《My Job is a Tailor》 Chapter 1 Scrollcrafters Scholars Grounds Training Ground of Cessine City-Fortress Aiven had always preferred the indoors, but the stuffy halls and rooms of the scholars made him decide to venture out, especially this morning. Sounds of activity were everywhere. Everyone was incredibly busy and the energy of it all was already draining him, afterall today was the start of a new season for the Training Grounds. Slipping beyond the lecture halls, he found himself not long after at a neat space between two architectural nightmares that scribes and clockworkers called ''home''. The buildings in the Scholars'' Grounds were nothing more than a huge mass of rooms and balconies, weathered and appropriately hermit-like depressing. It was in a state as if added with no regards to design or gravity which was evidenced to its constant year-long renovations and construction done due to some unforeseen ''accidents''. On some occasions, one would even see glowing orbs being shot out from any of these rooms, sinister artificial smokes and other more questionable substance seeping out. Thankfully, none of these could reach the small sturdy bench Aiven had claimed for himself. The simple unattended garden was originally a property of the Scrollcrafter''s. However, with the rise of the Artificiers Block just beside the Scrollworks Press, this neat stretch of smoked cobblestones and trees in-between the opposing establishment was eventually eerily forgotten in time. Just the way he wanted it. Lounging his legs up, he lazily watched as the streams of warm light darted from the overgrown ivies that were creeping on the imposing red-bricked walls. The book of ''Known History on the Known Surface of Frear'' that rested snugly in his hand was neglected for a moment. It would be his fifth year under the Training Ground''s Novice Course, and after the season, he would be going through the Age of Ceremony and became a legitimate apprentice from whichever ground that''d take him. Be it the scholars'' ground, the artisans'', or crafters'', it was still possible with his talent to land a job-based class. Reaching for anything more would be pitifully too much work even for his standards. From a simple beginner levels to a novice. His performance has been not that bad, considering how weak he was at using magic. Magic. He actually doesn''t ask much, as long as he could graduate and travel afterwards then he''s good to go. With that thought, he succumbed to his much-needed nap. But it was short-lived. "Aiven of House Gallinthe!" the newcomer said in a high-pitched voice, breathless and ringing with annoyance. Heavy steps came from the pathwalk. There was a flurry of clothes brushing over the pavement and sharp heels clanked angrily with urgency. He had sensed her presence before she even came within hearing distance, so the breach of personal space didn''t surprised him at all. When he continued feigning sleep, the girl closed the distance and Aiven felt her flicked his forehead, painfully, with her finger. "Nada? No reaction at all? If you keep ignoring me..." Aiven mutely opened his eyes, and instantly guarded his expression. The only reaction the girl saw was the small, flushed spot on his forehead, and his hands clenched, curling the pages of the book they held. ¡°Oh hoh, so you''re angry now?¡± She teased, sensing his thoughts instantly even though he hadn¡¯t even hint at his growing irritation for his interrupted nap. The girl before him was Delica of House Sila-ir, a novice of First Circle of Sudrine Fire. She wore the standardized habit of the Training Grounds for novices--a dull red mantle with coat of arms of the Cessine City''s Regalia on her left vest. It was a softer variation of the militia-esque uniform he wore by virtue of the academe''s role in the City-Fortress''s defenses. "What are you doing here? Simos already saved us a seat, so let''s go before some dimwad decides to vulture on my brother-- ¡± The idea that little girls would be mature enough to set their eyes on her brother, a kid younger than him, was so preposterous that he simply ignored Delica''s tendencies for exaggerations and used this free time to bind his parchments as she rattled on. In his defense, he was patient enough to let her fume out with more than the adequate amount of rants which included a full explanation (with footnotes) about the use of communication-link items or the simple task of leaving messages. Satisfied, Aiven made a last minute inspection on his brushes, swiped his books inside his satchel, before he finally faced the one disturbing his peace. ¡°Delica,¡± he said under his breath, just audible enough for the girl to realize that ''that'' was the only greeting he could offer her. ¡°Muuu, unbelievable,¡± Delica let out a deep exasperated sigh, showing how upset she was with the dark gloomy boy she considered her friend, ¡°after almost a whole solstice of not seeing each other and you still couldn''t greet a lady properly.¡± Delica, you''re thirteen. You are not even a woman yet, let alone a proper lady, Aiven wanted to retort but he stifled his answer, forgetting yet again that Delica was in all actuality of the word, a noble. Her house was one of the rich and affluent families of the Higher Gold Banners, one of the purest in the Nobility Heraldry. Their ancestry could be even traced back from the Olden Four Kingdoms three millennia ago. Unconsciously, Aiven made a quick assessment on Delica. Her strawberry, glamour-dyed curls bounced as if they had a life of their own. She had an easy smile, clumsily donned garb, and a bright sparkle on her eyes--in other words, the infamous bumbling klutz aura. There wasn¡¯t even a hint of nobility about her. ¡°Well, you''ve always been the shy, silent type, so it can''t be helped. But if we don''t hurry, we''ll miss the examinations!" If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Since Delica already accepted his ''silent-shy'' responses, he didn''t bothered with a reply and continued to clean up his materials. He had snuck away from all the chaos of the first day of Training Grounds for a reason---to relax with the trees, the bugs, and the all too sweet peace of solitude. Completely ignored, Delica rummaged over her inventory bracelet and sifted through her items as a listing screen appeared before her. Hovering with a translucent window, it accurately showed what she had stored in her ''spatial packet''. Her finger lightly brushed the surface and its contents rearranged, showing a different set of rune that itemized her catalogue. A mana contract. Taking his eyes away from the phenomenon that many novices and mages took for granted, Aiven slipped his small possessions to his leather-bound pouch. For some reason, Aiven had the feeling that someone was looking at him. When he caught the eyes of Delica brimming with lukewarm sympathy he couldn''t help but be annoyed. ["What?"] What is it this time? Aiven motioned with their usual hand signals, not bothering to speak up. Delica was momentarily caught off guard. Her gaze went to the lone bracelet hanging on Aiven''s wrist. The metal circlet was embedded with a set of stones and engravings of the same design she was wearing. The jewelry was too fashionable for Aiven who hardly used any accessories and who normally preferred to carry plain, easy to use materials and items. ¡°I still think it would have been better to use data ores instead of maxing out your inventory bracelet with those books of yours,¡± said Delica. [¡°Mana,¡±] another hand sign. ¡°Fine, I get it, mana efficiency. Just get moving before I end up picking wildflowers off your back,¡± Delica said. Mana conservation had always been Aiven''s decree. Since data ores cost mana to manipulate the information stored inside, he had declared them off limits---a practice that irritated Delica to no end. Delica grumbled as she pulled out her fae-shade wand that was the regulated equipment for all novices, and a scroll out of her inventory which she laid it flat on the ground. The moment Aiven saw the familiar parchment, his whole body backed away. But Delica was faster. She grabbed his arm, twisted, and aimed for a head lock. The fragile beauty clashed despairingly with the brute manhandling. ¡°Nee, you don''t plan on missing out your little sister''s Test of Affinity, right? Right, Aiven?¡± her hold with strength of a bear made him stay glued to his place. Apparently, Delica had been hunting him from the Heraldry Magisterium and the Archives just so they could all watch his little sister''s entrance exam. Only a moon before her first decade, Leian had already passed the tenth level cap. It was the minimum requirement to move up from beginner levels and be accepted on the novice batch of the Training Grounds. As a general rule, a budding novice¡¯s innate affinity identification had always been done at the start of the Leaf Solstice, and it was something any responsible trainee would look forward to. But Aiven already knew his sister''s stats and there was no doubt in his mind that Leian was going to pass. So why do I need to watch it with a bunch of adrenaline-packed, hormone-induced, sword-headed brats? Aiven sighed inwardly, the choke hold still immovable as he gave up on the struggle. Last year''s examination--nineteen novices, twenty apprentices, some beginners, four mentors and a horse almost died. A statistic he doesn¡¯t want to be added to. Unfortunately, Delica''s looming no-nonsense smile as she ruthlessly looked down on Aiven settled all arguments he could voice out. ¡°I know how you hate crowds so I''ll protect you, okay?¡± Delica''s face brightened. Just after activating the magic scroll, her arms loosened and slipped past his shoulders. She easily rested her chin on his head and he felt some red locks tickling his cheek. Any boy his age should have felt discomfort at the unprecedented show of affection. Aiven, however, just pass it off as one of her normal motherly tendencies towards him. His unease was more for the faint smell of inks and oil gear clinging to him like second skin, and of course, the blatant height difference. ¡°[Trace: Simos of Sila-ir, under the Banner of Canary Gold]¡± Delica completed the activation sequence and the mana pattern appeared above the parchment. The fibers of the supple magical beasthide was sucked right at the middle as if a miniature vortex suddenly materialized at its center, leaving only the magic circle glowing on its place. Without any hesitation at all, Delica jumped right in while shouting something he could only describe as a battle cry, pushing Aiven with her. But before the spell could wrap around them, Aiven''s attention was seized by a red light that erupted on one of the upper glass panes of the Artificers. Despite the glare of the sun, the brightness could be seen from the distance. Soon after, a smoking cauldron was sent flying and caught by a window unfortunately left open from the Scrollworks. The curses that followed were crisp in his ears. Whether it was deliberate or plain error out of stupidity would probably never be known as the [Teleportation Scroll] swallowed them. Hah, this world is really interesting, he thought. It took a few seconds before Aiven realized that he was smiling.
Chapter 2 In all the Known History, there have always been four Training Grounds in the Land of Man: one for each of the Cornerstone City-Fortresses built on the borders of the Kingdom of Alvalar. These ancient institutions were constructed and raised upon the four winds that governed the Second Realm: Bassine from the north; Trissine from the west; Exine from the east; and Cessine from the south. All were a critical part of Man''s traditions and history. As mandated, children all throughout the Cessine City-Fortress had to attend the basics of the Training Grounds the very moment they acquired their first mana contract. This was more imposed strictly during the times of war. Mainly because of the ladderized system of level acquisition; discrimination of age, gender or social distinction from classes to lectures were never observed. This was also due to the strict metronomic standards of each grounds. A person''s ability measures one¡¯s standing inside the curricula, with no exceptions. However it was a known reality that all bearers of Higher Bloods possess an undeniable edge compared to the Common Houses, hence the privileges were still mostly handed to the upper societal strata despite the almost unbiased rankings practiced within the Training Grounds. Because of this, competitive spirit became instilled into the trainees. This was even more apparent at the common houses and shades who wanted to catch the eyes of the Banner Nobility. The color of banner was not merely a hierarchical, but also showed the role of each houses: The Honorary Banner of White, the Knighthood Banner of Bronze, the Fiefdom Banner of Silver, and the most sought after---the High Banners of Gold.
Deep azure eyes studied the combat field. There were still plenty of time before the start of the Test of Affinity, and Simos could already feel himself slowly relax at the familiar place. Built in an open clustered dome of Runsaerine metalwork and stone masonry, the Battle Ground''s First Arena could already be said to be the biggest and most lavished stadium in the Cessine Training Grounds. Red carpets stretched towards the railings, and the walls were decorated with predominantly crimson tapestries, masterfully embroidered with various hunting scenes and artistic depictions of man''s triumph over mythic manabeasts, orkans and demons. As if drawn, his gaze ventured to the circular rim, floored with black pristine granite. The tiles must be newly shipped from the vulcan regions. He would know. Afterall, he himself had personally broken some of them, accidentally of course. ¡°It''s been a long time since I''ve used this place for my sword practice,¡± the young novice muttered to himself. Simos began to wonder if he could ask Sir Elivor for a practice match after the event. No trainee could use the First Arena during the Blaze Vacation and Simos couldn''t wait to hear from the Knight Order Paladin again. Or he could just bring President Aryan with him. Afterall, the President of the Battle Ground''s Squires had the jurisdiction over all training facilities under this ground, though that would end up with him fighting a third-circle Sudrine Swordmage. Before he knew it, his mind was already daydreaming of strategies to beat or to avoid getting beaten by strong people and a smile appeared on his face. Simos lithely moved across the guard railing to find his seat on a corner not yet crowded by novices. The growing conversations and lively chatters drifted across the crowding trainees. There was no predetermined seating arrangement; yet for some reason, the audience stand had been divided into two groups. The closest to the guard railings had all been occupied by the beginners and novices batch. Only the trimmed crest shows their difference where the beginners have none. Apprentices, on the other hand, seated themselves on the uppermost deck for the Scholars Grounds, the Artisans, and the Crafters. But for some reason, the more luxurious gallery boxes had all been occupied by the smallest of the groups and clearly the most intimidating--the apprentices belonging to the Holy Grounds, the Maegus and the notorious Battle Grounds. This was a common arrangement, partly since the young ones were the most excitable bunch and were anxiously looking forward to the Test of Affinity, which could also be considered as the novice entrance examination. But somehow the place where Simos was sitting has all been hushed. Every single one of them was staring at the golden-haired boy. And those that didn''t would still offer a fleeting glance every now and then. Simos was still very much a novice, barely thirteen moons, but the atmosphere around him was already vastly different from the children his own age. Tall, even compared to the apprentices, Simos looked back to check if he was hindering anyone''s sight, and was surprised to see that several empty seats had already accumulated all around him.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. He scanned the faces of the children around him and was greeted by averting eyes. And those that didn''t would still offer a fleeting glance every now and then. They can''t even look at me? Simos almost choked back the tears, not realizing the blushing cheeks and flustered eyes of the girls that he has looked at seconds ago. His ramrod straight back became more prominent as he stiffened, and his ever-present smile became forced. As far as Simos could remember, he had never bothered with how his peers (novices) have viewed him. He was never been approached casually by any of his batchmates before. And after he began receiving his accelerated mentorship, the occurrences where he spoke with them became nil. He hardly remembered their faces. Even so, Simos had never really been alone either. Invitations from different Grounds came commonly. He was, afterall, taking advance-level classes so it was unavoidable to be more acllimated with the apprentices instead, even with the level gap. Just this morning, the head of Battle Grounds requested his presence to the gallery boxes, but Simos declined. He has yet to accept the rights to enter the Battle Grounds, and he felt it would be disrespectful for his fellow students who work hard for their position. Despite the obvious advantage, Simos has always been a stickler to protocol and propriety. Dismissing the sting of being an outcast to his own batch, Simos resumed his survey to the arena hoping his sister and Aiven would not get lost. Being surrounded by unoccupied seats when the whole place was packed to the brim was straining his mental fortitude. The sudden change on his expression as he adopted a brave face only made him look mature and composed. And the sound of admiration soon followed. Whenever someone tried to approach him, a considerable pressure could be felt. Pressure from his admiring fans, and pressure from the reality that Simos was on a level that they could never ever reach. That was the consensus the children have shared from the very beginning. Even the normal seed of jealousy would be immediately eradicated from the overwhelming brightness that the young lord and heir of Canary Gold possessed.
This time, when Simos tried to look over his shoulder, it was because of the sudden shift in the air. Frowning, it took a second before he saw a mana circle, glowing with mana, suddenly crisscrossing under his feet. Someone activated magic outside the Maegus Grounds, and the bewildered look on Simos¡¯s own face showed that he was not the spellcaster. The alarming confusion spread instantaneously and those that were fast enough were starting to run. As quickly as it manifested, the circle dissipated and the air space on top of the boy warped. Delica and Aiven, clearly disoriented from the teleportation spell, anticlimactically popped out of thin air. Seeing the profile of his sister, Simos reflexively reached out his arms and smoothly caught the falling lady. He did so without further embarrassing herself and in a way that none of her more private articles were seen. It was executed so cleanly, one would have thought Simos has done it before--which actually he had, on all too many occasions. Aiven however was not that fortunate. When the ground beneath him was gone and the pull of gravity indicated that he would face plant himself at the stand''s cold hard floor, he made a second late adjustment in mid-air and tried to at least be able to somersault and see himself seated at the soft padding of a chair. However, Aiven''s rotation was off. He did at least find himself at the one of the empty chairs, only in a comically backwards position with his legs flailing in the air. "Great timing brother! I knew you would be able to save us some seats. Did it start yet?¡± Delica asked, giving her brother a pat before she slowly moved to her feet. She smoothed her dress and was casually starting a conversation as if she didn''t just made a huge commotion at the audience''s stand. ¡°No, the participants should be at the reception. I haven''t seen Miss Leian though.¡± Simos answered, just as calm without even commenting on the flashy and unorthodox entrance of his sister. Still, he did follow up with a simple question, ¡°anyway Delica, last time I checked it was against the grounds'' rules to use magic.¡± ¡°Ehhh?" she pouted adorably, her face defiant, "but it''s just a teleportation circle, everyone use them all the time so I''m clear!" she justified. Not that magic was prohibited, it¡¯s just the use of magic was strictly implemented only within lecture and combat areas, that was aside from teleportation magic (the teachers had demanded its use, and those more adept would scare the students out of habit). But to use a specific-trace-location teleportation magic would be tremendously draining. Not to mention linking a moving object as a destination point and with two loads congruent, huge mana reserve was needed and the magic circle needed to be memorized was convoluted with runes. Compared to it the use of Teleportation Gates streamed all over the Training Grounds as a way of transport was preferable. By the time of activation, you could use [Flight] or [Haste] if one was really in a rush and brave enough to ignore the regulations. But looking at Delica, it was clear that there was no sign of mana exhaustion or even a tiny drop of sweat from her pleased face. Simos'' concern must have shown on his face since she waved her hand lazily, "Don''t worry, it''s Aiven''s scroll so it''s fine, it''s fine," said Delica and she excitedly motioned for her brother to sit beside her. Seeing Aiven already occupying the one on her left, Simos politely overlooked his friend and simply took the other side. They continued discussing the disadvantages of warping the spatial planes. The novices and beginners resumed their own conversations, albeit with pair¡¯s names included. ¡°Isn''t that Lady Delica and Lord Simos of Canary Gold? I thought they would be at the Squire''s or the Neophyte''s quarters?¡± ¡°Wait, so it was young lady Delica. Isn''t she a genius who could pronounce the entire spells at the Basic Compedium of Aetherial Runes?¡± ¡°The girl? You serious? That was more than three hundred rune spells!¡± ¡°Oh lucky! I didn''t know they would be here! He was the prodigy who produced a four years ago right?¡± ¡°Did you see his fight during the Banner Tourney? Second tier swordsmanship, I tell you! He is the youngest in the participants!¡± ¡°He even dueled with the Commander of the Royal Guards during our field visit!¡± ¡°Too bad he was born late. He could have made a grand career at the last Demon War.¡± The growing chatter turned to gossips. Aiven must have been listening since his head was turned a little from the stand. Simos saw him dusted a few leaves from his uniform and no one commented on the boy''s blunder and simply ignored his existence, which doesn''t seem to bother his friend. ¡°Hey Aiven. It''s been a long time. How''s vacation?¡± ¡°Yo...Simos,¡± Aiven replied in a flat emotionless voice. Simos felt a massive change in the atmosphere, but couldn''t pinpoint the cause. Chapter 3 ¡°Yo...Simos,¡± Aiven replied in a flat emotionless voice. He made a hand sign for their normal greetings and Simos mirrored the same signs enthusiastically. They had known each other since they were little and thankfully, these two were one of those few people who didn''t mind his unorthodox way of communicating and even found his hand signs fun and interesting. By the time they were passed treating it as a game, they were so fluent in the hand movements that hand signs became instinctive. ¡°Do you know where I found him?" Delica answered for Aiven, shaking her head in exasperation, ¡°on the Scrollworks buried on his books again, I won''t be surprised if he''s been skulking all throughout the blazen season.¡± ¡°For real?" Simos remarked, he fixed his eyes on his silent friend who was sitting as still as a statue, "no wonder you''re so pale Aiven, you should get out more.¡± By ''get out'', Simos meant train more. Aven''s skin prickled at the thought of having another one-on-one fight with this battle freak and he can''t help but frown helplessly. The blonde, oblivious to his plight, looked at his friend''s scrawny body. It was clear to anyone wiith eyes that his small physique was not fit for combat-type, but that had never discouraged Simos to push a workable training regimen to him. "Simos, not all problems could be answered by sparring," his sister eyed him dubiously. "Are you sure you don''t have a mind-reading skill, dear sister?" Simos replied, not denying anything, and a chill went up Aiven''s spine. "Between a statue and sword-head, I have no choice but to act as a translator, dear brother" she answered with a flourish. She tapped her wand softly into her inventory before it distorted and vanished out of her hand. Since they were all talking about how they spent their vacation, Aiven tossed a bundle of parchments on Delica''s lap. This also caught Simos'' attention. ¡°Say, what is this? What have you been--¡± then she froze, whatever she was saying was left hanging as Delica''s mouth gaped at the piece of tendered parchment. He tried to peer over Delica''s shoulder as the girl opened the string-bound parchments. She was gazing at the scroll--a simple, hand drawn portrait of a woman in her early twenties was etched on the surface. The lines were clean and precise. There were even gradual shadows from cheeks to jaw gave a clear depth of the beautiful face sketched on the paper. Minimal dyes were used, but the picture itself looked stunningly vibrant. She appeared so realistically as if a memory globe was frozen by a second and dipped in inkwell. He could tell that she was really appraising the work as her finger lightly traced the small portrait. "She looked exactly like Lady Yuusha! Kyaaaahhh! You even got her hair ornament from last years'' Champion''s Parade!¡± Delica squealed. She handled the pages as she would at a sacred relic--or a vintage artifact. As always, anything that concerns the Hero Champion would pique Delica''s interest. It came to a point that she used glamour to color her hair red, the same brunette color of the Lady, simply to show her admiration to the Lady Hero. ¡°I can''t believe you''ve gotten better over the season," Simos added. He looked over at the other pieces and saw a hand drawn marionette performing at the Temple of Eight Gods. He flipped the paper and was rewarded by a sketchy draft of the bustling activity at a sweets stall selling hybrid delicacies, each corner detailing a candied sweet. Delica on the other hand, continued leafing pages after pages from Aiven''s sketches. There were even raw drafts of the conglomeration of stalls and wares from the mercantile districts, the mazes of the coinkisser''s alley, laharian glassblowers, a bird''s eye view of the whole city plaza with the twin fountains of dragon coils, and the massive prestigious guilds that towered over the main square. With this, it was obvious that during the vacation, he had explored the lower districts---a place most nobles would not visit and which these two children who were born with golden spoon had always been curious about. ¡°Even without an established artisan''s seal, these could still be worth silvers. Can I have these? Please? Please?¡± Delica begged with her clear doe eyes. Without a second thought, he motioned with their normal hand gestures, ["I only do barter."] "Hmmm, well I might just have the thing!" Delica took out a dark flask and vials from her inventory bracelet and started to brew a concoction of her own. ¡°Unlike you two, I''ve spent my vacation touring the Black Kingdom of Runsaer. And take this; I even received private invitations to see the Arcana! The rumors truly understated the beauty of the Alices. Guhuhuhu, they were soo handsome~¡± Simos and Aiven have been used to her ''queer'' sense of taste, so the fact that she obsess over old men running a far off Kingdom that was the front of black alchemy and necromancy, didn''t bothered them at all. Compared to her constant shifts of interests, it was still considered tame. Particularly whenever they recall that time when she started collecting and differentiating black bile from various festering scarification--a hobby he''s only too happy she had put passed her. ¡°Nee, Aiven, the Alices of Arcana are still in their second decades, talented, powerful, handsome and definitely not old!" He grunted, not wanting to admit that Delica was right on the mark. He then slumped over his seat and stared at Simos expectantly. Simos shrugged his shoulders, "mine was boring. I was at Kingdom of Elrhondir the whole time." Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. When Aiven widened his eyes in shock, the blonde smiled dejectedly, "I know, it was death. I visited the Temple of Hringra, Keeper of Scale and Justice. I swear, those eyeless priests wanted every bloody drop of my veins weighted in gold! I spent my whole vacation choking on incense and paying tributes, instead of finishing my geomancy. I could have perfected a golem by now!" said Simos, his hands became as animated as his voice grew in volume. His ears perked up at the sound of earth golems. They both shared the same interests in magic so when Simos started to divulge the art of earth molding with enough simulacra to mimic human functions, he was listening intently and would bob his head in agreement at Simos'' progress, despite Aiven''s indifferent expression. Delica cleared her throat, ¡°Apologies for the wait!" Soon enough, he could feel a tiny wisp of mana as Delica activated the small contraption at the base of her flask. White smokes started to appear. With a grace of a master alchemist, the girl started to make coffee, "see, this here is Menelik coffee," she said, picking that very moment to open the stopper and a waft of heavy scent of caffeine was sent to their nostrils, "fresh and exclusively picked by Firespite Ants. I knew you would love it¡­um, I mean, that is, if you want to have some." Simos blew out a whistle, impressed, ¡°Menelik Coffee from 121 Noctem 3rd batch Skaldi Brewery. I didn''t know we still have those.¡± He gulped. Aiven''s face was still blank but they all knew that he had always been a glutton with how easily he could be bribed with food. A weakness, they were not ashamed to exploit. ¡°These are the new batch I''ve specifically ordered.¡± ¡°Hmm, I don''t know if his acid resistance could tolerate the bug''s toxin,¡± said Simos. ¡°Don''t worry, it shouldn¡¯t put his health in the red,¡± Delica replied with a wink. The girl smiled brightly and handed him a mug which Aiven stared at. There was silence for a brief moment. Unperturbed from his lack of reaction, she pulled out a couple of muffins between them which completed Delica''s pitch. ¡°Best served with Iceberry Beanery Muffins. I''ve coated it with glazen white-melted mascovado so it wouldn''t be that bitter, help yourself.¡± She took a bite on a piece with a small contented smile on her face and readily accompanied it by a sip on her own mug. Simos also helped himself and poured his own portion of the black liquid. He inhaled the coffee¡¯s earthen aroma and used a light appraisal. Just as Delica had said, the item status was really that of the rare coffee beans--left to ferment on the Firespites'' hive and continuously bathed in their natural bodily sap and unparalleled body heat of just the right degrees. Calling it rare was an understatement. And as expected, his resistance triggered. Simos won''t be surprised if at the end of his second cup, Aiven''s [Poison Resistance] would level up. The three were silently and relaxingly having their second breakfast as they watched the trainees fill the arena. Somehow, the intimidating aura from Delica and Simos, drilled from tedious schooling of being a noble, was now gone and replaced by a light and calming atmosphere. The onlookers continued to gawk at the sibling''s almost perfect countenance that they didn''t even realized Aiven''s shadow.
It was later when Aiven asked for his sketches back. Delica reluctantly handed it to him, but he hushed her and started to make another portrait, ¡°Aiven, you don''t have to. I was already planning to treat you coffee since you are kind of addicted to it, and I''m already happy with these.¡± [¡°A gift,¡±] it was his usual hand signs, as if simply stating a fact. But Delica still grinned gleefully and started peeking at his work, ¡°then I want another of Lady Yuusha! With her armor!¡± Aiven almost sliped his brush at the request. The Hero''s armor was a Mythological-Tier, full-body equipment. The outer iron was covered with magicstones and rune engravings that enhanced every surface of the dragonforged orichalcum. The helm alone was already considered a work of elemental forging that could rival any . Just making preliminary sketches would be amazingly painful. A common artist might commit suicide. But he just faced ahead and took one long satisfying gulp at his mug before his brush started to move. Guided by the tiniest flicker of mana, he activated his skills.
[Base Skill: Visual Memorization] ...[Scribe...: Mapmaking]... [.....Skill: Calligraphy] [Scribe Skill: Drafting....]
Subtle features of a face slowly emerged from under his charcoals--threeto four skills were dispelling and activating seemingly at random that the successive flow of skills were barely visible. Granted, the passive skills were all low levels and of no importance, but even with how many times Simos had seen Aiven''s mana control, the blonde could still be left speechless. If Aiven could use the same skill manipulation in the battle ring, he knew, the opponent wouldn''t last long. "Oi, Aiven, how about a match? We could go at it after training," he said. Delica snorted, "you and your training. Just leave little Aiven alone." Aiven simply shrugged dismissively and silently went back to work.
Chapter 4 Aiven''s hand moved in a practiced motion, drafting, shading---blotting out the world outside the page of his parchment. He had drawn the Lady for hundreds of times due to Delica''s demands so he knew every features of the young woman''s face. Lady Yuusha, he can''t help but smile at the awkward naming sense of the hero. Lady Yuusha. ''Yuusha,'' the Japanese translation for ''Hero'' Even with how much the term has been circulated as a common household name, the ¡®word¡¯ still has a way of jolting Aiven¡¯s memories. To think, I¡¯ll ever hear that language again in this world. He had long guessed that the Hero Champion was from the same world he came from the moment he heard people addressing her as ''Yuusha''. When that realization first dawned on him, there should be a feeling of amazement, excitement and the all powerful pull for life. So much better than all the floating stream of consciousness he have gone through. But in reality, he felt nothing. Unlike the grand summoning these champions underwent to pass through this world, he actually came on a more natural way. He was born with the knowledge of his past life. And if there would be a word for it...it would be repetitive and just plain depressing and boring. His soul, as with most souls that have bodies that met their expiration, had went to the reincarnation cycle peacefully like any good normal soul would do. It felt like floating, mindless stream with all other existence, sharing sentience and harmony in the gear that propels living as we know it. Except that, his soul in particular must have accumulated so much bad karma in its past lives that he could be what you would have called as "fucked." Eutanasia, stillbirth, miscarriage...a hanger (don''t ask), his mother dying even before he could form limbs, abortion--any birth and infant death possible, you name it, he encountered it...some more than others. So many deaths even before his soul could materialize in the living plane. This pattern goes on and on. It must have been millennias, eons, before his lonely soul started accumulating a longing to be born, to have life. And being in a limbo of souls where time was immaterial, there was really nothing to be done but be desperate. He was...an abnormality. A soul has no longing, they shouldn''t have desires and wants because those are supposed to be attached to its material side, which he had not felt for a very very long time. He don''t even remember clearly when was the first time he started talking to himself or the moment he dreamed about a life. That was the moment his soul had clung to the only life it knows the most vividly. A life of a simple man born in a small floating rock called Earth. Realizing you''re a soul of a dead person came as a shock. The idea of thinking, remembering, was so foreign to him that he had no idea he was doing it until he was trying to grasp the concept of coffee, then came breakfast...toothbrush, paste, a shave. A simple start of the day of a plain chemistry teacher in...was it Japan? China? He dreamed of waking up and going to work, to school, to a hospital. He tried to piece things together but the memories were vague and fleeting. He knew languages; Mandarin, Japanese, some French? Latin? The man had vivid images of the Egyptiam Pyramids, the beaches of Hokaido, Mount Rushmore...but he was not sure if he saw them in real life or in a webpage while surfing for a vacation trip that never came. He see himself drowning, falling from a building, being caught in an avalanche, not knowing if these were deaths he had experienced or were they part of vivid nightmares that had meshed in his memories. He don''t even know his name. Unfortunately, there''s also a lot of useless information here. Like holidays, cellphone numbers, passwords, sites, authors, books, accounts, list of pokemon 1st-5th generations and their evolution, history of Japan, chemical reactions on base and acids, World War I-II, British history, taxes, driving manuals, Norse/Icelandic/Greek/Roman Mythology, periodic table of elements, lyrics about butts, electrical current on conductors and semiconductors, metaphysics, chocobos, project life cycle, anime ost, law of entropy, graphs, java/html codings, financial statements... That time when ''he'' walked home while eating ice cream with he father. Another was when he was riding a bike. His younger sister was at the back and he''ll purposely take the route with the bumpiest road while she scream at him bloody murder. The day he saw ''her''. And the day she said ''yes''. The day of his Dad''s funeral. The day his sister graduated. Remembering past memories but not feeling them had also its set of wrongness. As if what his soul had was nothing but videos and images and words from a string of information he could scan whenever he wished. Instead of saying ''memories'', all of these came to him like he was watching something out of a screen. It was like having a dream, but a cold one. Unfeeling, deadened cheap counterfeit of what it''s supposed to be.
It took a lot of pain, but one thing was certain, he was not from here. He does not belong here. Aiven was already aware that there was a feeling of--wrongness. Words, thoughts, ideas, pictures of things that existed but did not, but is, were already in his head. He would correct himself everytime he saw anything remotely familiar. The thoughts were so convincing, so trustworthy, and confident about the things around him, but he knew that somehow it was wrong. That very impulse was like a nagging instinct that kept him from saying anything, touching anything or even eating anything. All he did was watched, stared at the things from the safety of his crib and felt himself regressed into a malnourished state of a vegatable. He didn''t knew why the sky was not the right color of blue, why it looked so freakishly high that he always ended up in a state of vertigo...why adults looked normal but not--their arms were longer, their jaws set in a more firm angle, their necks swan-liked, their fingers more stretched out to their palms...he was continously comparing them to---something he can''t put his finger to. What is it? They didn''t looked human enough, enough, as if the words were lacking? His weak body would be plauged with nausea and would vomit every single time he saw something fall. Things fall weirdly now. Now? They had always been weird. It was just slow, a second longer than what was supposed to be. Again, comparisons, comparisons, questionable comparisons. And one of those glaring comparisons was the existence of people who shared his old world. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
He was too engrossed on his work when he felt a sudden dread at his surrounding. Immediately, Aiven''s brush paused in midair. Like a switch, he tuned in his [Detection] skill. The passive skill quickly took over his mind sight and his senses heightened. The skill extended like threads of mana outside of his body for a few more chains, but the links from the novices merely indicated a yellowish color---not enough to be aggressively red, let alone be considered lethal. So this meant that the bad feeling definitely didn''t came fom the audience seats. Still, a yellow glow meant that their will towards him was on a negative side. A loud sign came from his mouth. The sibling''s denseness must have rubbed off for Aiven not to notice the stabbing glares from his back, or the heavy atmosphere from the stands that was worsening every time Delica would refill his mug, like a servant, or whenever he answer Simos'' amiable chat with nothing more than a nod or grunt. Whispers and dark murmurs with his name were starting to get louder. But knowing how senseless those rumors could be, Aiven put it passed him and simply made another layer for his draft. Right off the bat, he had always been treated as an eyesore--so this much wouldn''t even put a dent on his mood. In everyone''s perspective, he was a nobody. And hanging out with two of the most promising novices in the grounds, didn''t helped in his situation. To be called a failure, ''trash'', a ''blank''--it was troublesome, but also childish. Just thinking about it, was already using energy he had no desire to spend. He''s aware that he was the subject of some form of bullying one way or another, but considering the circumstances, it was nothing less than tame and petty annoyance. Snarky remarks every now and then, little sabotages that never actually succeeded, finding his satchel on the trash bin or his book immaturely drawn in a child''s hand of minimalist rendition of vandalism. Aiven had actually found their colorful insults as amusing and educational even. One recurring example was; ''having switched faces with a hound'' (some dogs have better faces than humans though), ''dropped your brain in ox manure'' (the used of ox instead of any other land-based animal was a mystery), ''no phlegm for wisdom'' (this needed research to understand). The moment these were spoken, the insults were already lost in translation, and he would end up staring at the person in confusion and silent contemplation. And with his specialty at running away at the first sign of trouble, there''s no need to make any big deal out of this. Hah! Running away from bullies had its benefits. He sighed dejectedly, taking another bite from his muffin and savoring the cold and minty flavor of iceberry. But to actually have risen his agility to an inhumane degree because of being picked on---his life was really lousy. Still, the idea of retaliating never crossed his mind. That would be toublesome. Also, hurting anyone that just passed the two-digit age never really sounded right for Aiven. It was actually a wonder to him how the adults in the Training Grounds could stomach seeing children fighting it out on the open. He couldn¡¯t help but cringe whenever a kid ends up with broken bones or a cracked skull for "educational" purposes. The immediate healing afterwards made it easier not to be traumatized by the graphic daily dose of gore but really...this isn''t something he could get used to easily. Just the thought of it evaporates all lingering grudges he had towards his batchmates. He took another dip on his ink, relieved that his hands were not trembling from using a quarter of his mana levels.
Then he heard a sound of notification. Just as Aiven raised his head, his vision was filled with a billowing wall of flame flickering with orange tint. Without any warning, a familiar heat the size of a carriage was suddenly casted towards him. The roaring flames were so loud, the screams also registered to his ears late. Someone directly attacked him. Instinctively Aiven''s whole body jerked into attention, but after realizing something, he immediately forced himself to calm down. His eyes unflinchingly watched as the unfolding spell drawn close but hardly progressed any further than two hand spans from where they were seated. All of their seatmates, in line of the spell, had already vacated and only the three of them were left. For some reason, Delica and Simos were not concerned in the least. The blonde boy was clearly on his element, grinning widely as if being shot by mana, charged enough to melt bones was a normal daily occurrence for him. Delica was worse. She seemed delighted and was having a hard time suppressing a giggle. The fire was thinning into nothingness. If not for the defensive barrier preemptively set up earlier at the railings, Aiven would have been the first to run in fear of being scorched into coals. But that was not the only reason. At the center of it all was a small girl. Sharp slanted eyes looked at him with the stillness of frost; her raven-black hair was done in a single braid that trailed to her ankle and was tied off with a red ribbon. Aiven just blankly stared up at the girl from his seat while his brush strokes continued at the silence that awkwardly followed. ¡°Need something?¡± he asked, not wanting to mince words. Not that he could afford it. His rude, uninterested reply startled the young girl into breaking her gaze for a moment but, it was restored instantly with a glare. This was the best formal conversation Aiven could give her at the moment. He''d rather not talk, but unfortunately his hands were busy at the moment. There was no way he could just deactivate the skills and deliberately inflict a backlash to himself and waste his precious mana. And so he silently continued working on the portrait. Compared to the sibling''s calm reaction, his, was actually more abnormal. ¡°Useless brother,¡± the caster muttered in a strangely mature voice for her age. The little girl, just a few meters from the guard rails was Aiven''s cute adorable little sister, Leian. ¡°Ayah, she''s such a tsundere,¡± Delica teased. ¡°Who are you calling tsundere, Lady Delica?¡± Leian answered so quickly, she could have easily snapped at Delica. The shroud of mana between the guard rails and the audience'' stand was slowly toning down. With a simple step, Leian was out of the combat field and stood resolutely before the trio. ¡°No need to use any titles, Miss Leian. We''re all equals here in the Training Grounds after all?¡± Simos said. He was smiling and looked relieved to see her. ¡°You''re too gracious, my lord, to consider everyone--even the lowly ones, as your equal,¡± her attention coldly went to Aiven''s direction. Chapter 5 The trainees still wanted to argue more but their whining were halted by the words of Delica. ¡°Sheesh, don''t worry about the small things. What sort of self-respecting trainee would get riled up by such small, simple incidents like these every now and then? We are in a Combat Arena afterall, isn''t that right? Accidents do happen, nee?¡± Creating a big fuss over a ''misfired'' spell ''accidentally'' conjured by a low-level beginner, only made their arguments weak, especially with the knowledge of the grounds'' barriers in place. Their earlier actions would seem more cowardly. ¡°You could already produce [Flare], Miss Leian?¡± Simos asked. ¡°Nothing as remarkable as your lordship,¡± Leian replied dutifully on her ranks, disregarding the casual attitudes of the Canarys. ¡°Compared to a Second Circle of Sudrine Fire, Second of Austrine Earth, and a First of Nordrine Wind, my efforts all seems immaterial.¡± Simos smiled wryly when Leian mentioned his mouthful of a title. The blonde did in fact created his second circle fire spell and earth magic at the age of four so having that title was not that surprising. ¡°Don''t compare yourself to anyone, Leian.¡± Delica said, ¡°the best principle is to gain experience and to outperform your best.¡± Her cheer was genuine as she gave another of her lectures. But Leian had a different meaning in mind and continued, ¡°but having multiple affinities means you have no cause for specialization and it put more holes in your overall offense and defenses. Simply focusing on your weakness--which is easy to guess, could already do major damages.¡± Delica blinked back her astonishment. She smiled, already guessing where the discussion would lead to. Aiven sighed. His little sister had a hobby (though Aiven was the only one who would call it such) of accurately assessing others'' weaknesses. Leian''s almost perfectionist nature was starting to make her sound like military personnel. And now, that blunt assessment was directed to Simos. But instead of taking it as a sign of criticism, the blonde was even in tune to her thinking. Simos, as if taking bait, was in full spirit. ¡°Indeed. My weakness on water magic becomes more obvious, more so if you attack me with that kind of elemental ambushes. But I could just counter it in combat.¡± ¡°So I''ll still have to take care of your mobility, But since the fire spirits is fonder of me, I don''t have to worry on spellcasting.¡± ¡°Pushing it on ''Luck'' then?¡± ¡°It is more tangible than all these speculation, don''t you agree? I could outrank you on fire, but your unstable elemental manipulations could become unpredictable.¡± ¡°Wait, what did you say? You...outrank me on fire? What do you mean by that?¡± But before she could answer, a voice called out from the combat field. The stations were starting to stir with life. Participants for the Test of Affinity were now entering the reception areas. Everyone could almost see the medics, healers and support personnel already setting in place in their stations in case of emergency. The grand gallery that was in front of the combat field was the perfect representation of the entire Training Grounds. The gallery was designed with a set of stairs winding in a u-shape towards to center, red curtains draped on both wings. Elite students were also seen seated on their high chairs, complete with their spartanly uniforms and only the medallas giving their proud glint to decorate their status. Each one carried the title of presidents, and an imposing atmosphere that was similar yet unique on their own. Recognizing Aryan, Simos also began to cheer. A well curvaceous woman with a confident aura seated amidst the presidents of each grounds, waved back at Simos. Seeing the Battle Ground''s President turned at the audience, the young novices became heated with excitement. On the right wing were the ambassadors and representatives of the other fortresses, impeccably decked with what could be worth hundreds of gold worth of fineries with twice as much bodyguards, manservants and messengers on hand. And at the very center were the Principalities, the very ones who look after the protection of the Training Grounds. However only three of the Sages of Old, were present. The grand palanquin was heavily covered with bejeweled curtains of pearls and white precious stones that no one could see, let alone guess who among the fourteen Principalities was inside. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°I-I have to go now. It was a pleasure to have a conversation with you, young lord and lady of Canary Gold,¡± Leian demonstrated a perfect practiced curtsy. She dipped her head, her dark long braid brushed the floor and burnt marks on her ribbon were revealed. Before she could turn around, Aiven set his brush aside, thereby ending his spell. ¡°I''ll play...later,¡± Aiven was somehow able to say at the last minute. His words again, startled her. ¡°What...what are you saying all of a sudden? Stupid brother. I didn''t come here to play!¡± But he just smiled and beckoned her to come closer. Leian hesitated, before giving him a thorough once-over. And when she finally stepped closer, Aiven pulled out a silk ribbon from his pouch and started to fix her braid. ¡°Wha--?¡± She resisted but Leian still obediently stood with her back towards her older brother as he fixed her hair with expert hands. She was stiffed with nervousness but with each stroke of his hand on her hair, she started to relax. ¡°You said you wouldn''t watch,¡± a tiny whisper came from Leian. Her expression can''t be read with her clean-cut bangs hiding her face. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°N-nothing.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You...really are a classic tsundere,¡± said Delica, laughter can be heard on her voice. ¡°Please stop that young lady Delica,¡± Leian grumbled tiredly. When she felt him finished tying off her braid in a knot and was contentedly patting her on her head, Leian quickly backed away like an offended cat. ¡°And you! Stop treating me like a kid!¡± And she was off, fuming. But her angry footsteps slowed then came to an abrupt halt. She gently touched her hair and stared at the new ribbon Aiven given her. It was then that she looked back. ["For luck,"] Aiven''s hand signs were clear for Leian to read. He watched her nod and went back to the combat field. At her retreating figure, Aiven can''t help but be worried. Leian would always be his cute youngest sister who just happened to be awkward around people. After all, trying to analyze a person''s flaws at first meeting was far from a good icebreaker. Her passion for superiority in combat was even worse off than Simos. At this rate, she wouldn''t be able to find any friends, and she''ll end up more and more excluded from people that she''ll have no childhood--or a functional social life, which worried Aiven sometimes. His own situation was different since he deliberately avoided people because...people talk, which for his honest opinion was just a waste of time. ¡°You really are loved, aren''t you little Aiven?¡± Delica eyed him deviously with a knowing smile. ¡°...¡± ¡°I meant, for your sister to act that way to defend you. Even if her temper is a bit rash, she still cared huh?" She mused. At that moment Aiven realized that the surrounding novices quieted down. All their attention had all went to the stage, waiting for Leian''s turn. They were curious and a bit arrogant to know how ''low'' her results would be--just like her brother. Blood flows deep. Leian succeeded in turning all their aggression towards herself. Her small figure made a huge impression to the novices almost to the point that admiration and anger was mixed in. Also, Simos'' familiar and friendly attitude towards her fueled a much more dangerous side of the trainees'' imagination. He sighed again, louder this time. At this point, others might have some self-justifiable vendetta for revenge just because Leian went into rage mood and had a tantrum. ¡°She even disguised the attack and used you as a scapegoat so she could deal with those gossip mongers. Huehuehue, their pale expressions of fright were really amusing, uwaaahh, your little sister is amazing,¡± Delica chuckled. Aiven was confused at her ramblings when Simos turned to him, clapping Aiven on the shoulder. "Don''t worry, she''ll do fine." Of course she would, Aiven wordlessly thought.
