Chapter Text
"You aren't in any more control of your familiar! It's just so slow that you can't tell it's running away!"
Sometimes, Clive forgot just how young Humphrey was. He comported himself in such a dignified manner, it was easy to forget he was still just a teenager. Which only made it hit even harder when he actually acted his age.
Rather than let himself get drawn into an argument, Clive waited until Humphrey had a secure hold on his menace of a familiar, and started the airboat up again. He was a good guy, really. And a loyal friend. He saved Clive's life. Clive could show him a little patience in return.
As he drove, he started planning ahead to what steps he would need to take upon returning to the Magic Society. The first priority obviously had to be reading up more on the mechanics of starseeds. Having a way to detect them would make it easier to root out others who might be lying in wait. One of his mentor's journals had a basic diagram in it. Once he was back in his study, he should be able to fashion a rudimentary model for experimentation.
Of course, that would require having access to his study, again. Surely, this new threat signified the end of the ridiculous disciplinary actions Lamprey had been heaping onto him. Even someone as disgusting and self-serving as him had to see the value in prioritizing world-ending threats over petty grudges. And even if he didn't, Finn at least would. He was probably a better person to ask, actually.
Behind him, he vaguely registered Humphrey and Jason making plans for building their adventuring team. They were talking about some healer they knew who apparently hated Jason. He insisted he would have to go over and apologize, which was something Clive would pay good money to see.
"That'll make five, then, right?" Humphrey asked.
"Yep," Jason said.
"Who are the other two?" Clive asked.
"You and her," Jason told him, jerking a thumb at Sophie.
Clive's brain came to a screeching halt.
"You want me on your team?" Clive asked.
"Of course we do," Humphrey said, like it was somehow obvious.
Clive floundered for an adequate response. The canvas of his mind was unhelpfully blank.
"Don't you want someone, I don't know… good?"
Jason and Humphrey shared a glance and laughed.
"You are good," Humphrey told Clive.
If it had been Jason, Clive would have just assumed he was saying whatever he thought would get him what he wanted. Humphrey wasn't much of a manipulator, though.
"I am?"
"You are," Jason said.
"Oh," Clive said. "Really?"
"Don't get me wrong; you're no solo operator," Jason said. "You need someone to stand between you and the bad guy, but once you have that, you've got the goods."
That sounded… distressingly plausible. Clive ran a few scenarios through in his mind. Jason had good mobility and endurance, and Humphrey could do some intense damage as a brawler. Neither of them had much in the way of ranged damage, though. Maybe they really did have a use for him, after all.
"And she's good, too?" Clive asked, looking at Sophie.
"No, but she's cheap," Jason said, right before Sophie punched him on the arm.
The two of them descended into their usual obnoxious squabbling. Clive barely noticed. His thoughts kept starting and stopping in fits. An adventuring team. Him.
Humphrey's mother probably told him to do it.
He would be an active adventurer again.
No one even asked him, they just all assumed!
Well, Jason had asked a couple of times, in fairness. It was just that Clive thought he was speaking in more general terms. He assumed that was just Jason checking whether it was okay to ask him on group contracts again. He didn't realize they were considering an actual, registered team.
Maybe it should have been obvious, in hindsight. After all, there was no reason to ask in advance about theoretical group contracts. Those were accepted or rejected on a case-by-case basis.
Did he even want to be on an adventuring team again?
He thought about the gut-wrenching terror of facing the marsh hydra. He thought about wading through the rotten, squelching muck. Then he thought about the extremely rare skill book, and the ring he still hadn't gotten a chance to test properly.
Maybe he could test it on those monsters who killed his friend and were attempting to destroy the entire world, for the sake of temporary power. Give them a thorough demonstration in just how foolish that exchange was.
Maybe he could cast a void straight through their necks, the way he'd done with the hydra. It looked like an exceptionally painful way to die.
The work atmosphere at the Magic Society was growing increasingly tense, anyway, with the way Lamprey was responding to his association with Jason and Sophie. He never did anything that directly violated contractual boundaries, too aware of the scrutiny he was under, but the number of administrative disciplinary actions he'd been subjected to was getting ridiculous. It was probably a good idea to start forming a more sustainable backup plan.
Which meant there was something he had to stop putting off.
"Would you all mind if we made a quick detour before heading back to the city?" He blurted out. Too late, he realized he had cut Belinda off mid-sentence.
Jason locked eyes with him for a brief moment, and understanding registered on his face. The corner of his mouth quirked up in a smirk.
"Finally ready to tell them?"
Clive nodded.
"Tell who?" Belinda asked. "I thought this supposed to all be top secret."
"No, not that. I mean, not about the Builder. I just…" He trailed off. This was uncomfortable. He wished there was some way to get them to understand the information, without having to talk about it. But that wasn't how things worked.
"Clive wants to tell his family he's adventuring again," Jason finished for him.
Oh. Apparently that was how things worked. Not for the first time, Clive found himself grateful for Jason's ability to perceive and handle social situations.
The whole group turned to look at him. Clive looked sharply ahead. He could feel his face burning.
Humphrey placed a hand on his shoulder. Thankfully, he also quickly removed it, upon feeling the flinch Clive couldn't suppress. He switched to comforting words, instead.
"Of course we'll go with you. We are a team, after all."
His aura training had been paying off. He could feel the unified support and agreement radiating from everyone. Clive kept his eyes on the water, but nodded.