Emma assumes here that the library considers someone acting under orders not to be guilty, which could turn out to be a stretch. The Library never said it would.
Yes but It's a magical contract so willfully or not the kobold is technically a tool in the situation rather than the perpetrator You blame the shooter not the gun It's coercion
@jeffthemagicalpufferfishco9006 The problem is that paying the debt of knowledge is only the first part of the punishment. He'll still be stuck guarding the inner sanctum of The Library for all eternity as a ghost.
@@jeffthemagicalpufferfishco9006 I interpret the debt is 'eternal' unless the original data is restored (the whole three conditions thing: providence, weight, category [IIRC]). So if Ilinor can recover a copy of the destroyed data (or an analog The Library deems sufficient) he could actually repay the debt, since he knows what it actually was. There would not be any collectors as old as implied if you could just collect 'other' data to work off some balance. Emma may be able to negotiate for further leniency if 'restoration' could be achieved.
If collector is on the table, perhaps the Cadet could use him as a go-between for her and the library. Illunor would get the "honor" of being the first official diplomat between Earth and the Library. It would be potentially the fastest way to pay off his debt to the library and save his tail as it puts him under both the Cadet's and Library's protected interests. And we've seen the Library is not shy about protecting its interests. Obviously, the Library should have some assessment of the scarred section, and it knows earth has some analogs that could substitute. As far as life debts go, Illunor should see that his peer is not the worst creditor to contract with here. Depending on his house's standing in his home realm, could be the start of humanity's first alliance.
Spoiler if you haven’t completed this chapter: I wonder if the memory Bomb could be worked around. Such as placing the target in a zone of truth and then getting testimony instead of scrying the memory directly.
@@TheLastGarou Polygraphs don't really work as lie detectors. The only thing they detect is psychological arousal, which under the influence of an interrogation with your immortal soul on the line, is going to be all over the place.
I agree -- if you cant DIRECTLY "divinate" the memories of a person, why not create a circle of truthtelling, making anyone put inside of it incapable of any sort of misdirection and omission, so you could simply ask pointed questions and have the target spill all the beans