Chapter 6: Side Story Gallery Boxes Battle Grounds First Arena Training Grounds of Cessine city-fortress On the other side of the First Arena, a glass rooted viewing box was bolted on the far side of the Grand Galleries. It was positioned discreetly, enough to be out of sight of the normal spectators but still offered a wide view over the event. Tap-tap-tap ¡°First of fire, first of earth. Dare?¡± a voice asked, his gloved hands continued tapping the table in boredom. Dutullique''s eyes didn''t left the arena''s center stage. A lone boy was standing resolutely at the center of the combat field, for all the spectators to see. The eight obelisks of the barrier flickered briefly. Inside the obelisks were four stone pillars with a two meter height and four inch girth and an orb of pure mana hovering inches from the pillars. When the young student released his mana, a visible aura appeared and enveloped the child. Raciv, who was sitting languidly on the other side of the table squinted his eyes, and released his own appraisal skill. At his next blink, Raciv''s vision saw few wisps of colors swirling atop the boy, and runes indicating some status not visible to the naked eye. Raciv raised his hand and said, ¡°Dare, second of water. Fifty.¡± ¡°Hah, let''s see then!¡± Dutullique answered back, life returning to his eyes at the challenge. Back at the combat field, a huge discharge of mana came from the trainee, the pillar that was strategically placed on the cardinal direction of East glowed, and with it, one of the eight obelisks with a rune for ''Light'' gave off particles of mana and gently settled on the applicant. When the mana has settled without any crisis, the examiner announced the results with a booming voice. ¡°Lumar, a proud common shade under the Stormcloud Silver,¡± the voice amplified on all corners of the area, ¡°the fates has spoken. Congratulations. Your affinity is a Second-Circle of Vestrine Water and received the blessings from The God of Light, Bjartra, Keeper of Candle and Courage.¡± A deafening applause was heard. For a level ten beginner, he could already be considered a prestigious talent to have the potential to reach the next tier. Beads of sweat trailed down the Lumar''s forehead but there''s a satisfied smile on his face. The ten year old boy bowed his head in the preferred obeisance infront of the Grand Masters and Principalities. A first-circle water mage could only manipulate the existing air from his surrounding to produce results. So to materialize an element out of pure mana would need more adept and sophisticated magic. Second-circle mages had a better foundation in terms of unlocking the next tier. ¡°Tsk, I lost again,¡± Dutullique was frowning and placed a hand on his ring, a small yellow mana core was clearly on display and he made some adjustments. He stiffened for a second and then relaxed. ¡°How many weights did you added since the start of the Test?¡± Fylie asked curious but obviously bored at the two''s betting game. The young woman folded the hem of her immaculate dress filled with vermillion ribbons and laces of carnation before she skirted towards her seat. The young woman was beautiful. Her hair was cut in short brunette tassels that framed her pixie face that gave a certain charm on her. Petite, with milky white skin and with just enough curves on the right places, Fylie Sudri Amaranth invoked an almost instinctual urge for protection few men, and even women, could resist. But the solid muscles beneath all those clothe told anyone that she had no use of that, and she would place no second thoughts in demonstrating that fact. ¡°That''ll make it two one-forty already, Princess,¡± and Dutullique slumped his shoulder in defeat. He made an annoyed groan at the Raciv''s unadorned hand, the additional kilograms weighing him down already, not only physically, but also on his spirits. The informal tone raised an amused expression from the second princess of the Cessine City-Fortress. The two chevaliers had been her close guards for so long that their relationship had a warmth camaraderie, founded on years of trials and near deaths. ¡°Ah too bad he has no fire affinity. Another talented one gone,¡± Princess Fylie''s perfect brows furrowed as she changed the subject, afterall she had no interest in any form of gambling even if it was disguised as physical training. The princess gazed at the Grand Galleries and pointed at a man sitting on the left side, wearing a purple habit and an amethyst brooch on his chest. ¡°Look. The ambassador from the Trissine Training Ground is grinning like a hound! I won''t be surprised if he shipped our water affinity passers to the borders before nightfall!¡± ¡°It can''t be helped, your highness, water mages would have a better mentorship in Trissine compared here,¡± Raciv replied, always the voice of reason. He fixed his glasses and took a long lazy sip on his wine. ¡°It''s still unfair," Fylie said, her regal image starting to crack showing a stubborn side of her, "I still think we would benefit in understanding magic if we could interact more with other elementals. All these fire elements in the Cessine Training Grounds are not helping in refining any other magic types.¡± ¡°That would only be perfect for magic research, but for cultivating mages? That would be counterproductive, don''t you think?¡± Dutullique took a deep breathe, still adjusting to the additional weight equal to a fifty sack of rice on his chest. But aside from the shortened of breathe, he was holding quite well. ¡°Well, it''s much way better than families getting forcefully separated because of their affinity magic!¡± the young woman answered, her voice heated with raw emotions from her statement. "How youthful, contesting traditions is really the role of the young, I see," an old man suddenly barged in the room. Normally, any person would think twice to disturb their conversation, but sensing the presence of their visitor, the two Emblems stood in respect and made a bow while their right hand was clasping the hilt of their ceremonial daggers, "greetings, Consul Azrentin of House Tharlier, under the banner of Chattreuse Gold" they chorused in precise words. Azrentin smiled benevolently like a grandfather looking after his little ones, pleased at their greeting, "how nostalgic, wasn''t it just a decade ago when I last laid eyes on you child?" he said as he took the gloved hand offered to him by the young princess. "Lord Consul," Princess Fylie said, her hair swayed in huge curls as she made a curtsy, "we were not expecting you..." The old man bowed respectfully in deference of the royalty and said, "Apologies, your highness, but High King Iralius had other engagements, as you are well aware of, I hope you wouldn''t mind this old man to step in?" "Is my brother causing you trouble again?" she smiled empathetically. "Your highness, I can''t speak ill of our young king." "Ah so he did," Princess Fylie sighed and made an apologetic smile to Azrentin. The old man chuckled. Formalities resumed and good wine flowed between the customary talks of good will and greetings. Chevalier Raciv poured the consul another glass. The blood red liquid had the same mesmerizing color as the sudrine rubies that decorated the chevaliers'' left vests, symbolizing their status as Emblems, the elites of the elite under direct command of Regalia. But once in a while the talk would cease whenever a student would take on the combat field and attempt to challenge the Test of Affinity. Azrentin had not missed the minute agitated sighs of the princess, whether it was her petite hands not leaving her hem or the littlest stiffness of her cheeks were not left unnoticed. Clearly, the young princess would prefer to don her usual armor and military habit. "This season''s batch is impressive," Azrentin remarked while caressing his graying beard, "hoh, brings back memories doesn''t it?" He placed the delicate wine glass back on the table and said, "Princess Fylie?" The young girl took her eyes away from the apprentices and looked at Azrentine, "yes, lord consul?" "You seem to be plagued by thoughts, care to share them?" he asked. Fylie held her head high and said in a voice full of conviction, "I agree, they are impressive, the steady growth of our people is an aspect we should give tribute to the eight gods, but..." she paused and her amber eyes, the same eyes passed from the royals of Cessine Regalia, scanned the fervent faces of the students, "the disparity of affinity has grown significantly since." "Hmmm," even if Azrentin had the title of head consul of the city-fortress, his position had always been close to the royal banner, "do you still hold grudges, your highness?" Princess Fylie bit her lips and went back to observing the children at the training grounds. With the passing of the war against the demons not too long ago, the Royal Banner of Amaranth, Keeper of Regalia, had protected the southern territories of Alvalar without fail. Their impregnable city-fortress was a testament to that. They have the largest domain and population among the four city-fortresses. But unfortunately their land was the closest to the Lahar Desert borders which the demons had used as passage to invade the Land of Man during the last demon war. That was why there was a great emphasis for Cessine in military might that it became indoctrinated to their tradition and culture. Having the biggest contribution of soldiers during the demon war, it was no wonder that they also suffered the greatest number of casualties. "I find it upsetting that we continue losing our people even when the war was won," she whispered, knowing the selfish unpleasantness of those words. She laughed weakly, "I sounded like a whiny princess, didn''t I? Please forget what you heard today."This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Azrentin took hold of her hand gently, "it was a grievance of a princess borne out of her concern to her people, you should not be ashamed of your honesty." "Yes, lord consul," Fylie said with a grateful smile. "Your highness, permission to speak," Chevalier Raciv adopted the acceptable role of an Emblem especially with the Consul in their presence. "You may," Fylie said. "You might want to see this," Raciv motioned for the glass panel of the gallery box.
At the combat field stood a female student, they had missed the beginner''s initial preparations but just from the gathering of mana, Fylie could feel herself astounded and rooted at her feet. Infront of the beginner a tiny bluish flame bloomed against the small palms of a child. The size itself was not impressive but the color of the fire had made the spectators restless. The more experienced ones were edged on their seats, their painful silence was broken by a few sniggering and off-handed conversations from the younger students who were unaware of what the applicant was trying to invoke. Fylie took a great shuddering breath, "a [Will-o-Wisp]," she could feel goose bump trailing on her arms as her eyes never left the blue flame dancing on the child''s fingertips. Every now and then, Fylie would see a semblance of a creature, a silhouette of a lady. The calm, almost unmoved expression of the girl, as she took in a spell that even champion-tier mages had difficulty handling, captivated the princess in its pure serenity. "To create a living flame, amazing," Azrentin remarked beside her, calmer than she would had expected ¡°Leian of House Gallinthe, under the Honorary White Banner. The fates has spoken. Congratulations. Your affinity is a Fourth-Circle of Sudrine Fire,¡± the examiner declared without any lapse or break from the impossible announcement while Leian already made her bow towards the principalities. Not only was Leian already had a fire spirit, she also had the potential to break into the fourth-tier of fire magic, the status of legends and above. What''s more, if you factored her youthful age, her potential raised astronomically. Before the battle arena could recover from the news, Leian already left the field.
"Leian of House Gallinthe, under the Hononary White Banner. First decade of age. Now, officially that of novice levels. Fourth circle of Sudrine Fire. Daughter of Sir Kieve of second mercenary class, and Madame Ailyn of first alchemist class," Azrentin said while fiddling on a data orb with the records from the training grounds. Each of the applicant''s profiles could be found on the orb, hovering at eye level between the lord consul and the princess. "I have not heard of any prominent Gallinthe in Cessine," Fylie remarked. "Not surprising, your highness. They were the first of their house to rose nobility rank during the past demon war. The title was bestowed during the ascension of High King Iralius together with the 34th Battalion of Crescent. His military records were mediocre at best, if not for the siege of one of the hamlets near the southern borderlands." The unit was known even to Fylie that her eyes widened, "the Valley of Mirdain?" The consul nodded. It was one of the key chokepoints during the initial efforts of the Demon Kingdom to usurp the Exine City-Fortress of its stronghold. The Lady of Red Flag was even present during the retreat which cost the Alvalar Kingdom a huge part of their eastern territories. "House Gallinthe, hn, let''s see. Shall we wait a few more years before we recommend her for a candidacy?" Azrentin said. "But why not now? That sort of talent is one of a hundred thousands," Princess Fylie retorted, the remainder of the Test of Affinity had lost its appeal after the results of one girl under a nameless banner, "and compared to our other candidate, she had surpassed..." "You forget, your highness, ''that'' other candidate came highly recommended by the Principalities themselves." She straightened and replied, "I am fully aware of that, our current hero candidate''s circumstances were truly...unique. But I feel if this young bud was not nurtured properly, it would be of loss to our side," she said. Even without a spying glass, the whole audience stand was clear to her eyes and her focus came down to the young novices. The applicant''s background was clear to both of them and for Fylie, she find the Gallinthe''s to be lacking. A member of any lowly honorary banner would require a lot of groundwork for the young bud to reach the limit of her potential. "Interesting..." Fylie mused. "What is it, princess?" The princess recovered another orb and handed it to Azrentin. The two emblem chevaliers were quietly watching the proceedings of the Test of Affinity, but Fylie were certain that their interests were also piqued by her conversation with the lord consul. The Emblems had a big part on the selection, afterall. Lord Azrentin had read the orb, and on it was the complete profile of eldest of the House Gallinthe. "Aiven, three moons past the first decade, novice, as nondescript as his father. Should this concern us?" The child had dark looks, not merely because of his hair was black, cut on a practical length, but also because of his eyes. There''s no youthful mirth present on those dark obsidian eyes. "No, it''s nothing," she shook her head indulgently, "his situation is just amusing." "If I''m not mistaken, he was grotesquely handicapped, correct?" "Pity. And yet the Canary has taken him as pet. Two of our best, and now even his sister was also blessed with potential only legendaries possess." "Ah, surrounding yourself with those of power, that too, could be called a talent," Azrentin said. "Possibly," and that ended their conversation regarding the unknown house of the white banner. A few more talented and promising youths came up to their leisurely discussion but they would still went back to that one name that had been on their minds when Azrentin sensed something. His eyes sharpened and one of the portraits on the dimmed room burst into flame in a shape of crimson flower. Both the princess and the emblems were surprised but before they could move, they stiffened at what they heard next. ¡°Kukukuku, what fun!¡± a young childish voice suddenly snickered. The spell warped and from the burnt portrait, the girl that was painted over the oil canvass''s ink flowed in rivulets of liquid and dripped to the shape of the beautiful child, except the girl''s eyes were the forever changing colors of blue to green to white, like the color of a rolling waves and there were fangs peaking from her thin lips. ¡°Asdale, I see you are still fond of using [Sirens]¡± Azrentin calmly said before taking another taste of wine. The girl skipped towards them and smiled happily, her steps so light she seemed to flow towards them. ¡°Why not, old man? They are cute and they don''t burn,¡± the siren licked her lips suggestively. "High King A-asdale?" Princess Fylie stuttered, High King Asdale Vestri Catalina? What is he doing here? ¡°No need to be polite, princess," Azrentin said, "this form he took does not deserve respect. So how did you find eavesdropping on our private meeting, Asdale?" ¡°Booo~rrring," the being snickered playfully, the voice was truly that of a girl and even the mannerism could be easily be mistaken for one, but if what Azrentin said was true then the one behind the siren''s facade would be no other than the head of the western territories of Alvalar. "But, na~h, the hero champion is still alive and you are already collecting hero candidates, how sly. Now that one of the Forbidden Treasures..." "I think that''s enough," Azrentin said and the words were blurred from Fylie and her knight''s ears. "...slip away, that''s a huge blow. The Principalities would not be happy. Not happy at all,¡± the threats drop to the being''s lips one after another in smooth successions, her tone is like an old man scolding a child but her high pitch made it sound nonsensical. Azrentin''s eyes narrowed dangerously adding more prominence to his aged face, but his benevolent smile was still the same, "Asdale, shall I remind you of a warning?" "What? Don''t act like a child," the siren remarked, "you know that damn brat Iralius also had his own [Replica] littered all over my port. And don''t deny you have no hand on that. Tsk. I''m simply paying back the favor while visiting my good old friend and my beautiful niece, isn''t that right, Princess Fylie?" The siren took hold of Fylie''s hand and placed a plaintive kiss on her gloved hand. Fylie felt the cold lips soaking deep even under the white leather. The entrancing eyes of the siren never left hers and the voluminous locks of the siren swayed into a play of magnificent marine blue. She remembered the man, androgynous features, beautiful and menacing. High King Asdale, the royal bannerman of Alvalar''s western territories, was a known adventurer and explorer of the perilous depths of Bermuda, and the one who would tease her with glitering gifts from the seafolk coves. Smiling at the memory, she noticed the emerald crest of Trissine City-Fortress on the siren''s bodice and courtsied in respect, "gracious morning to you High King Asdale, your humor is really refreshing," The siren paused, then laughed, "it is when the young ones treat you as a joke that you really feel old, isn''t it, Azrentin?" "I assure you, I do not share the sentiment," Azrentin snorted. "Certainly, High King Asdale, I didn''t mean...to say that..." Fylie panicked. "Just kidding, just kidding, hehe, Fylie is really adorable, would you marry my grandson?" The familiar question put ease at Fylie and she readily answered, "I respectfully decline, your majesty." "Tsk." "Didn''t you receive the same invitation as High King Iralius at the Royal House Regalia?" the Lord Consul asked, almost at his wit''s end at the randomness of the High King of Trissine, "our King Regalia would..." When Azrentin looked back at the siren, the being was already poking fun with the emblems. "So you''re also here, Raciv and Dutullique, assignments came tough, huh? Go and visit my palace everytime you want, understood? Understood? My brothels are packed but I could sneak in a visit or two," the siren said making itself comfortable on the lap of Raciv who was clearly ill at ease, but still sported a brave exterior, "also, say hi to your grandfathers. Those devils still kicking, correct? Goddess Myrkva, of Howl and Shadows, would be pissed to have them on her cloak this early." "As you will, your majesty," the two emblem chevalier answered with perfect respectful tone. "This generation''s kings are really a handful," Azrentin lamented, his graying beard seemed to have turned a shade whiter. "By the way, Azr," the siren said, the serious tone was uncharacteristic of the carefree eccentric High King of west port, "the tides will change. The recent ''excitement'' at the Central Regalia was just the beginning. I don''t know when or where, but..." the siren jumped away from poor Dutullique and made its way towards the old consul, it would have been comical if not for the next words it said, "the city-fortresses must not fall." "It never had, your majesty," Princess Fylie answered and the siren''s piercing gaze came to the young princess. Unyielding and determined, the princess'' brave smile was filled with confidence, an exact mirror of her brother, Iralius. The siren smiled warmly and nodded. "Good! Now I''m off to pillage some bou~nty!" it declared, "also tell that bratty king of yours to stop eyeing my ports or I''ll smack him in his bottom, tsk-tsk, young ones these days," and the being plunged itself back at the burnt portrait and it was gone.
Aiven sneezed. Rubbing his nose, he nodded briskly at Delica when she handed him a clean kerchief as they walked out of the arena. The unsettling excitement of Leian''s examination results didn''t surprised their group. It could be said that it was to be expected. "What''s with that far-off look?" Delica asked, studying Aiven and fussing whether she should drag him to the hospit in case he was brought down with flu. ["Someone is remembering me,"] Aiven replied in signs, Delica only looked at him in confusion before her brother interjected. ¡°Forget about that, are you ready for tomorrow?¡± ¡°Nee, are we still going for it, Simos?¡± Delica asked. ¡°Of course, I already have the map, see?" Simos tilted his head. "Weren''t you the one who suggested this quest? And it''s not that far from here, Delica. It''s just after the Termina Silva Forest. And it is close by the Settlements,¡± he said, completely taking away any mannerism of a noble and was back to the thirteen-year old kid with the craving for mischief ¡°Do we really have to?" Delica fidgeted uncomfortably, having second thoughts at the notion of another expedition right off the season. Aiven looked at the scroll and saw just below the Cessine Fortress, few miles down, was a location circled by deep ink named ''Milodas Forest''. Simos continued his explanation. You could feel the excitement radiating out of him ¡°it''s just a scouting expedition, dull magical beasts, nothing much. So are you in?¡± "You''re going to drag us into one of your adventures again.¡± ¡°Nah, compared to what we''ve done before, this is just a cinch! We go in, then out. Even if we find monsters they won''t be any problem.¡± ¡°Beginner''s grounds, huh? Not even a quarter of the base tiers...I think it would be safe?¡± there''s an open question on her statement, as if waiting for the others to agree. The two siblings stared at Aiven expectantly, waiting for his decision. There would be no meaning for it if the three of them are not complete. And without much raising his voice, Aiven nodded and with a smile said, ¡°I''m good.¡± Sure, why not? What could possibly go wrong?
Chapter 7 The Temple Ruins of Sola Milodas Forest, Cessine Territorial Borders The Temple Ruins was an old sanctuary, comfortably hidden on the far corner of Milodas Forest that they''ve scouted a dawn ago. It''s an articulate mesh of granite and stone, the temple boasted a four pillar facade that was reminiscent of Gothic architecture of our world and housed an image of one of the Ancients of the eight gods. It was, he guessed, at the peak of grandiose at its time. But today it was nothing more than a flicker of its past glory and the more Aiven sees with his mind''s eye, the more he became aware of its emptiness. His party''s so-called adventure---an innocent break from all the quests they have been completing these past three moons and a half, had turned out to be as easy as a walk in a temple''s morning prayer. If only it was also as quiet, Aiven sighed, his harvesting knife was securely placed on his palm as he squatted on a few undergrowths. ¡°Aiven," Delica''s sugary voice cut through his concentration. On her hand was a loose note from his sketches. "Nee," she beckoned to him, "when did in ALL history of the Frear did the Kingdom of Alvalar became a Rainbow Kingdom?¡± Ah, that, not knowing how his journal got mixed in to their map scrolls, Aiven answered her with a shrug. The paper she held up weakly flayed, and there, written in crisp words; ''Runsaer is black, Elrhondir is white, and Alvalar is rainbow.'' "It''s...color-coded," he answered slowly, unable to come up with an appropriate hand signal for the word. Aiven instantly felt tired but continued to work on his harvesting. Delica was staring at him, wide-eyed, the fact that her normally tight-lipped friend even bothered speaking was ignored, ¡°that doesn''t make any sense!¡± she almost yelled, startling a few squirrels scampering to their tiny feet. "R-rainbow...pffft," Simos, the last member of their party, almost doubled over from laughing, while clutching a bundle of herbs on both hands. The blonde boy just came back from scavenging from the other side of the river. He was wearing steel armors, heavy and constraining, but his movements were still smooth as he laughed heartily, "our great Kingdom of Alvalar, the proud descendants of the Olden Kingdom that united the Land of Man and created a pact of the champions. A-a rainbow kingdom?!" Aiven, however, kept his face blank. If given enough consideration, Runsaer Kingdom from the east was a melting pot of necromancy and dark arts and could easily be identified with the color black. Elrhondir on the west, being a holy and the pilgrim kingdom would be the white one. And their own kingdom became rainbow since Alvalar was technically a color-wheel as far as Aiven''s opinion goes. The Alvalarian Heraldry Caste System was based on metallics of gold, silver and bronze, and the city-fortresses were represented by primary colors. The fact that all members of their party sported red overalls from the Cessine City-Fortress only showed that they were members of the proud southern plains of Alvalar. It was so ridiculous to the point that people could get their heads chopped off if they use the wrong set of color-schemes. How many color-blinds must have perished? Aiven thought morbidly. "And that''s not the end of it!" Delica pointed at one section and asked her brother a question with all the authority of a magisterium professor, ¡°tell me, Simos, what is the center of the universe?¡± ¡°The void, easy,¡± Simos said automatically, too entertained to missed out the argument. ¡°And...what is a void, Aiven?¡° Reverting to his normal lack of interest in speaking, Aiven made a simple hand sign for everyone to see that clearly translate to ["black hole"] ¡°See?! See?!¡± said Delica. Aiven remained impassive. During her interrogation, he made a few successive flick of his wrist at the reddish herb infront of him. A young shoot of Bloodroot was immediately harvested to the point of baldness. Simos was still audibly snickering at the other side of the patch. ¡°To call the Great Void, just a HOLE?! A BLACK HOLE?! Do you wish to Gods to rain thunder on us?!" Delica was livid. It took a second before her meaning sink in. "To actually name the primordial place of Ancients a-an...overly simplified dark colored hole in the vast space of continuum...are you stupid? No you must be stupid,¡± she held her temple as if massaging a throbbing migraine. The terms were all familiar to him. When it was explained during their lectures back at the Cessine Training Grounds that the Void was and is indeed the mysterious remains of a collapsed star, Aiven simply went back to his old world knowledge. If taken theoretically, their source of heat was from a young planet that was immense in size and denseness, that it emits its own light. They aptly called it Sun Planet making this mass of earth they currently habitate nothing more than a satellite. In layman''s term, they live in a moon. And that the unlikely pair planetary body had been floating around a galaxy with a black hole at its center. A very horrid end, but the Frearans have long accepted this fact, and the journey towards the sucking darkness was relatively slow--it''ll take billions of years before they could be even halfway the center. Thinking about it, a large part of their studies were centered on celestials since it was believed that the Void was the source and end of all creations, making it more like a Big Bang Theory, or in this case, a religious path towards their mythos. Aiven found these creationist theory as---well, theories and lore instead of a way of faith. Not that it affects him anyway, he never really cared about the gods. ["So...it''s a worm hole?¡±] he answered, motioning with his hands. She gaped at him, eyes widening in horror. ¡°Did you just called the Gods of Ancients ''worms''?!" Right, I shouldn''t tease Delica this much, Aiven smiled inwardly. "All Holy Orders of Continuum will crusade against you!!! Why do I feel like my brain is deteriorating? Uuuugh, this is all your fault!¡± Delica continued in her tirade, now holding her palms to her face. "There, there. We all know he''s a weird one," Simos consoled Delica, while picking the few bundles that stumbled away from Delica''s basket. The girl was still indignant, and would mutter her complaints every now and again, but she had thankfully dropped the subject for the moment and focused on their task on hand. Afterall, finding fresh crops of herbs first thing in their exploration was a stroke of luck that any novice their age needs to prioritize. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. So right off the first light of dawn, the small three-man party was on their knees, scraping weeds and turning rocks for herbs. Bloodroot was a common shrub that helped in tending wounds and was the main raw material that gave off the red color of health potions. Harvesting would have been tedious work, but wild plants had a more potent effect and the fresher the stocks were, the better for his synthesizing. Earlier, when they scouted the area, he was relieved that the Milodas forest reflects their intel. It was categorized as beginner zone with monster ranging only from level one to five with the rare variant level nine. As novices, the party was a level higher than the hunting grounds, but from the start they didn''t come to Milodas for leveling.
Their current quest was simple, explore the old temple, go to the altar and receive the blessing of the Goddess Sola. According to Simos, rumor has it, touching the Divine Protection Statue at these temple ruins during full moon would grant them a ¡°Gift¡± from the deities regardless of the pantheon they believe in. It was all baseless superstitions but Simos decided it would make a nice commemoration for their leap into the world of the adults. They have been part of so many adventures already and this Coming of Age Ceremony would be another of those memories they would create with each other. Adults, huh? Aiven can''t help but question the validity of the custom everytime he looked at his companions. "Oi, I''ve seen the bloodroots, but why the thickseeds?" Simos pulled out bushels of yellowish bulbs straight out of Delica''s stock pile. Aiven raised his palm up. Delica, seeing the hand sign, tossed one of the bulbs. And it hit Aiven straight on the nose. When he looked back at her, nose red, the girl stuck her tongue out. The farther they are from the city-fortress, the more these two idiots regress, Aiven quietly observed. A simple spell later, and a sudden movement of wind carried the piece of parchment out of Delica''s grasp. It unraveled and smacked her on the face. Delica scrunched the paper away and was glaring. "Hey, stop it you two," Simos said, holding out the two from flinging harmless spells to each other. Aiven indifferently gave a salute to Simos, before withdrawing with the thickseed in hand. Delica, on the other hand, harrumphed and blew Aiven a raspberry. Ignoring Delica''s childish antics, Aiven recovered his harvesting tools and made a clean slice that separated the thin roots from the bulb and started processing the herb. After a minute, Aiven held out a flask with a half-full of liquid. His scavenging knife glinted from the noon sun, against his equally dark leather armor. ["This,"] Aiven explained in their usual hand sign, his friends had been used to his unnecessary lack of speech that they were able to grasp all of his hand movements, ["good for oiling clockworks and,"] before he could finish his hand signs, Simos butted in. "Ah, is this for Madame Ailyn?" Simos asked, remembering that the madame, Aiven''s blood mother, was a known alchemist and also delve in automaton projects throughout the training grounds. Simos, have always been interested in golems, so mentioning about clockworks made him excited, "this smelled better than gearing oils...um, Delica? Why are you looking weird?" "Eh? Uh," Delica stuttered, her face was paler and her eyes didn''t left the bottle that was being sniffed by her clueless brother. "I mean, this is..." Delica snatched the bottle away and elbowed Aiven on the ribs, "why the circle of hell would you use this as oil gear? Do you know what this is?!" Massaging his (probably) broken ribs, Aiven answered with his signs, ["lubricants"]. "I know this is used for l-lubricating..! But, but," Delica''s face turning red and was clasping the bottle to the point of breaking. "As a responsible adult here, I''ll confiscate the bulbs and we''ll all just forget about this, understood?" and she continued mumbling, as she pulled out the bulbs out of her inventory in disgust, "Goddess, I should have realized these bulbs for what they are!" Aiven stared at her unflinchingly as if questioning her statement. He wanted to discredit Delica''s train of thoughts but as usual Aiven kept mum. Just from her outbursts and actions, there was no doubt in Aiven''s mind that Delica knew that thickseeds were primarily used in the harem, for private purposes. The part that she knew about it only shows that she knew her alchemy, and he didn''t put any other meaning behind it. Afterall, they were in the same age. Knowing how resourceful his friends were, it''s not surprising. However, what Delica doesn''t know was that the properties of thickseeds were ideal as gear oils for automatons. With the herb''s natural property to boost vitality in life essences, it could easily prolong the affectivity of the manabeasts'' blood in the magic circuit, which was the heart of all automatons. This made thickseeds a better conduit than the grisly smelly clockwork oils that does nothing but keep the gears in motion. He stared at Delica, his expression already saying if it''s possible to discard the goods at the old shopkeeper at the nearest settlements. This only earned him another glaring scoff from Delica. And when he mentioned it was for ''personal use'', her scandalized blushing red reaction was so amusing that Aiven continued pushing the subject while hiding his amused smile. On the outside, he was as expressionless as a rock and dead serious which only infuriated Delica even more. "Eh? I don''t get it," Simos'' confused face seemed to have strike at Delica. She dropped everything she was doing as if she was struck by lightning and placed her hands heavily on Simos'' shoulders. "S-simos, in the future, please remember that I am a girl and the youngest here...so it''s impossible, truly impossible for me to explain this!" "Hey, what? What? What are you saying?" Simos tried to shrug off Delica''s hold but she continued bearing down on him. "Also, girls mature faster, right? We even get to get engaged at fourteen! So it''s normal for me to know...these...things, you know? And how do you think I could ace apothecial and alchemical classes if I don''t know...these...stuff, you know? You know?" "D-Delica, calm down, calm down, oi, are you crying..? D-don''t cry..!" Simos expression became more helpless. At this point, Aiven looked pitiably at Delica for having a clueless brother, such as Simos. "Shut up! I don''t want to hear that from you, pervert," She answered to Aiven while giving him a death glare as if she could hear Aiven''s very thoughts.
Chapter 8 Afterwards, the thickseeds had all been discarded. All the while, the frown on Aiven''s face didn''t let up. The bobbing of the poor bulbs as it passed over the currents of the river kept on repeat on his mind. It was a necessary sacrifice for their party''s peace but it still left a sinking pang of regret to his gut that persevered all throughout their journey back to civilization. He barely took note when they entered the quiet settlements near the mouth of the Milodas Forest. Roughly two hundred families, Pious Point kept its name to the letter, humble, peaceful and fanatically religious to the faith of the eight gods. Instead of the normal main square at the center of the town, a vicarage towered over the houses and any respectable establishment. The people were nice enough, and it seemed to be the only requirement Simos, being the group leader, needed to settle for the night. As he pushed open the doors to their inn, the two siblings were still actively having their argument. From start to finish, he had been silently listening to their conversation despite his mind wandering. "And when did you start hanging out with Madame Cerylde?" Simos continued interrogating his sister. Aiven noted a touch of disapproval on Simos'' tone, but the words were drowned from the bustle of night activities of the Hog Cauldron Inn. "Hullo, can I get you meat, dearies?" a passing waitress greeted to them, balancing a two set meal on one tray and two huge mugs on the other. Her apron was smudged with sauce and stains, but there''s still neatness to her whole appearance and in the way she expertly tread over the counter. The eight lines of symbolic figures hovering over the bar''s counter wasn''t lost to Aiven. For an establishment that overflows of alcohol from firstlight to last embers of night, and still have a spacious venerable space for the gods of ancients was a baffling idea even to his standard. "Yes, Miss Losa, for three please, that''ll be wonderful!" Delica answered, pushing her way to an empty table, leaving Simos and Aiven to follow her lead. "Remember what I said about my part-time work?" Delica continued when the waitress was out of earshot. Simos straightened on his seat, scowling, but Delica answered him with a smile, "I know you hate it, but hear me out. It''s great for experience and I had a wonderful apotherist to teach me firsthand about the craft. See? Win-win!" It was subtle but Simos'' eyes became cold, "A dark mage? Under our father''s employ? How come I am only hearing this now?" Simos replied, his words turned formal, his posture and expression began to have more weight while addressing his sister. Delica was quick to notice the steel on his voice, and answered with her own. "Should I have asked for your permission?" unconsciously Delica placed her hands promptly on her lap, like any highborn lady. "Would it be of much burden to my dear sister to tell me of such things?" Simos asked. "With a detailed report you mean." "If it suits you," Simos shrugged, his calm as he let Delica bait him was a sure sign that he was getting provoked "Would you also require a tender and notice of everyone I got acquianted these past season and half moon?" "You would, wouldn''t you? Riddled with father as signatory, no less?" Their passive-aggressive blows were suddenly interrupted when the two noticed Miss Losa, standing behind Aiven, the meals turning cold. The waitress stuttered when she saw the two watching her curiously. Simos raised his hand, "you may now serve, Miss Losa," his eyes as steady as iron. Miss Losa instantly bowed, "uh, y-yes sire, I mean, the food," she reddened at her actions. The children wore nothing more than the armor and equipments of novices out for their quests, and yet their expressions and manners earlier spoke of higher birth that she instinctively humbled herself. Aiven broke the atmosphere, "wow, tasty as Freyra''s banquet," he said, relieving the waitress of her tray. Miss Losa seemed to have recovered and was astounded to receive the compliment and a smile from Aiven. This was the first time she saw him in an expression aside from his silent brooding let alone heard him utter anything more than an unintelligible grumble. Aiven could already see how the bar maid melted, probably patting herself that her reclusive customer had finally opened up to her. Simple people were easy to read. "Oi, Aiven! Don''t hoarde all the meat!" Simos snatched the serving plate out of Aiven''s reach and he retaliated by stealing another leg of pheasant. The three novices were once again the cheerful dream-eyed young ones that entered Hog Cauldron a fortnight ago. Miss Losa breathed a sigh of relief and smiled apologetically, "sorry it ha¡¯ gone cold, dearies. You talk a serious now, I could''na..." "Don''t worry much, Miss Losa. It''s just my brother''s way of being intolerable," Delica said to the waitress, stubbornly clinging to her resentment, "he thinks talking big would make people let him get his way," Simos glared at Delica, "by the by, thanks for the meal." She stood up, forcefully that the utensils clattered and bowed deeper than the maid did, "excuse my presence, beloved brother. May I take my leave?" Delica said courteously and with such grace that if not for the deadly threat on her eyes, he would have been fooled it was sincere. Without waiting for an answer, Delica stormed out of the inn. Simos and Aiven remained in their seat and stared at the retreating figure of the only female of their party, her wand flashing underneath her cloak. Few glances were trailing over the little girl. Fewer still would dare to openly show their curiosity. The witchwood staff alone would be enough warning for anyone. If messing with any mages or potential mages isn''t trouble enough, add the crest of Cessine Training Grounds on her ring, and any sinister ideas would be gone from any sane local of Alvalar The Training Grounds had uphold a neutral stand on politics and conflicts of man, but cross any of their students or staff and you would be placed on seven pits of underworld and back as retribution. And with how almost all citizens of the settlements wore a religious relic one way or another. These people have a very vivid image of what that hell entails. "And where is she off to?" Simos asked. Aiven smacked his fist down Simos'' head. The impact coincided with a spell breaking that Simos noticed at that moment, with it came the sound of the inn rushing back on their table. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The [Spell of Unvoice] was a minor spell in Aiven''s skill list which he had indiscriminately used while the two were busy bickering. Not one of the regulars of the Cauldron had heard or even guessed what their party was talking about. That was close, he thought, thinking of how much Miss Losa had suspected on their identities. His knuckles were bruised. He didn''t relay any pain on his face but he still spied a flash of guilt passed over Simos'' eyes as the boy realized his blunder and instantly clammed shut. They might be using their own name as novices, but no one knew of their status. If the residents of Pious Point found out their disguises and relaized that on their midst was a member of the Higher Gold Banner, let alone the heir of House Sila-ir, there would be too many complications not even Simos, and his sunshiny optimism, would be able to deal with without using the backing of his family banner. And Simos would rather commit himself to hellhounds before he resolve to that. ["Eat,"] he suggested in a command sign they usually use when in the middle of a battle, instantly telling Simos that he was seriously pissed. He knew the boy well enough not to expect an apology. If Simos was listening earlier, he would have known that Delica planned on returning back to Higher Districts to spend the afternoon at their family''s sanctioned apotherist to continue her studies. The personal tutelage had just began last vacation as far as Aiven had gathered. He tucked the name for later. If the dark mage had anything to do with alchemistry then his mother might have an idea about the madame. Aiven took on Delica''s share on the table. He glanced up once, and the mulish streak on Simos was still there. The two siblings had always been quiet when it comes to their banner''s affair and Aiven was sensitive enough to keep out of that particular subject, though it wasn''t hard to guess how strained it must be. Once their stomach got filled, Aiven decided he would tell him where Delica had gone. He raised the wooden spoon, ready to stuff himself with roast meat when the spoon slipped, plopping back at the plate in a clatter. His frown was back on his face in a second. He grabbed the spoon again to only found it falling out of his hands for the second time. He stared at his trembling hands, clenching and reclenching, as he felt them go numb. ["Guess, I have no time to play mediator."] His actions caught Simos'' attention. When Aiven made a simple command on his inventory bracelet and took out a mana potion, Simos gave him a look of unease. "Hey, Aiven, you okay?" he asked, the concern changed his voice into a seriousness that made him sound older. The leader persona really suited him. When he took a swift swing over the flask to replenish his mana, Simos'' blue eyes glinted with a light film of mana as he finished his [Appraisal] over him. ["I''m fine,"] Aiven was trying to sign to Simos when the blonde took the spoon and placed it back to the tray. "I''m sorry," Simos said. The apology was unexpected that his hand froze. He stared at the blonde unblinkingly. Simos might not act like one, but once he decided he was not wrong, it would be hard to convince him otherwise. The times that he did could only be counted on few rare occasions. "You don''t have to push yourself," Simos added. "We know you have a limited reserve of mana, but..." he trailed off. He handed a small mana potion to Aiven. A peace offering. By now, Simos would have seen his mana levels and knew he would need another helping. Aiven took the flask and smiled. "Thank you," he said, slowly as he felt a small part of his mana dissipitating out of his system as if air. He downed the second bottle, and somehow with the bitter after taste of the apothecial item, they continued their lunch. Simos, as always, took charge of their conversation, directing it away from anything short of mentioning mana. Spontaneous Mana Node Discharge, Aiven almost laughed to himself. A bad case of mana depletion could go a long way from being useless, but losing mana on prolong period of time was not only crippling, it was considered deadly. Drinking mana potions like it was water did helped alleviate some of the symptons but other than that, his condition was a lost cause. His friends both have been vocal in their concern for his future prospects, and with his recurring episode of mana-depletion lately, they do have a reason to be on the edge. Healers and priests of faiths, known and obscure, had tried to cure him of his ailment since he was a babe, but all left with bewilderment and another unsolved case on their medical history that left them butting heads with one another. They could barely had time to hypothesized and find cure to his silence either. Another mystery left unsolved. There was even a time when he was two and would barely utter a cry, let alone a word. With no other options, he was brought to the temple in fear he was being possessed. The Freareans had put a lot of meaning to ''words'' and the power it held to the world order to the point of reverence. The fact that he refused to talk was taken as an omen. It was the reason why the other half of the specialists that tried to cure him were those of the faith. If not for his almost normal upbringing as part of nobility, no matter how low it was, he would had been proclaimed an ''aberrant'' and been declared accursed for not being able to speak as fluently as his other children his age. The [Gift of Babel] is a glorious present for all those faithful, if this child could not even proclaim our gods then he is a blight! A cursed blight, I tell you," one sightless priest once said to his crib. He doesn''t even know why the memory suddenly resurfaced. Him, eating right now on the middle of a quest, being a functional member of the society and even having passed the pre-requisites of a novice was nothing short of a miracle. And it would take a different kind of miracle if he wanted to reach the apprentice level. It must be the reason his friends had proposed to take this expedition in the first place. A gift from the gods, huh? Aiven can''t help but pondered on the idea.
