The question threw Merri off guard. Ever since Vivian's attack upon the city, he hadn't afforded himself time to give thought to the position he'd found himself in: that he felt largely useless and superfluous in his job as a Councilor, that he wanted to be able to do more than he was and get away from the books and be where he had always daydreamed about.
It was difficult to complain about it now that he was busy, especially these days. Toku was Sage now, and Peony was on vacation, and there were mysteries to unlock, questions to ask, and attacks to prevent in an ideal world, prepare for more realistically. Merri was needed now, but how long would that last? They would stop the attacks someday, and soon. They had to. And then what?
"I don't know," he admitted, staring down into his coffee cup. "I mean, right now, because of everything going on with the guild, it's hard to focus on anything but doing what I need to as a councilor, but... I don't know. Maybe. I am doing both right now, the books and the fighting because there's no choice, but I know it won't be that way forever."