Machinist of Mana Chapter 99 Confrontation

“I will have an answer,” I said, voice hard as steel and cold as ice.

“Sir, please calm down, really it's fine, everything is fine.” Mrs. Rider had never seen me angry, truly angry before. As a point of fact, few people had, irritated, sure, unhappy, all the time, even a bit mad, yes, that happened, but the cold fury working its way through my veins now was something rare.

“Then you can answer me.”

“Your f-father was working his way through the finances and found we had too many maids, so he decided to...”

“Did he now?” I finished her explanation for myself, gathering clues from what I'd heard before. “And how many did he let go?”

“Just one sir, Kaylee is the newest and so.” She let the sentence die and I understood.

“Have her return to her duties, I will speak to him of this.” My piece said I turned on my heel and began to walk away.

For years I'd thought of how I felt with her around, but never really considered how he did. It must be such a burden for him, seeing the child he made but never took care of. That was the true reason for this, shame, shame and an unwillingness to do what was right. Well, if he couldn't be the man he needed to be on his own, I would have to take care of it myself.

I could hear the calm breathing of my mother from her room as I passed, telling me she'd already gone to bed. Good, I didn't want her involved in this at all, but not my father, he'd retreated to his office after dinner as he so often did, obsessed with his work.

There was no stomping, no noise as I moved, slipping through the house like a silent thundercloud, promises of thunder and fury building as I made my way to his workroom. This was a place I had seen few times, and been allowed to tarry in fewer, but that hardly mattered now.

The door opened easily at my touch, and I pulled myself inside, closing it behind me. He sat there, leaning over several vials of one substance or another, a notebook open before him. In a moment he looked up, blinking in surprise and sitting back, eyes widening as he registered my expression.

“Percival, why are you here?”

“What exactly do you think you are doing?” I snarled.

“Whatever do you,”

“Kaylee, do you think you can throw her away? You daughter, my sister? What foolishness entered your thick head to lead to that plan?”

“That's nonsense boy, and I am your father, you will address me with!” he began.

“The respect by which you have comported yourself,” I spat in response, teeth grinding. “Do you think me a fool who hadn't noticed? I knew before I could speak the words, as do grandfather and grandmother. No, I kept my peace since I was assured she was safe, biding my time until I could do right by her, and you think I'll allow this?”

“You'll allow?” he said, bass seeping into his voice. “This is my home, and I will say what is allowed. I will see that there is propriety and it is clear I must correct your behavior.”

I felt the spell wrapping around me, something he'd cast, something quick, something to bind. With a flex of my will and an internal push it shattered like paper thin glass.

Only a moment passed between my training proving its usefulness and the moment I was upon him. My sword, the one hidden within the cane he himself had made for me slid from its sheath and stopped an inch from his face.

“Propriety? How about I take my sister to our grandparents after carving her name into your forehead? What will your propriety say then? Oh I imagine the rumors will be terrible, and mother would want to know too wouldn't she? They offered you know, when I was still small, told her mother to come to them if they ever needed help. I'm sure they would take us in, without a second thought.”

He didn't try to cast again. There were rules in this world, wizards and priests were terribly powerful, but once a physical magic user like myself got in melee range, it was over. No spell would stop me before I could slice him to ribbons, and we both knew it, one chance was all I'd needed.

“Son,” he said, voice coming down. “Calm yourself before you do something you'll regret.”

“If I were not in control, you would no be able to speak,” I said through gritted teeth. “So what will it be?”

His eyes searched mine, then clicked around, looking for some out, but there was none. I would make good on that threat, and he knew it, somewhere deep down. There was also some shame there, a tinge, like he understood on some level that what I was doing was what he should be doing to himself.

“Put the blade down son, if...” he seemed to almost say something, but changed his mind. “The girl can stay.”

With a swift movement I withdrew my blade slipping it into the cane it belonged in. The next moment he sat back down, almost falling into his chair. I could see his hand tremble slightly, the shock of what had happened still sinking in.

“I do not care if you speak to her, or acknowledge her, or anything else, but should you try anything like this again and I will take time out of my busy schedule to come personally teach you how to unfuck yourself.”

That might have been the first time he'd ever heard me curse, but he didn't acknowledge it, simply sitting there. My piece done I turned, leaving him to, honestly I didn't care.

The door was open, cracked, and as I approached, I heard the sound of heavy breathing, saw the small eye just behind it. I opened it and stepped out into the hallway, shielding Kaylee with my body from our father's view until I could pull the latch closed behind me. Her eyes were saucers, flicking between me and the door behind me.

“Come downstairs,” I told her as gently as I could. “We'll talk, everything is going to be okay.” Poor girl must have had quite the day, and this was not the best way to learn this kind of thing. Though would there be a better one? I didn't know.

“Your... my...” she stumbled.

“Yes, now let's go. I'd rather not have this conversation overheard. Don't worry, I'll take care of you.”

She blinked again and her eyes settled on me, on the small, pained smile I knew I wore. With that she let me lead her down to my workshop, where we could finally talk as we should.