Chapter 9 "...think it''s anything big?" Simos asked. ["What?"] Aiven replied, trying to recall what Simos was talking about. Simos indicated the table opposite theirs. If the emptied mugs of beer had told him anything, it was that the rowdy group of men had drunk more ale than their blood could sustain. A fellow of sturdy build and a-day old stubble was alarmingly getting loud. Sitting on a barrel of his own, he was retelling a story that, due to his loud voice, made everyone on the inn a spectator whether they were willing or not. "...the earth shook, blood everywhere! Those men got their insides displayed for crows on end! I saw it with me own two eyes! Then she took off, another head got slashed like," his hand made a chopping movement, "I tell you, Goddess Myrkva, harvested her quota that night!" He ranted for minutes of undisturbed descriptions of horror that could curdle whatever was left of anyone''s appetite, despite this, the man was successful in captivating the locals. Aiven was studying the man. The more he tried to listen the more his face fell. Before long, Simos tapped his shoulder. "He was talking about the attack at the Royal House Regalia," Simos explained. His guess that Aiven had no idea what the man was raging about was proven correct when Aiven''s frown suddenly cleared, then nodded before his plate took his undivided attention once more. Simos'' eyebrows raised, "no comment?" ["Should I have one?"] He replied, munching on the grilled meat with leisure. Simos and Aiven sat at their private table reserved for the inn''s patron. It was their second night at Pious Point. They''ve already taken their time exploring what little the town has to offer and took a stroll in the forest as they would to a park. The suns took its fill and fell, and still no Delica to nag them. The restless agitation on Aiven was growing as the night claimed the hours. "Someone tried to kill our king, at the very heart of Central Regalia!" Simos emphasized each word. ["Kings get assassinated all the time. History had a whole chapter for that,"] Aiven watched the drunken storyteller with more interest this time. ["I thought demons were eradicated seven years ago?"] "That''s the fun part," Simos had a smug smile and continued, "It wasn''t a demon." ["Rebels?"] "Exactly." Aiven sighed, ["Woe is to a king who isn''t important enough for people not to want him dead."] "Always the cynic," Simos nudged him from his side. "Lighten up a little." Aiven grumbled and paused when he realized his meal was cleaned to its very bones. At the steady stare Aiven was giving at the lonely plate, Simos bellowed for the waitress and asked another helping of smoked grilled meat for his friend and for a refill of his own mug of steaming coffee. The barmaid was quick on her feet to take Simos'' order. There were only a few females at the inn, but somehow he could see a feral light on the women as the barmaid, coyly, but at a polite distance, poured Simos'' coffee. [Charm] as well as [Charisma], were attributes all present on Simos and which he seemed to have at excess. So for people to readily and freely fawn over him was something Aiven had already seen before. It was particularly fatal when they were seven years old. The kid could not even have two steps before a man or woman would try to touch or offer him some form of delicacy or another. Her sister was equally cursed. Delica had been carried and cuddled for a long time that her feet had not touched the ground until she was three, or so Aiven was told. He actually took pity on any girl or boy that would fall for the siblings. ["Which high king are we talking about?"] Aiven asked, indulging Simos when the food arrived. "Not a cardinal king bannerman, but King Regalia himself," Simos replied, lowering his voice. "Oh," Aiven can''t help but utter his amazement. Even the whole hordes and armies of the demon kingdom were not able to get hold of the Royal House Regalia''s domain. To attempt a regicide against the principal head of Alvalar who was considered as the ''One True King'' of all four of the city-fortresses, the rebels must be getting bold---or desperate. "Seriously, where was your head? The man could practically be heard a block from here." Aiven looked down on his food and back again at Simos. He took another mouthful as his answer. "Had I told you before that you could out-eat a hippogriff?" Simos tsked, and resumed his eavesdropping over the inn. The intrigue and mystery of the assassination had caught Simos'' imagination and the boy was hunting any details down like a dog with a stick. It was enlightening what you might overhear from the flowing conversations on any place where tongues get loosened by few pints of watered ale and cheapened beer. If he remembered correctly, Simos did say that he was aiming for an assassin class. A loud, always smiling, blindingly positive assassin. Wonder how he¡¯ll fare in that profession. Aiven can''t help but smile at the irony, though from untrained eyes, only the corners of his mouth tightened. It was at that moment Delica decided to enter the inn. With her small frame, she would have been left unnoticed, but she came in so abruptly that even the drunk storyteller who was rapt on his own world paused to look at the young mage novice. "What are you two still doing here? We''ll be late at the full silver moon!" she grabbed Aiven by the cuff and started retrieving some scrolls and potions. "And who''s fault was it to barge in late?" Simos retorted, placing his mug down which was turning lukewarm and made a move to prepare his own inventory bracelet for his equipment. Delica took a break from shaking Aiven and stared down at her brother, and then she smiled sweetly, "I forgive you, Simos." Momentarily he was taken aback and muttered, "heh, like hell you are." But Simos was already smiling indulgently at Delica while shaking his head lightly in exasperation. "Of course!" She grinned cheekily, "what are you two still lazing about? Let''s go, let''s go." As quickly as she came, did the two relaxed and started looking forward to their expedition. By the time they left the table, the inn had resumed its normal activities.
"Hah, that was easy enough," he heard Simos declared carelessly. Aiven knew that the boy was not one for being lax. Sporting a crested fire-enhanced vest under armored plates of spellforged iron, Simos was well prepared for any unforeseen incidents. But the fact that his halberd hardly left its sheathe as they''ve entered the temple''s grounds was enough for him to relax. "Odd," Delica whimpered. "I have a bad feeling about this, Simos." On the contrary, Delica''s enthusiasm seemed to have been deflated the moment they backtracked their route back at the temple. She had been on the edge since they''ve extended their exploration closer to the temple''s ground, and now that the ruins were within sight, she didn¡¯t felt any better. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. "Pah, don¡¯t be like that Delica," Simos teased. "This is an adventure! All we have to do is touch the statue and we¡¯re all set!" "Adventure...right," she said with a sigh. "But really, don''t you think it''s weird that there are no manabeasts around?" "Well, it was normal that beginner up to apprentice hunting grounds get combed over the blazen vacation, maybe the forest is still recuperating. So where to next?" Simos asked, directing the question to Aiven. They were currently inside the empty foreboding courtyard with pillars at each intersection that leads to different paths. The architecture itself mirrored those of the Pious Point''s vicarage, but the maze-like staircases and corridors could pose a challenge. "Hey, you still there?" Simos snapped his fingers in front of Aiven. He grunted and mutely pointed at the center aisle. ["Antechamber,"] Aiven answered with his normal signs. "As expected to the man with a few words. I probably should lead from here," Simos announced all too happily. Sheesh, this place is like a tomb. Not noticing the dark turn of Aiven''s thoughts, Simos started whistling. Definitely tactless. His cheerfulness was really too much compared to the depressing aura of the temple. "How¡¯s the perimeter?" Delica asked beside him, readying her staff in case of trouble. ["Clear,"] he replied, checking his mapmaker skill list. He could grasp within a ten-chain radius of their surroundings. Even without a formal class, Aiven could be said to be on par with an average ranger. Skillwise, his attributes were all below average. [Automapping], the current skill he was activating, was a passive skill of mapmaker job skills, a basic for those who want to be in scribe class. [Detection] and its subskill [Far Sight] was the basic for those aiming for thief class and archer class. All base skills didn¡¯t need a class for it to be learned, even beginners could gain these skills. So anyone in their batch could practice all spells within the first tier. But since specialization was important to gain a class, most preferred only those that¡¯ll be useful in the long run and discard the ones they deemed useless. However, by using [Automapping], he could freeze the mental image of detected manabeasts and hostiles in [Detection], then dispelling it so he could activate [Far Sight]. It overlaps with the mapmaking skills giving him wider peripherals. Alternating between detecting and sighting, he could update the current location of entities by every three seconds. If there was danger, he could activate and deactivate his skills in less than a second. It took time to get used to, however, shifting controls during a duel was difficult. Aiven had consistently, without fail, scored ''White'' during their combat examination. A blank score. His parents almost disowned him. Normally, anyone would have preferred the [Archer Skill Set I: Avian Sight], a higher vision compared to [Far Sight] that could give you a farther view but the smaller scope, similar to telescopes and spyglasses. But it¡¯s impossible to be learned for a classless like him. As a rule, if two skills were overlapped with incompatible classes, it¡¯ll become unstable and useless. While others at least have honed ten advanced skills, he only had three and too many passive and basic skills on his arsenal. It can¡¯t be helped since he tends to neglect skills training and shift to new ones on a regular basis. Only those who find his logic in doing so became close to him and those few are with him right now. "Cool! Look at this! An automatic Jaw-Slinger! I never thought I¡¯ll see this kind up close! First used in Roual Era in Schism of Grimoire against humanoids in¡­" Simos¡¯ sudden outburst trailed off in a murmur as he handled the helmet-like gear tentatively in his hands. "Truly a vintage," he mumbled ecstatically. Both Aiven and Delica shivered not wanting to know how such contraption was used. Just the name itself was already screaming an ominous intent. A few more "vintage" traps later and they finally reached the center of the temple. Aiven was convinced it was these traps Simos came here for and not the gifting. No wonder, he was too much invested in this exploration. Well, at least, there is no imminent danger we have come across with. Simos¡¯ [Hide Skill] would expire within four minutes so they hastened their pace. Just a few more meters and they¡¯ll be inside the altar¡¯s barrier. It¡¯s a non-aggro area so they planned to rest easy inside against possible manabeasts attacks. With their stats, there would be no difficulties exploring the area but the full silver moon gave an unknown effect to the forest, as with most celestial events. It¡¯ll be better to be cautious. Finally, they passed beyond the flight of stairs, flanked with solid columns, leading to the temple. Aiven sense a tingling sensation as they went over the sacred grounds. It¡¯s the same feeling whenever they enter the City¡¯s gate but clearly less aggravating, more likely because the altar was holy attributed instead of a defensive one. When the last of them were safely inside, they breathe a collective sigh of relief, but what greeted them at the end of the aisle rendered them breathless. The marble statue of Goddess Sola was the central figure of the altar. The statue''s alabaster marble, now weathered in shades of gray, offered an unnatural glow of golden halo, giving enough visibility with the help of the full silver moon. He had no means to guess its properties but he was certain the central figure was where the ground''s holy barrier originated. The smooth unflawed image gave a stark contrast to the decrepit temple that is on the verge of collapsing, giving it a more surreal atmosphere. Suddenly, Simos took a bottle out of his inventory and started pouring the contents into three cups made of copper. Handling it to his other companions, he said. "This is the last day we will illegally drink wine! Let¡¯s savor it!" Aiven clicked his glass with the others, going with the flow and not really getting the point. It¡¯s his first time tasting alcohol since he was born, and tomorrow, they will get their status, hence all age-restricted laws will be lifted. He doubted whether a day difference would pose any problem but still, he didn¡¯t understand why his friends would get giddy at a shallow act of defiance. Still, he emptied his cup and felt the aromatic alcohol burn his throat that he coughed. Simos laughed at him, while Delica giggled, sipping the wine timidly. He tried not to spill even a drop as the coughing fit subsided. "I wonder what gift we would receive," Simos asked. Aiven was waiting for them to reach the base of the statue when his detection spell suddenly blared a warning. Chapter 10 Not leaving his eyes from his companions, he flicked two fingers behind the tabernacle. Delica was quick to notice the change in Aiven¡¯s demeanor. She froze in her tracks and motioned Simos to guard himself. Two unknown entities. Aiven was trying to make sense of things when he saw Simos'' expression turned grim. The moment their leader placed his grip on his halberd, the boy''s whole aura changed. Like a sharp blade out of its scabbard, the blond boy became deadly but his tone had no telltale inflections as he commented, "I wish we get a prestigious gift, what do you think?" As their appointed scout, he didn''t pause communicating to Simos what he could detect, or more importantly, the lack of it. Simos'' weapon went closer to his waist as he tries to back away as silently as possible while Delica had also raised her staff readying for any support they might require¡ªwhether to kill or to flee as fate would take them. Aiven also unsheathed his equipment of stained daggers¡ªthe highest grade he could use at his base levels as a scout. He''s not as skilled as Simos in wielding steel or as adept at chants as Delica, but the weight gave him a sense of security at least. "Who knows. I¡¯m just happy to celebrate shedding my childhood with you guys." Delica answered without any trace of tension in her voice. Unfortunately, the remark made Aiven¡¯s ears suddenly flared red. He almost choked back the alcohol with that statement. But Delica only had her expression darkened, misunderstanding the abrupt changes in his expression as a danger for what may come. He sighed, ignoring his harassed morals, as his dark eyes continued gleaming as he uses both [Detect Skill Set V: Far Sight] and [Trigger Skill: Night Vision] to pry more of their surroundings. Slowly, he had unclasped his satchel and was preparing for some teleportation scrolls that they could use. The other members of his three-man party nodded as they understood what his actions meant. If worse comes to worst, they had to run away. He cursed in his head as he felt a cold trail of sweat clinging to his skin, thinking what sort of creature is this thing to scare away all magical beasts hunting these grounds. Thinking about it, Aiven should have felt suspicious from the beginning¡ªhardly any beasts, ambushes, or major traps inside the dust and vine-ridden ruins? It''s too naive of him to lump it off as luck. The part that they might outnumber them didn''t ease his anxiety. If Aiven, with the highest appraisal capabilities in their group, could not identify the unknown, then it''s possible that the levels superseded his skills or it was a variant they haven¡¯t encountered before. With so many variables unseen and those that are, were all stacked against them, it was only natural to retreat. They were still waiting for Simos¡¯ signal to withdraw¡ªa normal hand sign would do, but instead, they heard the sound of heels against marble echoed behind the tabernacle. The thing is wearing boots? Aiven was still contemplating that the unknown may just be another person when a sudden fall of threatening aura suppressed their very being. The vicious attack on his mind kept Aiven''s body numbed, a feeling like his blood thickened under his skin and poured with merciless ice. He had felt the firsthand fighting spirit in their mock battles before but never something this deadly that he could almost taste death! The killing intent coming from the unknown was so dense they were all left on their knees, staggering and groaning on the floor. The pressure was increasing by the second, gripping them with paralyzing fear--this vile command against their better judgment to run. If they don¡¯t do anything, the shock will kill them! Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! "Children? How¡ªah, it doesn''t matter." A melodious voice said, reeling him back to his senses to push down the bile rising on his throat. Even the near screech ringing in his ears didn''t lessen the song in her voice. A girl? The [Bloodlust] however only increased in veracity. Aiven pushed all the strength left on him to raise his head. Their assailant stepped closer, her every movement a sign of nobility and elegance. What he saw almost left him powerless. A mesmerizing woman with red strands of hair extending to her waist was standing above them. She wore a canvass of the red silken tunic, unadorned with any jewelry aside from the shine of hazel on her eyes. Hers was a face that has every regal contour of Valkyries portrayed in legends. She stood there with a saintly expression as his friends writhed in pain at her feet. A revolting contrast. He knew her. All citizens on the Known Surface of Frear know this woman. They''ve loved her, worshiped her, and would even die, or already died, for her. And they all called her...Hero. He had always imagined what it would be like to see her in person, but right now, all he could think of was Fuck y¡ª"ou, Yuusha," his words cut through the silence. The woman took a step back. The killing intent vanished as if there was nothing there, to begin with. The siblings staggered to their feet, also bewildered with the unexpected audience with the most revered person in the whole continent. Aiven was still on his knees when he heard a language he never thought he would ever hear again. <> His head shot up, eyes widening from the hero¡¯s question. Then slowly, Aiven nodded.
Lady Yuusha smiled but there¡¯s a hint of sadness that can be traced to that smile. Her gentle expression and warm voice seemed to soothe them into a stupor more intoxicating than the wine that still lingered on his tongue. Beautiful, wonderful, sublime, all those words seemed inadequate to describe her. There''s this urge to humble himself towards her but he tried to snap out of it the same way he did when their party was submitted to the Lady''s [Bloodlust]. Shit, he mentally cursed, thinking about the high tier [Intimidation] spell made him aware of the metallic taste of blood on his lips His mind took a sweep over to his companions and found them in pristine health as they stepped on the altar. No trace of the ominous aura affecting their psyche either. Aiven, still feeling a little heady and distracted, avoided gazing directly at the Lady. Just like the Hero, he came from a different world. But not once did the thought of seeking her out crossed his mind. What for? He doubted he could even get a meter near the Hero and he was barely five moons when the Hero¡¯s Crusade had subjugated the Demon King¡¯s Forces. Afterward, Lady Yuusha was rumored to have gone on adventuring and exploring every known surface of Frear. No one knew her current locations or how to contact her besides her Trusted who served her cause. There''s no denying that he was interested in her. But with how things were in this new world he found himself in, it made him want to have nothing to do with it. Why should he take on the mess of the hero summoning, demon lords, and saving the whole world business? He was already content dealing with his own personal hardship and find happiness where he can. Right from the start, Aiven had decided to lead a normal life and be far far far away from the cliche story that embroiled people with the same criteria as him. Who knew he would even chance upon the hero in this lifetime. Chapter 11 <> She asked him. Spirited? Taken away? No that was hardly what happened to him, but the question of whether he should explain it to her stopped him from answering immediately. He looked back to the siblings and saw their confusion at the turn of events. Not even his closest of friends or family knew. He had never spoken to anyone of his condition and starting with a stranger was filling his mind with doubts. <> Aiven fumbled on his old language, opting for a more neutral answer. He could feel his face turned a shade redder at his failure in speaking. It was expected since he had to bury the old-world language as he tried to adopt this new one. It¡¯s been exactly ten moons since he used it. He knew that he has nothing to be ashamed of and yet the idea of showing his inadequacy in front of this being makes him squirm on his feet. <> she sang and bowed gracefully to him. Her words were like honeyed sweet that lured him towards her and beckoning him to lower his guard even more. Everything is all right, she''s the hero, she won''t hurt us, a purring voice came to his mind, letting his mind feel elated. His expression was not too far out from the ones his companions were also having as he felt his gut tightening in a knot. <> His mouth moved on its own. Aiven tried to shake off the captivating feeling and made a slight movement of his hands, telling Simos that they should leave. But the two only looked at him as if asking if he had gone mad. They were already in front of the hero champion and Aiven can''t think of any reason for them to leave abruptly. On closer look, Simos and Delica were visibly struck by the presence of the Lady. It won''t be wrong to assume that they were captivated by the champion on the spot. This was the same person they tried desperately to see at the Champion¡¯s Parade, the one that placed on their pedestal. The deliverer of Evil. The Warrior-Goddess of Red Flag. The Hero of the Seven Rivers who vanquished the Demon Lord eight moons ago and continued to explore the Four Rings of Outer Frear. <> she said. Again her voice wrapped around his mind and he can''t help but only focus on what she was saying to him once again. Simos and Delica were stunned seeing how courteous the Hero of the Seven Rivers was towards their silent friend. They can¡¯t even voice out in the conversation since Aiven and the Lady were using a language they cannot understand even with their [Tongue of Babel]. For them, it sounded like they were chirping, but even so, they felt compelled to get the attention of the lady. ¡°Please, let us talk, my Lady. It would be discourteous to my companions,¡± Aiven finally said in the origin language but the siblings only went one step stiffer than they already were. ¡°D-did he just said a complete sentence? Did he just said more than one wor¡ª!?¡± Simos was mercilessly elbowed by Delica while chastising him. ¡°Shut it,¡± the girl warned to his brother, eyeing Aiven worriedly. Lady Yuusha glanced at his party members and nodded in their direction. Sensing the Lady''s eyes on them, the two clamored on their feet and also bowed. ¡°Greetings Lady Yuusha! I am Simos of house Sila-ir, under the flag of Alvalar.¡± Simos, sheathed his sword, took his ceremonial dagger with his house¡¯ crest and bowed his head while pointing the dagger to his chest, offering the hilt to the lady as a sign of knight¡¯s fealty. ¡°Greetings as well, my lady. I am Delica of the same Canary House.¡± Delica followed, doing the same action as his brother. The two were anxious. It was their first time performing the Vow of the Trusted reserved only to the royalty and higher officers they deemed worthy of their loyalty. And it¡¯s obvious they were happy, despite the confusion and the intoxicating presence of the hero, that it was with the Lady herself they performed it with. Then they waited for Aiven. He could almost feel the pressure that he hastily made the bow. Don''t panic, it''s just an introduction. Nothing dangerous about that, the same thoughts kept repeating as it crept to his mind. ¡°Greetings Lady Yuusha! I-I am Aiven of house Gallinthe.¡± He stammered but the snicker that followed made him loosen his shoulder embarrassingly with his friends. He looked considerably weary just from saying those lines. Eight words. Hah, it''s such a pain, not even their Superior can make him recite the embarrassing speech which led him to punishments too long to enumerate. ¡°Stand down, noble adventurers.¡± Lady Yuusha announced, <> she added for Aiven to hear and he reddened again with the joke only they would understand. Immediately, he felt small and weak. The child''s mind still affecting his emotion, it seems, or was he simply pushing the blame away as he tried to talk to a beautiful woman that had fascinated him since he remembered pieces of his memories? This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Then the Hero breathed a sighed of defeat. When she gazed at them again, a determination can be seen in her eyes as if she already made a decision and finally resigned to a fate no one knew but her. ¡°Aiven-senpai, do you trust your companions?¡± The red-headed girl looked tired. With her using the familiar honorifics, she looked like any sixteen-year-old highschool girl, and not a battle-hardened warrior-goddess burdened with death and guilt. He was taken off-guard but automatically blurted out a clear ''yes''. <> she whispered, which was only answered by a confused look from Aiven, and then she addressed the whole party. ¡°There is a mission I need to do, but I am running out of time. So I want to pass it unto you. If you succeed, this world would be saved from the vicious cycle of the Fates, and finally, peace for all races and all six realms. If not, this world¡ªthis reality, would be plunged in the spiral of corruption and darkness. Do you accept?¡± A quest, not even the Lady can accomplish..? What is the meaning of this? He was thinking of questioning the hero when there was a sudden pain on his temple and a sweet perfume of the lady came to his senses. What...what was that? He asked stupidly, swaying a little at the barrage of sensation until his gaze went to the beautiful face of the Lady Yuusha and he was once again filled with her reassuring voice. "Do you accept, young adventurers," she said. ¡°We accept!¡± Just as he was mimicking the sibling''s reply, a cold realization came to him. [Oi, guys! We need to discuss this!] He fumbled with his hand''s signs, trying to get the attention of his companions, trying to break away from the high level [Charisma] the hero was exuding. Then Simos, the party leader, clicked the quest window, accepting the Hero¡¯s mission. Too late! He lamented, reeling back to common sense and looked at the gleaming eyes of the siblings. Simos, the usual glutton for adventure, and Delica, with her starstruck gaze at the Hero of the Seven Rivers. What is the meaning of this?! Aiven wanted to shout at the hero, but he still ends up glaring to the beauty as his friends continued to be under her spell. <> she asked innocently. Aiven controlled his mindless panic and shielded himself from any sensory impulses coming from the woman as much as he can. He refused to meet her gaze and started to breathe with his mouth. He can''t do anything with her aura or the sound of her voice, not when he needed answers from her, but it''s enough to take his consciousness back at the problem at hand. With the [Charisma] of her level, it was only understandable that the passive attribute would raise to a tier capable of captivating people to the point of [Enchantment]. He had only heard of this, so he never knew how strong it was. << I...I don''t understand,>> Aiven decided to act as if nothing happened. Simos had already accepted the quest, so it''s impossible to back out. And right now, the hero had yet to do them harm, so he decided to wait and see what this person wanted from them. After all, he was sane enough to know that antagonizing this woman would be seeking their own death. If Aiven had raised his eyes, he would have seen the hero smiling indulgently towards him, <> she replied silkily. Then she addressed everyone again, her voice rising at her announcement, ¡°but before the finality of the quest. Will you listen to my story? To our story?¡± Her expression turned solemn. She glanced back at the tabernacle and raised her hand motioning to the place where she came from. Then a small child appeared behind the altar. Her small footsteps echoed throughout the temple. With the unexpected appearance of the hero, they almost forgot the second unknown that he sensed from the beginning. After what seemed like seconds, the hero, closed her fist and the markings in her hand glowed. Dispell? But why would¡ªthen Aiven''s hands suddenly gone cold sensing a looming doom that came from this presence. He knew the child was not sending any killing intent, but just nearing within the child¡¯s proximity send a strong fight or flight response to his body. And just like him, Delica and Simos went into defensive Lady Yuusha beckoned the petite girl dressed in rags to come closer and with the ray of the moon, they could see a young girl, half their age. White silverlight hair, so long, it cascades to the marble floor, porcelain-like skin without any trace of veins or capillaries as if linen of white mithril was molded to her skin, and eyes of deep blood. She was so beautiful, it made the Goddess Soladrir¡¯s beauty pale in comparison! She has an ethereal beauty that can rival celestial beings. And on her back sprouted a pair of wings, glistening with the light coming both from the gold of the Goddess and the silvery blue of the full moon. They all gasped on the sight of the young girl and unconsciously Delica murmured the one thought that came to their minds, ¡°D-Demon Lord!¡± Chapter 12: Side Story When she opened her eyes, she was already surrounded by knights and people sporting ridiculous attire that was twice as colorful as peacocks, making her vision spiral with painful shades of colors. A glowing symbol glows from the floor where she wakened herself in, and a similar symbol glows at the back of her left hand extending throughout her elbow. A voice rang out which snapped her out of her confusion. ¡°Greetings O Great Hero! I am King Vasa, of House Alvalar, we summoned you¡­¡± the burly man on top of a throne-like stage continued to say something but she¡¯s too preoccupied with the assault on all of her senses. Her hearing, her sense of touch¡ªeven her eyesight was still adjusting. It can¡¯t be helped since before this, she only knew numbness and nothingness. Then a blinding light consumed her, shredded her soul, and pieced her together in this place. She died. She was sure of that, but her memories were clouded with different kinds of deaths that her soul has gone through that she finds it hard to identify which was the most recent. Then she suddenly stopped hearing anything. She looked around. With unsteady knees, she stood up. The man stared at her as if expecting her to say anything, and with a voice, she could only identify as hers, asked ¡°y-yes?¡± what was it again? Joyful cheers erupted before she could finish her question and she was ushered out of the room and into a wide balcony. The sun blinded her and on the balcony, she saw hundreds upon thousands of people at a square in front of where she was standing. They roared in jubilation when they saw her and started chanting, "Yuusha! Yuusha! Yuusha!" Hero? She was still unable to understand what was happening when a group of frilly dressed women dragged her in the adjacent room. The old man took her place and started to address the crowd. ¡°Greetings people of Alvalar! I, your king, King Vasa, of House Alvalar, successfully summoned Lady Yuusha as a champion for¡­¡± She could still hear the man saying the same speech he made in front of her, only to be stopped by deafening applause and cheers whenever he finishes a sentence. The three-minute speech lengthened to almost half an hour. She could hear them as she was getting bathed and dressed by these strangers and she¡¯s too shocked to feel ashamed. The women would whisper to themselves as if she wasn¡¯t there. ¡°How pretty.¡± ¡°Her skin is so smooth.¡± ¡°Look at this hair! How envious!¡± ¡°A goddess, I tell you, a goddess!¡± When they were finished, they looked longingly at her and picked some strands of hair cluttered at the carpet and brushes and wrapped it in a handkerchief. Holding it as if a priceless relic just fell from their hands, they bid their goodbyes and left her alone. The girl was still dazed when she heard a click at the door. She felt her hands grow cold and ran towards the double-knobbed door of the room and tried opening it but just as she feared, it was locked. She banged on the door and shouted for help finally finding her voice to do so. She only stopped when she heard a gruff voice from the outside. It came from the guards saying she was not allowed to go out in fear she might get attacked. She was still weak, too weak that even the men guarding her door can kill her with just a stab in her vitals. They apologized but it was for her good, they said. She cried that night. And as days go by, a realization dawned on her.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. She was nothing but a slave, a privileged slave with the title of Hero, who''s the only purpose was to kill. She was dressed in the most exquisite dresses, served the most expensive food, gifted with lands, and treasures¡ªall the material things she wanted to claim but she had no freedom. If she became weak, she¡¯ll be useless to the ones who forcibly summoned her and who knows what fate might come to her. If she ran away, all races on the surface of Inner and Outer Frear will hunt her and her end would be inevitable. Even if she committed suicide she would only be reincarnated with the Hero¡¯s Blessing marked to her hand. All she could do was smile and face her benefactor as if she was thankful for the opportunity to be the Good-Incarnate and vanquish the evil of this world. She needed to be strong. And as long as the Demon Lord was alive, she would continue to be in this curse. So she shut her emotions and became a murderer. She knew they were waging war to the Demons. They commenced with the one-sided genocide, ravaged their lands, and became stronger by taking their essence. Women, children, elderly, as long as they were unfortunate enough to have the accursed blood, they have to die. She swung her sword indiscriminately, no prisoners. Because she knew the prisoners would face a fate worse than death or of her own. Seeing how the nobles find torture as a common specialty sent shivers to her spine. And she''s protecting these bastards. And whenever her forces pass by a rural village, she could feel fear from the civilians. Her advisor, Sir Caile of House Elindor, under the flag of Runsaer, would demand resources from the war-ridden villages in the name of the Hero¡¯s Crusade. Her men would settle for a night, drinking and having ¡®pleasantries¡¯ with the women while she turned a blind eye her advisors demanded it to keep the morale of the corrupt. The first time she killed her general trying to bed a motherless girl, she realized that she was not as dead as she thought she was. She was already damned so what was there to fear? Little by little, the officers under her died nobly while under the siege of the Demon Kingdom. The moment she surpassed the best of her knights, the order of her circle of knights changed dramatically with the onslaught of demons on their camp. A month later, Sir Caile was killed with the ambush of the Valley of Mirdain together with his punitive force. It was such a loss, but with no other choice, those deemed worthy raised in the ranks, taking the titles left by Higher Bloods who bravely lost their lives for the sake of peace. When she defeated even the best of all known races, she became the leader¡ªnot just by name, but by the entire human army. Even the other summoned champions of each race gave their respect and followed her as she led them under the Banner of Red¡ªher color, her blood, swearing death to the demon king. Some nobles vowed fealty to her name and commoners who would blindly follow her, knowing her cause. In the Kingdom, younger nobles were sent to her forces. The others, blinded by the glory of war came to her. In her campaign, she started disciplining and instilling the valor of knights to these greenhorns, and hopefully, they would return and lead their houses and territory befitting their titles as nobles. Those who came under her strict command were given high regards in the kingdom, inspiring more to enlist in her army. Sixteen years had passed and there was no sign of aging in her body. She still looked the same the day she was summoned. She shouldered the deaths of her comrades and the deaths of those they slain, but she continued to march forward. ¡°What is your name?¡± A gentle voice asked her. She stared at the Demon Lord splayed on the floor at her feet, spurting black blood with each utterance. Black wings tattered, his horns mangled beyond use. He was dying with her sword piercing the jewel embedded on his neck. She never answered, releasing her power. She let it flow to her blade. A crack formed on the blood-red gem and finally shattered into million tiny pieces. She can¡¯t answer with something she already has forgotten. The day she killed the Demon Lord, she only felt pity for both of them¡ªpity for her, the Yuusha, and to him, the only person who ever asked for her name. Did I bore you? You should be, her actions, after all, were nothing but to follow a predetermined path carved by those who already paved the way to this madness. Still, her feet kept on moving. Her fight was never with the Demon Lord or the Demon Kingdom. The moment she was summoned as the hero, she already swore evil as her enemy. And to that, she would continue wielding her sword. Even ''til the bitter end, her fight has always been and will always be with the human race.
Chapter 13 "And the rest is history," Lady Yuusha ended her story. Foreboding hung heavily on the younglings as they absorbed the weight of what was imparted to them. "Blazes," he heard Simos muttered, and he agreed. The Yuusha''s tale was widely-known, ballads, plays, and epics were written and rewritten for the sake of praising the Lady and her bravery. Her life story was even a requisite in one of their lessons, heavily romanticized, it seemed. He knew that there was more in war than glory, but it was a first for him to hear how dark the realities entailed on her title. And the aftermath was just as astounding. The ''rest'' that she lightly pertained as history was equally ridiculous. Every event was highlighted by outrageous circumstances that his temple started to hurt to the point that he would have killed for a few tablets of aspirins. In summary, the Hero had declared war against the entirety of the human kingdom. Not only did she started her rebellion against the Higher Bloods, followed by her call for change and gaining militia for a covert mission, she had also made it her vow to searched for the next Maou which took five years with no results. Before long, her forces were successful and finally infiltrated the royal palace. And that''s where they found the newly-born Maou in the vaulted treasures. He doesn¡¯t question her actions, but there was something off to her motives. ¡°Starting from the inside is not enough. Some evil is so rooted, so innate that they leave me no choice.¡± Did she just sound like some craze justice freak? ¡°I was cleansing the royal palace when I saw Maou-chan being housed at the lower levels. It was beyond my calculations but because of it I was able to save her.¡± Lady Yuusha patted the head of the young girl who had clung sheepishly behind her skirt. Maou-chan had been silent this entire time but it''s apparent how strained her nerves were as she jumped at every minute thing that moves. After the long-winded backstory, Aiven and his party members shared a look of disbelief. Simos¡¯ expression caught his attention. The blonde was practically drooling. His stare was focused entirely on the lady. The moment Simos had heard of the assassination missions, he had been wrapped up in the Yuusha¡¯s finger. Great, a hero-fanatic and a recently-turned hero-worshipper. His party¡¯s future looked grim. He sighed and tried to focus again at Lady Yuusha. Despite the nagging feeling, he tried to clear his head and calm his doubts. He was trying, with difficulty to sort his thoughts, while Simos continued interrogating the hero. Maou-chan was obviously backing away from the sudden invasion of privacy and continued gripping at the Hero. Then out of nowhere, Delica shouted, ¡°Y-you are no hero! What you are doing is treason!¡± Both Aiven and Simos didn¡¯t expect Delica to flare up. ¡°Can¡¯t you see, Simos? She sided to the Demons! We have to¡ª¡° Her hero-image must have taken a hard blow. Aiven was on these thoughts as he waited for the normal bickering between siblings to break out. Then a blur went passed to the girl. The foreign object hardly registered to them until he noticed a hole, not larger than a copper coin, appeared on the girl¡¯s forehead. Her doe-like eyes drained, and she...suddenly fell with a thud. Hey...D-Delica? Aiven blanked out, unable to process what happened. His hands became cold as he felt his blood draining from his face at the sight of Delica falling on the ground. Everything happened so fast, and so silently that, his whole body became stunned. His sight mechanically traced where the projectile came from and was met with the intense gaze of the Yuusha with a lone rock bullet floating at her fingertips. The Yuusha¡ªk-killed her? ¡°Ah, so it was her. That was careless of me.¡± Her voice sent pain to his chest. Simos was worse off, he continued staring at his sister with unsteady eyes as if willing the collapsed body to show any signs of life. He was as motionless as his sister and yet he could feel the tremor of murder raging from his friend. Nobody moved. No one dared to move. Even the air felt thick as if a vacuum hold it all in. Then Yuusha made one single step closer to Delica. Within that second, Aiven wielded his dagger, pushing reasons and fear out of his mind, he pointed the dagger to the lady. Even the thought of Delica was taken out of his head at that one precise second. There was no time to scream or mourn. The mere existence of the person who had shot Delica further made his blood cold. If he started thinking again, he¡¯ll start asking why. Why did she kill Delica? Why would the hero, who swore off evil, start massacring them? He doesn¡¯t need them, so he discarded these questions together with the emotions they brought. He was moving on nothing but calculated reflex. Simos, with a closed-off expression, followed on his cue. Blade before tears. What do you do when faced with a formidable force that suddenly turned hostile? You fight. Forcing it, hoping it will deal you a killing blow so you are no longer alive when it feasts on your bones. It was suicide but maybe with this, their death might be swift. He saw Simos appeared behind the lady, it was lightning fast that he can''t keep with the type of skill he used to brandish his halberd. His expression was that of a demon, with his mana chaotically concentrated on his feet and hands, completely stripped off the boy he once knew, and intently aiming for the kill. Then all of a sudden their bodies got pinned on the floor.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. An oppressing aura, heavier than they ever felt before came down on them as she released her bloodthirst. He can¡¯t even scream in despair. Not even sparing a glance. The gap was too much. ¡°Poor, poor child. You must have suffered greatly.¡± The Yuusha whispered, directing a mournful prayer towards the girl. Aiven groaned in pain. A heavy step was heard and a pillar of earth erupted beneath Delica, piercing her left hand. The Yuusha took another step that reverberated within the halls and with it another pillar went through Delica''s right hand. Then a third step, and he saw a thicker earth pillar plunged to her chest. Simos screams, not knowing where he found the strength to beg the Yuusha to stop and leave his sister alone. "Rest now dear Delica." She announced. A sharp shrill emerged from the girl''s lips. The girl convulsed as erratic screams deafened his ears. She''s still alive!? H-how? Slowly, a ball of murky miasma rolled out of Delica''s ear. The Yuusha brought her heel down the miasma that already turned into a spider. And beneath her feet, a circle of rune suddenly appeared and faded into particles. He was still confused when the Yuusha''s spell retracted from the cold body. Delica''s wounds were slowly closing up with holy light. "Truly, how vile would man fall, to desecrate her like this?" A single tear fell from her eyes as she silently touched Delica''s cheek. "What did you do to her?!" Simos finally broke out in anger as if he was possessed. "I purified her," her tone was still solemn. "She''s already been long gone, I cannot save her." An illusion cracked surrounding the corpse, and Delica''s body suddenly aged, the stench of incense oil and foul preservatives assaulted their nostrils. "Her soul was shattered and her body was used as a spying mechanism. They, no...it seems she is here for you, sempai." They seem to be aware of you. Her words said to Aiven. "And now, they know where I am." Her expression saddened and with tranquility added a small farewell, "may her shadow find its way to the Threads." Someone used Delica as a Corpse Spy!? Forbidden magic, used to forcibly split the soul of a person. The body would start to rot but it would be free to roam, personality and memories still intact as if nothing happened, with the other half of the soul being used to track whatever the body sees, hear or feel. A half-dead. His face crumpled in agony, his sight never left the collapsed body of Delica. Her glamour had long faded but her reddish-blonde hair softly swayed with the passing wind. The only thing about her, that seemed to have retained it''s glow. Now, that he had taken a moment for himself, the reality of it all came crushing to him leaving him breathless and a string of sob almost broke down from his throat but he forcibly stopped it. He had no right to cry. Not for her, he scolded himself. Fuck. Someone murdered his friend so they could spy on...him? He is just a normal---no he is not normal. He''s a reincarnated, the same abnormality of the champions that roamed the surface and changed the course of histories. It took a few conscious breathe when he realized that his fist had been clenched too tight at his side that it was drawing blood. Whoever was pulling the strings behind the summoning of heroes would not overlook his existence. They probably still trying to assess his alignment when Aiven met the Yuusha who noticed her curse. "Who is your enemy?" "Humans." You are human! Curses, the Yuusha was just as clueless as he was. Simos scrambled to his feet and went beside his sister but a small voice stopped him. "Please...her soul is screaming." It was the Maou. It''s the first time she ever spoke a word. They looked at her and the Demon Lord tentatively separated from the Yuusha towards Simos. Simos was staring at his sister blankly, there were tears brimming on his eyes but refuses to fall. His halberd was still dangerously on his hand, but he looked too hollowed, that he completely disregarded the approach of the girl and didn''t even bother to raise his eyes away from Delica. "Please, she wants to thank you," this time her words came out broken. "Please, she wants you to please don''t hate her for asking this." With the kneeling Simos protectively cradling his sister, the Maou chanted a rune older than the origin. A glyph opened beneath them, encompassing the siblings and the little girl stretched her arms, a dark liquid materialized on her palm and compressed. The shockwave released was enough to drive Simos from the circle, leaving Delica''s body with the Demon Lord. When the Maou opened her eyes, she placed the sphere on Delica''s mouth and the circle grew brighter. The corpse''s eyelids opened, showing white which slowly turned back to its normal bright blue eyes, the skin began to thicken and became duller as her veins receded until it reflected the same artificial feel of the Maou''s skin. When the chanting stopped, signaling the end of the spell, the corpse started to sit up, then a familiar squeal was heard. D-Delica? His eyes focused on its every movement, apprehension filled his chest. It seemed to be checking itself and when it was satisfied, it hugged the Maou. "Thank you! Ah~ I''m finally free! Thank you for fulfilling my wish! Aya~ you really are adorable!" Simos emerged from the rubble, not minding the dust and debris resting on his armor. "D-Delica?" Simos blinked as if questioning whether his eyes were playing tricks on him. He didn''t expect to be taken out of his own misery and be welcomed by the scene of his supposedly-dead sister hugging the Demon Lord. "Simos!" "You''re dead..." "Undead," she corrected. "We almost died! What the blazes---an undead? Oi, are you okay? Quick, check your status." "Right, right. Here, wait," she said then as an afterthought she started complaining about how stupid they were for trying to attack Lady Yuusha. Hearing her voice once again, Aiven''s legs buckled and he collapsed on his knees. He can''t help but be amazed at the conflicting emotions he was feeling. He took long strides towards Delica and just as she was ranting, he started pulling her both cheek. "Awawawawa, waaaah, what is your problem, Aiven!" [You are scolding us for trying to avenge your death? Isn''t there is something utterly wrong about this set-up.] Bring me back my grievances, you ungrateful spoiled brat! He wanted to add. From the start, he didn''t want revenge. He admits that there were anger and hate, but the only reason he went berserk was to speed up the process, praying for a quick and painless death against this monster of a hero. "Avenging me by jumping to your own death!? Don''t make me laugh. If you want to commit suicide then don''t pester Lady Yuusha for it!" Gugh, they''ve been had, He felt his head explode at this ungrateful girl, but when he studied her expression, all his resentment drained. "You should have escaped!" She started whining again but each word was punctuated so much raw pain that her throat became coarse, even Simos was flabbergasted. "Why do you have to seek your death for another one''s death! Are you two stupid...d-didn''t we...already had an agreement?![/i] She hiccuped and slapped his shoulders repeatedly in a tantrum, "if one of us die, no one looks back! You two broke your promises! You broke it, friends don''t break their...promises!" Then she cried, two falls of liquid miasma flowed to her eyes. Simos didn''t know what to do that he took her in his arms and started smoothing her hair, and he started smiling, as if everything is all right, "it''s fine now, Delica, I''m sorry. We''re sorry, we''re still here. Next time, we''ll definitely leave you alone, okay?" Delica pouted and glared at him, and Simos burst out laughing at the familiar pathetic face of his sister. "Ah, what a happy reunion." No, it is not! His eyes sharpened at the Yuusha who was smiling innocently as she praised Maou-chan for doing such splendid spellcasting. She just killed Delica! Well, she was already cursed with half-dead and can be considered as a walking carcass already. But you can''t deny that the hero almost killed them! Again! Though, he also can''t deny that they did most of the attacking (or failure of it) and she didn''t even raise a finger in retaliation. Still, that bloodthirst was really deadly. Lady Yuusha placed her hand on Aiven''s trembling shoulder and said <> trying to comfort him as if she understood the turmoil he was facing. He still found it hard to settle with this world''s common sense, maybe on their side, they could see it as something as normal. To be resurrected. To die. It was her, but not her, only the liveliness of its eyes remained from the state it was currently in. "Oh, deities!" Delica shrieked, wide-eyed. "Um, wha¡ª" Delica rushed to her feet and made an imposing smile as she rubbed the miasma out of eyes. With shaking voice, she said, "I-I think I just became a lich." Her eyes widen and she started to tremble. , Everyone''s eyes shifted towards Maou-chan. With how excited she looked, he was amazed she didn''t pledge her loyalty to the Demon Lord right there and then. Afterall, Delica had always dreamed of becoming a necromancer. Chapter 14 "Um...congratulations...? Simos mumbled. He was still peeking at Delica''s status but he had been staring blankly at her, from her cold dull-colored arms up to her cheeks that had lost its glow. Whenever she stopped speaking, her looks became more prominently corpse-like. "Ha...hahahaha, isn''t amazing, dear brother! Uwaaaahhh, I''m a lich! The calamity class dreams of all necromancers and undeads...Haha, we should celebrate!" She shouted, full of life, compared to the grey undead color of her skin and her clouded gaze as if light refused to reflect on them. "Um, right..." Simos weakly agreed. So he wasn''t that unaffected, Aiven thought to himself. The grave reality of her being an undead crept up to Aiven''s consciousness, and watching the two siblings, he felt like someone left a knife to his chest. When Delica lapsed into silence, Simos quickly pointed at her status, "hey, Delica? What''s with the ''incompetent'' lich?" "Who are you calling incompetent!?" Being mindful of her outburst¡ªshe hastily glanced at the Yuusha and seeing her idol busy petting Maou-chan, Delica corrected herself, "fu fu fu, are you mocking me dearest brother?" Cold sweat dripped from Simos'' brows as he watched Delica smiling sadistically, and the sound of suffering was heard in the background. Aiven sighed. At their party''s gloomy state, at least one of them was lively.
