A moment of silence descended upon them in that quiet room — the young man leisurely sitting with a playful smile and the scholarly woman sitting behind her desk with a surprised expression.
Looking at the young man who appeared to have no problem with what he had just said, Madam Z ruminates for a bit before speaking.
"Could you repeat that? Intrusion is one thing, but miscommunication is another matter."
Truly, staying true to her reputation, she valued concise information the most rather than misunderstandings.
The young man, on the other hand, appeared to have been taken aback, made a pondering expression, before a look of elucidation occurred.
"Oh... Yeah, that sounded wrong." He chuckled wryly, but deep inside, he felt a tad bit disappointed by her utter lack of reaction to his attempt at being sly. "Sorry about that. What I meant to say was that I wish to be of help."
"...Help me how?" Madam Z didn't attempt to prolong the conversation and immediately went to ask him what he really wanted.
She already knew who he was, and his supposed background which was submitted to the Foundation, which — oddly enough — felt vague in her memories. All she seems to vaguely remember was that he was an arcanist brought back by Vertin during her last mission.
Other than that, she knew nothing of the ghastly arcanist who was reported to weave mists and fog altogether seamlessly.
Isaac nodded, having expected that question already. "Although I said I can help you, in truth, I need your help too. It's something to do with what we, under Ms. Vertin, are currently facing."
"So you've already grasped what's happening in the Foundation." Madam Z perceptibly pointed out. Deciding to entertain the young man's presence, she decided to set aside what she was doing and converse with him. "But how would you be of help to me, Isaac? This is no ordinary matter, it's a battle of wits where normalcy is not accepted. You can just walk into it as you wish."
Conveniently, similar to Constantine who had a chessboard on her desk, Madam Z likewise had a Go board on her desk — a game similar to chess.
"I know I can't see myself being part of those who play the game." He spoke slowly. As he did so, he extended his hand, gesturing at her, and smiled darkly. "However, I can be a rather useful pawn for those who are playing it."
"I'm willing to be your eyes, ears, and hands behind your back if you want — anything to help you gain an advantage in this contemptuous political war that me and my comrades have been dragged into."
At this point, the carefree demeanor he had shown earlier was nowhere to be seen — but rather, all Madam Z was the visage of a man willing to offer his everything to achieve victory at the price of himself.
What she was focused on the most, however, were his eyes — they appeared lightless, yet that very darkness was what made it difficult to not fall into his words. It was akin to staring into the abyss, and it gazing back.
He continued, his dark smile carrying a flicker of madness.
"Use me as you wish, even stab me in the back if you see fit. However, just make sure that in the end, you'll win."
Madam Z watched him without blinking for a few moments. She had heard many desperate offers in her time in the Foundation. Loyalty forged from fear, ambition disguised as servitude. But this… this was different. Not because of the words, but because of what lay behind them.
She wanted to test those words.
She leaned back in her chair slightly. She then softly asked him a question. "You understand what you're offering me, Isaac? To be used, discarded, and ruined — that isn't loyalty. That's erasure."
"What if I told you to do something utterly devastating that could endanger yourself?"
He didn't flinch at her words. Instead, he scoffed with a shake of his head. "I'm fine with that. If it means that the possibility of us surviving by the end of all of this would rise — then I won't hesitate to throw myself to the lion's den."
"They'll never know, but at least they'll be safe."
Madam Z sighed lightly, upon hearing his unprecedented words. "I don't know if you're brave... or just have a few screws loose."
"I'm screwless for a long time now, unfortunately." He shrugged a bit before leaning back into the sofa. "So, how about it? Interested in my offer?"
Madam Z took her moment to ponder a bit before she raised her hand, reaching out to the Go board on her desk. She then moved a black stone forward — an aggressive position. Then, without looking at him, she spoke.
"Firstly, don't think of yourself as a mere disposable pawn. Pawns are meant to reach the end of the board — to be promoted."
Remembering Isaac's arcanum, she paused for a bit, coming up with a role for him to play in this game. After a while, she finally came up with a role that suited the reports of his abilities.
A fog that surrounds a battlefield...
She then turned to him. "So, what can you do?"
He smirked. "As you've already seen, Madam Z, I'm quite adept at infiltration. However — keep this a secret between us, okay — I can also connect my senses to my fog and hear or see what people are doing within my fog."
"How convenient." She commented, finding it too fitting for the situation they were currently in. "You don't happen to also be good at espionage, are you?"
"To be honest, not really." He responded with a shrug. "I've mostly used this ability for reconnaissance operations, so I never got to really use it for espionage."
"Reconnaissance operations... So you're experienced in the battlefield." She managed to catch a particular word from his sentence. "Anything else you want to add to that?"
"...no comments." He sighed a bit. "Moving on, with these abilities, what piece should I play in your eyes, Madam Z?"
Madam Z sat back in her chair, picked up her coffee mug, and took a slow deliberate sip, savoring the taste. "..."
"..." Isaac watched without uttering any words. To be honest, he felt like he was a kid waiting for his guardian to finish whatever they were doing just so he could pester them right now. Was that a normal feeling? He doesn't know.
But he really can't help but feel that way — especially because of the mature vibes Madam Z has.
After a while, she finally finished drinking her coffee and looked back at him. "Alright, I'll consider your offer. For now, you may go back. I'll find a way to contact you once you're needed."
"...that's it?" He asked, finding the development lacking compared to what he expected.
"That's it." She nodded imperceptibly. "The game has just begun, Isaac. The players still need to do the opening moves before the major pieces are used."
"And you, my Knight piece, should lay low for now. Once the game develops a bit, I'll deploy you out."
"A knight piece? Really?" He scoffed lightly. "I thought I made it clear that my arcanum isn't the direct confronting sort?"
The knight piece was a piece specialized for aggressive movements in chess and opening advancements for others — with his abilities, he should have gotten at least the rook or the bishop.
Madam Z nudged her glasses ever so slightly, her eyes glinting behind the reflection. "You're thinking too literally."
She turned back toward the Go board, placing a white stone with delicate precision. "The Knight is unpredictable. It moves in ways others don't see coming — Indirect, disruptive, and sometimes sacrificial."
She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "Much like you."
Isaac folded his arms, the corner of his mouth twitching with a hint of reluctant amusement. "Well, that's one way to put it, I guess..."
There was silence between them again, but now it felt heavier — not from tension, but from something unspoken. A contract sealed without ink, made under the table.
She picked up her cup, now empty, and looked at the last sip-stained ring at the bottom for a moment. Then, she spoke. "Go back for now, Isaac. Let's continue our conversation when the opposite side makes their move."
"...alright." Although hesitant at first, Isaac soon accepted it. "Thank you for your time, Madam Z. This was a great... talk. Farewell."
Having said that, he soon stood up from his seat, and, with Madam Z witnessing him, his body slowly turned to grayish-white fog until he slowly dissipated away.
That grayish-white fog churned in the room for a bit before thinning out until all of it had completely left the room.
Left alone in her office once more, Madam Z remained silent for a few moments before looking out her window.
"A chess piece, huh?"
She wondered if her newly acquired pawn was as great as he presented himself to be during a conflict.
But until then, she must keep him hidden from the eyes of the opposite player, Constantine.
"..." She paused for a bit, before sighing. Then, looking at the vents as well as the windows, she mumbled something under breath.
"...I should have the ventilation system upgraded."
Who knows where Isaac would come from the next time they meet?