just happened to meet her on the way there.
Vertin looked at Isaac pensively for a few moments as if contemplating something deep about him. Certain memories flashed through her mind, and, after lingering for a while, she answered him. "Hm... Mr. Isaac, do you have time today?"
"Hm? Well, yeah. I don't have much to do anyway. Just been collecting some seeds." He leisurely spoke.
At the mention of seeds, a curious look flashed through her eyes. "For the cabin you're building?"
"..." Not knowing how to respond to such a question, Isaac froze once more. Then, he sighed while murmuring under his breath. "...so everyone knows, huh..."
Really, thinking that he could be low-key was a futile endeavor.
Watching Isaac for a bit, Vertin paused briefly before immediately answering his aforementioned question. "Returning to my question... If you're free, can you accompany me back to the suitcase? I wish to make another attempt at the Lake."
"Oh?" At the mention of the Lake, a pensive expression formed on his face, clearly intrigued by the idea brought forth by her. He then hummed. "The first time you interacted with the Lake and spun the wheel, Sonetto appeared. Following another attempt, you got me. I wonder... Who are you gonna pull in the next round?"
This question does intrigue Isaac quite much. It essentially meant that Vertin was now actively expanding her circle of private arcanists at her disposal.
This quality — to be able to call forth arcanists from varying eras and locations to her suitcase — was exactly what made Vertin an important and risky asset to the Foundation.
It was because — with her suitcase — Vertin was akin to a walking independent faction who can muster up her own force at any given moment. Because of this, the Foundation is worried that risky individuals would appear among her summoned companions, thus leading to major problems.
'Surely it won't be someone too powerful, right?' Isaac jest, thinking to himself of the possibility of a sudden powerful ally. 'Nah, that won't happen. That would instantly break the delicate balance of the story and derail the original course of events.'
Which was a direct contradiction to what Isaac was trying to achieve.
Looking at Vertin, he soon gave his answer after staying quiet for a good while. "Sure, I'm down with coming. The more the merrier, after all."
Seeing how he was in on it, Vertin nodded her head slightly before turning around and gesturing for him to walk alongside her.
The two, watched by the guards, soon made their way back to the Vertin's room where her suitcase was.
After arriving, they spent no time idling and immediately entered the suitcase, anticipating the arrival of either a new comrade or enemy.
---
Finding themselves amidst the foggy and mystical Lake, their footsteps echoed and reverberated all around them.
Just as it had been before, the Lake appeared tranquil with very little disturbance on its surface. Surrounding it was a thin layer of fog that seemed to be perpetually guarding it from the outside world.
Finally, that same broken Spinning Wheel was present in the middle of the tranquil Lake, as if awaiting those who lay their eyes upon it to take a spin.
Isaac glanced around before speaking. "Say, Ms. Vertin, have you ever thought about who or what you might summon now? I mean, for all we know, you might end up pulling a Manus Vindictae member."
"Worse yet, a lying scumbag who secretly wants to gain something from you." He added.
'Uh...' After saying those words, however, he paused for a moment, as if he had just given himself away. Then, smiling wryly, he continued as if nothing happened. "...or something like that, you know?"
"If it's someone to be reasoned with, then that's ideal. Otherwise, I have you as a helper if things go south." She said, her gait fixed and calm as she walked. "Recruiting arcanists in this way is something I haven't done before, nor has there been any record of it in the Foundation — at least, from what I'm aware of. As such, caution is always a necessity when dealing with the unknown like this."
At her words, he nodded. "Indeed. What you're talking about is intrinsic fear all of humanity possesses. For fear is the oldest and strongest emotion of mankind, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown."
Hearing his words, Vertin suddenly stopped walking, turning to him, and raising a brow. "That quote... H. P. Lovecraft?"
"Bingo." He smiled. "I'm a big fan of him and his stories, as well as the other stories that spawned from his ideas. Are you also a fan?"
"I can't say I'm a fan. Just a reader." She shook her head before turning ahead once more. "But I do know someone who loves him in the Foundation. He goes by the alias of Horropedia, and, as his name suggests, he has an encyclopedic memory of all things horror."
"Sounds like a fun guy. I think I'll have a nice chat with him." Isaac hummed in amusement.
Their little chat continued on for a bit more before finally, they reached the center of the Lake and Vertin once more stood before the broken Spinning Wheel. Isaac, meanwhile, stood just behind her, prepared to act if things went awry.
Holding the odd contraption, she lingered for a bit, as if recalling something in her mind.
Then, opening her eyes, she spun the wheel.
Sure enough, like the last time, a golden glow emanated from the Spinning Wheel in all directions, enveloping the waters around it with a golden hue.
A moment later, that golden light began to coalesce, slowly outlining the appearance of someone.
Catching sight of the silhouette of the person, Isaac, who was on standby, froze as he recognized it. 'That's...'
The golden light didn't take long to fully coagulate and materialize the figure of a new arcanist Vertin summoned.
- Splash...
Falling to the surface of the Lake just like Isaac, that new arcanist — or if it was an arcanist at all — remained motionless for a while before twitching.
Then, picking itself up, it staggered for a while before fully standing up — or at least from what Vertin and Isaac were able to tell.
Then, it spoke.
"Are thou Someone's new master?" The new summoned arcanist spoke, almost reminiscent of Arcana's archaic way of speaking. It continued with a solemn tone. "Someone is just a knight, nameless, wandering, beholden to thee for taking me in. If thou dost not mind, please let Someone serve thee till the end."
With only a worn-out tattered cloak, a pair of medieval knight iron gloves, and a sword stained with seemingly fresh blood with letters inscribed on its surface, the new arcanist introduced itself, only referring to itself by 'Someone' and 'A knight', as if it had long lost its name.
Or perhaps it never did have one, and only served as the garments of someone who did — long, long time ago.
Looking at the arcanist that had no body but only items, Vertin lingered for a while before responding to the knight's request. "I can grant that request, but... Do you not have a name?"
"Someone does not need one, for a name only accompanies those who aren't nameless." The disembodied knight replied.
"Then... How about we just call you A Knight?" Chiming in their conversation from the sides, Isaac offered a proposition. "Seems fitting, innit?"
"Someone does not disagree. If thou wish to address Someone by this, then Someone shall abide." A Knight, staying true to its name, offered humility and accepted the name.
"There you have it." Isaac smirked at Vertin. "A new member to our team, a disembodied voice named A Knight."
"..." Watching Isaac name the new arcanist, Vertin stared at him for a few moments, as if not believing his boldness. Shortly after, however, she shook her head. "Alright, it's settled then."
"Welcome to the suitcase, A Knight."