For a while now, Yuusha had been wearing a stern look on her face and after whispering something to the Maou, she ushered the child towards their group, "it is time." With a louder voice for his other companions to hear, she said, "Adventurers, thank you for listening until the end. With this, you have fulfilled the requirement to venture on to my request. Even if you discard my plea, you still have my gratitude." At the end of her speech, a window appeared in front of him. He was expecting the same thing to happen like the last time, with Delica and Simos automatically accepting that his vote will not be needed for consensus. But this time, the two didn¡¯t do anything. They were petrified. Before, he was too preoccupied, and with how lightning fasts the two complied, he wasn¡¯t even able to read the details. It''s a miracle they didn''t go trigger-happy again. So this time he took his time reading the content. The other two became grim, they kept on reading and rereading and rereading the contents, even refreshing the quest acceptance not knowing how to react at the absurd quest.
Ding!
The Yuusha''s Request You have successfully listened to Lady Yuusha''s Tale. Difficulty: ??? Reward: Higher intimacy with Lady Yuusha.
Ding!
The Quest of the Fallen Hero: Serial Quest Finding the truth behind the Hero''s Summoning, you are now filled with distrust from the higher echelons of man. With the hero''s last wish, you are now entrusted to look after the sealed Demon Lord and to assist her in her mission. Quest Requirements: o Successfully completing The Yuusha''s Request o Handing of the Demon Lord''s guardianship to your party o Assisting the Demon Lord in destroying the world Quest Failure: o Death of the Demon Lord o Death of one all party members Difficulty: ??? Reward: ???
Accept Decline
"W-we need to a-assist the Maou in destroying the world?" Finally realizing something, a smirk work itself up from young Aiven''s face. Then he started laughing, it started as a snicker but gain volume until he was laughing hysterically. "Aiven. Please stop, you''re frightening Maou-chan." "Kue, painful. My cute Aiven, looking more sinister than a demon lord." You are one to talk! He sighed. This has been one agonizing day. He felt like he aged considerably. A crazy hero, a lich, an obssessed assassin? In this room, the demon lord shines like an innocent pure angel. Aiven then clicked the accept button, shocking all of them except for the Yuusha who expected his reply. The hero might be crazy and delusional but to think she''ll come up with this scheme. The summoning made her miserable and all the past Heroes and Demon Kings. And right now, they know nothing about the people chasing the Yuusha and the ones monitoring him. Their party was dragged into all of these chaos. Fuck, they even used Delica. And that he cannot forgive. Searching for them would be useless since they are obviously powerful enough that the Yuusha was incapable of finding them and so the only way left was to force them to come to us. She planned on taking something they hold dear, and that was this world''s existence. Sly, oh, she''s good. If there was a quest of it then that means there''s a chance for it to be done. Events, destinies, fates will align in the weave of Threads for the quest''s completion. Just accepting it would be a justifiable reason for their enemies to show themselves. Delica and Simos looked at each other and nodded, "I owe the continuance of my essence and dream to the Maou. For that I humbly accept." "Your enemies took my sister from me and you have given her back, and if this would put a stop the never-ending war between demons and man then yes, I also accept." Uh, you don¡¯t have to be all serious about it. Then he watched as the two stood in pair and kneel before the Maou-chan who backed away, her shoulder was touched by the hero and said, "go to them it''ll be alright." He was still standing, leaning on a pillar with his arms crossed as his mind goes with its usual overthinking mode. <> he asked to the Yuusha, directly. The quest had no time limit and it would be terminated only with the death of Maou or theirs, so they have all the time in the world. <> She touched the statue and the statue glowed heavily, ¡°I cannot senpai. You see, I no longer possess a body.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. What? A flicker of light and her appearance distorted then come into view again. ¡°I am sorry for deceiving you. It was tragic misfortune but I cannot tell you the whole truth because of the anomaly I first sense when we first encounter.¡± Delica was obviously stunned. "Summoned champions and demon lords do not have physical bodies. What we have is a pure manifestation of mana through an ancient vessel that likens to a soul gem. When I destroyed the Demon Lord''s gem, I realized we are the same. But mine was lost. I infiltrated the royal palace in hopes of finding it. Before I could teleport, I knew someone already destroyed my vessel.¡± Since the Yuusha was sabotaging the way things are, they get rid of her? Just like that? ¡°Thankfully we were flung in this holy ground. I was consuming my very soul just to stay in this world and now I depend on the link of this ground''s ephemerae to exist. I cannot go pass the altar. So please take her and leave this place." Ah, so she is also dead? It''ll be a terrible loss of firepower but they can''t help it. He thought coldly. He expected Delica and Simos to mourn but they continued listening while murmuring in reverence, "just like a goddess!" He gave up on understanding the two. The Yuusha gestured towards the statue and asked for Aiven and Simos to come. ¡°This here, will give you a gift. It¡¯s the least I could do for steering you to this Fate¡± Their ears perked up. By using the goddess, she made it possible to hack into the world¡¯s ManaLine not only to create the quest but also to mess with the blessings. She even granted immunity for Maou-chan to be accepted in the sacred grounds as well as to Delica, a dark creature. Though she can¡¯t go beyond that in fear she might create an irregularity in the flow of the world. The ??? Difficulty Quest already took a lot from her power. "I could suggest to the goddess to create a contract for a class most befitting to you. However, its alignment has always been that of light. My apologies young Simos, but assassin class was not an option. Would you still accept it, Simos?" Simos rest his chin to his hand, thinking deeply and answered "I appreciate the offer, but I would like to find my own path." Aiven raised his brows at Simos'' chivalric gesture. With his words and actions, you would think that he was aiming for a knight class. "Very well then." The Yuusha guided Aiven. ¡°Aiven-senpai, touch the marble plate and think of the power you wish to hold.¡± Aiven initially wanted to refuse but then thought against it. Thinking of their future, if they do plan on pursuing with the quest, then he''ll be hard pressed to level on any apprenticeship. His talent and mana were lacking that he doubt any maester would take him in on the road. With not much to lose and a lot to gain, he reluctantly agreed with the hero. He went to the template with the runes marking the name of the Goddess of Sola, Soladrir. And when he touched the plate foreign markings expanded to his left arm with a red hue and it overlapped from the gold of the goddess. He felt mana being drained from his body in an unstable burst and unilaterally followed by a sharp pain on his temples. Then the particles settled to his body, the pain stopped and a window suddenly appeared.
Detecting mana. Scandown Complete. Analyzing rare mana blueprint. Match not found. Match not found. Match not found. Manaflow System Overwrite.
Ding!
Congratulations on your new class. The Goddess had found the ideal class for you.
Unorthodox Class A class specially synchronized by the Gods. By seeking the Goddess of Sola, you have found an unorthodox class. For the Goddess to find pity to your existence, your restriction to gain class was overwritten. Class Title: Blade Clothier Description: Combat Craft.
Unable to reject.
W-what is this? Goddess showing pity on him? Remembering the pain, his brows knitted as he massaged the base of his forehead. Is his existence really that pathetic!? And what was that marking? His eyes shifted to his arm now free from the pattern it just glowed moments ago. He feels like he''d seen it somewhere. Somewhere long ago, even before he was born. "Hey what did you get?" His face grimaces and said, "Tailoring." A difficult expression passed to the siblings. "I-I didn''t know what happened." He raised his hand to stop the Yuusha and slightly shook his head, saying to her that it''s fine. But it¡¯s not. Crafting profession? Argh! The pain returned with a vengeance, making him grit his teeth. He didn''t expect this drastic change of class choice but just like everything this world throws at him, he calmed himself down and he accepted it as it is. This world seemed to hate him. But what''s with the Blade Clothier? Combat Crafting skills, it was the first time he ever heard of it. There was a blacksmith back at the city that can flatten anyone''s skull under a second but a tailor? What would he do? Prick his enemies until they looked like porcupines? That was if the tiny needle could even bypass the reinforced skin. Curses, was his talent so low that the Gods needed to create a dubious class for him? He was just about to open his Skill Sets when Yuusha, materialized beside him with a concerned beguiling look on her face and said "Senpai, I''m sorry. I''m new to this so¡ª" Don''t use me as a guinea pig! "Don''t," he said not wanting to deal with the Yuusha right now. At that very moment, he had lost all trust and hope towards the hero champion. And even if he could, he had no strength to do so. Which the Yuusha understood as for her not needing to apologize. Sempai is really understanding, with that thought the Yuusha went on, "I have another gift for you, this time it''s from me, personally," then she smiled so saintly. No, don¡¯t come near me! With soothing tone, she commanded, "Open your mouth." And Lady Yuusha stuck her hand inside his mouth, not even waiting for his reply. She grabbed hold of his tongue and pure mana started cutting it. The edges of his nerves pulsate with the heated laceration that cut through his flesh and hindered the mana in his tongue. He struggled but the Yuusha kept him in place and when it was over, his tongue numbs in pain but he felt his mana differed somehow. When he sticks his tongue to look, which looks silly and weird, his tongue was healed only it is now split into two. A slit tongue!? He screamed. What the hell is this hero doing to his body!? "What is this!?" He screamed, which took him aback. Checking his mana, he realized he didn¡¯t consume a lot of mana just to use Babel. It was another backlash from him not being of this world which he noticed when he tried to manually operate the origin language. That was why he tried to talk as little as possible. "I-I could talk!" Aiven tested his words, his tongue moved in an uncomfortable way as he accustomed himself in this new sensation. Amazingly, he gets caught up with the feel of it in his mouth, especially since the two parts could consciously move in different directions. He checked his mana again and there it was. His mana barely consuming 1/20th of what it normally does whenever he activates [Tongue of Babel]. Yuusha replied with a soft smile, "it is not much, but this could somehow help you integrate more with the language. You are not part nor invited in this world, so your soul is being rejected." You make it sound like I''m a virus. "Don''t you think it is now time to fight this world? And so fare thee well, little adventurers." With those parting words, she faded. The Goddess''s statue glowed, and the Yuusha¡¯s voice coming from the image continued, "it is time for you to leave this place. Within a few moments, this place will be a battleground, I hope for you to succeed and put an end to our story." Then the glowing stop. "Eih? L-Lady Yuusha? I-is she went?" Delica asked panicking. "She is sleeping, please let her sleep," Maou-chan said. Then silence. If not for the white-haired red-eyed girl sticking close to the statue as if sheltering for warmth, they would have shoved the whole incident as a dream or a delusion. The silence was shattered by Simos comments. ¡°I¡¯m the only one who didn¡¯t get a class, huh¡± and he started smiling wryly. Aiven shot him a deadly glare and tried to sheath his dagger but was stopped when he can¡¯t even release it to its scabbard.
Unable to equip. Not compatible mana class.
Crap, he forgot. All weapons are created to enhance the class it was meant to be used for. That''s why different classes cannot use the same types of weapons. Being a crafter, his mana was rejected by the steel, he can never equip any melee or magic weapons forever. Cruel! All his hard work training, getting beaten, perfecting his controls over skills¡­gone. Everything was gone. ¡°Shut it, Simos! I have to die...twice to get this class!¡± Showing an undignified tantrum, he continued lamenting ¡°hey just stating a fact, here. Anyway,¡± Simos opened the quest window, ¡°what are we to do next?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going back to the city,¡± Delica answered, her grayish complexion made her blue eyes shine. ¡°While babysitting the Maou!? You might be undead but we are still breathing and want to keep it that way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to take back half of my soul. My class is an Incomplete Lich Simos, not incompetent." She scoffed at her brother. "We only have until the coming of the morrow before my shadow recedes and I became the same with the mindless undead creatures.¡± She went to Maou-chan¡¯s side and with a low voice said, ¡°Maou-chan, this is selfish of me, but we would need to go back to the city. Is it okay?¡± The little girl glanced at Delica and her tiny fingers caressed her hair, ¡°you have the same hair as Yuu-neechan.¡± Delica doesn¡¯t know how to answer, ¡°please don¡¯t look sad. Yuu-neechan said, you are now my minions, so I¡¯ll help you be whole again I promise!¡± She answered M-minions? He almost chokes on his spit. ¡°Maou-chan! You, you really are the cutest! Can I call you master?¡± And she went on harassing the little girl. ¡°Now that we have Lady Maou-chan¡¯s permission, we need to get moving.¡± They¡¯re not even complaining about being branded as a lowly servant! ¡°You know where to find it?¡± Delica answered coldly. ¡°It¡¯s with Father.¡± Chapter 15 Cloaked in darkness, Aiven''s party weaved through the dense forest. His [Night Vision] kept him alert with his [FarSight] and [Detection] giving him a better view of their surroundings than anyone else. He could still lead his party even in the dead of the night. Aiven''s job had always been to steer away from any danger he might have detected. His combat was already lacking but because of circumstances, he was now worse (thanks to that Yuusha). Delica was closing behind him, followed by Simos who was conveniently carrying Maou-chan. They were running away and as of now, it would be a disadvantage to put Maou-chan at the back. But with Simos as the main offense of their group, they have no choice. Simos shouldered the bulk of his blind spot. And with Delica and Maou-chan in a full line of his sight, Simos could keep track of Delica who was still new to her state, and also the little lady who was currently in his arms in a bridal carry. With this formation, Aiven could focus without worrying about anything. He could actually go faster but he couldn''t with his party''s situation. But even without his other companion''s burdens, Aiven could still boast about his speed.
Their destination was a clearing at the end of a waterfall at the farthest east of the forest. It took them two whole hours of continuous running when they finally got at the location. When they''ve arrived, a lamppost can be seen proudly in the middle of the clearing. He called it a lamppost but it was actually a deflection used by beginners as a safe point since it creates a twenty radius non-aggro area, one of the five safe points in the Milodas Forest. It was blessed by the spirit and glows with a soft greenish hue, converting mana from nature, it was rather a useful and self-sustaining device. Really, it definitely had an atmosphere of a beginners'' grounds. But not all hunting grounds have these though. However, they didn''t stop and went ahead going behind the waterfall where they finally rest with a cavern they have discovered two sunsets ago. The place was a bit humid but it served its purpose. Loots of different kinds can be seen in the corner and the remnants of last eve''s fire were still fresh with a few layers of ashes. Cooking utensils were strewn on the floor and some comfortable clothes were folded neatly with some camping bags. Whenever they left for a hunt, they emptied their inventories to this place so they could maximize space from their inventory bracelet. Simos, placed Maou-chan gently near the campsite and started lighting the fire. They waited for Delica to explain what happened to her, but it¡¯s probably a sensitive topic for the siblings that no one breached the conversation. He also has a lot of explaining to do. Gugh, where to start? Still, his focus was on the little lady. The little girl had been glancing at every corner of the cave, delighted at the change of colors in the fires, and was slowly inching towards to pile of loots. She seemed to like it''s the first time she ever got outside the real world. "Master, you interested in this?" Delica said while holding a horn. The little girl smiled happily and the older girl guided her to the dropped items. Is that a garmwolf''s fang? He almost can''t recognize the four-inch incision that Maou-chan was playing with. He could still see blood and bits of gums while a breeze softly swayed her ebony strands of hair. Dark black hair, not the ashen color of demons. You''ll never imagine the shock they had when the girl transformed back to the ragged child they first saw before Lady Yuusha used [Dispell]. His [Analyze Skill] seemed to be in error. The Yuusha didn''t use [Dispell], but a six-tier higher of its form, [Unseal]. But it seemed the Yuusha''s [Unseal] spell effect was temporary. It only allowing a rift at the demon lord''s seal for a small period of time. It¡¯s either that or the seal was just that powerful. It was actually in their advantage. Dragging a little girl while in the run with peculiar hair color and a pair of jet black wings larger than her petite body would be impossible. But still, to think just a leakage of Maou-chan''s power was enough for her to raise an undead lich. Just how monstrous is this girl in her true form? Going back to his muddled memories, he can''t also recognize Maou-chan''s chants. He had been gathering knowledge about different magics since young, partly to research the language, mostly because he had an unhealthy obsession to know all about mana, so the oversight was hanging heavily on his mind. Not to mention the accursed [Enchantment], the Lady had used to lure them into a dream-like stupor and became like puppets, subservient to her words. Just thinking of how he was duped by that hero made his blood boil. In the future, he swore to level his analyze skills more. As of now, his [Magic Analysis], [Mana Detect], [Artifact Analysis] and [Identify Skill] were all expert-tier advanced levels. But since they were all subclass of Analysis and Detection Skills, it all rounded up to having only two skills in his arsenal that went beyond beginners level. "Okay, everyone. Let''s settle here for two hours and let us commence the party''s evaluation." Simos going back to his leader mode sat in crossed-leg in front of the fire. When everyone was seated at the campsite, he clapped his hands and continued. "Same, same. Stats eval, level gained, skills gained then loot scavenged. We could go to the planning completing the quest afterward and other issues." His voice hardened at the mention of ''issues'' but he still continued, "But before that let''s welcome the new member of our party." "Eeeep!" If in doubt, go with the routine. Nice thinking Simos. "Go ahead, Master. Introduce yourself." Delica said the epitome of a loyal servant. She''s really into her character. Or is it the effect of Maou-chan resurrecting her? Master-servant relationship? "Haaaahh, eh. Um, right. P-please to meet you all! I was born recently, so please guide me from now on! A-and, please call me Maou-chan. It is the name given to me by Yuu-neechan." Everyone clapped and welcomed Maou-chan warmly. She''s such a well-mannered girl. "Um, and I want to grow up just like Yuu-neechan!" "A-and save the world! From Humans!" Aiven ignored her last statement. "Great Lady Maou-chan! My name is Simos, renounced house, I would be one of your guardians from now on. You can call me Simos. Now on to the evaluation. Stats. My Strength gained by 2, willpower 15; my fighting spirit also raised to bloodlust then bloodthirst. No level gained. No loots. Evaluation, hm, for my sister, a lot. You, Aiven, the way you attacked the Yuusha is a bit off. You got into her blind side, stealth is great, but that is based on her sight alone, you should have felt that battle aura, its 12 stones thick! Just getting into that aura would already give you away. Melee is not an option. We should have regrouped and--" "Flee." "Anyway, that is all." "Name''s Aiven, house Gallinthe." He nodded towards Maou-chan who also beamed and answered his bow, "Stats. St4, will 2...Skills. FSight, Detect, Bloodthirst, First Aid has raised...Map updated...Class, tailor. The craft requires a toolkit. No weapons. No craft. No levels. No loots." Without a beginner sewing tool kit, he can''t train, without proper training he can''t use his crafting skills, and in this situation, he had no time or desire to do so. Useless. "My turn then. Master, you can call this body Delica. I''ll serve you until my very last existence. So for my status. My elements changed, Dark +50, Holy -100%, Fire -50%, Strenght -20%, Mana +200%. Of course, I was reborn to a new class, Incomplete Lich. I have also gained Undead Grimoire but not enough mana to use 98% of the spells kept on it. And some of the lower-level necromancer spells can''t be used due to discord on miasma inside my phylactery. I also retained all my learned spells. Also unaffected except for my inability to use holy or light, which is already at its bare minimum so my fighting prowess is not hindered. My fire magic had lessened but if I used it with hell''s fire it neutralizes and the same level is achieved. And I reset my level. And also no loots." He already expected this. The jump from a high tier undead posed a problem for her body to keep up. Not to mention her soul was shattered. But he didn''t think it was this bad.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. It would have been easier if they showed each other''s stats but even for how long he has known them, not once did he saw their full status window. It was actually forbidden to show status to any person except for family and lovers. It¡¯s the information of your soul linked by mana to your flesh in a physical embodiment. It was the most private of private. That''s why they only share through these meetings whatever they need to share. They do trust each other with their lives but the status was still a bit personal, it''s the same as baring your soul. Aiven passed a scripture to her and pen. Then as per usual, she started jotting down the new skills she could use, conditions need to be met, cooldown time, and a thorough description of its weaknesses. She''ll probably have to demonstrate later each one in front of her companions. When finished, the two boys took turn to read the scripture and the moment they have memorized the contents, Simos burned the parchment. Not satisfied, Aiven used wind spell to scatter and rend the fibers into pieces. "Hm, so that concluded our evaluation. On to issues." Hah, this would take long. Aiven started taking out the skinned rabbits from his inventory and started cleaning it. If they are going to rest, better be it while their belly is full. "Let''s start with the same order. For me, I have no issue that won''t be answered by you two so I''ll pass. Go Aiven, we''re waiting." The knife Aiven was holding immediately became as dull as rust when he unconsciously released mana through it. He still needs time to mentally prepare! But he does owe them that much. He put down the knife, the sheen went back to its place and Aiven looked longingly at its sharpness. He started organizing his statement. "I''m an otherworlder," he said, not even shortening his speech. "Well, that explains everything. Now, Delica, what is it with Father?" "H-hey! I''m not...finish yet!" "No need to elaborate. It was pretty obvious you came from the same place as Lady Yuusha." Delica nodded. "It just fits. We''ve already guessed as much." "How did you--?" "Well, you are weird," Delica agreed. "That''s not--" "You are amazingly, otherworldly, weird. Do you remember when you literally drank holy water in our class?" she pushed the topic, not even letting him cut in the conversation. Remembering what she was talking about, Aiven frowned. The incidence had nothing to do with him being an otherworlder, in fact, he had done it to know if ingesting the substance would have better effects than dousing it to your body. Sadly, no, it failed. Still, his digestion did get better. But using holy water for his bowel movements was quite expensive so he stopped. "Or when you tried water magic to reverse your blood flow or something and almost died?" Simos added, smirking ruefully. That one, Aiven did almost got right, he just can''t imagine the circulatory system properly, though if he did succeed he would have surely died. "There was also something in the infirmary." "Ah yes, that takes me back," the girl explained to the demon lord, who was listening to them intently, "you see, maester, Aiven here, went to the office with the insides of his fingers skinned then asked the cleric for healing." "And just before the spell finished, Aiven clamped his fingers! The skins merged together he looked like a lobster! Hahahaha." "What''s worse, he took a blade, cut his fingers free, and asked for another healing while smiling like he just won in a tournament! What a weird fellow." Aiven slumped at his seat, wide-eyed that they had connected all of his breakthrough experiments and simply lumped it off as him being ''weird''. Well, at least he was sure that healing magic was speeding of regenerative properties of the body and not the manipulation of body tissues. The cleric, however, got nightmares afterward of a devil cutting itself up and asking for to be healed again and again and again. According to rumor, the man resigned. "Oh, those were fun times!" "Yeah, so Aiven it¡¯s alright. We get it. You''re different. At least you finally told us." Delica patted him on his head. He was older but somehow he doesn''t mind. "I am more of a monster and yet you also accepted me. So cheer up!" "There is one more...thing." The siblings looked in puzzlement. And then Aiven opened his mouth. "Whoa, t-that looks..." "I''ve only seen that kind of tongue with lizardmen." "I''m human." "Hn got it. No wonder you don''t talk too much!" He didn''t correct Delica on the reason why he hardly has spoken anything and just clamped his mouth shut. Not that it matters anyway. "It''s better if you don''t let other people see it except us." He had no plans to. But it does feel good that he was not hiding anything anymore. It was really the only good thing he got from the night''s adventure. But even if he could speak, he still had to limit his words. At most he could speak thousands of words and still having enough to last for the day without sucking his mana dry. Before it was less than a hundred. Using an unknown leveled world system magic on a daily basis was exhausting. His first spoken word almost halved his mana pool. Having mana reserves was really reassuring. "Since Aiven is already speaking up to us, I''ll also...stop hiding anything," Delica announced. Maou-chan was comfortably napping on her lap and she went and brush the girl''s hair. She suddenly became serious. He had noticed this before but the two have been acting differently since Delica became a Lich. Every opportunity, they would make light of things, shoving everything into a forced smile and downcasted laughs. He knew it was a defense mechanism on their part for not being able to face the truth. They waited for her to continue, "I, I have been helping Father with the family business, Simos." The blonde made a murderous expression but Delica brushed it off and continued with resolve. The Sila-ir house was a known slaver in the City of Cessine, one of the City Fortress of their kingdom. It was their city. And it was their house. Selling flesh, slaughter, pleasure, torture. It was a legitimate business nonetheless. The House of Sila-ir flaunts its hygienic and unblemished practices unparalleled by any slave dealers. "Delica, what have you done?" Simos whispered silently through his teeth. There are different kinds of rage. The rage that blinds. The rage that binds. And a quiet rage that simmers beneath the skin. The last one is the one that lasts. And it depends on Delica''s next words whether Simos could ever forgive his sister as he went into a turbulent calm. Aiven also hated slavery, but it was because of his world view. Simos? Simos was different. "I handled the corpses. I was stationed at the 2nd gate which d-disposes the remnants of each transaction. When Father heard my wish to become a necromancer, he gave me my own quarters and offered me the opportunity to deal with the arts." "You should have said ''no''." "How could I? It was Father! And he finally looked at me! I-I was useful I guess." "How is it there?" She didn''t answer. "I couldn''t leave them. I at least want to give them a human appearance before they could be sent to their resting place." "Naive." "How should you know!? You''ve been opposing Father since forever." "Tell me, dear sister, how can you be sure those people you painstakingly pieced together to be human again was not sent back to that pig house!" "Father won''t--" "Of course he will! He did that to Mother!" F***. This was going into the point where he was grateful he doesn''t talk and no one was expecting him to. Simos already told him the story. And he got sick to his core. Dying because of childbirth, Simos'' mother hasn''t given birth to him when she collapsed and passed away. The nursemaid at that time told the story of how crude men went to the mansion and the body was sold. Fresh has always had high demands. The woman was the 37th wife. Collateral from debts left unpaid. When they cut open her belly, a wailing scream came. Finding it a novelty, a child born of a dead, Simos lived and took the name of the house. Nothing sort of a miracle, a miracle that may either bring fame or infamy, and he grew up to be a splendid investment. But Delica doesn''t know that. She doesn''t know. Simos tried to calm himself and asked softly, "Did he killed you?" "No, it was, there was a curse in one of the girls they have brought. It was painless." "And then here you are, being useful again to Father. How long have you been spying on us?" She flinched at the sharp insult. He should have just cut her there and then, she would prefer it that way. "A solstice ago." "It''s not her fault." Aiven interfered. His voice rang out. He went between the siblings and blocked Simos view of Delica. Simos is angry. And with no one to vent it to it would only get worse. "You are an outsider here Aiven. Stand down." "No," And raised the dulled knife. It wasn''t that better than the sheathed dagger he treasured, but it was enough. "Why? You know nothing." "I know." "Then why are you not shutting up!" Good, be furious. Work through those emotions. Simos was not thinking clearly. Aiven had to direct that away from Delica before something irreversible happens. "Your sister died." Simos didn''t answer. "Because of you." "I''ll. Burn. You." he seethed in anger and equipped his halberd, the limited space was closed within a second. Delica carried the sleeping girl away from the campsite drenched in panic. Their laughter moments ago seems like a dream, and Aiven followed his movement fluidly as he stepped back dodging the powerful swing of the double-edged sword. His attention was focus on Simos. His friend''s anger was just a directionless emotion and didn''t take to heart the boy''s threat. Then a split of hesitation. The sword was able to slash through Aiven''s pale hand, and his wrist was cut clean. The knife landed behind him and it stuck solid on the ground, it''s hilt noticeable missing. When Simos saw his friend''s blood splayed over him, he was already back from his trance but the third slash was inevitable. The momentum, packed with mana, wasn''t able to slow down and within seconds, Aiven''s neck was no more. Aiven is... The body was not moving, laying on the floor. He just saw his sister died, and now he...just killed his friend. The young boy''s mind was clouded with so many unnecessary things that he didn''t notice that he already failed on his step, Simos was falling but he doesn''t care. He just doesn''t f**cking care. For that moment, the Aiven''s body blurred. Simos widened his eyes as the body suddenly disappeared and on its place was the missing hilt of the kitchen knife. An illusion? Simos thought, tensing his muscles as he tried to stop his fall and to make sense of things. Then on the corner of his eye, he saw that his face was falling on the lodged blade of the knife. The rough metal that supposed to be fastened on the handle, shone with jagged edges. And it was pointed exactly on his eye. There was no reinforced skin to deflect the damage. It would crush his eyeball, go through his brain and he would die. He was sure of it. He accepted it. But something grabbed hold of his hair, jolting his head up and breaking his fall. He could feel the other end of the blade trickling the under the flesh of his chin. "I might not be able to wield weapons but accidents do happen, Simos." A black-haired, dark-eyed boy said behind his ear. Chapter 16 Aiven''s grip tightened and shoved Simos away from him. The blonde didn''t buck and laid sprawled on the floor. His eyes were dazed while staring at the cave''s ceiling. Then with a thud, Aiven sat beneath his feet, the gleam of unpolished metal striked his eyes. Irritated, he shook off the blade and in disgust, thrown it farther. Even if there was no malice in his actions, the truth the he attempted and almost succeeded in killing Simos left a bad taste on his mouth. He watched his friend''s heavy breathing, Simos'' armor bulked from every breathe and when it finally settled to an even beat, Simos laughed. His hand roughly raked his hair as his voice grew louder and overlapped with the echoing of their small cave. "I did everything, didn''t I, Aiven?" Silence "I did everything he asked! And he still--" "I lied." It wasn''t your fault. Simos glanced at Aiven, "I know, I know." Then a moment before his voice wavered, "I almost hurt her." "You''re a good kid." "Pfft, hearing that from you? hah!" Simos closed his eyes and the tension on his mana and muscles faded to a more normal rhythm. "I don''t understand," Delica gingerly went near them when she had recovered, Maou-chan close to her side. "Father used us," Simos answered. " I did everything he asked just so he won''t lay his hands on you, but then, this was expected, right? Tell me, what did he promised you?" "No you''re wrong! He didn''t used you. He wouldn''t. He couldn''t. You were always free and smiling and goofing off. And you are better that way." Simos silenced made her more panick-stricken as she stumbled for words. "Y-you are lying. Father said--" "Delica," he repeated in a defeated voice, "what did father promised?" "He p-promised he''ll let you go." "And he promised he won''t touch you." the boy laughed again, more to himself than anyone else, "we really are of one blood." Delica clambered closer to her brother, visibly shaken, and pressed Simos'' hands to her forehead, willing her tears not to shed, "how many? How many did you--" "...murdered? Why would I count? Did you count the bodies parading in your quarters? WIll you be that harsh as to debase their life as nothing but numbers you have to keep? I know their faces and that is enough," his hand moved on its own and lingered on Delica''s face, "But it''s alright now. I''m fine. Y-you are somewhat fine. Haaahh, your brother failed to protect you, I am no more angry to you than myself." A rustle was heard when Aiven suddenly raised to his feet and hand over a helmet to Simos. He couldn''t understand the vagueness of the conversation which the two seemed to be having, or maybe his brain doesn''t wanted to. Too many questions, too many misconceptions he could derive from the few exchange of words. But Aiven will not force these two to tell him their story if they don''t want to, but damn it. To be so close to them and yet not know their sufferings. Simos was confused as he tried to straighten his composure, the helmet clumped in his hands. And with a clear voice, Aiven said, "We...are going to meet your father."
Aiven have been brooding over things. His gloomy thoughts permeates through the surface that his face had darkened by many folds. The scenes still played on his head and as the way things were, he needed to be stronger if he wanted to protect anyone. Deep on those thoughts, he was startled when he felt someone bashed his head. He was so off-guard he wasn''t able to sense the incoming blow, "If you continue feeling pity for us, I''ll burn you for good!" Simos glowered over him. "I''m not¡ª" "Yah, yah. Then what is it? Your conscience? Pah, keep your sense of responsibilities elsewhere. We don''t need it." Simos went on sitting at the corner of the carriage, but a noticeable smile can be seen on his face, the satisfied look on his face was still the same irritating smugness. Now that I can talk, can you at least let me finish my sentences? He wanted to retort but instead, he nodded a sign of understanding towards Simos. If his mind hadn''t wandered, Simos would have never had a chance to hit him. This kind of mindset was not good. If they want to survive, he should put aside these unnecessary regrets that cannot be changed. "Ai-neechan, apple!" demanded the little girl who was sitting in his lap. He sighed. He had been sighing for a while now. Curse be damned. The moment the little girl remarked on how his essence closely resembles the Yuusha, she started giving him that weird nickname. Even without her presence, that hero still had a way of making him miserable. No amount of persuading could change Maou-chan''s habit. Go on universe, do your worst. Drained, he took the red fruit she''s been pressing on him and peeled it slowly. The carriage lulled in the familiar rhythm and he went to silently stare at the red bracelet dangling on the girl''s wrist.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. "Awright, how urr ye daein'' back thare, lass?" the brawny man behind the reins shouted at them. His name was Cirque of Borderland. He doesn''t look like a merchant as he claimed to be, but more like a pirate. His brownish beard extends to his collarbone and the edges were rough that only a cutting knife could ram it down to keep it in check. They''re inside a merchant''s carriage that was en route to Cessine. Three adventurers riding their steed at the side were following the carriage that already ballooned to the point of spillage. "We''re fine," Simos replied, taking good care to make his voice thicker. They cannot go back to their inn to get their horses or even their belongings, afraid that they might get tracked. Going on foot would take too long and would put their bodies in a bad condition to slip past the Sila-ir stronghold. Following that, with the last images of the soul from Delica, it was inevitable that the ones targetting them already know their plans and so the need for disguises. Simos was fully equipped with a bodysuit armor. Maou-chan, now Ma Chan, had a white magician''s robe that fit the size of the wearer. But the merchant was not looking at Simos, his eyes were scrutinizing the dainty cloaked figure at the opposite side of the boy. She hasn''t said a word, and whenever she peeked behind the shadow of her bangs, she would hastily duck and hid. The mysterious aura only added by the foreign features of the lass, dark black hair, and the same blackness of her eyes. The only words she told the merchants and the adventurers guarding the cargo was her name, other than that, they have never heard her voice ever again. Fact. Aiven could not equip any armor, helmets, gauntlets, etc. Even some robes are rejecting him. Fact. Covering his face with bandages would only cause unwanted attention. Also, checkpoints do not let anyone who was suspicious to pass through without proper inspection. He needs to show wounds. [He motioned to get his face skinned but was rejected. Healing does not remove scars. He''ll only get his face disfigured which Delica passionately opposed.] Fact. Aiven cannot use [ Illusion ], an advanced level confusion magic. He could, however, manipulate the air in front of the eyes of one person. Manipulating it to the point he could avert light particles passing through that single slide of condensed air creating an image. A clump of atoms acts as pixels and anyone who knows the projector can guess the process. Manipulating matter on an atomic level is hard. Doing so on more than one person would cause his brain to short circuit. Fact. He was still at that age where humans still retain an androgynous appearance. Aiven''s build, More so. Fact. The enemy was looking for Aiven. A boy of twelve. Aiven sighed again, smoothing the skirt Delica made him wear awhile ago and tucked the makeshift robe tighter. "Ainee Chan? Is there something wrong?" big round eyes peered beneath his cloak, Maou-chan slide closer as she noticed ridges forming from the innocent apple making ugly dents. Aiven sighed once more, loosening his fist on the poor fruit. He finished the task, cut it, and handed a piece to the child. "Sloppy as ever. Can''t you even peel a fruit properly?" A high-pitched voice came from the inventory bracelet Maou-chan was wearing. It was Delica, encased inside the ornament. She stands out too much with her grey skin and miasma surrounding her aura that they can''t let anyone see her, especially in broad daylight. Using the treasure chest, Simos suggested putting her body¡ªsince she was basically a carcass, in the bracelet. It was just an added bunos that her voice can be heard. Unfortunately, there was no air in the spatial device, so he cannot put Maou-chan inside. Delica, however, almost mowed him when he raised that idea. "Nee nee, Delica, we''re getting close!" Maou-chan exclaimed whispering to the bracelet as she munch on her food. "So my soul really is still inside the city. That''s good news." She said as the jewel glows faintly whenever her voice pass through it. He also tried to make Simos wear something similar, but a traveling party that was composed of just girls and a toddler was very conspicuous. It''s been three hours since then. The mountain ranges, signaling the borders of Terminum Silva Forest that blends with the Milodas greeneries keep their view with nothing but trees and undergrowths. The High Road snaked between the two edges. As the main trade route, a line of [ Fae Lucernam ] lampposts stretched throughout the worn down pathway. He was still listening to the conversation when he noticed the adventurers trudged silently behind. A warrior, a cleric, and an archer. They introduced themselves earlier but their names weren''t important for him to memorize them. They''ve been eyeing Aiven''s group from the beginning. I guess anyone would be that wary when some group of unknown origin approached you with loads of loots for trade (their party''s gold increased by 321 pieces) and requested for transport. Cirque, despite it all, was ready to help. He''s a good guy even with the dastardly villainess he exudes. Though he kept glancing at Aiven¡ªAinee. "Ah haven''t heard o'' Chan''s afore. Whist pairt o'' Frear urr ye from, lil''uns?" Cirque asked, booming with a hint of amusement. He''s been asking them, always addressing the question to Ainee. "Hokkaido, sir," Ainee finally breathed an answer. Being a merchant he could sense a lie from miles away and had always taken a liking to honest people. Satisfied that his judgment was correct, he laughed and looked straight to the road. "Ain''t that sum''tin? A''ve bin travelling bit naw but haven''t heard o'' ah ''Hokkaido''. It mist be far. " He continued relating his travels as Aiven absent-mindedly went over his inventory.
Unable to equip. Incompatible mana class
He''s been equipping weapons of different kinds--rapier, single-edged, double-edged, jagged tooth swords, daggers, kalis, scythes. Scanning his inventory empty and with it, this window would constantly appear. Aiven''s commands happen so fast that no one could notice since the image would blur before it could fully materialize. He already bought some stash of basic sewing kit from the merchant and put it aside. He doesn''t expect anything at the moment, but what he was interested in was the word ''blade'' at [Blade Clothier] class he got from the gifting. Since it mentioned combat, he''d been trying to find what weapons were suitable for him, but to no avail. The more he could fight, then the better. Knowing the full potential of his new class would help him and he''ll make sure he''ll take what he could squeeze out of it if possible. Then the forest thinned and what greeted them was a meadow that covers the whole area and at the center is the massive wall of Cessine''s fortress. It was a familiar scene for the group. Blocks of bricks and plaster can be made out of the fortress and scars of cannons and war was evident at its impressive exterior. They were passing near the gates when their caravan noticed pikes welcoming whoever passes the pavements leading to the city. And with a mocking tone, Cirque remarked. "Gag, they Blanks daein'' whitevur thay waant. They''re juist com''ners lik'' us, but look ''it. Thay turned traitors lik'' th'' dugs thay ''re." He trailed over the pikes. Simos had his hands on his scabbard in an instant when Aiven raised his hand for him to stop whatever it was the blonde wants to say or do. He felt Simos stiffened, and his friend gave him a concerned look, even with the helmet hiding his expression. "Aiven--" "Do. Not. Stare." He commanded. His muscles tense with emotions. Aiven''s palms went over the eyes of Maou-chan as he held her closer to him, trying to stay calm and finding comfort at the much-needed warmth from the child. If Delica could see, she would have pointed pedophile at him. But if she was really with the carriage right now, they know Delica won''t even voice it out and might actually be the one giving him comfort. The eight boulder-high pieces of woods actually held mutilated bodies of traitors. It was a sign of fear instilled in the people from the cities. Arms and legs were mangled off, leaving bloody stumps from the torso. If a man, all vestigial part, including their manhood, is cut off. If a woman, their chest would be flattened and bludgeoned. Their heads were separated from their necks and were placed at the tip of the pikes. There were only three bodies today---white flags were attached to each one, signaling a noble house. A noble house of the white banner. Aiven gave one last empty look at the execution grounds and saw his mother''s face. Chapter 17 Simos knew when Aiven''s silence meant he wanted to be left alone. And just from his friend''s expression, there was more to this silence than the typical ones he and his sister have encountered. They''ve always watched Aiven. And for Simos, hecan be considered as an idiot, but despite this,he would also be the first to acknowledge how strong his friend was. Whenever there was a practice duel in their novice class, Aiven would never fight seriously, and every time there would always be something particular about it. He can''t shake off the feeling that it was for the sake of a failed experiment. It was like he is trying to achieve something. He loses every single time but no single scratch can be seen while his enemy would be filled with bruises, slashes, burnt marks. He was toying with his duel partner. And more than one instance did he saw how curious Aiven was during those fights, not the usual search for an answer, but the brutal curiosity of a child who would break a dragonfly''s wings or cut a spider''s head just to see how long it''ll last. And Aiven also has the apathy for it. He just...how do I say this, he had this way of accepting things. Aiven, himself, was not aware of it, but that sort of mindset made him arrive at decisions without the nuisance of emotions. He would find something as painful, or saddening, or grieving, but it''ll only last for a second until he pushed it aside, look it in the eye and dissect the reason why he was feeling it and how to stop it. Finding Aiven still relatively composed even with the reality they just saw was not really that unnatural. Simos knows, he had seen it happened before. It''s the aftermath he was concerned about. The whole family of House Gallinthe cloaked in the Banner of White. Executed within nightfall. Simos was not that familiar with the politics under Aiven''s house but he had never heard anything bad---or extraordinary about them. Though he had found rumors of Sir Kieve, Aiven''s father, being involved with information brokerage. His blood mother, Lady Aileyn, was a normal practicing alchemist at the Academe''s court. While his little sister just entered beginner''s batch this solstice and have shown promise. Still, they had no political power nor military influence. For them to be branded as traitors would be easy work. The troupe entered the gate but curious glances towards Aiven can be noticed every now and then, since Maou-chan has been patting the cloaked figure while saying, "it''s all right, everything is all right." in a hushed voice. "It''s the first time she saw something like it," Simos said trying to appease their inquisitive stare at the heavy stillness of their companion. "Is that so? Poor girl. It might have come as a shock," the archer said. Her ride trotted closer to the caravan and with her maternal instincts rising, she tried to converse with Ainee. But Ainee just put Ma Chan beside her, give her the rest of the apple and just smiled sheepishly at the archer, while shaking her head as if trying to say that she was fine. The smile was enough to keep the archer for prodding more to the shy girl. "That''s great, but you really need to get used to executions, they are rather common here in the capital." "But that''s odd. Only three traitors today. It''s mostly more than that." It''s because they wanted to make sure we see it. It''s not that there are a lot of traitors at Cessine---only, the bodies were left to rot in the open that month old decays were not unusual. Bodies tend to pile within that month. "And a Blank House at that! Aren''t they the soldiers who usurped the titles during the Last Demon War?" the warrior interjected. "I don''t like those bunch. Just because they have titles, they act like arrogant pricks! What a joke. They can''t even donate properly at the Temples." They still said something after that but Simos already put his attention back to his party. If Aiven would not do anything about it, then who was he to scream bloody murder at these ignorants? The Houses of White Banner was actually common knights who have proven their worth on the battlefield and was entitled by the kingdom, itself. Surviving, and even taking merit, in the war constantly as cannon fodder and expendable units was not an easy feat. But it doesn''t matter. The Nobilities scorn them for rising to their ranks and the citizens zealously berate their existence. Passing on to the gates, the guards were now inspecting their cargo. They also check each one, asking for permission to display their status. Cirque, the head of the traveling party obliged and said "show status" but only his class, age, and the home point was displayed. Status Window also acts as identification. Thankfully, names were also considered as powerful, so even that was not allowed to be seen in the open. When it was Aiven''s turn, the guards hardly noticed the girl and let her in, seeing that she was just a beginner tailor. The youngest of the group also passed through, obviously since she''s too young for her mana pool to generate status. Everything was going well when one of the guards stopped Simos. "I told you to show your class!" A young guard halted the full-armored knight. Simos was so completely equipped that not even his eyes could be seen through his heavy visor. "I have yet to acquire a class," A calm voice replied. The guard was taken aback, taking into account the amateur-level gauntlet, the novice-level armor, and the unidentified helmet. For a beginner to already acquire such levels was really doubtful. Though if you considered how that adventure maniac pulled Aiven around Dungeon Clearing at a tender age of eight, then his level was not that surprising. Especially since Aiven was only got dragged to compensate the three-person requirement to enter dungeons. [Only the higher 8% of adventurers would pull that stunt.] "E-excuse me, is there...problem with my brother?" he said, and the guards only saw a cloaked figure appeared before them, with petite arms protectively shrouding the little girl behind. "Nothing, little miss, I just want your brother to remove his helmet. Peacefully," The last word was for Simos. Other guards started to get wind of the commotion. One of them was carrying a parchment and started checking the contents. With no other choice, Simos removed his helmet. Aiven inched closer, casting mana in the air around Simos'' face and used his [Mana Detect] to see the light passing through that space.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. He added more mana and started glitching the air, sending the light that passes into a different color. It was the same mana manipulation he used to trick Simos. The only difference was that the first one, he only used the tiny airspace in front of Simos'' eyes. Now, he was doing the same thing but only to his whole head. Aiven was skeptical he can pull it off but he did have enormous mana for once. With this rate, he might actually be able to cast an image distortion to his whole body. When Simos was free from his headgear, his skin already looked two shades darker, his hair was a deep chestnut brown and his eyes turned hazel with a speck of blue from outsiders. Aiven can only do this much. Changing the features while taking to account every little movement Simos was making would put too much strain on his focus. The guards continue scanning his face and that of the parchment, when they verified it was not him they were looking for, the young guard simply let him go. The guards miraculously didn''t scan further. After all, there was anti-illusion magic at the center of the gate, which boasts of its high affinity in detecting image-illusion and hallucinating magic. They could use an anti-magic barrier but since the guards depended mainly on magic and a lot of magic devices will be affected (inventories suddenly bursting out of thin air is not good for the business) they conceded for this method and became lax about it. When Simos put his gear again, he said, "Good Sir, can we also have a copy of that poster? We are new here and would like to be wary of felons." "Yeah, sure. Just take it. Next!" The man shouted. He was used to merchants asking for wanted posters. It was part of the trade so he just assumed Simos to be part of the merchant caravan they entered with. Simos just snuck the piece of paper and was off. The three searches at the inner gates and found the carriage on the edge of the plaza. The archer was waving at them. "What took you so long?" the woman asked, cordially, nothing more of a lip service. Still, Simos was quick to notice her eyeing the parchment on his hand and raised it, "we were hold up," Simos announced. "Well, at least ye''r ''ere now. Now on tae business, eh?" Cirque, overhearing their arrival, went away from grooming his horses, and waited for the three expectantly. Simos pull out his pouch and produced ten golds and an ancient coin from the Noctem Empire of Old. The vintage coin itself didn''t amount to much but if it was paired with its other counterparts of that ancient kingdom, its value would escalate manifolds [Simos was wretch from giving it up]. "Good ol'' fella. Be''n lookin'' fur ye fur ages!" And Cirque went inside his caravan taking hold of his precious trade and they were easily forgotten. "So there''s that. Good luck in your stay here in the City." the cleric said. "Yes, you could visit the guild if you want." "Hm, maybe you could even register, I could vouch for you Knight," the warrior nudge Simos, showing a toothy grin. And they were gone. Maou-chan was the only one who said a proper goodbye to the group. Her cheery voice didn''t waver even with the influx of people passing on the streets. A festival is being celebrated today. Noises filled the busy districts. Flags of crimson hue decorate every window. The city alleys were decked with women and men of different attires as they went on their respective lives, cheering and drinking. They grew up here, they had lived all their lives in here, but never did they felt as alien to this City as before.
With hardly any spoken words, the three went and rent a room at the nearby inn. It was the usual protocol. One room three beds. Maou-chan would be sleeping with Delica so it was all good. They choose a common Inn at the Merchant''s District. The district was the busiest and would be crowded with people, it''ll be hard for them to be singled out. When they entered, Aiven quickly changed his attire, took four runes of parchment, and place it at the center. He started fusing his mana into it. The paper glowed then floated in mid-air and one by one, the paper started to collapse and crumpled unto itself but the glowing runes remained etched in the air. When all four parchments became compressed within the size of a marble, it flung itself at the four corners of the room and stayed there, encircling within their original glyphs. "Maou-chan, can you scan your inventory and take out Delica?" The room was already soundproof, safe from eavesdropping, and possible [ Mana Trace ]. It was a rune they always use when they are into their meetings. Maou-chan nodded and said ''Inventory." The bracelet glowed and distorted until Delica emerged from the void. It took for a while to update Delica on the current situation and she can''t help but stared at Aiven, teary-eyed, not knowing how to console her friend. But Aiven was not looking at her. He made a gap into the window of the room and scanned the growing festivities outside. Shouts can be heard, "Grandiose Day! Grandiose Day! The Hero has finally sent home!" "Let us pray for her safe travel!" "Selling authentic scarves used by the Great Hero of the Seven Rivers!" "Come here, this locket here is powerful. Can''t you see the flaming hair?" "What a blessed day for Continent! May she forever guide us into peace." Aiven, ignored the scene and seated himself at the floor and clapped his hands twice, signaling the beginning of their meeting. The other three also sat on the floor and formed a circle. "My family...is not dead," Aiven muttered. The siblings were confused at the statement. Simos just saw their bodies and confirmed that it was Aiven''s family. However, Aiven continued with a single word, "Homunculi." The two were not unfamiliar with the term. It was forbidden magic used to create an artificial body. Delica brightened, understanding the meaning behind his words. "Oh, Aiven! Then that means they are alive!" Simos was also relieved but the confusion didn''t abate. To create a high-class homunculus, and not be detected by the Inquisitors was nothing short of amazing. Who are these people? What kind of family does Aiven have? With the excitement of the two, Aiven could only nod in response. Just one look at the bodies and he was sure it was the work of his mother. He was glad they were safe, but to be pushed to fake their deaths meant his family was really in grave danger because of his very existence. It didn''t make his guilt any lighter. And to be exhibited so publicly, even if he survives this, his mother would kill him. It would be fine if it just resulted in his untimely death, but Lady Aileyn would not hesitate to resurrect her son so she could continue with the torture. Aiven was shivering not only with guilt but also with the prospect of his hellish future. He actually had no plan on telling to them about his family, it would only endanger his house if their enemies found out about the counterfeit. But he already promised not to hide anything from his party and also confessing it to them meant he has no choice but to protect them more, not just for survival but also for his family''s sake. With a more lively tone, Simos directed their attention to their next problem. Finding Delica''s soul, and crushing Sila-ir Banner. They started with the intel they have gathered so far. With these developments, it only made it clear that Gallinthe House was no more. They could not ask aid to Aiven''s family or go their manor to collect supplies since it might be heavily guarded. Their Treasure Chest at the central banks can''t also be accessed due to track, leaving them with only what they currently have as their worldly possession, which was their equipment (equipped and spare ones), limited items (30 mana potions, 60 health potions, 23 holy water, herbs, medical gauze), higher class items that were too powerful for them to use (they haven''t gained the proper level requirements) and 1481 golds, 60 silver, and 120 coppers. Also now that the Hero was publicly announced that she was sent back to their world, it would make it hard for them to convince anyone that they were actually envoys of Lady Yuusha. Even if they were able to convince the other party that Lady Yuusha survived, it wouldn''t be hard for people to doubt if she was just a mere impostor. Also, they can''t tell people they were guardians of the Demon Lord. During their discussion, Simos took out the poster from the guard and made them read its contents. Just as he was reading the bounty on Aiven''s head [12 000 golds], Simos'' face flushed with anger. After all, written on it was Aiven''s sentence for acts of treason against the King and for the murder of young Delica and Simos of Canary Gold. Hah. So they killed off Delica and Simos, he thought wryly. Them, being heir to the ''noble'' golden banner, together with any power and privilege it may hold. [Not that they would actually claim that filthy name again.] The mood of the party became grim. Those bastards were really planning to cut off any hope they might have. This just shows how extensive the ones who are after their heads. It''s amazing they haven''t tracked their current location yet. Maou-chan cocked her head in innocence. "Eh? What is wrong minions?" Aiven can''t still get over that newfound title. "Nothing, Master. It''s just that the whole world seems to be against us." "But of course! We''re going to destroy it aren''t we?" And for once the whole group laughed, leaving Maou-chan questioning what was funny. Right, right. We''re going to annihilate the world, so what''s there to be afraid of? Chapter 18 With the remainder of their gold, Simos went to purchase other supplies and to gather more intel. Delica was left to look after Maou-chan and was tasked to recreate a map of the Sila-ir mansion. It was almost noon with the sun already at its summit, there was still an hour before they meet up again at the inn, and so Aiven went out. Pushing forward, he covered the whole back alley behind the Merchant Guild. Packed with merchandise of different origins, properties, and uses, the whole district burst with life. Alleys were flocked with cargoes and children were seen darting everywhere whether in a game or just to see the next stall for the wonder it may bring. With the cloak pulled lower to his face, Aiven entered the small branch of the Central Treasury. Even with the number of people in the narrow streets, hardly anyone ventures in this dull branch since everybody knows it was almost on the brink of bankruptcy. With the Huge Merchant Guild suddenly taking root just behind the bank, it was ignored into obscurity. But there were still people who use the branch, they''re mostly sketchy ones, but it provided enough profit for it to continue its basic transactions. Entering the establishment Aiven was welcomed by a slender receptionist, dressed in the fashionable coattails that were the norm of servants and dyed with black and gold trimmings which was the trade of all Treasuries. A thin neat mustache that extends to his ear was the only thing that identified the man to the other workers in the building. "Welcome, dear customer, I am Chrui, how may I help you today?" the man said, motioning for Aiven to go towards his desk. Aiven without acknowledging the man silently revealed a pearl. The man twitched happily, handling the pearl, he placed it in a slot with a tube connecting to a slate of crystal. With a gesture of his hand, the crystal revealed runes that were read meticulously by the receptionist. A black chest holder. Hm, how peculiar. It was quite uncommon for a holder of black pearl to go to outsourced branches. Having a high-security treasure chest, this little person should be contacting the main branch! Chrui mused. "I''d like to make a withdrawal." The suspicious little person said in a voice that makes it harder for Chrui to determine the gender of his client, not that it matters anyway. "Ah, esteemed customer, for clarification, may you please drop blood on the pearl with the image of the item you wish to withdraw?" Aiven do as he was told. Nodding, Chrui then inserted his hands inside the crystal slate and pull out a black box. Not knowing what was inside--it was company protocol, he verified the void and the item. T-he whole chest!? The receptionist was growing more uncertain. Curious why a frail-looking person would wish to leave the vicinity while carrying such value. The Black Box itself was worth killing. And not even a single guard. Still, the older man handed the box to the client with his business mask still on. The protocol must be observed. "Hn, Sir Sideai," weird name, "Do you wish to close you void space?" "Will you please?" then the little person took the box, then he as if arguing if he should say something else, he also added a reluctant ''thank you''. "O-of course," Chrui drop his own blood, dripping red liquid to the smooth surface of the pearl and it started to shrink into size until nothingness. "That''ll be 100 gold, Dear Sir." The little person seems shocked at the price, but he clamped his mouth and produced the fee and was out in the blink of an eye. To be shocked by that amount but owning a Treasure Chest that has the capacity of a Castle''s Treasury? What a weird person.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Just wasted a whole annum of food money! If he knew it was that expensive, he should have left it open for good! But he would still need to pay maintenance of 30 golds per solstice so maybe it wasn''t bad. But he was already a fugitive, adding fraud to false charges wouldn''t change much. With a faster pace, he went back to the inn. Opening the door, he saw Delica on all fours, restructuring glyphs on the floor and a three-dimensional blueprint of a mansion was seen hovering on top of the glyphs. The mansion itself was originally built from stone and timber but had their defenses replaced later by paster and concrete from the early 400th D.E (Diem Era). The Sila-ir has an old ancestry, making the ancient building go under a lot of renovations, expansions, and exploited concentric fortification, and inspiration from earlier defenses. This means, there were more underground passages, hidden rooms, and flaws in architectural designs you can find in this conglomeration of Medieval-esque building. Looking at the exterior, Aiven can''t help but feel repulsed. Add a moat and it would look like any romanticist castles you could find in old books¡ªwithout the towers of course. "You''re early, had any sweets?" Delica asked beaming with the prospect of souvenirs. Aiven handed her a pouch and she started rummaging insides. Apparently, Delica can''t taste anything except for the extremes. Sweets, which were basically sugar, were one of those exceptions. She also gave some to Maou-chan but she only grimaced at the sweetness and the little girl eyed the chocolate Aiven was eating. "Here, try this." Maou-chan gleefully snatched the bar. "Nee, Ai-neechan, Delica taught me how to read runes today!" Aiven smiled, she really does look and act like a toddler, "That''s nice." "That''s right. Look here, see this parchment?" Delica pointed at one of the paper stretched on the floor. "She drew this one! Only took her two tries at that! As expected of Master!" She proudly said, like a mother boasting her daughter. Delica has been teaching Maou-chan of the general knowledge of this world. There''s a lot of things to be covered, but with the urgency of their mission, there was not much time spent on her learnings. It was still crude but it does the job. Seeing Aiven looking around, Delica said, "Simos still not here. It''s better if you start memorizing the blueprint though. I and Simos already know it at the dot. Ho-ho, speaking of the devil." The door opened and Simos got in. He was still wearing the full-plated gear. Even in the merchant district, he was kind of known. When he saw the image projection, he was amazed. "Whoa, great. You even got the windows perfect!" the blonde took off his helmet and handed another pouch to Maou-chan. "For you, My Lady." "Nyaaahh! Chocolates!" "Who do you think, I am? Anyway, Master helped." "I know runes today!" Simos patted the girl''s head, "Ah we have a genius! I should have bought more chocolates." "I want strawberries next!" "As you wish, Lady Maou-chan." "Or maybe blueberries? Almond chocolates are also good. Nya, the cake is good too." then she emptied the contents of the pouch on the bed and started categorizing each sweet and counting them one by one as if holding her treasures, her cheeks flushed with the small treats. They really want to protect this girl. She''s just too innocent, and simple. Just thinking of her future, they already vowed to do everything to avoid such misfortune to befall to Maou-chan. Looking back at his companions, Simos became serious, he handed the inventory bracelets to them both knowing it already has their items and started his report, "There would be a grand ball at the Cessine Castle at dusk to celebrate Lady Yuusha¡¯s departure, We only have six hours at most before he left the estate. We have to move fast." They started planning out their next course of action. Then Aiven took out the black chest. He scanned the contents. It has 3000 golds, some books that could rival a library and a whole bunch of rune parchments. He scanned deeper and try to find the items he was looking for. While dungeon exploring, the party has been garnering treasures they''ve looted. It was agreed that he''ll be the one keeping it since being of lower noble rank, his void space would be less viable for theft. It was a good thing too that he made a separate space for his party. It just felt wrong to put them under his name. Looking closer, there was this one item he doesn¡¯t remember. Checking it, he pulls it out and finds a small [ Automaton ]. It has the shape and size of a doll with closed eyes and similarity with the creepy Victorian Wax Dolls, including the harassed use of laces. It has painted hair of black and the unglazed porcelain has a more flesh textured to it. His party was curious and even Maou-chan was muttering how pretty the doll is. It was mother''s. Stiffening with dread, Aiven cut a drop of blood and pressed it on the doll''s lips. How did she know about his secret account? Then as if being possessed by an evil spirit, the doll started moving in creaking jolts. "Hyahoy! Useless son!" His mother''s voice was heard from the lips of the energetic doll, "if you got this [ Automaton ] then that means you are still alive. Doubtful, really, but you are not that useless. You do have my genes after all, hyahahah. Since you are reaching your twelve moons, your Path to the Sphere would be starting soon. So it was not much difference if you leave the Shades of our Banner. We''re expecting souvenirs, okay, my dear? We''ll miss you and may your shadow find its way to the Threads. Also, Leian says, ''Go die.'' Ho, charming as always."The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "M-mother!" "Ora? Did you say my name? Hohoho, your father said I shouldn''t add a reply setting since you''ll probably just be nodding all the way. Ah, your mother is happy." Aiven understand where that came from. The [ Automaton ] was a simple device which uses a set mnemonics, it could only respond to questions already set with an answer. "Where are you?" "Can''t tell." "How can I contact you?" "Can''t tell." "Argh!" "Oh dear Aiven. It would be safer if you are not with us." What the heck!? You answered that? It''s not even a question! "Leian is also on a journey with our Trusted. It''s three moons early but it was necessary. Being with us would only endanger you and your sister. We do love you. Please be safe Aiven, love...Fare thee well¡­" "Wait!" The automaton''s eyes dulled and a tiny black hole consumed the small magic device and not a trace can be found. The abrupt greetings and goodbyes made a lasting impression on the group. At least he was sure they were fine, but Simos and Delica were astounded. "You''re family was weird." He sighed, he can''t agree more. But for Leian to be also doing the Path of the Sphere? There''s a big possibility they might meet. His little sister was stronger than him so he does not worry much. He trusts his family to survive.
It''s now an hour past the summit. The start of their plan will commence. They were separated into two parties. Aiven and Simos will act as a decoy while Delica and Maou-chan will follow the entrance of the slavers on the other end of the mansion. Getting prepared earlier, Delica received her [ Eljudnir Staff ] and [ Guardian of Graves Robes]. It was left aside in time when Delica finally became a necromancer. The Lich Class has always been on top of any necromancer''s list, but with her useless state, she cannot fully use her newfound power. It''ll fit her now at least. But it didn''t dampen Delica''s excitement in finally donning those ominous dark gloomy equipment. It was contrasting heavily with her eyes flaring with passion and loud personality, making her more look like those pesky children during Hollow''s Eve. She looks like a fake lich. Though Delica would and could murder Aiven if she ever overhears his thoughts. "Aya, I really do feel like a Lich now! Kyahahaha. Uwaaahhh, the [ Spellthreads ] are amazing!" Aiven flinched as he heard her high decibel squeal through the rune earrings he made. The earrings tend to create a rune circle lateral to the makeshift accessory whenever it was activated, making it look like a light intricate pattern was circling beside his ear. When he first created the rune parchment that allows a thin layer of mana to vibrate the air and create sounds, he knows he could use it as a two-way communication device. The parchment crumpled into marble-sized black paper mache and with a needle, he pierced the right ear of Delica and Simos. Their society has no notion of earrings so they find it both interesting. He also did the same to his ear. What surprised him though was the notification window saying he equipped a Sewing Needle. So needles and scissors were considered equipment items. That makes sense, When he tried piercing the ear of Simos, the needle couldn''t pass through but when he poured mana, it went smoothly. Simos was amused to find his health dropped by one but didn''t comment if he felt any pain. It was recovered within two seconds though. What a pitiful attack, if you consider it as one. Still, he did gain a new title.
New Title: Butcher of Silk Button You have gained your First Blood: For intentionally dealing damage with another living being with the use of Basic Sewing Tools, you have gained a new title. Effects: 100% increase in damage dealt using Sewing Tools Combat Craft +5 Learned New Skill/s: Needlework Precision in handling needles. Needlework +1
So it''s 2 healths now? Well, it''s better than nothing. However, putting earrings to Delica was hard. The first needle rusted and if it wasn''t for dabbing it first in holy water, it wouldn''t even graze her skin. Simos asked for [ Lazy Walker Twin Blades ] and Aiven also took out a necklace with the same markings as their inventory bracelets. It''s the same as treasure chests only it has a bigger capacity and gave it to Maou-chan. This was for Delica though. The bracelet makes it hard for Maou-chan to hear Delica so a closer inventory set was necessary. Sila-ir estate was located at the Higher Districts designated for nobles. It was called a district, but it was more like an enormous fort with the Cessine Castle as the central Keep. Using [ Hide Skill ], they were able to infiltrate without notice. Everyone was busy with celebrations and since they were nobles, it was more grand and exquisite than those in the other districts. The flow of carriages, bards, entertainers at each stone-paved street makes it easier for them to sneak in. They timed the patrol of the guards and slip past the initial wall. They really can''t leave Maou-chan behind so Delica proposed for her to protect the little girl since she has a plan. Aiven was a bit nervous about her hazy plan but she did say she knows the people there better. Also, Maou-chan can sense Delica''s soul better than Delica herself so it''ll be easier for them to locate then retrieve with less exposure. Apparently, Delica''s soul was on the Catacombs, just alongside the torture chambers where slaves were housed. They finally reach the west gardens. Passing the arc where the maze of the garden starts, Maou-chan summoned Delica [it does look like she was calling a spirit] and with a simple nod, the two girls were off towards the secret passage for the slave catacombs. It was placed at one of the dead ends in the maze. With Delica, there''s no way they would ever get lost in the massive labyrinth even if it was littered with magic contraptions. "We''re in," Delica answered in the runes. They waited for a few minutes then when they hear screaming from below them, Simos and Aiven started to act. Simos started chanting. Aiven pull out a [ Superior Mana Potion ] then throw it in the air toward''s the mansion''s balcony. Using [ Flint ], a common fire spell mostly used in kitchen fires, Aiven aimed it at the flask when it already started descending. No one has noticed yet. The mana-packed liquid evaporated at high speed creating a chain reaction and the glass suddenly burst. The whole area was now condensed with mana. When Simos finished chanting, Aiven ducked then the blonde cast [ Blaze Fire ]. The whole front yard erupted into flames. It was so bright, it almost turned the night into daylight. The trees were singed and a black crater ate a quarter of the west wing. Not a remnant of the balcony can be recognized. With the fires raging, guards immediately went into high alert, scurrying all around the estate and trying to request for reinforcements saying the mansion was under attack. The culprit dared use [ Hell Fire Storm ], at most a 100 level Archmage was on the lose. Amidst the confusion and chaos, chambermaids and servants were screaming that the mansion was haunted. Claiming the ghost of the late young lady was prowling the corridors. Delica was getting busy. Though her method still doesn''t sit well on Aiven. It''s just too, too unpredictable! (And lame) Still, it was effective. The two entered the mansion. Leaving five other mana potions, Aiven''s fire spell started to evaporate the flasks as it slowly seeps out. He''s the only one who could moderate the spell so it''ll only evaporate the liquid and not blow up when they were still near. The mages in the guard''s rank and file started to use water magic to temper the damage but without knowing the compacted mana in the atmosphere, their spells backfired and lost control. The whole area came to a giant flooding and vicious tsunamis sweeping the whole place while bodies pile in the open. Using [ Stealth ] and [ Haste ] they went passed the second floor of the East Wing which was their original target--since the security has finally thinned. Then they waited. At the other end of the corner was the Master''s Bedroom. If their plan was correct then the Head of the House was still readying for the Castle Ball. As expected there were three guards stationed in front of the door that didn''t even budge even how disastrous the mansion''s state was in. Simos equipped his gauntlets. Less noise compared to the clashing of steels. Aiven, without saying a word, tapped Simos'' shoulders. Taking it as the usual sign, the blonde started using [ Sight ] which heightened his eye''s reflex. Then Aiven disappeared. His swift pace was so fast, no normal person can keep up. But the elite guards noticed the attacker with the two guards closest to each other feeling someone''s presence. Then Aiven''s image appeared between the two guards, each of his palms resting on the back of each guard, then without blinking Aiven used [ First Aid ] on the two. But before they could counter, Aiven canceled the skill. Feeling the backlash of cancellation, he swiftly dodged. The two, confused, checked their status thinking a spell was cast on them. Seeing nothing changed, they were ready to slash the boy when Simos appeared before their very eyes. Simos was quick to notice Aiven''s hands during the quick retreat--With Aiven''s left hand moving to his hips, and the right touching his back. Using [ First Aid ] allows someone to scan the body for possible physical damage. With this, Aiven was able to pinpoint exactly where their bodies'' weak spots were unlike [ Analyze ] which can only do with elemental weaknesses. Even how elite you think you are, if you faced someone who attacks you with precision, you will lose. And Simos was not an easy opponent. Levels can only tell you how much you killed monsters, not people. Then, his escape route was blocked by the third guard. But he was anticipating this move. He pivoted and circumvent the attack. Sparring with Simos was deadlier than this, he thought. Then he emptied holy water on the guard. The odd attack made the guard hesitate which was all Aiven needed. Aiven used [ Electric Shock ]. Hah! The freedom to be with mana! The guard convulsed and fell on his knees before his face touched the ground, his heart already stopped beating. Aiven could use normal water, but holy water was better at amplifying Lightning Attacks without adding bunos that might affect his enemy. With this, his level-one spell could easily jump to ten levels or more. If you think of Aiven killing innocent monsters who were just protecting their offsprings as he trespass on their homes (and he did that for levels and loots), and the one he just did just now to protect the people he needed to protect then his conscience was already dark. He will not justify what he did. Glancing at Simos, he could saw the blonde already dislodging the dead guard''s inventory bracelet. Aiven was thinking that he might be just scavenging items but was then curious when Simos started putting the other bracelet inside one inventory. Then Simos started placing even the bodies inside, not leaving a trace. When Simos cleared everything, he chanted [ Create Crater ] and the floor suddenly depressed, making a disc size opening. Simos toss the inventory inside and chanted again [ Dispell ]. The crater closed. All his movements seem practiced as if the process itself was a routine habit. Did he just buried the bodies inside a void and hid it on the floor? When Simos noticed the perplexed expression of Aiven, Simos frowned and said, "Didn''t you said we would only take their lives, and nothing more? If you want their equipment..." No! I do not want their equipment! Simos shrugged, knowing Aiven''s answer just from the twitching of his eyebrows. Aiven only said that because he was afraid of Familiar Items which set traps for unknown users aside from their Blood Oaths. Everything was kinda run by blood, by now. Ah, it doesn''t matter. It was a clean method anyway. Maybe it¡¯s the reason why Simos knows putting Delica inside inventories would work. Aiven shivers. How many bodies were there inside the walls and floors of this building? But he hastily shoved the thought away and cleared his mind. After all, the person they want to meet was on the other side of this door.
*Butcher of Silk Button is a description used to Mercutio, the right-hand man of Romeo in one of Shakespearean classics. Yup, its that one where teenagers decided to commit double suicide and almost ruined both of their families in the process, ungrateful rich spoiled brats. It was actually staged with the War of the Roses in mind. The House of York (symbolized by a crest of red rose) and House of Lancaster (with their crest of white rose), who waged war and was united by marriage to avoid further senseless murders and which paved way to the era of the Tudors. Chapter 19 Musre of Canary, one of Herald''s Trusted under the cloak of Sila-ir Gold, offered a crested robe to his Lord. The man he offered it with was assessing his posture on the ceiling-length mirror, and promptly eyed the matching red doublet. Then with annoyance, waved his hand languidly as if to will the robe away. They were inside the Masters Quarters. But the whole room itself was spacious and empty. The bare necessities of a bachelor. And yet every piece was shining with opulence. Velvet and furs of earthen hues adorned the furniture and fixtures of cold mahogany and ivory ornaments. Musre could not help but be aware of the paned hose, and the robe on his hands that was trimmed with bands of gold, braided with runed embroidery, and closed with enchanted jewels. And reluctantly choose a severe black doublet instead which his Lord, with his imposing height of almost two boulders, accepted without much as a backward glance. Not really knowing why his Lord have the taste to carry the colors of lowly servants of the Treasuries, Musre continued straightening the noble''s attire--but still, he find it amusing. "Should I remind you, My Lord, that the theme for the Ball--" "I do not wish to color myself with a banner that''s as unstable as a woman in her cycle." Sir Reculus announced, taking the ruff of his collar from his Trusted and straightened it himself. "Give it another milennia and it''ll dye itself with the Summoned they pranced about just to lap on her feet like some sow in heat." "I do not think calling the House Regalia as pigs would be appro-" "I tell you whatever it is you need to think." He said, the cold stare was enough to silence Musre. It was statement, not a command--or even a threat. Sir Reculus just stated a truth that he couldn''t deny. The moment Musre pleaded with his life and honor as a soldier in the Eastern Higher Districts, he had been at the service of the Sila-ir. A decision prompted by either that or the forfeiting of his life. Sir Reculus knows how to assess a person. When he saw Musre, he knew he has the potential of the strong but the innocence of a knight that could be also taken as a dampened version of idiocy. A few words and coin, and baited by a woman--the blinded knight pledged his word to his Banner within the snap of his finger. He corrupted the young lad, but it was all worth the coppers he threw. Sir Reculus of House Sila-ir have became the [Herald] of Canary Gold at the young age of twenty-first moon. Being the only heir, he succeeded the moment his trash of a father died from an unfortunate hunting expedition. Of course he made sure to be only heir that survived. With 29 other siblings, it could be considered a massacre but that was another story. But despite his utter disregard to his family, all Sir Reculus time was devoted to his House. He has to, his greed for power will not let him do nothing less. He was not a good person but he was good at business. Cruel, direct and strict. His strictness do not only apply to his business but also to his family. He ignores his relatives--leeches, the lot of them, and focus on the next Line. All for the continual future of his House. As anyone in the Kingdom of Arvalar knows, despite being one of the highest nobility, their Banner have never garnered the prestige it should once have. Even the tasteless Timberwolf Silver of House Trimadr far surpass the Canary Golds Stronghold. Some Bronze Banner would even contest their daughters for a hand to stain his House. Those Ochre Bronze in the Lonely Pastures and Umber Bronze with their empty-headed proposals for joining their banners. The once Great House Sila-ir has been on the decline. And it was not long before even the Royal Palace, The House Regalia treated their Banner with contempt and ignored their very ancestry. But everything changed when Sir Reculus took the position of [Herald]. He started accumulating golds. Well his sisters helped, he did spared their lives, and they proved to be useful. Dowries were very proficient, oh he wished he had more sisters. Little by little, their Banner rose to prosperity, by any means necessary. Their Banner has finally resembles their title of Gold and was now known far and wide for its infamy. He could never be prouder. Everything was working out fine. His trade was booming and all corner of Cessine would lust after his exotic goods. He even took the lowly daughters of Bronze Banners that dared look down upon him and made them regret even thinking of such foolish way to ascend in rank. Pathetic insects. Sir Reculus did everything he could to manipulate and bested with other Banners and at long last he was able to wed, as his 37th wife, Lady Deil from the fallen line of Aureolin Gold. A House rumored to be descendants by the God of Hringra [Heaven] to strengthen his seeds. But the lady died before birthing to his child. All his investments gone. It was nothing sort of a miracle that the boy have lived. And how splendid did that child have grown. The child resembles him the most. Simos, from [gorsim] treasure and [mos] moss. Gold hair that curls like his namesake . At first, his Line have tried to kill the young one, understandable really, considering how much of a threat the child was at the tender age of five. But finding all those who dared perished in so-called accidents, they gave up and started focusing on each other. Sir Sila-ir have 12 sons, Simos was the thirteenth. Just before Simos turned 10, all his Olders have killed each other. Sir Reculus did ended two of them but that was because they were foolish enough to target the Lord of Canary House. They were swiftly dealt with, making him adamant of his choice of relinquishing a legendary Line for his House. In the end, before his fifty third moon, only two of his sires remained. Simos and Delica. Not that Sir Reculus do not have daughters, actually he had many but his wives have the audacity to kill their own babe if they find it to be a girl and those that survived choose death rather than be sent off to the highest bidder. Only Delica remained. Delica, that talented wonderful girl. No, he won''t marry her off. She''s too useful for that. Even before she could claim a class, she could already use necromancy. His business would prosper even more if he could guise the undead as his wares and no one would be the wiser. Recyclable goods, if it wasn''t for Delica''s magnificent work in her quarters, he wouldn''t have thought of that plan. His hired high class necromancer paled in comparison. His House would have been complete if not for one problem. Delica died. Why can''t women just do their roles properly! Without Delica, he has no hold over Simos. Without Simos, his House would fall. It was as obvious as daylight that not one of the Olders have touched or even went close to that bumbling girl whose obsession to corpses can only be rivaled by her idolatry to the Lady Yuusha. And it was clear it was because of Simos. It was that very moment that Musre, his Trusted, raised a suggestion to use Undead Magic. With the use of his employed necromancers, they were able to reanimate the girl. Things were going fine until news of last night tragedy happened. Their head necromancer produced the only remains left of his Line. And it was that of that red-headed girl, and not even a trace of Simos can be seen. Sir Reculus clenched his fist tighter and undid his collar forcibly almost ripping the seams apart. "My Lord." White was the color of mourning. If the [Herald] of Canary Gold would don any apparel other than the Flag of the Lady Yuusha, it should be that of white. But the Lord refuse to wear any distinction of death. Not even a funeral or Diem of Mourning has been observed by the Estate. "Do you know when we of Banners wear black, my young stupid Musre?" "Y-yes, my lord." "War." He seethed with vigor, giving a full measure of his height towards his image on the mirror. "A war where blood would become indistinguishable as it seeped to your armor. Is it not the very reason we wore black when we lay to our grounds? Hahaha, he would come. He surely would." "Who, my lord?" "Of course! My son! Simos would take our Banner and rest it to its heights like never seen before." "But Sir! Your son is--" "Do you think an insect, moreover a blank who have never been wetted, could lay a finger to Simos? Ridiculous!" The Lord started whistling a merry tune as he once again put his attention on his image. There was party to be celebrated, a heartbeat short from the announcement of his childrens death and the end of Sila-ir Banner. It would not be unnatural for his mind to be clouded with insanity with the way things have come. He had lived long enough to know that only their Banner was worth the immortality of history. And just when he was almost there, circumstances easily snatched it away. Anyone would be on this line of thought when suddenly, a large explosion was heard inside their manor. Musre turned alert and gripped his sword closer to his torso. "Sir Reculus!" But the Lord of the Stronghold did not heed the commotion and started to whistle even louder. Panic and confusion erupted before the door of the Masters Quarters but Sir Reculus stood resolutely with all intent to have a presentable appearance. Musre, taking his Pledge with all seriousness, unsheathed his sword when he sensed the demised of his companions who was tasked to guard the door. His Lord, started to comb his hair which almost glistened from the candlelight. And when the door opened, the old man put his comb down and produced a warm greeting, "Welcome back, my son."
"Do not kill him." Aiven whispered to Simos. His whole body strategically being blocked by the shadows of Simos. Aiven only hoped Simos [Hide Skill] and the overwhelming presence of this golden boy was enough to make his existence scarce. "Don''t worry. I will leave his brain intact." for Delica, Simos answered just as silently. No, not good. Seriously, just because Delica could pry your fathers brain does not mean we could not get anything more from his words! Memories were just as misleading as dreams. But Aiven would not even dare to go in between the Father and Son right now. Just from the look on Simos'' face and Aiven knew anything he voice out would be ignored. And so, Aiven focused on support. Just before Simos touched the door knob, Aiven activated [Soul Analysis (Skill Set IX: Analysis) ] and [Mana Detect (Skill Set VIII: Detection)] and his hand rested on the back of Simos'' armor. With Simos'' [Battle Aura] he could sense every movement done on proximity of his skin. So even with the thick armor, Simos could read the etches being done by Aiven''s finger on top of his armor.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Two individuals.
Class, Hades Warrior. Strong battle aura. No weapon equipped. Strength attributed robe, Fire attributed belt, 6 enchanted rings mostly with earth and health regenerative. Location: Left side, bed, under the second window. Infront of mirror. Health: ~6000 Mana: ~9000 Level: 2nd-tier ~40-60 Attributes: -Fire -Earth Weakness: -Water -Earth Take Note: Defense Tactic[Block, Grab and Parry]
Class: Legoinnaire Knight. Equipped with Level 150 Longsword. Shortsword on the left [same level], Armor [same level] Location: Left side, bed, beside the first one. Facing the door. Health: ~5000 Mana: ~2000 Level: 1st-Tier lvl 56 Attributes: -Melee -Earth Weakness: -Wind Take Note: Defense Tactic[Block, Takedown Stab, BackStab Impale]
Simos and his father almost have the same elements only Simos was also adept at wind magic (his only advantage since the Trusted was weak against that element). Backed with experience and stats, Simos would have to create a miracle to defeat him. Then with a confident smile, Simos mouthed for Aiven to see, <> Hah, so they were thinking the same. Just as you would expect from Simos. And Aiven etched the words <>. Aiven doesn''t even need to give him a hand at this fight. Silently, Aiven crouched further away to the corner, farther as possible and into the shadows and darkness. While doing so, Simos started to talk, his volume noticeable higher to capture all their enemies attention, "Hello, Father." "Y-young Master, you are alive!" the Trusted stuttered, his sword clambered with the heavy numbness of this unexpected reunion. "Knight Musre, how have you been?" Simos greeted, reverting back to the sharp boy who would run away from his tutors and tormented the maid at the bakery with him stuffing his mouth with savory meat pies. The scene would have been normal if not for the gleam of dual blades on his hands which were both aimed exactly on the knight''s neck. "Finally, you came for my head, didn''t you, my boy?" Sir Reculus said, slowly taking out his treasured double-handed broadsword and placed it on his shoulder. The weight seems to be nonexistent with the way he handled the sword. But Simos ignored the old man and wielded his blade against the Herald''s Trusted. He was fast, but the advantage of surprise has long been passed and Musre was able to counterattack. He used his short blade to deter the onslaught and his longsword as a shield against the succeeding slashes. Each packed with [Bloodlust]. It was a foolish move since from the start Musre have no plan in interfering between the House Sila-ir''s affairs. His Lord has been wanting to battle Simos to the death and to prove if the only heir--the hope Sir Reculus have held for years, deserves the position the old man have sacrificed to put on the pedestal of their Banner. Instead of a one-on-one battle where the boy was already at the disadvantage it became a two-vs-one since Sir Reculus'' pride will not be left out nor ignored by an ill-prepared youth. The start of the exchange was not too difficult, Simos knows their attacks well and his heightened reflexes, keeps his flesh unscathed at breadth''s hair. He knows where to attack and when to dodge, and continue to attack relentlessly. His shorter reach, makes it easier for him to change direction in between a slash and parry, while his enemies needs to be cautious of the other since their oversized weapons could slide off the wrong torso at any given moment. Making their movements all the more predictable. But his full attention has been with the Knight. His blue orbs do not leave the disposable Trusted and was so immersed on landing a blow on the Knight that was twice his levels. When Musre noticed what Simos was planning, it was too late. The young knight could sense the deadly wrath from his Lord as his broadsword became more aggresive and heavier with each blow only to catch air. Angered by such blatant disregard on his position, humiliated with being put a second priority compared to a puny knight he picked on the streets, and pain and insanity from losing his son, finding him again, and now being treated as if a fly was better to be swatted compared to him. Him! The Great Lord of Sila-ir House under the Banner of Canary Gold! Sir Reculus, the once calculated, cold, manipulative bastard was now filled with both overwhelming anger and unreasonable pride. Brandishing his sword, he chanted his most destructive spell [Hades'' Underworld]. "No! My Lord!" But his words were suffocated by the spell. The Legionnaire Knights have a strong resistance to Fire Attributed Magic so at most he could survive but the whole manor can eaten by the spell and being at the full blast of the spell could still be critical. Musre started applying temporary resistance and buffs against a calamity-tier spell until he noticed Simos. The moment Sir Reculus chanted the spell, Simos also released [Heavens Burst], an advance wind magic. But instead of attacking the spell, it surround itself with the powerful fire spell and started feeding the fire not just with oxygen but also with Simos own mana. With different manas converging in one spell, the spell itself could not determine the caster and created a massive hostile spell that attacks whatever comes near it. The magic have increased by almost a tier. Sir Reculus, realizing the situation opted for his trump card. He pulled out a ring and smashed the gem with his bare hand and chanted [Create Circle]. The ring was an [Anti-Magic Circle Summoning Device] creating a 10 boulder radius magic circle that could dispell World-Tier Magic and lower. The magnified fire spell started to weaken then without any warning at all, it accelerated in growth producing heat the same as the surface of the molten lava. The Lord of Sila-ir was dumbfounded. His mouth agape from not understanding what happened. When all of a sudden a loud ringing voice shouted, "Simos! Run!" a shadow passed between the three and grabbed Simos. It was Aiven. His right wrist was empty, and with his free hands, he unfastened the inventory bracelet from Simos and flung it as hard as he can. The void treasure chests erupted. 52 [Superior Mana Potions] 116 [Higher Mana Potions] 20 [Lower Mana Potion] 60 [Higher Health Potion] 100 [Lower Mana Potion] 30 [Holy Water] others On the Celebrations of The Lady Yuusha''s Departure. The whole Eastern Higher District brightened with an explosion that could rival a volcano''s eruption and at its center was the Sila-ir''s Stronghold.
The Sila-ir Estate was an old family that dates back even beyond the Noctem Kingdom and passed the Middle Era. They have never left the place, no matter what famine or disaster that may afflict the land. The former Herald has once hold firm on his stand to never sell even a parcel of their land. A burden, for even the Grand Manor cannot be sustained by their current expenses and maintenance and patrol of vast empty grasslands produce nothing since even those areas cannot be productive for grazing nor farming. Some of their lands have been encroached by the Woods where monsters roam free. Because you see, underneath the land was the Catacombs. Their Banner of Old have protected these sacredlands and was passed on from one generation to another. Until of course the current House which desecrated the Catacombs and use it as a place of torture, whoring and slavery. When Delica and Maou-chan slipped into the Catacombs, there were not much problem on their part. Most of the victims were sold or rented for the festivities and those that remained were too broken to even lift their heads. Delica, finding the familiar quarters was assaulted with grief and guilt. She knows she has no time, but she still tried to free one slave only to find the young boy committing suicide the moment his hands were free from the regenerative-imbued metals. Maou-chan only stared at the skin and bones body, touched the hair already caked with dust and peeled off rotten scalps and murmured a small mantra, a prayer, "It is all right, everything is all right now." After that, Delica steeled herself and continued forward, not even glancing at the strewn bodies of each quarters whose only movements were the breathing of their lungs. She have never held live bodies. They have always been dead, always lifeless that she convinced herself that they have been lifeless from the very beginning. It was for her craft, her dream to become a necromancer and ideal for the purpose of being a Great Demi-Lich, forever searching for knowledge. How cruel of her. Cruel and dead of her. She has long killed herself before her untimely death. Actually she never felt more alive compared today. Together with Maou-chan, and her brother and her friend. "Delica! It is here. You are here." Maou-chan said, pointing at the farthest corridor and when she stepped in, she saw two small sarcophagi. One named after her and one named after her brother. A proper burial place. Ahhh, she belongs there isn''t she? Of course she would be there. But the tightened grip of Maou-chan pushed her back to her mission. She went to her sarcophagus and pushed the stone coffin open. But what she saw made her even feel numb. Her coffin was empty. Looking past the room she saw the little girl touching the other sarcophagus, the one for Simos. Ah father, why do you have to bury me so much? If she has a functional tearducts, she would have cried but instead, dark miasma has peeled from her eyes and defiled her cheeks, eating away the flesh that touch it. But it cant be helped. It was their father afterall. Grasping the miasma that tickled to her face, she lashed it on her brothers'' tomb and it cut into two. On the center was a blood red gem, rough and decay of green can be seen on the soul. Looking at the ruined memento of his father for her brother, she was again assaulted by guilt. Why!? Why do I hate them so much? Even towards her brother, she have felt raged jealousy and hate, she loathes him, there were times she cant stand being with him. Seeing his never-ending jest for life while she has been slowly rotting on the insides. She has never once killed a person, and yet her brother who have slained who knows how many humans felt more pure and shone more brightly compared to her. And her father was worse! Her brother have genuinely cared for her and yet she was filled with contempt. Her Father who hurt her in a more painful way than any physical pain could give and yet she seeks his praise. Maou-chan picked the incomplete soul gem, and said [Please be whole again, Delica]. The way she said it was the same method they used in chanting and at once the decay receded and Maou-chan handed the piece of her soul to her again. But Delica didn''t move. She couldn''t receive her soul. Does she even have the right to be whole again? Only to be looked when needed, only to be asked when remembered. Her position in this House has always been blurred. Her position as a person has always been dependent to the people around her. And still why does she feels this undeniable love for them? I love them oh so much and yet I hate them. Making what she feel as ''love'' as nothing but superficial and her ''hate'' will always feel shallow and followed by guilt. She was being swallowed by her own darkness and the miasma started to thicken that it dripped to her chest and arms, feeding onto her flesh that bones started to emerge from her artificial body. Her knees gave way and she sat in fetal position, trying to remember her mother who tried to kill her once. And in her blackened sorrow, she heard Maou-chan''s pure innocent voice, "Isn''t because you couldn''t love yourself?" Her face looked up from her downed position, her eyes with no white, and skin of grey which started to emphasized the darkened arteries as miasma forcibly flowed to her blood corrupting her more. And with tears of continuously streaming with poison, she grabbed her soul. She begged her soul, she begged her shadow. And then she felt a dainty fleeting hand slipping on her locks of strawberry hair and with a soft smile, The Demon Lord comforted her, "It is all right, every thing is all right now, Delica." And with that her miasma compressed to her and all went to her soul forming her [Phylactery]. A shining gem of amber was made with a blue diamond on the middle. Her soul. Her soul accepted her shadow and with this she would be whole again, but that did not end, the whole Catacombs suddenly emerged with miasma. Deaths and sufferings from years on end accumulated on the place and was being called by the Lich side of her Soul. The dark cloud circled around Delica. <> <> <> <<>> Then an earthquake. A vent of dark pure energy was opened from the huge explosion from above. The whole place was shaken and the dense miasma and curses was absorbed through her body. Maou-chan continued hugging Delica as the young Lich was rediscovering different memories of past lives, of past humans, and beastmen and elves and the deformed that was broken and shattered by her own Banner. And something much older, much sinister. And in Delica''s mind, she accepted them all. [Do you wish for it, little ones?] A thick voice came from Delica''s lips. Thick from dark mana. The cloud danced throughout the two girls. The Undead Grimoire opened her mind like a vast waterfall of knowledge. Delica patted Maou-chan and thanked her in all her heart for giving her this new life. Power surged through her body and her miasma can now be freely controlled. [Then follow me. Follow the Demon Lord. For we shall put an end to this Unfair Peace, this Unjust Good and I will grant your wishes! But in return, Pledge Your Death only to me! ] <> <> And slowly dead bodies start to emerge from the opened vent.
Note: *Void Treasure Chests has safety mechanisms against anti-magic. However against a higher form of magic it could be easily be interrupted. Also if Aiven''s party did not bring a ridiculous amount of [Superior Mana Potion] the damage would have greatly diminished. *Pledge Your Death, is a saying on Olden Kingdoms to give your death only to one person. Life can be easily promised and discarded but with this Pledge, you are literally promising the other person that your life will be only be ended by the one you pledge it with. Dying with any other method is not option. [This is derived from the Bestial Pride which is synonymous to marriage vows for their mates but has a less romantic connotation to man] *Blade Before Tears (see ch. 4), is a mantra at the Training Grounds which is used to connote that when faced with an impossible enemy, fight with all your might. Do not beg. Force your enemy to kill you as fast as possible to avoid torture (if Humanoid) or being eaten alive (if a monster). *May your Shadow Follow the Threads, mostly used as a farewell that you may not sway from the path and a prayer also to those who have died.
Chapter 20 The giant ball of sulfur and hydrogen crackled and twisted with melted ores and earth. [Hades Underworld] really do keep up with its hellish name. Aiven continuously manipulate and transform mana around him, protecting Simos as they flee. Simos was suffering from third degree burns with half of his torso already charred. His left leg was missing. Curses! Why didn''t that old man cancelled his spell? <> strategy should have worked. The whole plan was for the [Herald] to used up his mana with his best spell and deplete it further by forcing him to [Dispell] it. They know it was a gamble but to go head on with an opponent with such a huge level gap, they took the risk and paid dearly. He can''t help feel lost that it didn''t go according to plan. And it was his plan, damn it. Everything was running so smoothly, until that old man took out his magic device. And all I did was watch. His curses were inflicted more towards him than their enemies. But he has no time to feel guilty. What done was done. He have to focus on the ''now'' if they want to survive. Unlike Simos, Aiven was already covered with multiple layers of buff and magic resistance spell from fire magic. But Simos was as naked as a baby. He has the logic to be conservative in protecting himself for fear they were found out. If they only knew! The spell generates faster than he could negate it and since the spell was using two different caster''s mana, he find it harder to change it''s nature (pulling out oxygen, and slowing the heated atoms'' vibrations into tolerable levels). He could see his sweats evaporating even before it break his pores'' surface. His outstretched hand, where he channeled his mana, was starting to peel off from the heat, chipping some of his flesh. And even with the self-inflicted paralysis potion which acts as a strong anesthetics, he still find it hard to stop himself from groaning in unbearable pain. "Aiven! Simos! Answer me!" His runic communicator activated with Delica''s voice. No, don''t come! Just run. Run away. It was too late for them. He can''t even find the concentration to speak. His glance was fixed on Simos, unconscious on his shoulder but his thoughts were with the two girls who was clearly inside the spell''s effect zone. "R-run." "Aiven? Aiven! Thank goodness! We''re coming to get you!" Aiven screamed in pain at that reply. DON''T! I AM NOT SEEING YOU DIE AGAIN! He screamed in his mind as his mana burst in interval, signalling that he was almost running out of strength. "Ai-neechan! You have no right to die! I haven''t ordered you to die! guuwaaahhh, *sob." What was with her? Maou-chan has been more vocal lately, sheesh, what a headache, but her words actually made him smile. She was starting to sound more of a demon. was this what they call tsundere? They''re going to die aren''t they? He snickered, not even his thoughts were making sense now. He was forced on his knees, they were already in the east building, just a few more and he could feel the grass outside. Aiven slowly put Simos down, the marbled floor already burning hot from the spell but it felt cooler compared to the massive fireball hovering above them. His hand still quivering from the pressure of fatigue and depletion. Feeling the end, he was filled with numbness. They failed. Twelve years he spent in this world and the moment he closed his eyes would be his last. But he can''t deny that those years were fun. He has Simos and Delica. And with those two, he felt like he found companions. They were his friends, his children, his students. Aiven looked after them, stressed beyond belief, worried like any nagging father, and was put into more troubles than he can think of. And they survived many adventures because of it. If he has any regret, it would be that he would die with them. If p-possible, he wanted them to live on. With life flashing in his eyes, he whispered "Go...odbye, Delica." Then before the make-shift mana barrier collapsed, the floor under them was gone! And what caught them was something he would have never have dreamed of. It was a creature purely out of legends. Black night scales, lithe body with its bones seen from the exterior creating an impressive exoskeleton. It towered by eight boulders and its mouth was lined with deadly jagged fangs. But what caught his eyes, were the two set of wings expanding twice its height! His thoughts were already erratic. It was a dragon. An undead dragon. And they all riding on its back. "We made it! Oh, praises to high heavens! We made it Master!" Delica declared hugging Maou-chan tightly who was also smiling in relief. Black miasma streaming in Delica''s eyes as tears of joy. The dragon roared and soared higher, his wings sending massive air strike to the ground as it collapsed. The whole estate was under them in seconds, being decimated by the overpowered spell. And as if finally realizing their state, Delica rushed to their side and with her own potions she started administering it to them. She also gave some to Maou-chan and the little girl look after Aiven. Simos was worse off so it was only normal Delica would go to her dying brother. He could feel his body regenerating. And he coughed out, Maou-chan also made him drink some mana potion. He wanted to say that she just need to pour it on him, not shoved it on his throat! But he was far too weak to complain. He could see Delica shaking, the miasma dripping to Simos from her tears which only placed a negative effect on her brother. She continued brushing the miasma away but it continued to fall. With his new-found strength, Aiven tried to stand and placed a hand on her shoulder. Aiven took the flasks from her and started to treat Simos. Half of his scalp was burned, sending an acrid smell of burned flesh. His left torso has already created a layer of charcoal on his skin and his leg was missing. Aiven''s eyes was filled with unfounded guilt as Simos slowly looked better. They already emptied three bottles when Simos opened his eyes. "Hnn?" Simos sat and looked around, "Whoah!" "Simos! Are okay?" "Okay? I am more than okay! We are riding a dragon!" His blue eyes shines brightly. "A dragon!" "This one was called upon by High Mistress Delica as Ilium." The dragon spoke, his voice younger than it looks but still held a dignified tone, "Masters, Your Highness Maou-chan, I do hereby renew my pledge of blood." the dragon said, majestically circling the estate in the air. "And it talks! Amazing!" He shouted like a child seeing a toy he has been dreaming of, but his face became grave when he saw the stump of his leg. The potion could only do as much. "S-simos. I am sorry about your leg." Delica said. Simos started to feel the stump on his thigh, he could still feel the shadow on his leg but he only sighed, "huh, I think I am going to miss it," And he smiled to comfort Delica, ruffling her hair, "but I am already grateful we all survived." And as if pausing in deep thought, Simos announced to his sister, "Father...he...he is dead." "Eh? Yes...yes. I see." Staring at her face, Simos sighed, "you never wanted him to die, didn''t you Delica?"Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "He was...not a good father. But I am already an undead. I have no connection to my life before my rebirth, though it saddens me that I only now felt pity for him." "Am I not part of that connection? Am I no longer your brother?" "Oh Simos! Of course you are! You are now my fellow guardian to Master Maou-chan! You and Aiven are my brothers now, my family." She declared. "With my lich form finally fulfilled, I could feel my emotions dampened. I could barely feel any emotions towards my former race. But towards you and Aiven...and Maou-chan, all my human emotions are sill here. Though I wouldn''t think twice to abandon you to protect Master." "No, that''s bad Delica!" Maou-chan scolded Delica. She stand proud in her height that barely reach three blocks. Her posture defiant as she look down on Delica. "M-master?" "Lady Maou-chan?" "..." "Saying that...are you saying that there would come a time when we would lose? I expected more of you!" "I-I deeply apologize Master! I didn''t--I wasn''t thinking! Of course we would complete your mission, no matter what!" "Lady Maou-chan..." Simos sit up straight and looked at Maou-chan. "Even if I am like this, please let me still serve you. Let me continue in my position to be Delica''s brother--her brother-at-arms, until the very end." "Simos," Maou-chan''s face softened. She was standing before Simos and said, "Of course. Hmph, there is no way I would leave my minions! I''ll make use of you until your last." Then she started glowing in a soft light and touched Simos. "That I promise you in the truth of my name as Demon Lord." The two were covered in blinding light and when it was over. Simos'' leg was intact. Impossible! That was...that was holy light! For a demon to use holy magic? A sealed demon to top it off! What cheat was this!? And Maou-chan did not only healed Simos, she was able to reproduce his leg! "Master Maou-chan!? How!?" Simos was staring at his leg in shock. They have never heard anyone capable of bringing back lost body parts out of nowhere. Even the highest of healing magic could only do so if there was a donor part. Just what did she do? "Maou-chan. Can I see...your soul?" "Aiven! Don''t be rude!" Simos snapped. But he doesn''t care anymore. Dying of curiosity, Aiven used [Soul Analysis (Skill Set VIII: Analysis)] to Maou-chan who was happily patting Simos. And what he saw dazed him into horror. He slide between the two girls, Delica wasn''t able to notice how fast he took out a flask of holy water. With a serious expression, Aiven faced Maou-chan and doused the young girl with its contents. "Eeeep!" "AHHH, M-M-M-M-Master!!!" Delica haven''t finished her statement when Aiven started lifting Maou-chan''s skirt. [Bloodlust] Then a kick made Aiven kiss the ground and his cranium hit the back of the dragon. The dragon swayed on his flight but righted himself, not complaining since the attack was from his Summoner afterall. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!" Delica shouted. "C-curious. Demon. Holy Attributes." Aiven started flailing his hands as he use First Aid on himself. He continued to groan in pain. Have pity to the injured! Even if the holy water have immediately evaporated into steam, Maou-chan seems unscathed adding further to his hypothesis that the seal on her was blocking her demonic powers. Not even a trace of her race was evident. Delica check her master, and she was also surprised to see Maou-chan''s status. It''s not that her alignment was Holy but all her other attributes were nil while her Holy attribute was maxed out that it was brimming! If he calculated it, she was on par with Legendary Tier Archbishop! The demon lord? With this amount of holy magic, it was enough to kill hoardes of undead. "My Lady, how did you...heal me?" "Eh? But isn''t it normal? I-I just used some elements." The seal should be blocking her mana and in theory should make her unable to use any magic spells or skills. Her seal was a very high level one. What made it special was its ability to recharge its elements, the same mechanism as for the [Fae Lucernam]. But from his analysis. If he was correct then Maou-chan was basically doing the same thing he does. This little girl could also manually manipulate mana. She could delve into the seal inside her and yield it as her own. And because of it, she has a never-ending supply of Holy Magic! She really was the Demon Lord! Maybe the only Demon Lord who could put the Pope in shame, but a monstrous existence nonetheless. He could feel goosebumps as he stare at the impossible that was Maou-chan. And she was better at it than him! It took him five years to master mana manipulation and she only took days! And she was six! After checking Maou-chan, Delica made a disgusting face towards Aiven, "Muu, if you''re just curious then you don''t have to use holy water on Master! Geez, you and your experiments! Pervert!" What? She''s a toddler for crying out loud. It was not sexual assault. Geez! He even remembered changing diapers and cleaning pukes, phlegm and chasing hard-headed little siblings who doesn''t want to wear their undies but that was long ago. So so long ago. These were those moments he longed for his old world. Still, it stings to be called a pervert. Any six year old can go running naked in the rain in front of him and he won''t bat an eye. Though the age system was different in this world. Twelve was already considered an adult and you could get married at the tender age of fourteen. Earlier even as long as the girl already bled her cycle. "High Mistress Delica." "What is it Ilium?" "There seems to be two armies on its way towards us. One from the North and another from the West." They all went silent and looked down at the terrain infront of them. More than a third of the mansion was blasted into nothingness. The remaining private army of Sila-ir House was in the heat of retreat as they fought off the incoming undead that could only be summoned by Delica. An undead army? When did she summoned them? No wonder no one was attacking them. (And of course, no one would try to engage a dragon.) And as they feared, looking farther in the horizon, there were two massive battalions moving in their destination. Shining with gold banner proudly raised with the image of a Lion. And the other was Bronze that has the tinge of rust-colored earth. An entire fully equipped armies!? Can''t be. The Royal Regalia could not have deployed their knights this quickly! It would have been a six-hour trek from here to the Cessine Castle. Just preparing for battle would have taken half a day. Unless, unless they know that they were going to attack the Sila-ir Mansion this very night. "Tsk. What a farce!? How dare they? Ulna! Malar!" Delica shouted, and two clouds of miasma appeared infront of her revealing two kneeling individuals. "I, Ulna of the Arm Unit, reporting. Oh High Mistress, I pledge my blood to the Demon Lord!" The first one was a bird-inherent beastwoman, she has white feathered wings and white flowing hair. She was wearing an armor that looks like a charcoal skeletal system that also acts as a exoskeleton. Her head was covered by a black cranium designed to look like a helmet. She was an albino. A beastwoman that looks like an angel. A fallen avenging angel. "I, Malar of Skull Unit, here at you command. High Mistress, I pledge my blood to the Demon Lord!" The second one was a young boy. He looks human in every angle except for the elongated ears that was a mark of the elves. And he was too beautiful for his own good. He shares the same exoskeleton armor design with Ulna and there was also the noticeably sprouting horns in his forehead. A demon elf. "Cease the assault on the humans from Sila-ir House. They were innocent and have lost the will to fight. And get ready to engage into war." "We hear and obey!" And they were gone, the two disappeared so quickly that they didn''t even looked at their direction. They must be in a hurry. "Um, right." Delica addressed them, embarrassed that she forgot to introduce the two, "Those were my Undead Generals." Those were not temporary summoned mindless undead. Those were [Lich Familiars]. Don''t tell me, she has [Resurrected Undead]! But according to the books, it should be paid with a high price. It should mean that she has taken a portion of her power and grant it to resurrected. The same method done by Maou-chan. "How many familiars?" Aiven asked, already dreading her answer. "Huh? Oh you mean my babies? Aren''t they adorable? There should be one hundred eight of them, I think." Are you crazy! With that many familiars you were weaker than when you were an [Incomplete Lich]! "Don''t give me that look Simos. I know what I am doing. Even if I have severed myself to the living, I still need to be at peace with my shadow for my [Phylacteral] to accept my soul. I decided to carry the sins of our House and that was all." "I do understand." Simos said, re-equipping a new set of armor from the supplies left. His voice thickened with determination. "Because I will also do the same. Lady Maou-chan, you have granted a selfish request from Delica. Would you also grant mine?" "Eh? What is it Simos?" The dark haired girl tilted her head in curiousity. "I want to save those who serve under our House." He looked down and saw the familiar faces of their guards and loyal knights who have followed their banner even if it would mean their deaths. It was true that they infiltrated the mansion with the will to end anyone in their path and it was also true that the Sila-ir Coat-of-Arms'' death toll was mostly because of them. But with the ensuing events, the coming of two unknown factors, it would spell doom for the survivors. "Simos." Aiven interrupted, "aren''t those...reinforcements?" Simos shook his head lightly, "You are mistaken Aiven, those are not reinforcements from the Cessine Regalia. Those are our neighbors. And they have never been friendly." F***, the Sila-ir Stronghold was being invaded at its weakest hour? What kind of development was this!? The moment they have seen the commotion, the Canary''s enemies have risen to attack. And they were right in the middle of it! "Runaway?" "Are you kidding? I can''t leave my babies!" "These were my father''s men and now mine. I would put an end to the Sila-ir Banner and I will not let it be stained by more blood!" F*** Argh, why!? The world really wants him dead. Okay fine, if they want war, then he''ll give them war! And this time, he wouldn''t make the same mistake. Chapter 21: Side Story A steep hill with a huge crater and decimated ruins of a manor on top, was seen from a distance. A third of the hill disappeared creating a crescent crevice, exposing the underground labyrinth beneath the earth. Dark smokes ornate the empty night and the land have turned as black as coals. In a clearing not far from the rim, surrounded by corpses, two balls of miasma accumulated and dissipated as two bodies emerged out of it. "Nee, Lunate. Let us welcome Ulna and Malar," a slender young girl with grey skin, asked to another girl beside her the moment she sensed the winged female and a demon elf approaching them with wisps of black clouds still clinging on their bodies. Crouched on top of a headless body, she has a comely face. If not for bloody axe, too big for her size, perched behind her and the headless bodies piled alongside it, anyone would have readily assumed her to be harmless. "Yes, let''s. We should also tell them that we are already renegading our forces to the north-west to welcome our new ''guests''," The other girl replied, the heavy hammer she held was lowered on the ground, creating a dent where it rests, showing how heavy the weapon is. The dusty blonde girl went closer to the one that greeted them. "Thank you, Capitate. That is good to hear." Malar replied, taking note of their surroundings. They were situated at the remnants of the west wing of the manor. Some splotches of land was still wet from the flood that leveled the garden, while the others were layered with burnt soils. "I wonder how are the Lesser Masters, Capitate?" the blonde asked again to the girl beside her, tilting her head. "Alive," Ulna replied furrowing her brows with her hand resting in her chin as if in deep thought. There were a total of six people at the clearing, and they were all [Undead Familiars] or more specifically--[Demised], with addition of the two newcomers, and all of them shared a perplexed expression. "As expected of the Masters. But why is Ulna brooding? Shouldn''t we rejoice? We have already received our orders. The humans were fleeing, and the dusk shall rise with us" The two girls'' similar features were uncanny. Capitate, the axe wielder, and the hammer wielder was named Lunate. They both have blonde straight hair that was cut into a bob that didn''t stretched far from their jawlines. Only their weapons identify who was who. There should be a third one, since they were triplets, but the youngest was probably busy elsewhere. Besides from the two of the triplets, there, standing resolutely at the farther side of the clearing was Coccyx. A silent figure cloaked in shadows with a twin black Katanas on his hilt. He had an androgynous face and built. His armor was pure black from neck to toes and the only skin that was shown was from his elegant face which was as pale as death. His white iris gleams against his black spiky hair which was pulled back mercilessly from his face. And just a few stones infront of him was Radius, grinning with his oversize longsword on his shoulder. One of the Beastials like Ulna, but that was the only similarity they have. His fangs can be seen, and the rugged look he has coincides with his messy chestnut hair that turns red when hit with moonlight. He has a pair of canine ears that was always on alert, perking up at almost on its full height, making him looked a head taller than he is. "There are three facts that made me uncomfortable." Malar replied, addressing everyone present. Lunate cringed at hearing the number ''three'' from Malar, and weakly remarked,"Hayts, why does Malar have the habit to categorize everything?" observing her companions. "Agree, and into numbers not greater than Malar could count in one hand?" Capitate added with a sigh as she join her sister. "Why else, but to make it easier for--" "Piss on your list! Just f**king get on with it, already." Radius hissed, getting irritated at the constant ramblings of the girls. His ears twitched in annoyance. It was already a blessing that the youngest was not with them but the demon elf just have to key in as substitute. Malar''s eyebrows raised quizzically, "Clearly a low vocab on verbal insults. Do you have nothing to say to me aside from the invariably sexual and scatological asterisks?" "And you ask me why I want to beat you, you little sh**!?" Radius raged, fed up with their winded conversations. They were all here because of their Mistress, but that doesn''t mean they were bound to like every single one of their newly-found companions. "Silence," Ulna said and the two backed away while glaring at each other. "Malar, please continue." "Understood, as I was saying, on to the first issue. Our initial assessment with the Lesser Masters should be disregarded. They seem strong and do not require our security." "Is Malar telling us, Capitate, that two newly-weaned younglings is stronger than us?" "But that doesn''t sound right, classless cannot be ''that'' strong, Lunate." No one chastised the girls for mouthing their other masters, since from the start, they have also felt the same. When they have heard of the Lesser Masters, all of them were filled with doubt. Humans were the enemy. Their rage began to surface whenever they think of that race. It seems their grievances have not been quieted by their rebirth but was magnified with their soul gem demanding human blood at every turn. And now, if it all comes down to it, they would be task to babysit and protect two humans who haven''t been passed their quarter-life, instead of protecting their Mistress and Her Highness. Even with their utmost loyalty to their High Mistress, the Lesser Masters were both strangers to them. If not for the reality that the two Human younglings were both guardians to Her Highness Maou-chan (the same position of their Master), they would have have not even bothered with those insects (humans). Malar ignored the girls, and continued. "First is the explosion itself. You have to agree, humans whose level cap could not go beyond novice levels was capable of creating such destruction in a matter of hours is unheard of." Thinking about it, the destruction that greeted their resurrection was earth shattering. If not for the fortified catacombs and the fact that they were at the lowest levels of that underground labyrinth, the destruction would have reached them. And just from the aftermaths, they have surmised the deaths of those children even with how stubborn Mistress Delica on their survival. And the more the Mistress talks about the Lesser Masters--her living brother and a nobody, the more their image of them as nothing but burdens became cemented that they would not think twice to end them if they prove to be worse.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. It was a lost cause, they all thought. And they were proven wrong. There was nothing ''less'' about their Lesser Masters. They brought down the House that enslaved them, extinguished the cause of their living sufferings and even put an end to the ones who did them harm. "Second, they have survived for almost minutes at that proximity when even Ilium had his left wing and right flank singed with blazen burns within seconds of contact." "The dragon? That beast with the blood of vulcans? Are you certain of this?" Coccyx asked, his hand unconsciously feeling the hilt of his sword. His dark gaze was with Ulna, and the undead winged beastwoman only nodded in ascent. "To survive where a dragon could not? Are they really human?" Ulna have been listening to their exchange, but something have been bothering her. The moment she have finally glimpsed their other masters, she was just utterly confused. They were so...normal. Aside from Master Simos'' height which was already at a full-grown scale and Master Aiven''s which seems to be a stone shorter to the Mistress'' height, there was nothing particular about them. No strong mana oozing like their Mistress. No special attribute like the lowest of their kind. And no specific racial features, that they know of, that was advantageous to their quest. They just look like any two ordinary human children. "And third, one of them hardly received any critical injuries at all." "No heavy damages? You''re kidding, right?" Radius almost staggered on his speech, the after effects of the ''simple'' infiltration mission still heavy on the surface. "Don''t tell me...is it the Mistress'' blood brother?" he added within a heartbeat, aware of the God-sent bloodline. The blood crossed with the God of Heavens. They have heard as much from the rumors in their time. Afterall, they do still have their living memories. "No, it was...the other one." A condescending silence echoed in all that was present. Eeeh? The weakling? Nothing makes sense. It was like logic itself do not suddenly apply to this reality. And suddenly realization came to them. "Truly, even the Lesser Masters are worthy!" Capitate cheered, grasping both Lunate''s hands and her eyes danced in excitement. "Hear, hear! They must be truly amazing~" Lunate answered, sharing the same heated expression. "Well, they were also Guardians of the Maou, it is a fault to underestimate them." Coccyx said coolly but his hand does not left his sword as if itching to try it to their Lesser Masters. Even Radius have been gripping his weapon that his knuckles have turned bony white. "They are strong," he whispered, his blood thirsty grin have never left his face. Then their thoughts were interrupted with Malar''s coughing. "Ahem, then on to the next topic of course. The second one..." The girls grimaced and Radius was starting to hate numbers the longer he put up with Malar. "The second one...is about Her Highness." The blondes looked exhilarated hearing about the Demon King that they were almost swooned. "It''s the Lad~y." the hammer whispered, "The Que~en." the axe whimpered. The fanatic response was also acceptable. The triplets really goes for the dramatic, which needed time to get accustomed to. When they had been reborn, they had seen and felt Mistress Delica. They knew that she was part of the Banner that did them wrong, and like them, Mistress Delica suffered the same fate. That was why they have all reached out for her. And long after that, the [Demised] suddenly realized something. The mana coursing through them was special. They could feel the thickness, the heat of miasma under their sentient body, and compared to the common undead, they knew they were stronger and not to mention that their miasma has a [Daemonic Attribute] that was rare for an Undead. The [Undead Grimoire] shared through them from their exchange of fealty have been clear on that. And so, they accepted that beyond their Master, was an entity formidable enough to warrant their Master''s loyalty...and ultimately, theirs. To be able to serve and share the mana of the Demon Lord of Legends. They knew they were serving someone greater than all of them and their shadows will be finally appeased. "It would be best advised to limit our interaction with Her Highness Maou-chan." "Eeiihhh??? B-but why!?" The two girls shouted in sync, while the others only waited for the demon elf to continue. "Her Highness...is dangerous. If we make one wrong move, we might be annihilated." "But the seal--" "Her Highness...has the power to kill us all if she so ask on a whim. Do not question us, you will all know to what extent in due time." Malar said sternly but there was terror on his eyes. Their misshapen group of Undead Generals and Aerial Combat and AoE specialists was not just a coincidence. When a massive holy light was seen on top of the undead dragon, the generals have thought that Ilium was under attack. At first, they were planning to send in a wave of assault but was put on hold when High Mistress Delica called upon the Ulna and Malar, they have thought of the worst, that was why they have assembled a reserve team, close enough to back them up if the hostiles prove to be too much for them to handle. Who would have thought that it was from Her Highness! Just mere minutes in her presence and Ulna and Malar was threatened into fear and submission. An impossible aura compared to their first meeting. She must have hid her true powers. Malar shivered, he could still feel his knees soft from shaking. Truly the pinnacle of the Demons, to make them submit while smiling so innocently. "And the last one?" Radius asked, trying to hasten this unprecedented counsel. He was expecting battle, not words, and now that war is upon them, his miasma could not stay still. He also have to report the new information to his General. "The third one...is this." the amber-eyed elf produced a single elongated metal the size of finger from his inventory, and everyone squinted their eyes to look closer. Even Ulna was not aware of this. Malar do live up to his title as the Observer. "A needle? What is that for?" "This--this is seen in the majority of the bodies found scattered in the area. All needles seem to be of same material, height and width, this could only be produced by single smith. Also the location where it was lodged was directly under the temple of the fallens. Accurately, with precision in every single one of them. Showing it was caused by a single person." "Oh, I know of this." Lunate said. "Didn''t Lacrimal said to us, that whenever he raised our forces using the serpent vent, the undead skeletons seems to be pricked." "Ah, I thought Lacrimal was joking. Lacrimal also said the skeletons were pinholes." "Well Lacrimal was insane...crazy do not know the concept of humor, Capitate." "But crazy is humorous." "Wait, Capitate, Lunate. Are you saying the undead was dealt by a needle as a final blow?" Ulna asked the girls who were busy conversing with each other. "I think the answer is yes, Capitate." "Oh, yes, I guess I could agree, Lunate." "Malar, how many bodies were inflicted by needles." Ulna demanded to Malar who was a bit slow on coming up to why Ulna is getting agitated by this information. "Most of the bodies were lost in the explosion, so--" "Then give me a rough estimation!" "U-uhn, 600-1000 heads? It was all that was in our existing undead army." "And outside of it?" "Hundreds more." This made Ulna stop in stark contemplation, her companions looked at her with discerning eyes, not knowing what she was thinking, "Do you know what this means?" She finally asked, breaking the silence and continued, "it means an unknown is farming essences behind our back." "Essences on humanoids? Is it also an undead?" Radius asked. No one could gain mana essences for levelling from killing Humanoids (i.e. Humans, Elvens, Dwarvens, Beastials, Sea Folks, Orkans, and the Unknown Gigants). This was already the natural law of the Frear sanctified by the Gods to avoid mass killing. Not that it did help preventing the known races from killing each other, but at least it made one less reason to do so. That was unless they were Monsters, part of the Mindless Undead or came from the accursed Demon Race. This actually made these races hunt the exceptions, which was also the basis why it was deemed acceptable for the Demons to be hunted, even how human they appear. "If it is an undead, we should have sensed them and I do not recall any of our forces using that kind of assassin-type weapon." Malar said. "Also monsters do not use inorganic tools, that is not part of their anatomy--or someone else''s anatomy. And there shouldn''t be Demon survivors except for Her Highness, unless the [Cataclysm] happened earlier than prophesized." Coccyx summarized for everyone. "So then that leaves us one question. Who--or rather, why would anyone farm humans aside from us?" Radius said addressing the question to no one in particular. Ulna meticulously assessed the needle from Malar, having bad premonition from this small weapon. But that is the problem. Ulna tried pressing the needle to her palm but curiously, the needle rusted then broke into tiny pieces. This is not a assassin-type weapon. Ulna concluded, seeing the threadhole at the blunt end of a needle. This was a sewing a needle.
Chapter 22 "Inventory: Black Box" A whole set of listing items appeared in front of Aiven but he was not interested in any of them right now. He waved his hand and motioned for the crafting items, tinkering with a perpetual black box on his lap which was handed to him a while ago by Maou-chan. Thirty-four (34) Basic Sewing Tools. Each sewing tools have thirty single-point needles and three Darners. It also has threads, thimble, but he set that aside too. What he needed were needles. Aiven started pulling each out and placing it on his new inventory bracelet. So at most he had a thousand single-point and a hundred darners remaining in their whole party''s inventory. Each Sewing Tool Kit costs ten silvers. He had actually purchased ten gold worth of Sewing Kits, and now all that remains was three gold and forty silver worth of crafting materials. It will do, for now. He thought. Single-points were the typical needles used for the tailoring craft. Darners were much more special since they can be used in different crafting methods but since he has no technical know-how on using them, he used them the same way he would a normal needle before he had the sense to identify the difference. Ugh, what a waste. The nagging regret that he should have bought more from Cirque was grating. He had only hoarded with the thought of how it''ll be advantageous for them to have lesser interactions with anyone, particularly to merchants, when their party should trust no one. Merchants, after all, are very good at gossiping, so he had decided to avoid them as much as possible. At that time, it was a good call. Still, he lost the rest during the fight between Simos and his father. Not really a time to mourn at spilled milk, but still...those lost needles would have been a great help at this moment. Placing it aside, and after checking his equipment, he finally checked his status. He had ignored his status since the start of their mission and dreaded what he might find there. But he has to face the truth. There was no substantial difference aside from the loss of items but his eyes focused on the small section on the status window. Expanding it, he started to read.
Tailoring Skill/s: Basic Skill Set I: Repair [Lvl 1] Repair on basic textile-based equipment (robes, hats, gloves, boots) of same skill level. Basic Skill Set I: Dismantle [Lvl 1] Dismantling basic textile-based equipment (robes, hats, gloves, boots) of same skill level. Intermediate Skill Set II: Needlework [Lvl 2] Precision in handling needles. Can now pierce through thick leather materials. Basic Skill Set III: Acupuncture [Lvl 1] Minor Heal [+8 health points]
Acquired Title: Butcher of Silk Button [Deranged IV] You have used your craft against life. The foulest act that can be done by any artisan. You have failed as a crafter. Effects: +200% infamy +200% increase in damage dealt using Sewing Tools +5% higher chance in crafting failure +crafted items shall not be acknowledge by any of the crafting guilds +crafted items shall not be accepted by any merchant guilds Combat Craft +156
Infamy: [Stigma] 4300 Effects: + 43 Aura of Aggravation (Aggro Lvl 4) + 43 Aura of Animosity (Negative Lvl 4) o Civilians will find you suspicious and will avoid you o Children and babies will cry at your presence o Establishments will scorn you and chase you away o In combat, foes shall focus their attacks on your presence o In combat, levels lower than 1% of your over-all level shall flee from your presence
A low sigh can be heard from Aiven, this doesn''t look good. Okay, so he was not really planning on taking tailoring seriously as a job, but not being able to craft normally right off the bat was a gut-wrenching disadvantage. And that title...he was not even starting his crafting yet and he was already banned for life!? When the Sila-ir private army started committing suicide, which was what they technically did when they started using high-tier magic at the mana-liquidized induced area, he started to realize something. With [Status Analysis] he could see the tickling down of health of most of the people around him. When they passed on a burnt knight, barely flatlining, he studied him carefully and embedded a needle through the anterior fontanelle of his brain to end his life. And just like when he gave ear piercings to Simos, the knight''s health dropped and his stats increased. Aiven saw his chance, he continued looking for the fallen, those who were on the doors of death. He bid his time and on just at the right moment, would release his needles. There were times when he gets it, there were times when he doesn''t. It took a lot of practicing on his part to get it right and lost too much of his inventory in the process. Eight out of ten needles hit its mark but that doesn''t mean it has the correct damage to its targets. And now, here he is, with huge infamy in his name. The unsavory way he killed¡ªusing his craft, almost doubled the infamy he received compared to Simos since he did actually claimed most of the deaths tonight. Killed by a single needle. He can''t do that yet, but maybe he could one day. He had to sacrifice his craft in the process but he had to do something! The idea actually came from some news he heard. It was used for infanticides in China, with their one-child policy and all, it''s really a common and a very effective method. The practice was not new, extensive report was seen in Germany in the 1900s and dated even as far back as the Persians...or was it Syria? Was there even Syria as a country? Probably. He really can''t be sure. Damn, he cursed at how his thoughts became were scattered again. His old-world knowledge was turning more and more mixed up and foreign for him. Shaking away from textbook memories, he could see the ground getting closer to them. When he scouted the area, he can''t help but be so aware of the growing darkness all around them. An Undead Army composed of [lesser undead] with a hundred [Lich Familiars], were waiting for them. The aura was tense. What he saw were hundreds of undead kneeling in front of them in a kept row that segregates each faction. Undead Skeletons, Undead Warriors, some Blood Corpses, to name a few. And they all address me as Master. It was not the future he had foreseen but he could still feel a little excited and a bit...worried. How could they even support all of them? Undead don''t eat but how about their other sustenance? Equipment maintenance? The transport itself would be a hassle. Maybe he could use the black box, but will they fit? "Hey, what are you thinking?" Simos asked "Monthly maintenance cost," he stated in a beat. The effort of unlearning his silent communication resulted mostly in Aiven having no breaks whatsoever on his replies. But the clumsy transition seems to have no effect on his companions. "Hah! Confident, aren''t we? That, we''ll last that long?" Simos smirked but his expression immediately turned sober when he directed his gaze at where Aiven was looking at. The expanse of Delica''s forces was overwhelming for their party, but the two of them knew it wouldn''t be enough. "Two Banners, Bronze with a thousand heads and Gold having twice that number. We''ll also be on the defensive if we want to save anyone..." which is a massive toll to take. A pause. Simos left the words unsaid. Aiven glanced at Simos and he could clearly see how young their leader looked. He also noticed the Runic Communicator lost from his ears after the healing. As expected, all wounds were healed when using health potions including their ear piercings. No wonder these sorts of accessories haven''t been invented yet. He still has to work on it¡ªmaybe he could use anti-magic matter, some heal negating runes. But it could overlap on the runes already installed for communication. Noticing his mind drifting again, Aiven chastised himself and focused on the matter at hand. That was when he also noticed how Simos has been placing his hand on his left leg and knowing what he went through, Aiven can''t blame him. He doesn''t look scared but Simos was not stupid to jump into a situation without knowing the consequences. "We''ll survive," And that was all that Simos needs to hear and laughed. He was back to his loud self as he reports to Maou-chan and Delica their side of the mission. Aiven already heard from Delica the girl''s end of the mission, so he already started thinking of how to survive this pincher. The dragon landed on the outskirt of the manor. They helped the girls down from the dragon which already lowered its body and neck for them to get off easier. Everyone stood and greeted them, "Welcome back, Your Highness and Masters. All Hail the Maou!" "All hail the Demon Queen!" And on the front were aligned with different races that seem so out of place and yet they seem to belong in the group. All the [Lich Familiars] stand out on their own. Especially since they have the look of fresh corpses (and not the typical rotting skeletons on the back), they also share the grey marbled skin with Delica. When he saw the undead closely, his breath caught, then paled. No. No. No. No. This can''t be happening. He abruptly faced Delica and with strained face and shaky fingers, pointed at her so-called ''babies''. "Eh? Is something the matter Aiven?" Delica titled her head in innocence. "Why are they...beautiful?" not even bothering whether he lost mana. "Well, thank you! Of course, they all are, you see..." she was blabbering with stars on her eyes as she list each and everyone of her familiars but he already stopped listening and proceeded in using his analysis skills on them himself. Why were all of the Undead Familiars were amazingly...good-looking? They were so good-looking, the whole area looked like a cosplay convention back in his world. One faction was filled with bishounen, another was busty onee-sans, some bishoujos (are those meganes? nyan-cats?), and there were even lolis! A loli army...not really what he expects from their Army of Terror that they would unleash to purge their enemies. The plan brewing in his mind highly depends on the terror factor in this supposedly undead apocalypse set-up. And now he has to trash it and start from scratch. Does he even have the luxury of time? But no, it was his own miscalculations for not factoring in every aspect of their situations. "To be praised by the Lesser Masters..." "The Lesser Masters are pleased, as expected." "Uwaaah, is the Lesser Master moved to tears..." [They...were all...level 1?] He recast his [Analyze Skill Set V: Arcane Analysis] again and the same result happened. His knees almost gave out. You have got to be shitting me. Right. Right. They were [Familiars] and could be considered as pets in most RPGs, just newly summoned, of course, they always start at level one. Of course, they were only good as cannon fodder. If not probably with their numbers, they wouldn''t have held against the battered fleeing humans who have lost all hope to survive. And out of a hundred familiars, only sixty-two remains standing in front of them. He expected casualties, but to be halved? Within hours?... He shouldn''t have expected much, but how pathetic was their stats? The rotting skeletons at the back who could barely stand could even out-leveled these [Familiars]. This was turning into one of those headaches. Aiven seriously needs to rehaul his whole plan of attack if they even want to survive with all their appendages intact.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
On the other side of the greetings, a few minutes after the Masters have arrived, Ulna was shocked to hear something she has never thought she''ll ever hear again. "Why...are they...beautiful?" An amazed voice echoed throughout the battlefield. It was the first time they all heard his voice and if there was anything, it was thick. Thick as if mana was pouring at every syllable. They were silenced at once, unable to steer away from the commanding voice. Don''t tell me... A necrophile! She has heard of men of such taste but to be of servitude to the likes of them...it spells hell for her and her companions. They have just been out of that pleasure house... Ulna''s wings almost bristled in disgust. Mistress Delica seems to be fooled seeing how delighted she was at the dark-haired Master''s ''interest'' to them. But she won''t be fooled. Of all the four riders of Ilium, the boy who spoke gave off a bad feeling from the start. His dark looks, brooding contemplative face, and the way he carries himself already shows that he was a very dangerous person. Between the two Lesser Masters, it was obvious who was more suspicious. And she knows that look. Ulna was clenching her fist as ''Master'' Aiven ignored Mistress Delica and scanned her subordinates as if they were wares for his appraisal. The same disdainful looks she was so much accustomed to in her living memories in that pig house. And his gaze lingered where the triplets are. A pedophile. He''s the worst, the worst! Filthy human! Don''t you dare look upon my brethren with that dark eyes of yours! "Ulna? Ulna!" "Y-yes? Mistress? Ah right, as I was saying," her trance was easily broken with the words from her Mistress Delica. "The Arm unit has suffered great loss. We have also lost many of our manpower in breaking from the second and first layer of the Stronghold." "Carpal, Phalange, Pubis, Cuneiform..." she continued listing the names even without seeing the report, "I am very much aware of our losses." Mistress Delica said, cradling the Eljudnir Staff closer to her with the tell-tale loss of gemstones from its crown, "their covenant shall remain with us. All forty-six of them." That was when the dark-haired human went over to Mistress Delica and whispered on her ears. The Mistress suddenly turned childish, showing an optimistic grin towards the other Master. "Yup, I could still summon them..." "Of course I know that! I''m a lich! As long as their gemstones'' with me..." "Come on, stop skulking!...it''s a pleasure house, our ''guests'' like *whispers* their ''goods'' to be appealing." "What? That''s discrimination towards beautiful men! Do you know how hard it was to be beautiful? The diet, genes, breeding itself cost..." He was too close. Too close for comfort with his hand almost brushing Mistress'' cheeks which somehow infuriates Ulna. "Yeah right, you could even borrow them if you want. You know, practice your lack of social intercourse and..." Then the Master Aiven started pinching Mistress Delica''s cheeks. "Guuwaaahhh, awoww, I give, I give!" Their one true creator pleading in front of them for the sake of her harrassed cheeks. To be humiliated! Who does this bastard think he is! When their exchange was over, they could see Master Aiven teasingly poking Mistress Delica as she massaged her cheeks. Then Aiven produced some honey caramel candies and gave it to their Mistress. He...is...briding her? How dare him! Their Mistress would not fall for that... The candy was snatched, and they could see the red-headed Lich nodding at everything Master Aiven whispers. "M-mistress Delica?" Malar cautioned, Is this person really that strong that he could blatantly manipulate their Mistress and even toy with their loyalty? A hand shushes her and Mistress Delica continued heeding to Master Aiven''s counsel. Not only her, but even the rest of her comrades were also seething with the clumsy way he interacts with their One True Creator. How fearless! To act so nonchalantly without any respect at all to their Mistress in front of the whole [Demised] who would not hesitate to rip his fragile skull the moment their Mistress even hint of such command. "Are you okay with this, I''m not really sure that could...Ah, I see. Should I tell them?... Are you sure?" The dark-haired nodded, and Mistress started to address them, "My Summoned Ones! You have done well, as you all know, I present to you my fellow Guardians, Simos and Aiven." She beckoned the two and they presented them. The blonde was quietly smiling, oblivious of the curious gaze from the Army, and awkwardly waved his hands. Then the Mistress Delica started to talk. "War is upon us." "Our enemies are at the other side of the river, the other from the Lowly Mountains. we will set our base here. Aiven will lead the command central, and we would like to have a word with all units," Aiven nodded towards their Mistress and Delica started uttering a spell and with her staff, chanted [Bone Wall] and [Bone Cage]. A massive structure of skeletal frame appeared, creating a tent-like cavern. The frame emerged beneath their feet and separated the Masters and the Undead on the first rows who held the positions of all the units. [Bone Wall] was used as a foundation and on top was [Bone Cage] cast to create the ceiling. That boy will lead us? What nonsense is this?
Inside the spell-casted tent, stood the Masters with Her Highness Maou-chan and the four generals with their attendants. In the middle of all this, Simos chanted [Earth Molding], and the floor started to compressed and evened with a tile-like pattern, creating a smooth floor. He cast it multiple times until there was a long table and some high chairs for all that was present. "Now this is more like it," Simos remarked while offering a seat to Maou-chan. Aiven wanted to put off Simos for wasting mana, but stop himself. Looking at the Undead, he can''t help but feel that the two of them were being judged by Delica''s summoned. He already noticed it the moment he teased Delica. It was their normal taunt, that he forgot her position. As of now, Delica was a powerful Lich with hundreds of Undead following her. It was her, they were following, not them. "Okay, let''s start the meeting. I know we are pressed for time, but it wouldn''t do to not have any introductions." Simos started. Maou-chan was on the center-end, on her right was Delica, and on the left was Simos while Aiven was standing in between her and the blonde. The Undead continued to take their places at the other end of the table but didn''t take a seat. The high chairs created by Simos were ignored. They stood pridefully, making Aiven question how these beings even conceded to follow Delica. For him, Delica was just a kid! And the looks they give to them intimidate him more. The fact they all have lower levels compared to him didn''t matter. They all look impressively powerful. "No need," Aiven said."Waste time, we''ll go with formalities when we can afford it." "Not knowing our forces will waste not only time but our numbers as well," Ulna interrupted eyeing Aiven mercilessly. Emphasizing the word ''our'' as if telling them how much of an outcast they were. And as if reciting a cooking recipe, Aiven spoke while looking directly at each and every one of the Undead presents. "Ulna, Bestial, Head of Right Arm [Vanguard] Unit, Third Class Undead, Level 3. Acromion, Bestial, Head of Left Arm [Reconnaisance] Unit, Third Class Undead, Level 1. Lacrimal, Saegir [SeaPeople], Head of Skull [Command] Unit, Second Class Undead, Level 5. His attendant, Malar, Elven [Demon], Second Class Undead, Level 8. Tarsus, [Dwarven], Head of Foot [Lower] Unit, Second Class Undead, Level 2. His attendant, Cuboid, Man, Second Class Undead Level 1. Lamina, Elven [Pyro], Head of Torso [Main] Unit, Third Class Undead Level 1. With her attendant, Axis, Beastial, Third Class Undead Level 1." Aiven listed all that was present and accurately declared their status. "Should I continue with the 29 Beastials, 12 Seafolks, 5 Elvens, 7 Dwarvens...and 1 Draconic outside?" He was answered with silence. Aiven ignored them and started whispering to Simos who was grinning at the stoic faces of the Undead, not really surprised at Aiven''s pinpoint assessment."Yes, I know of it...will it survive?...WHAT? REALLY!?" Simos'' eyes turned wide in excitement and started to shout, "Count me in! I''m on it." Thankfully, Simos was oblivious at the passive-aggressive stints this Undead were doing. Good, Simos getting pissed was the last thing he needs right now. Simos started standing up but remembering his manners, he looked up to their audience and apologized, "Sorry, I need to go. I''ll bring Ilium with me." "My Mistress," a female Elven said, she has twin-tails held by braids and sharp cerulean eyes "Ilium is under my unit, just give me the command and he is yours at your behest." Aiven knew what was happening. Even if they considered them as their Masters, the Undead still look towards their High Mistress. Their presence means nothing, making their authority as thin as air. He has to make them acknowledge them, he and Simos, without overstepping Delica''s territory. He can''t help but feel that there was racial and sexist discrimination going on but damn it, they have no choice but to work together. Aiven shot Delica a knowing gaze, and Delica said, "what do you think, Aiven?" she purred, obviously making light of the power struggle happening above their heads. "Only Ilium," Aiven gave his reply to Simos, bypassing the twin-tailed Elven. "Sure, of course," Simos said, going after the entrance. "Well then, Lamina?" Delica muttered. The Elven bowed her head and her attendant, a small girl with six arms, proceeded to lead Simos outside to tell Ilium of his escort mission. "If I may, what would Master Simos and Ilium''s part?" Lamina asked. "They''ll help the Sila-ir Banner," Aiven replied as if it was nothing, busy taking out a book from his inventory. The Undead began to protest, aiding the enemy they were just on the verge of annihilating does not settle well with them. "You are all weak!" Master Aiven declared, "from here on out, you all answer to me...Let''s be clear. I do not care about any of you. You could burn, melt right before me and I wouldn''t blink. But if you cause any of ''us'' to die, I will take great pleasure in erasing all pieces of your soul." "Mistress, if I may be rude, may I give a beating to this ill-mannered youngling?" Acromion, a tiger-inherent beastial said glaring at Aiven. "Oh, please don''t be too hard on him." "I wouldn''t Mistress." Acromion grinned but it was short-lived with Delica''s next words. "I was talking to Aiven." Confused at her words, Acromion assessed the lanky child whose only saving grace was the ominous aura from his dark stature. Argh, what a nuisance. It all happened in a split second. Aiven start to move at a blinding pace that not one of the Undead noticed.
[Inventory] 1 Darner 1 Holy Water
Aiven pulled out a small needle from his inventory.
[Equipped Darner] Target Client: Gigants
And the needle grew into a meter in length, Aiven tosses the holy water, strike it with the needle, the liquid coating the needle entirely. The Beastial was still following the broken flask mid-air and was trying to dodge. A diversion. It was pretty pathetic. His eyes moving from the holy water descending on his face and the dark-haired boy moving towards him. Master Aiven was fast, but not fast enough. Acromion''s left was blocked by the earthen table. If he moves sideways, it was obvious the youngling will follow a counter, so his only option was to step back and see what this child will do next. Unlike Master Aiven, Acromion has no idea what class or skills he has. And Mistress Delica''s words gave him a lasting impression to be cautious. But the moment he stepped backward, he felt something sticking behind his nape. But his momentum was already there. When Acromion stepped back, the force itself from his fast reflex was his downfall, as he impales himself from a needle. Sticking right behind Acromion''s nape, was Aiven with the Meter-long Darner. The Undead only saw a flash and Aiven standing behind the Tiger Beastial, the needle already embedded under the Undead''s skull. "As I was saying, weak," Aiven concluded.
Chapter 23 Undead were somewhat impervious against melee and magic attack. Numbers do not lie, but there''s a difference from seeing it and actually feeling the stats up close. Acromion started to spasm. He was very much alive. Alive in the sense that he still has bodily functions. Aiven could feel the weight of its body, pressing against the metal, the muscles tensing at his mana-filled Darner. He can''t really underestimate a Third Class familiar, casting a side-long glance at the other Undead who were no longer loosely watching at the sideline, Aiven started to understand where their arrogance came from. He even needed to cast [Flint] towards his Darner to create a heated holy water just to break Acromion''s reinforced skin. And all those work he put on his attack only to just slashed 30 of its health... 30! That was against the 800 base health this Undead Beastial have. If it was a normal human, the same attack would have caused 180 damages, if his luck held out. But he was not aiming to kill, no, that would be too easy. Aiven wants to obliterate Acromion--in a single decisive move. Forcing me to talk so much!? Do they know how much mana I consumed!? My precious mana! They would suffer, oh how I will make them all suffer. The needle went just like butter and penetrated beyond Acromion''s neck. There was something different about this compared to the long-range and spell-range attacks he had done so far. This long piece of metal, puncturing a wound over Acromion''s neck makes everything more real, more intimate. Seeing the sharp end of the Darner, almost going as far as making his head sitting in the middle of the giant needle, Acromion mind froze. At the tip of Aiven''s weapon was his [Soul Gem]! A single black gem, sharply cut in roughed but smooth transitions, pulsating with dark wisps of miasma hangs at the tip of Aiven''s Darner. He cannot believe his eyes. The others were just as astonished. Seeing a [Soul Gem] exposed was just as deadly as seeing your living body torn in the open. Then a splash. The holy water Acromion was trying to dodge a second ago hit him straight on. He let go of a groan, not able to scream with Aiven''s weapon still lodged in his esophagus. The front of his torso and face began to melt. His exposed [Soul Gem] took a critical hit. Shredding the protective coating and dealing a quarter of damage from his life force. But that doesn''t mean Acromion can''t fight back. Aside from the coating, his [Soul Gem] was still intact. The Darner might have been able to expose his [Soul Gem] but it didn''t even leave a mark, showing the disparity of their class. And his Mana was still full. So what''s keeping Acromion from taking his [Soul Gem], took out the flimsy Darner, and proceed to give a beating to this ill-mannered youngling? The answer? The answer was the status window hovering infront of him that was conveniently shared with Aiven. A sinister grin tugged at Aiven''s lips.
Contract Accepted Item Received from Acromion, Demised Undead You have successfully obtained Third Class Undead Soul Gem
Running Initial Assessment Darner Specification [Client: Gigants] do not match. Do you wish to change Darner settings?
Change Setting Continue
You have chosen to continue.
Please pick the next course of action.
Repair [Command Revoked] Unable to repair due to incompatible crafting tool Unable to repair due to invalid item craft
Dismantle
If an Undead could sweat, Aiven swear Acromion would be pouring buckets by now. [Soul Gem] were Arcane Items, they could easily be repaired or dismantled. With his current Tailoring Class, he has no jurisdiction to tamper with these type of items. Also it was two class higher than his current one which was just Beginner Tailoring [Initial Class] and with his 5% fail ratio, it was plain as day that his [Dismantle Skill] would flop.
DISMANTLE FAILED Skills unmatched Crafting tools unmatched -2% Success Rate [-5% Failure Rate]
Cancel Continue
Acromion flinched at the next notification and visibly tensed.
DISMANTLE FAILED Skills unmatched Crafting tools unmatched -0.5% Success Rate [-5% Failure Rate]
Cancel Continue
"S-stop it." Aiven could almost feel him begging for mercy, but it wasn''t enough. He has to dominate, break him if needed. Not just physically but also mentally so he could be of use for them. Aiven''s smile darkened, "Do you know what happens to failed Dismantled Items?" Aiven whispered to Acromion, relishing the fear surging from this arrogant familiar.
DISMANTLE FAILED Skills unmatched Crafting tools unmatched Warning: Basic Skill Set Failure Will result to Dismantled Item
Cancel Continue
They. Get. Destroyed. Acromion''s eyes widened and with quiet acceptance, his body finally limped lifelessly. There was no way for him to survive. Just a single command from Aiven and he would seize to exist and with it the Undead Beastial reluctantly raised both his palm facing the sky, showing a sign of defeat. Their spectators were all stunned. They can''t believe that Acromion, the hot-blooded leader of the Left Arm Unit who was known for his unyielding rampage would admit defeat within seconds towards their Lesser Master. Aiven backed away, smiling triumphantly while retreating his Darner. And the [Soul Gem] returned to its rightful owner. Then something unexpected appeared.
Transaction Cancelled
Thank you, for your patronage.
Penalty Fee: 5 coppers
Acromion glares intensified, filling his eyes with fire that was already snuffed out just moments ago. The Undead tsked in annoyance and spit out the clotted miasma from his throat. His wounds starting to close. "Good one...Master Aiven" he replied while tossing some change towards Aiven. Aiven caught the coppers and was just as speechless as the Undead seeing the unprecedented scene. His first client. The path to his class have turned a very twisted road, Now Aiven feels like a bully asking for lunch money! This was not what he wanted. If it wasn''t for his class, he wouldn''t have a trump card against all the [Undead] surrounding him. He changed the Darner in its default setting and was confused at the gasps coming from the Undead. "It''s the needle." "Kyahh, p-pinholes~ I''ve been looking for you~" "Impossible!" "Are those..?"Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! But just like with everything he finds irritating, he ignored them. And just accepted his fate that he''ll never have a normal career. It would have made a nice cover-up--a lowly tailor. He shifted his first pay-out in his fingers before silently placing it in his inventory. With a bubbly lich, an ekemen god-blood, a holy sealed demon lord, and now an Undead Bishie Army. He was the only normal person in the group that could go into towns and cities without raising any alarm bells. Now he couldn''t get a meter close without babies shrieking their eyes out. He sighed and notice Delica and Maou-chan laughing at the other end of the meeting table. A sympathetic smile glowing from Delica as her summoned continued lamenting over something he couldn''t understand. When he next looked at them, the Undead straightened and there were fear in their eyes, except for Ulna who was still glaring at him and Acromion who was now smiling at him approvingly. Does he need to beat all of them to gain their trust? Argh, I really wanted to take a bath! Badly! He went to his usual position, opened the book and stretched one of its pages until it covers the whole table. Don''t show any weakness. Don''t show any weakness. He repeated in his head. On the page were the glyphs Delica created with the Sila-ir Estate 3D model. And with hardly any delicacy at all, he started to tear out pieces of the glyphs. The tearing of parchment upon parchment resounded heavily in the room, it created a vast emptiness as the Undead Generals strain their ears to the ripping sound of something being torn apart, until the image reflects the broken exterior of the mansion, reminding them all too clearly of who caused the massive destruction outside. Contented, Aiven took out a bar of chocolate and started eating it. He could feel the Undead getting unnerved, but he doesn''t care. They could watch all they want! It was their fault from the start! With each bite, he slide in some mana pills trying so hard not to make anyone notice his exhausted mana pool. "Now, shall we begin?" he continued. He would be needing a lot of chocolates.
Half an hour later, Aiven was left in the make-shift command center. He was so thankful for Simos for making it more comfortable. He was currently with three [Lich Familiars]. 12 Mindless Undead were stationed outside. And another 24 further creating an encirclement, they were tasked to signal if they spot anything suspicious. He placed his hand on Malar''s shoulder. The Demon Elf has been activating his [Support Arts: Observer] during the whole operation. Four discs made of translucent water were floating above the 3D scale model of the whole estate. Each disc shows different angles from the Undead''s perspective. Every [Demised] were granted with their own [Familiar Arts], in Malar''s case, he has the ability to pick one perspective from his brethren and transfer it to the disc-shape mirrors. He was only able to produce two, but Aiven forced him to create twice the number he was capable of. Malar''s eyes were shut tight as he concentrate. Two slits for additional eyes have emerged on his forehead. Creating two pairs of unopened eyes already tearing with miasma. Obviously from the additional burden. One disc shows the scenery from the Undead Scout at the Riverbanks, taking note of the current situation of the Lion Gold Banner. There were mostly knights and cavalry. With some foot soldiers marching in. As of now, they were in the bottleneck trying to cross the bridge leading to their current location. Another was at the western hills called Lowly Mountains, catching glimpse of the ongoing ascent of the Rust-Iron Bronze, mostly made of warriors and infantry. With the provisional armies mandated to the Banner Nobility, Bronze Banners could only deploy 1000 heads, while the Gold Banners could utilize twice that many without breaking their [Sigil] to the Regalia. Sila-ir House kept up by adding mercenaries, booming their numbers to almost three thousands. It helps that they have the means to feed such numbers. "Change. Three hours. Before landing on territory. Gold." Aiven said, showing that the Gold would be breaching the manor within two hours instead of five, when the infantry started to move, braising the cold waters even with the river''s tide. There has been no heavy rains for months, so he anticipated this move. There was no dam upstream, so he could not use the typical tactic of creating artificial flood. Still, he doesn''t want to wipe out the Lions. He has plans for them. The other two familiars with him were also under the Skull Unit, they have been updating the glyph with the precise instructions from Aiven. They''re not that important so Aiven started to call them shorty and ponytail, for apparent reasons. "Mistress Delica is already on the Lowly Mountains with the majority of the Arm, Torso and Foot Unit." Ponytail declared, showing the disc to Aiven. "Slow," Aiven activated his rune communicator. He created another set, only this time, it was more of a clip on, almost covering the entirety of the ear and hooking itself on the cleft. "Delica, move within ten minutes on the summit. Now." "Ehh! But that''s impossible. There is still a quarter blockade before us! Do you know how hard it is to reach its peak withuot any carriage aside from the limited Dulluhans and Sleipnirs. We were an Undead Army! The rotting skeletons and corpses does not help in our speed as well as those..." Delica continued to explain with her voice raising in decibel at each passing seconds but then she stopped when she realized that Aiven hasn''t spoken a single word. He can''t hear anything from the rune communicator until an exasperated voice breathed out a monotone, "sure, got it. We''ll be there in nine. Satisfied?" then he deactivated. His two Undead assistants was stuck agape at their exchange--or specifically the lack of it. If she can''t do it then fine, their plans will adjust. But claiming the summit before the Bronze would was essential for it. "Simos, info on your neighbors." Aiven spoken in the after shifting the communicator. The rune circles have not stop hovering beside Aiven''s ear. Aiven shifted his gaze to the third disc where Simos is. The third disc hovered just across the Manor. It shows the refugees and survivors, as they continued on track to the Bridge. The estate was surrounded by mountains and The Woods with unknown monsters. The only accessible area for them to escape the Undead Encroachment was through the stone bridge where the Lions were waiting. Aiven could see only a few battalion of knights and a squad with a handful of mages. There were hundreds of servants and villagers trying to runaway with them. If they continue moving, they would be easily slaughtered by the Lions. But that was the least of their problems. Because right now, an Undead Dragon was attacking the remaining Sila-ir household. He could see screaming and panic ensuing on all of the people''s faces, but that was not all. Because the one fighting the dragon was a lone knight, clad in a Golden Armor and swinging a flaming sword. The disc zoomed in to the knight and just across the knight''s helm, a rune suddenly appeared. "Busy," Simos voice strained and grunts can be heard with the slashing of metals. "I''ve already told you...grrgh...about their military and ranks!" "Motives." "What? Oi! What Aiven?" "Motives." "How the blazes should I know!?" Then there was a pause before Simos was panting on the other side, "Is it even important! Should have asked me earlier!" Like hell! You were skimpering the very moment you returned with Ilium and was off before I could get anything substantial! Aiven already have a guess but it was better to be sure. Long nights with these two covered conversations that ranges from the latest magical devices from the Training Grounds, and even the rankings from the Banner Tournament. Their neighbours were also one of those chance topics. Simos didn''t wait for any replies since he knows Aiven will not give him one. It was really nice to have friends like them. Aiven doesn''t need to word everything out which was a plus for him. Just subtle signs and they already know what Aiven was talking about. Really mana-conserving. And it looks like Simos got the family heirloom. It seems to be undamaged even after the explosion. The [Golden Haphaestus Armor] and [Phoenix FlameSword]--the fire and the legendary monster, a glaring contrast to the petite docile symbol of their house. These Ancient Items were greatly linked to Canary Gold that anyone who sees him will immediately connect him to House Sila-ir. Simos wouldn''t even touch it if Aiven didn''t told him he could get to fight the dragon. The moment he whispered those, Simos just jumped right in, no questions asked. Simos'' audience seems captivated with his fight to the dragon that they started cheering and casting support to their savior. "The Lions are our cousins. Long removed, third line probably? Fourth? They should have been neutral. They did try to annex our--annex the houses but they cutoff when the Canary had its dark ages." Then the knight was flung in the air, but was recovered instantly with air spells. "Sir Dalen must be itching for our downfall." Sir Dalen? The Lions? Looking at the disc showing the Lion Gold Banner, Aiven could see all the bannermen proudly carrying their flags. The color has been that of plain gold with hardly any designs. Even the characteristic Lion was not shown aside from the front Banners. Two thousand strong gleaming of the majesty of the Banner of Gold. Even their equipment have golden sheen. Just the Gold. "What else? Um, right. The Rust-Irons." Simos continued, "they still probably, maybe, have a grudge when Father married one of their own, declared her dead and was seen sold on some obscure whorehouse." Aiven could hear an audible sigh, "Hah, nothing less from Father." Whoah, that''s heavy. No wonder they scream bloody murder! Now this, he doesn''t know. Aiven can even imagine the Banner celebrating while the manor turns to ashes! They probably here to see it up close. Aiven can''t help peek at the other Disc Monitor. Watching the greatswords, longswords and some spears already unsheathed as the Rust-Iron warriors march, Aiven can''t help but shiver. And maybe to make sure no one survived. Passionate people were not the kind of people Aiven wants to get involve with. Too emotional. Especially if they think they have the right for it. And they do talk too much for their own good. "Master Aiven," Ponytail said. He only looked at her, trying to tell her she has his attention. But the Undead didn''t speak. Exasperated, he motioned his hand for her to continue. Ponytail started to shift her weight and looked at her companion before she went two steps nearer to him, misunderstanding his hand command for her to come closer, but she still didn''t spoken a single word. Argh, this was getting stupid. Before he could stop himself, he already placed his free hand on his lips, then stops himself midway. Right, she wouldn''t know the normal hand signals. He really miss not interacting with anyone besides his friends. So wasteful! "Talk," he said finally. Ponytail was startled into alert and stuttered. "Skull L-Lacrimal is a-a-already on the last level of the Catacombs, the Serpent Vent. He wants to convey his message..." Ponytail''s [Spell Arts: Mind Grafting] lets her hear telekinetically anyone of their brethren with her link. One of them was Lacrimal, the pink octopus guy. Aiven waited but Ponytail just stood there, as if waiting for his approval for her to continue. Gugh, really really wasteful! "Continue!" he shouted. "Hiiii! Apologies! He said he wants to hang your intestines as curtains! I''m sorry!" Ponytail''s posture shattered and she she started shivering in fright. I DON''T HAVE TIME FOR THIS! She can''t even get what he wants to say! And you''re telling me this blubbering mess could read minds!? "And Maou-chan?" he continued interrogating her mercilessly, Shorty already moved towards Ponytail and try to calm her. Upon hearing his inquiry, Shorty looked at him straight in the eye and replied on Ponytail''s behalf, since she was the one who actually made Ponytail make the report, "Vomer also wants to report on Her Highness safe passage to the Catacombs. Skull Lacrimal has not lost one escort during the descent." Who was Vomer? Well, enough of that. He already knew Maou-chan and the rest of the Skull Unit was on the Catacombs right now. One of the Disc Monitors have been on Maou-chan without any glitch. Though unfortunately, he wished it could also transfer sounds. It would have made everything easier. They would need Maou-chan on the Vent. He would have prefferred it if he escorted her himself or locked her with him, especially knowing she was with that Lacrimal. But he would need Maou-chan to be as far away from the battlefield as possible. Monitoring Spells and Skills were two-edged sword. It was the most traceable magic in existence, making this central command a looming tower that could be seen from miles. Anyway, the Serpent Vent was the safest place she could be since it was the main source of miasma for the Undead Army, making it the most dangerous and poisonous place. With her current body she''ll be fine--unfortunately it was under that octopus'' jurisdictions. That creepy guy that makes him shiver. A Seafolk with race of the Saegir, half sea creature-half man. In Lacrimal''s case a half-octopus. Everytime those slimy tentacles move, it just creeps the hell out of him, it probably has to do with all the tentacle-inspired rated ''stuff'' in his old world. Moving away from unnecessary thoughts, Aiven continued scanning the Disc Monitors. Four Disc. One disc on the Gold, there seems to be no change at all. Another on the Lowly Mountains showing the imminent clash between Rust-Iron and the majority of the [Undead Army]. The third with Simos battling Ilium. And the last one was with Maou-chan. All the pieces were now in places. Wonder how his companions'' acting skill are? After all, they were going to start a play.
Chapter 24 Following the fastest track towards the Lowly Mountains, they were now at the base of the five blockade hill that separates the border between Rust-Irons and the Canarys. A dense forest was ahead, and centennial trees towered all over the marching army of Undead. With the packed canopy overhead, no light from the moon was able to reach the ground, and yet Delica''s eyes shown brightly against the shadows. At most three thousands were moving as one unit in the path. The front lines were filled with low-level Skeletons and Archers. The Vanguard was made up of cavalry, Dullahans and Familiars riding their Slepneirs. And the Main Unit has been marching on foot. They do not get tired or needed food or water so they were the perfect army for any stretched war tactics. The surprised attacks from the two houses were sloppy and ill-prepared, but they were still levels ahead of them and Delica do lack experience. Prolonging the battle was the greatest advantage they have however, this war needs to be dealt and be done with at this very night. Because as luck has it, they were currently in the Higher Districts, which was at the very center of the Cessine City Fortress. They were surrounded by enemies! There was no way they could get out of here if the whole Fortress was raised into alarm. With all these into consideration, Aiven put the majority of their forces to face the Bronze Army. Madness. The Gold has greater numbers and better armaments. It was questionable why he would make Simos with only Ilium and more than half of the Vanguard Unit battle their greatest obstacle. And now, he did the unthinkable. He¡ªhung up on Mistress. The moment the glow from the runes besides Delica''s face disappeared, the ensuing dimness felt amazingly cold. Trembling with indignation, Ulna who was eavesdropping *cough, overheard the conversation was just as frigid. "The impertinence! Mistress Delica, this is an outrage. He should be--" Delica suddenly stopped her mare, halting Ulna on her tracks. She forcefully reined her Sleipner, an impressive giant of 2 blocks with black fur and flaming black mane that amazingly doesn''t even tickle the skin. It has black sunken eyes where smokes of miasma permeates, creating a creature straight from a nightmare. They both looked as majestic as death. The night air hung loosely all around them, swaying with the listlessness of battle. Delica''s eyes stared at her followers. The other Undead also stopped and awaited their master. Expressionless, Delica pointed at Radius and murmured, "You," distinctively, she made a plain smile, "would you please Radius throw the one your left? As hard and as far as possible?" Radius, the lean muscle head who was standing not far from them and on his left, a small thin child with a face of an cherub and the body of a quick-footed rabbit, were suddenly called out. They exchanged glances and without second thoughts, the rabbit knelt and asked, "which direction Mistress?" "Um, there!" And she immediately pointed at the hills. ""Yes My Mistress!"" The Rabbit curled into a ball, but instead of a throw, Radius raised his leg back, he packed miasma upon miasma into his outstretched leg which bulge with dangerous aura. And with a swift move, he kicked the curled beastial, creating a thunderous cackle and a splendid curve. The aftermath left a wound on the ground large enough to fit a man. For the rabbit, he was gone in an instant and not a single sound was uttered. "Tsk, too far." Delica said following the direction. "Apologies!" the spiky-haired Undead murmured feeling regret. Delica unhorsed herself and started to walk towards Radius. "Nothing biggie," she declared and after awhile she let out her Staff. Creating a large circle around the staff, she started chanting and the majority of the Undead Army started to look unease. Delica created a motion with her arms raising, she announced for everyone to hear, "Anyway, disappear for now!" She used a wide range [Unsummoned] spell and one by one her army started to dwindle. [Grrrraaagggh] [Ngghhhuuuuuhh!!] [M-Mimimistress!?] The screams and groans of twisting Undead as they get dragged beneath the earth still rings in the whole forest. 500 Blood Corpse, 1000 Skeleton Warriors, 1500 Undead Skeleton, 600 Dullahans. And somehow this appeases Delica. Only her familiars remained who were utterly confused on the spot. Was she venting her anger to them? But that was normal, most Summoners have been using their familiars and summoned in a variety of things, and if this was the only way for them to be able to please their Master then it doesn''t matter much. What they hate, was the fact that the reason their Mistress was going in a silent rampage was because of that manchild! They were waiting for their turn, but Delica only walked forward, her aura visibly getting stronger with the return of her miasma from the unsummoned, "Nee, Ulna." "Yes, my Mistress?" the calm voice of Delica made Ulna snapped out of her indignant rage. She was already following her Mistress on foot. "Did you ever heard Aiven says anyone''s name aside from me, Simos and Maou-chan?" She didn''t expected this question, "...No, no I have not." A broad smile lit up on the Lich''s face and she started to lift her staff. "Even before- Do you know that not even to our Maesters and Trainers, Aiven had never once greeted them by name." Her tone has the same bubbliness they were used to, as if she have not destroyed her summoned mere seconds ago. "So, the moment he said my name, he was already giving me the greatest respect he could give to anyone. Be nicer to him, okay?" "I-if he said...the name?" Ulna was probably thinking that Aiven''s rudeness was because he was testing them. And what their Mistress was telling them was that the only way for them to be recognized was if that gloomy silent child started addressing them as equal. "Understood, I will make him say my name, this I vow in your name." "Eh? No, I don''t mean it like that...But nnn, that doesn''t sound bad. Hmmm, okay Ulna, I''m rooting for you!" "Ah, to have your confidence...I will not fail you my Mistress." "Mn, Mn, little Aiven is really popular, huh? Ehehe." she giggled. "It looks like all preparations are now in place. Ten minutes, hah! I''ll get there in less than five!" she promised outloud and continued to draw something on the ground with the blunt end of her staff. When finished, she puffed out her chest and said to her familiars, "Yosh! That settles this, now I''ll go ahead then!"Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Light covered the drawn out circle on the ground, she stepped in the middle and with a clumsy thumbs-up towards Ulna, she activated the magic circle. [Embodiment Transference], the circle brightened and the lines started to move and intertwine until it became smaller and smaller. Gust of wind came from the spell, and when it became so small it that it reach the feet of Delica, blinding light covered her whole being and she was gone. The used circle dimmed and someone stood in its place. "Distal! You''re back!" Radius, the dog-inherent went towards the staggering being at the center the moment he realized who it was. Dragging his massive broadsword, Distal was suddenly surrounded by the high-ranking Familiars. He was the rabbit that was just sent flying earlier. He seems fine, though his black ears were still shaking and his curly ashen hair were littered with leaves. Distal didn''t said anything but nodded slightly towards Radius and the others. Then as if stricken he started to stutter, "N-nuu, M-Mistress." as he glance towards the hills. "It seems Mistress Delica have used body swap," Lamina said, playing with her braids as if bored. Those who heard her readily agreed. It was a unique and yet effective way of transportation. Forcing one of her familiars to breach that much distance and followed by [Embodiment Transference] that enables the caster to swap places with one of her familiars, she would be able to go to the top in no time. All they need to do was wait until their Mistress summoned them. As expected of their Master! "M-Mistress, i-if I only knew, then, then I could...I would have," Distal continued lamenting, his ears still pricked with gooesbumps. "We need to go to Mistress!" "What do you mean?" "I was...there was, the place I landed." Ulna''s face has darkened by alarming degrees, the other Familiars were getting agitated. "Where did you exactly land, Distal? "I''ve landed on the enemy''s camp." The forest was suddenly engulfed in massive amount of dark mana. The moment they''ve heard Distal, all the familiars started to move as if possessed by demons.
When the light subsided, Delica''s eyes finally adjusted to the darkness. She was expecting empty trees and dirt but what she saw were wounded warriors with the distinctive vermilion coat of arms. Three warriors were unconscious on the ground and the remaining ten have their swords and axes on hand, with bewildered faces as if seeing a ghost. And after what seems like minutes of uncomfortable silence, a youth with the tell-tale signs of puberty suddenly bellowed, "Y-you''re dead." "An undead." She automatically replied. Eh? No this feels off. It feels like she already had this conversation before. Anyway, she noticed the area where there were signs of struggle. The wounds from the warriors looked like slashes from a huge sword, and there were even paw-prints that embedded the dirt so deep, as if a heavy creature was here a while ago. Distal has been playing with them didn¡¯t he? She could only smell human blood so that means they weren¡¯t even able to scratch him? How weak were they? She was always surrounded by her familiars that she didn¡¯t have a chance to encounter a human for her to be forced to fight. Maybe, just this once? But Simos would definitely get angry. Her role has always been on support and curses. She has never fought anyone at front, especially with that overprotective brother of hers. But she¡¯s a Lich now. A strong existence unto itself. But then again, she can¡¯t be too cocky, it might become her downfall. And she was still level 1. Though her spells has already reached Superior Tier, her overall levels was still too unbalanced that she hasn¡¯t level up from the start! Her unbalanced stat gives her almost a maximum two digit defense and attack from any melee and range attack. But when it comes to spell and skill, then she was already on par with the 3rd Tier magicians. That was if she survived long enough to cast it. Argh what to do! Then a status suddenly went up.
Mind Fortification Activated
You have leveled up. You have leveled up. You have leveled up. You have leveled up. You have leveled up. You have leveled up. You have leveled up. You have leveled up.
Eiih? What? What happened? Then she noticed that a man in a cloak at the far back backed away then started to cough up blood. He stumbled for a while and was on the ground even before anyone could assist him. "Ah, I see. Mental attacks would have worked with Mindless Undead." Delica murmured. Undead were stupid and can get easily confused, so it was the typical pre-battle debuff spell used when dealing with her kind. But since she has high intelligence from her Lich class, a low attack like that would have caused [Mental Backslash]. from the caster. Poor stupid guy. "So you are saying you are not an ordinary Undead?" the youth who talked to her earlier asked again. He looks too young, but he seems to be the leader of this band of warriors. "Of course human!" "Telmar! He-he is dead!" Another warrior shouted, he was kneeling beside the lifeless mage. What!? Seriously!? "Pathetic!" she burst out, then she realized she said that outloud. It was just a backslash so she didn¡¯t thought it¡¯ll be that lethal! All the warriors that could stand began to regroup and became more wary of her. They looked apprehensive. Especially the one they called "Telmar". Oh, maybe she could scare them? Maybe with that they would leave her alone long enough to chant her Summoning spells. She could use some strong spells but with ten to one disadvantage, she¡¯ll get easily overwhelmed. Even if she has a half minute-long spell, they just need a second to cut her to two! All her spells and chants needs a lot of time to release. Transporting and Summoning meat shields was out of the question since they need minutes (emphasis on plural) to prepare. Transference was still on cool down. Just a simple explosive spell then. She could use, Superior Mana Potion but that was hard to handle. Aiven was the only one who could moderate the potion that it won¡¯t explode in your hand or worse, become expended in the thin air as if nothing happened. Hayts. Mumbling mumbling. "This is quite a chore." She said, how could she explain that they were free to flee? Her speed was also useless and if she runaway, it¡¯ll be a sign that she¡¯s weak and if they catch her... Ah whatever! She¡¯s going to fire something! Anything! Then swords started to appear infront of her. Uwaaahh! They started already! Fortunately her [Guardian of the Grave Robes] nulled the dark-attribute mana swords when it got into contact, almost forming a set of hands and grappled it into non-existence. Three warriors descent on her, and more on reflex she used [Hell Blaze]. She toned down the level to minimize chant-time but she has just noticed that her miasma was getting out of control! Her [Phylacteral] has been storing an army-worth of miasma and since she was not used to having so much miasma, she was not able to control the outpour. A huge fire levelled the whole area. When she opened her eyes, everything turned to charcoals and her status has been ringing in her ears. Her first kill. She stood there and for once she was a bit...disappointed. She doesn¡¯t feel anything. Maybe some guilt, palpitations, or anything, but she didn¡¯t feel remotely anything about it. She has always been emotional. Hmmm. What a curious thing. Then with haste, she started running away. Careful that the enemy might be on its way because of the mess she created. She needed a faraway place to settle and summon her familiars. Mission. Focus on the mission. "Delica?" the rune communicator suddenly activated. Oh, she almost forgotten! "Aiven! Aiven, did you see that?" "No." a quick reply. As usual. "Did you hear it?" No answer, then that means he did. She has no idea where the belief that Silence means yes but it has always been the case for Aiven. So that means Malar¡¯s scout was close. That was reassuring. "3rd path, on the dawn side of the mountain, I¡¯ll wait for Maxilla there." "Hmmm?" "It¡¯s the one spying the Rust-Irons." "..." So he agrees. Good. "Delica." "Yeah, yeah. I¡¯ll be careful next time!" It¡¯s the way he worded her name that she knows he was scolding her. Thankfully Aiven didn¡¯t tried to contact her while she was still confronting those humans. If the rune suddenly activated it could have distracted her. Not that she was not always distracted by little things around her. She has to work on that. So far, the band of warriors were obviously scouts. If not, then reinforcements should have come. But she saw and noticed no one following her, so that means they were surveying far ahead of the main Rust-Iron Army. Also they were carrying an unnecessary amount of communication spells. It would be a miracle if the other side hasn¡¯t been notified of this small encounter. She keeps on running and running. She was familiar with the hills so she didn¡¯t get lost. When finally she reached the summit, almost an hourhave passed.
Chapter 25 Lonely Mountains In the first few minutes, Delica wasn''t able to use any of her spells or chants. The miasma inside her core was already at its limit. Absorbing that much dark mana was taking a toll on her, afterall, the undead army were created primarily with the help of the Serpent Vent''s mana. Her [Undead Familiars] however were from her own miasma. So if she hasn''t depleted her miasma from creating so much familiars, she wouldn''t have room to spare! Even creating a small opening for her to activate magic stones would cause an outbreak of her power. She continued in her path and could almost reach the destination, when suddenly a nine-feet Elven appeared infront of her with knees bent in prostate, "Mistress, I have come," it said. If she wasn''t able to note of her presence earlier, she might have bumped to the Elven. Recognizing her instantly, Delica exclaimed, "Maxilla! You''re here! That was fast." She continued, looking up and down at the black armored undead Elven with greenish hair and the some rough patches of skin on her arms and legs that were achingly similar to a tree''s bark. The trait of a Forest Elven. "I have come as quickly as possible when I heard the explosion." "Ah yes, I see. So um, since you were here, please protect me!" She declared. Her senses were sharp but she''s used in knowing what lies within a 200 chain radius, which was the normal range for Aiven. Right now she could only see 10 chains (200 meters) ahead of her. Practically a blind! She feels like she was groping around the forest for the possible ''surprises'' that might come after her. This strain on her mind was not really helping her especially since she was alone and without any spell available for her to use. "Of course, my Mistress." Maxilla answered with no change in her voice at all. "I''ll now summon the others, so be vigilant." Since she has a meatshield, more like a tree-shield, she could go on with the magic casting without worrying of her surroundings. But before she could start, Maxilla spoke to her again. "Master Aiven had just sent part of the brethren towards the Rust-Irons. It would be best not to summon the others at this moment." "Eh? What do you mean?" What was Aiven planning to do with her babies!? And without her permission at that! "Acromion''s units were dispatch to cut and circumnavigate the Lonely Mountains. At most they will reach the enemies before they reach the summit. Ulna and the others have continued on the determined vantage point." "A pincer." Delica sighed. She was given full reign over the battle between the Bronze and yet Aiven was still pulling the strings. She was grateful for the help, but seriously, these were her babies they were talking about! She should be the one commanding, though she did kinda messed up a little at the onset, but it did go well, didn''t it? They didn''t lost anyone so it was a plus on their side. Even if it was a great plan and Aiven was just taking over since she put herself in a difficult situation, she can''t help but feel anxious over her adorable familiars. "Yosh! I''ll go with his plan, but I forbid anyone to perish!" "Understood. Your message shall be conveyed." Maxilla said, raising to her feet as Delica motioned for her go to her. "Now carry me. We shall meet with Ulna at the summit." If it''s a complete [Familiar Beckoning] Spell then she could let her dark mana loose, but if she only has to strategically pinpoint just a number of her familiars, it''ll take more on her mana than what was necessary. The explosion earlier has already decreased her supply, slashing a fraction of the possible Undead Army she could have summoned again. "Oh and by way, don''t drop me no matter what, okay?" "Yes, my mistress." Maxilla stoically placed Delica on her broad shoulders, which started to deform and branch out to accommodate her mistress. And with a powerful leap, they were off. Delica started releasing her miasma and they were covered by it at once. "And don''t stop running." She added while smiling mischievously. Delica placed her hand over Maxilla''s nape and started accumulating spells on Maxilla''s body. Runes started to appear on the Undead''s body. Going on foot while creating circles would be too much of a hassle and since she needed her staff to be on contact with the ground, she might burdened Maxilla''s speed when time was already against them. Using her staff, she made Maxilla an extension of her magic casting. Her staff was made of Adlewood which was a special type of tree that propagates in cemeteries and battlefield since it flourish on sentient'' remains. Using an Undead, an earth-affinity undead, that has the same constitution would greatly help here conjure her spell. This method would allow her to multi-task. At each step of the Undead, a magic circle appear on Maxilla''s footstep creating a trail of magic circles. Delica continued chanting and after minutes, undead started to emerge from those circles. Delica could feel the hesitation from Maxilla. Almost sensing her concern, Maxilla voiced out. "Mistress Delica, we would be easily spotted with these tracks." The moaning of the summoned already filling the forest with dreaded atmosphere. But Delica only let go an exuberant laugh, "let them come! We will show those humans why the living should not fight with the dead!"
Command Center Aiven watched as Delica made her way to the summit, tearing away the forest with her summoning. The South team, made of Left Arm Unit was halfway towards the Bronze Army. Headed by Acromion, the unit was divided by 7 troops of three, making a total of about twenty-one familiars in the whole unit. A far cry from the hundreds that marched earlier, but these were purely devoted familiars and each one was 2nd-3rd class Undead even with their low levels. If only Delica didn''t cancelled her summons, but that was in the past now. At least nothing weighs down the movement of Acromion''s unit. The Left Arm specialized in surveillance and speed attributes which was wholly represented by the Beastial Tiger-kin Acromion as he moved onwards, his followers not falling behind. They also specialized on one-on-one combat making them good for any covert preparations. No Frearean would even imagine these races that hated each other could form in such synchronized formation. Observing the mismatched of races--a Dwarven with an Elven, a Beastial with a Seafolk, Aiven can''t help but think that it was truly only in death do man find equal. He ordered them to stand down until further instructions. The Northern with Ulna, has still a long way to go even with the rate they''re going. That means Delica still has time to summon back the army before Ulna meet with her on top. This also made them cover more grounds compared to their enemies but it also thinned their offenses. They have the advantage of number (once Delica summoned the skeletons back successfully) so hopefully it will not be a problem. Let''s be positive. On the other hand, Simos was making Aiven''s head hurt. "Simos, finish?" "N-not...gaaaargghhh...yet!" Simos screeched behind closed teeth as he received a blow from Illium''s tail. Gasp can be heard from the survivors who were still glued on the ongoing battle. Ugh! They were still at it! They have a timeline! Half an hour, and the dragon exits. Amazingly, Ilium was very easy to deal with. For a Draconic, he was very amiable. If only he could pull off a more realistic defeat but overall, its very satisfying. That is, until Simos blabbered. Why does he have to make his stupid warrior speech! Sprouting nonsense about honor, bravery and the weight of swords...crap! Was that even a thing? Before anyone knows it, the defeated dragon had raised up, much stronger, and this time, he was obviously pissed. There was sweat dropping behind Aiven''s back as he observed the battle. Support magic and buffs started to cover Simos'' body. The useless bystander suddenly went into offensive, trying to help their "savior" as he battle with the dragon. Even the knights which was under Simos'' late Father''s command were following his bidding. Simos''s head was focused on the knights, probably shouting some orders but since he didn''t activated the rune communicator, none of his voice can be heard in the command center. But there was more semblance of solidarity in the knights¡¯ attack now, barriers were also being raised. In a split second, after Simos'' tedious ranting, the people who heard were suddenly ready for war. He doesn''t get it at all. But since that was the whole plan from the beginning, he isn''t complaining. The ones with him, Ponytail and Shorty was still looking at the Disc where the battle was happening and they were both gaping in silence. "Impossible," Shorty said, "Is he really a classless?" Simos physical attribute can''t be underestimated since his been training with Musre, the Head Knight of the Canary. With that, he has already surpassed a 2nd Tier in terms of swordsmanship, a broken skill if you ask him. Didn''t Simos just fought Musre and his father at the same time? His battle prowess should have been apparent from the start. The only reason the blonde''s levels was still low was because he never prioritized levelling or killing monsters to gain essence. Not to mention the heirloom sets of armor and weapons that he was wielding now greatly boost his overall performance in battle. He could overhear them gossiping about Simos, saying how it''s very unlikely a manchild could overcome a superior existence like a dragon, an undead dragon at that! But he left them alone. It won''t do to waste his mana explaining Simos'' cheat-like behavior. Afterall, knowing Simos, Aiven was even amazed it took him so long before the blonde was able to slay a dragon. Hopefully he won''t slay Ilium because that''ll be really wasteful. Watching Simos fight, unnecessarily that it was almost irritating, and seeing Delica plundered on with her army growing and her magic dissipating, Aiven can''t help but feel useless again. Just like before, he was placed on the sideline, watching. Self-deprecating shits were common for him but he stopped himself. He know he has no role if he fought alongside Delica, and going with Simos would end up with him standing out too much and doing nothing in the process but give more questions. A disadvantage since they need to make the Sila-ir accept Simos so the whole thing runs smoothly. Right now, he needed clarity, he needed to think. So far, no one has taken noticed of their communication magic but that won''t be long. Continuing on the work he laid bare on the table, Aiven started inking the magic circles he has been scribbling for the past hour. Taking out the book he placed from the beginning of the meeting, he skimmed the book bind and pressed the etched calligraphy. Words [La Librarie] appeared then checking its magic script, he imagined and got hold of a set of words and tried to materialized it in the cover. Within seconds, [Magic Interference] were written. The [Librarie] was a special item that stores multitude of books. By activating it, you could choose the book you want and once you open the insides, the contents would change depending on the one you pulled out. Saying this, it was a very useful item. The scrolls that were put out and collapsed into orbs for [Spell Barrier], [Noise Canceller], and some [Reflect Casement] have served its purpose. Each circling on the corner of the room like some miniature planets in orbit. Hopefully with this they can''t be tracked. As mentioned before, communication magic were two way magic that could easily become a Trojan horse. Since he has limited mana before, he immersed himself in runes and magic circles. The preparation was hard and very meticulous but he could make Delica or Simos activate it for him. So far that has been his way of survival so he could keep up with them without as much as being a burden, together with specializing in any passive skill he could put his hands on. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Right now he was working on countering the enemy''s communication network. Anyway, placing runes in magic circles could provide variety of possible magic. People call it runes but it was actually just simple Babel Language scripted in the parchment. It was like writing a contract with the help of mana. The contract, should have the following: object (spirit, gods, etc); expected output (action); expected input (mana exchange); clauses (other details); and logic (restrictions). A magic script where the contract worked can be considered as successful were then called glyphs. Impossible, unfair, ridiculous glyphs either do not work or will need more input and subsequent restrictions. With the help of simple discharge of mana that covers the mana exchange, anyone could activate the circle. Magic Theory was hard to explain to those who has no knowledge on the Babel Language. You see, this language was the basis for magic. And since everyone has this gift from birth, everyone could use them. Simple, right? No, far from it. When the gods gifted the world with this language, it automatically translate words from person to person. Since it''s a system generated, there was no way for people to know how it was actually spoken or written. A known alphabet do exist that was universally used but it was just man-made symbols. Let''s just say, if you write ''dog'', the ''dog'' word could be read by most people as d-o-g, but once spoken, it changes meaning depending on what people has on their mind. You could say ''dog'' but the people will hear ''Chihuahua'' or ''St. Bernard'' depending on the image you have of a dog. Rune Theory, a sub-branch of Spell Theory, was writing down these words, granting it a physical form to be used even without incantations. Easier to use, but harder to recreate. Humans cannot read it since it could only be understood by gods. A simple runic inscription for a dog could contain all the meanings of the ''dog'' in the universe. That was why it was called ''origin". Scholars were able to preserve these inscriptions but to visualize the rune itself needed many years of training and discipline because just one wrong stroke and it''ll be defective...in a very dangerous and unpredictable way. Another branch was Chant Theory (under the same category), but that was saying the origin runes in its phonetic form. That was why it could bend and evoke nature and objects since you were calling their very existence. When he tried to learn it, it was mostly for survival purposes. And he could hardly pronounce the words properly because apparently, you needed to cut your tongue into two and got surgically experimented with the world''s ephemerae for it to work (damn that Yuusha, well he was still thankful). But since he was kinda self-thought on the Babel Language and he could hear, speak and read it in its raw form, Aiven could grasp the fundamentals easily. Sometimes Aiven thinks he could meet the gods and he wouldn''t have any hard time talking to them. That''s how fluent he is. Who knew he could have so many benefits from just learning a new language? Years of experimenting made him noticed something odd though. And that is, there were too many unnecessary words in a magic sequence of the script! Since each rune exhausts mana, the more complex the glyph is, the more mana you use. He was thankful to all scholars and grand maesters who passed down their knowledge, but most of the invocations were trash. No not trash really, just unnecessary. Imagine saying Shakespeare. That''s how painfully mouthful it was. And because mages don''t actually know the runes they were speaking, they just preserve it as is. If you want a simple fire spell, you have to write, "Oh Holy Spirit of Fire that revels on Hell, I humbly offer thee my mana in exchange of...blah blah blah." Sheesh, just write "Fire Spirit, I give you 100 mana for Fire Blaze, 10ft radius 300C." If the spirits agree, then you''re all good. If the spirit likes you, he''ll give bonus. That''s the gist but it''s actually more complicated than that. So a shortcut was made in the form of magic circles. Just placing the main runes and intertwining them with each other with the help of lines could lessen activation mana consumption. It''s how the mana flows from one character to another with the guide of magic circuit (just fancy words for lines that could be ran by mana) that would give you the efficiency that was why designs vary from each spell. But it¡¯s more dangerous if it flop. Since 100 MP=Flame (10ft 300C), a fire-spirit rune character at the center was placed, then make one point be the input gauge where you place your staff or hand to insert mana. Other runes were placed, variations may vary from =Flame (5ft 1000C) or =Flame (30ft 100C). The typical design were circles due to its natural smooth closed system. As a result though, activation mana consumption was placed on the circuit instead of runes. 100MP for the spell, 50 MP for the magic circle (could lessen depending how good the circle was designed). But since you don''t need to learn and say the spell itself and you cut down the activation time from minutes to seconds, the scrolls'' pros outweighs the cons for those who has the money for it. Aiven was already done laying down the magic circuit, he just needs to place the script and it''ll be all set. What he created was a diagram with simple design, the result was a pentagram with two circles overlapping and intricate symbols. This circle was the typical detection spell of any ongoing communication link via mana, but instead of finding the links, its more like attracting the link to curve in the user''s direction and he could eavesdrop without touching the link itself or giving away their location. He named it, [Wiretapping Scroll]. It''s a pain to explain, but technically, the ink he used has crushed magic stones. Creating a powdered texture. Afterall Mana conservation has been his creed from the very beginning. He also added marble-sized magic stones to act as transistors. Normally, directly placing mana, you will have to continuously sustain it until it reach the whole script. But with runestones, just place the bare minimum and it''ll flow on its own. The efficiency became greater the more script there was in the rune circle. But if there were only few rune characters, just use direct application, it''ll lessen cost in the the scroll creation. (It''s the difference of Direct current and Alternating current in his old world.) And since he could shorten it further with tinkering with the circuit schematics, he''ll be able to create a circle with just 20% of the normal consumption. Ah mana! With his current aggravated mana pool, he could produce as many rune circles and activate it himself! Sorry for being repetitive but he really can''t help but celebrate his freedom from using mana! Let''s try it. But just when he finally finished one, a status window appeared.
Ding
Congratulations! You have unlocked Job Skill: Patternmaker Due to displaying undeniable skill in creating complex designs, you are now able to create your own tailoring templates.
Skill Set II: Drafting Clothing Templates designing can now be achieved Base Tier: Level 1
Ding
Congratulations! You have just unlocked Job Skill: Dressmaker Due to displaying undeniable skill in imbedding ornaments, you are now able to imbued enchantments to your Clothing Templates
Skill Set I: Runic Embroidery Enchantments through integrating glyphs has been achieved Base Tier: Level 5
Skill Set II: Elemental Rhinestones Enchantments through integrating magic stones has been achieved Base Tier: Level 3
What? Tailoring skills? But Aiven hasn''t even touched any...wait. He raised the parchment on his hand that was lined with glowing glyphs and studded with magic stones. A colorful piece, anyone could consider it an art. Parchments were made of animal hide, same material as leathers. If we go in that line of thought, then that means he does look like practicing his job class. Discovering his tailoring skill tree, he didn''t know it has this neat trick of enchantments though it should make sense. [Runic Embroidery] and [Elemental Rhinestones] description says integrating runes and magic stones. So there was no specific method of ''integrating'' stated. So even if he didn''t actually know anything about embroidering, as long as he use glyphs on clothes, it works? But what if..? Unable to resist his curiousity, Aiven took a piece of paper, the normal one, not some magical beast hide, and started to draw a single rune and so far he was able to finish without any problem. His scribe skills does not interfere with his tailoring skill, that was a relief. Then he proceeded making a Grade-C Runic Communicator Scroll while activating his [Scribe Skill Set III: Rune Calligraphy], his speed and quality has increased, but when he shifted to [Dressmaker Skill Set I: Runic Embroidery], the skill didn''t activated. Hah, so the type of material was a factor. Then an idea, he toyed with his status menu and expanded his skill tree. Fiddling with the setting, he made his scribe skills fall under his embroidery skills. Satisfied, he set off for another scroll. With a command spell, his [Runic Embroidery] and [Elemental Rhinestone] activated and he started working. And he was fast! No, not actually fast, more like, he could see the pattern already imprinted on the parchment before he began. His passive skill [Drafting] guides his hands, his [Calligraphy Skill] ensures flow of scripts, while his [Embroidery] added a more fixed and clean circuits, little adjustments on line placements appeared. When he started placing the magic stones, additional patterns shows and [Rhinestone Skill] calculations were made to show which part of the rune circle would be most conducive for amplifying the mana input. It took him 15 minutes to finish, when the previous one needed an hour! One hour was already fast, but 15 minutes was unheard of! Sweat pouring, not because of exhaustion but because of too much excitement, he looked at the two girls who were now rooted in place and watching him instead of observing the discs assigned to them. Smiling ominously, he handed the two scrolls to Ponytail and said, "Use this." Ponytail, trembling, reached for the parchments. And like a devil possessed, he continued making rune circles, making dark aura and creepy noises that can make even Undead shiver.
Chapter 26 Lonely Mountains She could see them. The crest of the bladed hand was carried by the bannermen as the warriors of Rust Irons continued their march. Delica just finished her summoning and was waiting for her mana to regenerate. Sitting on Maxilla''s shoulder was very comforting that Delica didn''t asked to be let down. The moss acting as cushions was so thoughtful of Maxilla and the view was just right for her. It''s not because she was lazy. Definitely not. Being conscious of the time, and since she has finished preparing, she tried sensing Acromion''s group tailing the Army from behind, but her focus shifted more on the thousand base-tier warriors. According to Aiven''s analysis, they were roughly 60-80 levels. Leading the army was a small cavalry that has higher levels going as far as 1st tier 10-30 levels. And at front was their leader, Sir Roginn of House Oreindr, a Tartaros Warrior, just a few levels lower than their Father''s title. They seem more serious and cautious. The typical roar and war cry that they have been spewing a while ago was gone. Probably since they were alerted with her little fiasco earlier. They already know she was here, but that was not what she should be concerned about. This was the moment she needed to protect her master. She has placed Master Maou-chan in this dangerous position just to get her soul back, so it was only fair that she finish this as quickly as possible. They were just humans. And they dare to fight her Master? The Demon Lord? Hah! Even if Delica was just newly rebirth, she was nonetheless a servant. Cleaning up was part of her duty. Kill them. Kill them all. In time. All in due time. Like an ill omen, black circles of clouds appeared overhead and the Bronze Army stopped as they witness the compilation of miasma from across the other side of their path for the first time. The whirling emotions from her familiars who were left behind have amassed so much dark energy that it almost become solid a black mesh of dreadful fumes. And in that dark fog, her [Undead Familiars] have appeared, all kneeling infront of her. It seems they made it just in time. Even Maxilla kneeled, so Delica now sits just at their eye level. Their dignified and intimidating aura made her proud. They were so adorable! It needs all her strength not to run and pet each and everyone of them! Aya, so fluffy and cute! Actually she didn''t need to because the moment she signaled them to stand, Ulna went infront of her and placed both her palms on Delica''s shoulder, she exclaimed, "Mistress! were you all right? Is something hurting?! Those vermin!" Distal was also teary-eyed as he struggled to hold his bastard sword in place. Radius was beside him patting him between his bunny ears. The other lesser class Undead continued huddling, wanting so bad to see a glimpse of their mistress but was suppressed, not wanting to crowd their mistress. Only three of the Undead Generals were present. Acromion, head of Left Arm Unit, was assigned for pincer. Lacrimal, head of Skull Unit, was in the manor supervising the Serpent Vent. So only Ulna, Lamina and Tarsus were standing before Delica. Lamina breathed out a sign of relief, steams started settle down. While Tarsus'' crossed his bulky arms, head smugly jutted out as if saying ''I told you so," to his companions. "I''m fine Ulna. I have Maxilla with me." And the Forest Elven bowed towards Ulna, not trying to stand since it''ll be rude with Delica and Ulna''s on-going conversation so she continued acting as Delica''s chair. The Familars looked tense, obviously due to the excessive blood lust they have shared when they were informed that Delica could be in harm''s way. Now that the cause of their worry was appeased, they were now directing all of it towards their enemy. Just a glance, and they could tell that the Bronze Banner were made of three battalions, led each by platoons. Their formation was segmented. The forest was not a good place to create tactical formation due to many obstacles and visual hindrances, still a rough column could be made out of the warriors. With the outer columns made into smaller files. These files were then turned. The front faces ahead, the sides faces alternately from left to right, and the back were reversed. Even with the appearance of Ulna and the others didn''t deter their formations. A well thought battle formation. Delica placed her hand on Maxilla''s shoulder and the Elven Undead raised in her full height. She activated her rune communicator, "Aiven, what do you think?" And only on a phrase was heard from the earring, "" Hah, so it came to this. She was never a person for violence or war, but she was enjoying this, how sad that little Aiven opted for a more peaceful way out. Oh well, that can be fixed. Smiling innocently, Delica made a simple announcement to the House Oreindr, making her voice unnaturally loud for them to hear. Her voice traveled far that even the rear guards were able to understand her words, "Mortals! Give me your King, er, your Herald! Herald of Rust-Irons Bronze! Or face us to your death!" Silence. Then all of the warriors started shouting some curses and threatening her in ways too shallow, it didn''t registered in her ears. Just like insects. Don''t misunderstand, her psyche just became really tone down when she was dealing with mortals. Aside from her brothers, Aiven and Simos, her empathy turns off whenever she has to interact with them. The lead platoon didn''t budge, not giving any indication to answer her demands. Sighing she said, "It''s getting noisy," and then she used a spell. Immediately, magic circles appear from about 50 Bronze Warrior at the outskirts of their army and with a deadly smirk, she activate the circles. The warriors burst into meat and flesh and from their innards came a lone undead skeleton. The surrounding warriors became pale but living up to their class, they started fighting the skeletons. The others who were far away to do anything was forced to cluster closer at the center, not understanding what happened as screams and sounds of battle came from all direction. The warriors in the center were clueless until reports came. Their head platoon was suddenly bombarded with different reports. For a still-breathing man to be turned into an Undead, that kind of spell was near impossible and was never been heard of! They can''t gauge the level of their enemy or even estimate the range of her spell. Actually, Delica just made a normal summon, she had already placed the circles beforehand so she could activate them even with the distance. But the only difference was, she made them materialized in the space inside the unlucky warriors'' body, disguising the spell and giving a more pinpoint terror to their enemies. Also, because the report flooded the Bronze, they weren''t able to filter the appearance of a hostile group of undead which started to attack from the rear. And so, the Bronze Personal Army decided to attack Delica, thinking they outnumber her 10 to 1. Yea, that''s it. Arrogance is the bane of weakly humans. It is because they were so weak, that the taste of power blinds them oh so easily. Making them rejoice first before they despair is so much fun! Before they could reach the minimum spell range, Delica raised her hand and from the dense forest behind her, skeletons of a thousand or more emerged. As if sensing the living, they rushed towards their direction, bones clanging in every movement. The skeletons were moving in a speed that made the Bronze archers halt in their position, and waited until the skeletons was closer. Mages were a line behind them and the spears settled in the front. The warriors combat in sword didn''t stopped their advance. Then with a signal they fire holy attributed arrows. Expecting the incoming undead skeletons which was the common summons of liches, they have set their plans into place. Rains of arrow hit their mark and penetrated the first move of Delica. The skeletons were being shot down one after another. Then came the clash of swords from the warriors. The arrows didn''t stopped. After all, the arrow''s hit point was purposely low so it can be easily deflected by the armors used by the Rust Irons. But its holy effects were still potent for the undead. Looking at it, the Undead Skeleton posed no great threat to the Rust Irons. They were mowed over time. But instead of getting alarmed, Delica watched the battle unfold with discerning eyes. When the skeleton warriors were halved, the posed Lich called the cavalry next. Dullahans, horsemen with empty helms were positioned in three lines each, encompassing the whole battle field. And with the drop of her arm, the horsemen sweep through the forest, bringing forth a single blow to the warriors who stand in the battle. Those at the back however was quick to change their equipment to a spear. With one warrior, hoisting the spear, another using strengthening to hold the butt of the spear on the ground, it pierced the horses galloping in their direction. The Headless Warrior who was unhorsed immediately reduced in stats and was easily cut down. Those that were able to pass the warriors were welcomed by the spearmen who were stationed to protect the Archers and Mages. Some Dullahans were able to leap passed, but while still in mid-air, the mages released a burst of holy and fire magic. Delica hasn''t deployed any of her Familiars, they were getting excited but they didn¡¯t dare air their desire to fight. Their Mistress will give the order. It was just a matter of time. Then as if in trance, Delica stepped down on Maxilla and kneeled on the ground, her hands pressing on the dirt. A glow of light appeared beneath her and suddenly dark mist permeates the ground. The reason they needed to claim the summit was because of this. A fissure from the Serpent Vent was aligned exactly where she stand. With Lacrimal''s help, the one overseeing the Main Vent under the Sila-ir Manor, they were able to deduce its existence and she then used Maxilla to locate the point. It''s a small opening, but it''ll be able to power her for a while. She''s trying to get a feel of the fissure when suddenly, it gotten bigger. Eeeih? What is happening? The small crevice opened up as if forcibly being rip apart. The excess dark mana overflowed and covered the battlefield where the fallen has littered then in an instant, the corpses began to raise. Her skeleton army were revived. The whole forest was covered with dark miasma and the closer the warriors got to Delica''s position, the thicker it become that it already gives a negative status on their health. Delica''s mana became full and she can''t stop but laugh in glee. Holy arrows turned to any magic arrows that was in their disposal, until it dwindles to normal ones. The battle continued as the second battalion engaged the undead. They fought brilliantly, that she can praised, but the terrain''s effect has been greatly altered with the second opening of the serpent vent in the Lonely Mountains. Futile. They all will be exterminated. When the arrows stopped, the spearmen were given orders to move. The archers disregarded their bows and crossbows and suddenly let out their short sword and shield as they step infront of the mages. They will be on stand-by until they resupply their armaments. But that would never happen. Acromion''s unit have already encompassed the supply wagons of the whole campaign, cutting off their war potentials entirely. It was in actuality a normal strategy, the deposed archers were automatically assigned guards to mages the moment their main weapon was exhausted. This means, they were ready to use their main force. Magic. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Delica spoke for the first time at the start of the battle. "Make this quick, nee?" ""We hear and obey!"" And they moved out. As soon as they said their words, a whole battalion of Blood Corpses, Undead Knights and Armored Cadaver, twice the number of the entire Bronze army, and the remaining three squadron of Dullahans appear from the forest. The House of Oreindr, cloaked in Rust-Iron Bronze Banner would fall, there was no denying this fact.
It was a nightmare. A hellish nightmare descended upon the House Oreindr. The Trusted of Sir Roginn, has pleaded for a retreat but the current Herald stand on his ground. Despair engulfed his men the very moment a massive wave of undead clustered and centered on them. In terms of power, they have the upper hand, but the enemies'' numbers were staggering. And there were a number of beings on par to monsters which has been slaughtering the lot of them. The few Undead that they thought was placed as obstacle for them to cross, became a towering wall that could instantly crush them. Facing his fate, he fought, and slashed at the ugliness the future waits for him. He didn''t care if his own people deserted him, he would even be grateful if they did, in that case they might find a way to live in Frear. Sir Roginn, he was the only one left of the Oreindr Banner that still held its name. A meaningless existence. He was still young for a Banner''s Herald, he could have another heir if he so wished. Grey rakish hair that complements his brown eyes, and strong jawlines. The few wrinkles that etched its way on his brows and eyes, gave a mature serene bearing. Any noble lady would still find him attractive. But after his wife''s death, there was no more glint or hope that can be reflected on his eyes, giving a strong impression for anyone to see that he has given up on life. And now, even his son, Telmar, was dead. No more can his house survive. For Sir Roginn, it was already too late, and he was too tired. He just wanted a respite, to breathe, or maybe to sleep? Too bad, he thought at the recesses of his mind, he would have made a great grandfather. He has always liked children you see. Little ones who could just...he sighed. So innocent and pure. The world don''t deserve them. And he has just buried all of his. His warhorse plodded on the bones that almost became part of the background of this graveyard they call battlefield. Their enemies fall and rise while his men gradually slip away to their end. Silently, he heaved his stallion. And at the top of his horse'' mane was a girl. Seated casually as if her weight don''t bother the gentle animal. "Are you Sir Roginn?" She meekly asked, her maize-colored hair adorns her petite and lovely face. And as if reading his mind, she smiled as if glad to find something she has been looking for awhile. His voice never caught up in response when the surrounding suddenly turned pitch black. At this abyss, was only the two of them? His bloodied sword and armor still stuck to him, while the unarmed little girl cutsied daintily. She wore a lady''s dress of frills and ribbons themed with red and black, the hem was intricately lined with laces of fleur-de-lis. He can''t help but compare her to a doll. As pretty and as lifeless as a doll. "I am Delica, an undying Lich. It is nice to finally meet you." It was a realm he was not familiar with so he was cautious, not only that, the careless and clumsy introduction gave a disquiet feeling of superiority. As if anything he does would be seen as pointless. Since she was not threatening him, he lowered his sword. "I am Roginn of House Oreindr, under the Flag of Arvalar, it''s been a long time young Delica, " he answered in response to her formality. "Hm? You know my shadow?" "You were betrothed to my youngest...once." "Betrothal?! I never heard of it from this shadow''s father." "Of course, it was only to appease the growing animosity to his neighbors. If I am not mistaken, he also made an offer to the Timberwolf." "I see, nothing less from this'' Father." The little girl sighed then continued, "But sir, you don''t seem surprised to see me as a Lich though." Roginn raised an eyebrow, "With Reculus as your kin? I wouldn''t be surprised if his entire clan clawed the very earth just to kill him. Actually, I was wondering why it took this long for one to do so. You must have suffered greatly, little one." Delica was taken aback by the honest warmth on his voice, "Ah, that''s--*cough* that''s because of his hired necromancer, I mean, to clear the growing negative mana. But enough of that dear Sir. I want to ask you something, if you wouldn''t mind." Roginn sighed and gently sheathed his sword, "Since I am in a time capsule, I guess I have no choice." "Eh? You knew?" Roginn pointed down and Delica could see marks on the ground, though it was also coated in black material. Scratches, from the sword he had lowered. "Ohoh, splendid! You must have coated the tip with your own capsule for me not to notice." "But yours is stronger. So what it is you want to ask?" If he was not mistaken then that means, the world outside has slowed so much it seems that it stopped. This spell could only last for a nanosecond, but for those in the capsule, it''ll feel like hours. Great for torture, very useful for her class, he thinks. But when the spell ends, they''ll be back in the Lonely Mountains. But to think he would actually meet a polite Lich. "Well, um, were you aware that Reculus is dead?" "Yes." "Then why still bring your army to fight me?" "This is bigger than a petty revenge." "Petty? My father tricked your house! He took your daughter, and placed in a whorehouse in guise of her death! She wasn''t just stripped of dignity, even her name, her banner, was--" "I am well aware of that." And took a deep breathe, "He took dear Gunnier." It was something he would never forgive himself. He was still broken from the thought of letting his wife planned the whole matchmaking. That silly silly girl. But alas, she loved their daughter and was only thinking of what was best. If only they knew. And when he finally found her--maybe fate was finding happiness in his torture, she was so small, so helpless and naked in his own men''s quarters. His very own soldiers. A sudden ''gift'' from ''unknown'' benefactor. He has to put down thirty of his officers. Not just those who touched her, but also those who witness the act. And just when he thought his family was complete, his wife who couldn''t bear the truth soon followed ill, and his beautiful girl, killed herself. Poor dear child. "Poor old man," Delica murmured. Roginn just smiled and patted the young Lich. Delica don''t know what to do that she wasn''t able to push the friendly hand before it was taken back by Sir Roginn, "If you wanted to know why I am here, then you should ask the Cessine Regalia." Delica made a quizzical look and Sir Roginn continued, "The High King has commanded my House to subjugate the Undead plaguing the Canary." "I see, they--they cannot sent their forces when the majority of the nobles and high ranks were in the Cessine Castle for the festivities." Instead of aiding the Sila-ir, the High King tightened the security around his castle and with the Lion Gold already on the move, his Superiors didn''t see any reason to divide their forces. Who knows, maybe this was just a diversion from that stupid rebels. After all, the rebels just infiltrated the Royal House Regalia. "And for the House Oreindr, it was an opportunity to reclaim our honor." "But, but if you hated Father so much, why did you agree for me to be your child''s fianc¨¦? It''s unheard of!" He had the very same thought when that filth came with such a ludicrous offer. Expressing graciousness so easily as if nothing happened, even if the bastard was well aware he was after his neck. But Roginn has no choice but to swallow it all. Knowing the system, there was no way for him, a knighthood banner title, could demand persecution to a Gold. He had tried for years but it was impossible especially when the lady in question has been considered dead for the past years. You cannot pass judgment on a wrongdoing done to a person that don''t exist anymore. Presenting her body, would likely just place the insult deeper into their Banner. He wanted to avoid that at all cost. His daughter has suffered enough already. Sir Roginn studied Delica carefully and with a soft defeated smile that aged him greatly, he confessed, "I guess, I wanted to save you." The way I wasn''t able to with my Gunnier, "you might not know this, but I was there when you were a child, when my daughter was still your step mother. She would write letters of you. Of how friendly and warm you are. She was really...taken by you." "But I don''t...remember her." A flash of guilt that was easily faded came to her eyes. So far her expression has been calculated, almost scripted, but this one came as a surprise even to her. "You are still just a babe, it is common. If you married, you would have been part of Rust-Iron House--of her and my Banner, and I think my daughter would have want that." "But that''s impossible now." "Yes, impossible."
"Mistress Delica, is everything okay?" Lamina reached out to her, only to be faced with a dazed look from her High Mistress. Shaking her head slightly, her expression unreadable, she whispered, "nothing, nothing is wrong." On Delica''s lap was a head, the cranium was open, and on the exposed brain were tiny pins moving on its own. Delica moved her hand slightly, taking another pin from the opened [Undead Grimoire], her hand slide halfway inside the pages. At the tip was a small magic circle. Three other pins were already in place and when she inserted the fourth one, the expression of the head begun to contort in pain. Grey blood-muddied hair that complements the listless brown eyes. Attached to the head was the exposed lungs and heart still palpitating and heaving through her magic, forcing the brain to stay active. She was squatted on the ground, the head was carefully handled that she didn''t mind the blood already being soaked in her red dress. The forest has been razed to the ground--as far as the eye could see, due to the volley of magic from each sides and all around her were her familiars walking around methodically, checking for any survivors who might be feigning death. The air of miasma comforted her. "Lamina, let''s stay for a while. I still--I still want to talk to him." She said, her eyes focused in a faraway place that only she could see. "Understood, My Mistress."
On the far side was Maxilla, her hand was covering her eyes. She was casting illusion magic with Incus'' help, another Seafolk, one of the favorite of Lacrimal from Skull Unit. On the command central, they could only see Delica and the Rust Irons Herald talking in the Bronze tent, maybe it was just a trick of the mind, but there was also teen standing proudly beside the Herald, too young to be a commander. It was a last minute request from Delica, not wanting Aiven to see what she actually plans to do. Afterall, a proper lady needs to keep up appearances. was as its name implies was abducting the head and forcibly having a talk so no bloodshed would happen. At that time, Delica thought how naive Aiven was.
Chapter 27 Canary Gold Teritories They were on a standstill. It was almost midnight with the vapors already getting colder at each passing hour, settling like a thin veil covering the whole surface of the Sila-ir Estate. A little more, Simos thought. The exchange of blows, parry, shield. All of this was familiar to him. The sound of metals has been his lullaby ever since he could remember. The repetitiveness, the rhythm, made his mind go in a simple function that suits him. Hit, back away, hit, create opening. The dragon was stronger than him but he relish the fact that he has found a strong opponent. An iconic one at that. How many times have he dreamed of fighting a dragon? How many times have he promised to his sister that he would? His sister. Ilium as of now was covered with runes, his very movements were being restrained by the barriers from the majority of necromancers. The backs of the barrier casters were sweating and shaking, dark robes with a small embroidery of a bird adorned their cloaks. He was never really paid much attention to their hired necromancers. Not that he find them creepy or anything, it''s just that, these people mostly work under the close supervision of his late father. This time, he can''t help but be intrigued. He doesn''t want to note about it...but, were they laughing? Their faces were so hyped with vigor, you wouldn''t think their lives were on the line. "Ohboyohboyohboy, the sinews of mortis on this one is immense! Gorgeous!" "Right, right? I can''t believe I could see an Undead dragon in my lifetime!" For a dark class, aren''t they too cheerful? But he has to admit, dragons were amazing! He could feel an immediate camaraderie towards them, the same as you would feel when you see someone who strongly share your hobbies. They have been warding off Ilium for more than an hour already, but even with these much numbers, they can''t put a dent on the scale of the beast. Truly a magnificent opponent! Not that he was serious. He doesn''t want to harm Ilium as much as possible, afterall Simos doesn''t want to lose an amazing sparring partner! Hang in there Ilium! He shouted honestly in his heart. The knights circled the dragon and started to place pikes all around the giant Undead. Producing reinforced nets and ropes, they tried tying him down with brute force, to lessen even a little, the Undead''s struggles. Simos consciously moderated his breathing. Taking his attention away from the people around him, he again started his meditation. There were only a few chances for him to catch his breathe, and in doing so, he managed to take mana from his [Phoenix Sword], recovering his magic at once. The [Haphaestus Armor] were affixed nicely on his body. It was bigger than his twelve-year-old self, sporting almost 2 meters in height. But once equipped, he could move accordingly without any hindrance as if fine functions were attached to his limbs to accommodate the armor''s movement. This was what it means to use magic armor--so useful. With this, no one would suspect that a child was using it. The armor would have been perfect if only it wasn''t that flashy. A golden armor, shining with mirror-like luster and continually giving off a halo of light. Not really ideal for daily use. He sighed feeling the heavy loss. It was no wonder this heirloom was tucked in the corner on the House''s Treasure Vault. But enough of that, he has to make sure to prolong this fight, which was not really a problem with how tough the Undead Dragon was. According to Aiven''s instructions, he has to wait for Delica to appear and confront the Lion Gold Banner. He might not act like it sometimes, but Simos could pretty much guess what Aiven plans to do. Since Delica doesn''t want any of her ''babies'' dying anymore, and Simos want to save the remaining House, Aiven suggested this strategy. Sending the majority of the Undead Army to fight the lower spec and less numbered Bronze army, Delica''s side could easily overwhelm the forces on the West in an instant with the most minimum number of casualties. As for his house--erh, the Sila-ir House, Simos would be the one to handle it. Despite them retreating, the ones who survived and leading the townspeople and farmhands were the best of the Sila-ir''s knights. These elite knights survived the onslaught of un-ending encroachment so they couldn''t let their guard down. If their side continued pursuing them, it''ll only lead to more bloodshed and their thinning man power will get even thinner, with the Rust Iron Bronze and Lion Gold still ready to subjugate them. But if for a chance, the survivors was on their side, then Simos could use them to fight the Lions. The bad blood between the two Banners has never faded, the very fact that they were marching against the ruined Sila-ir Banner was enough to speculate how they would fare if the two Houses met. It doesn''t sit well with him, but it was not like he could think of a better plan and this will also raise both their survivability, even if the Silai-ir survivors didn''t know that they were being used, they were also being protected in the process. This farce of a game, this mock battle between Simos and Ilium would make it easier for Simos to lead the Sila-ir. That manipulative bastard''s scheming was on a whole new level, but he can''t help but to acknowledge the fact that it was the only way for his renounced house to accept a stranger''s help. If left alone, the grudge from the Undead, and the approaching Lion Gold would pin the remaining Canary in the middle of all this chaos and more of the Banner will die, which he wants to avoid at all cost. Argh?! His thoughts were in the limbo. But this fight, this he knows. This he could do with every fiber of his being. And so he readied his sword again. Thankfully, the majority of the Canary was already at a safe distance, but he could still see their silhouettes etched against the mountainous ranges. Their only path was towards the open bridge. A few even glances back at them. They have been evacuating at a steady pace, the young and the elderly keep moving forward away from where the Dragon was being engaged by the knights who were left behind. Then as if to slap him to reality, a panic voice came from across his runic communicator. He had never heard Aiven to be this distraught. His voice trembled and there was so much emphasis on Delica''s name as if to say that she was in deep trouble, "What happened to my sister?! Oi, Aiven!" Then the communicator was cut off. He cursed, what was happening?
Simos was put off guard, which never happen that often. Just as he was trying to contact Aiven again, the surrounding marshes turned frigid, as if the very air hung on suspension. It was enough for him to realize that there was something utterly wrong. Far off the West was a thunderous crackle overcasting the night sky. The blackness seems to crack and from the bursting of shards, a portal opened. A small girl with blonde curly hair and a red dress came into view. Emerging from the portal, came just her seemingly innocent face first, then her shoulders. Her grey skin devoid of any sighs of life gave an eerie deadness to her being and yet her eyes, when opened, were shifting undutifully with excitement. By the time she was fully freed did Simos noticed runes scarring angrily on her arms and neck. A small single existence, and yet all attention of those in the vicinity was drawn into her. "Can''t be! Impossible, is she..." "Is this an illusion? How could she be here?" "By gods! What is the meaning of this?!" The dragon throb, shiver went all over Simos as a rumble went to its belly towards its neck and from its enormous jaw came a roar, announcing the coming of the little Undead as welll as welcoming his mistress as befitting to a familiar. The survivors panicked and started to run away but that was before they uttered in sorrow or in prayer, a single name, "Young lady Delica." "Captain! Assist the people. Don''t let a single Undead pass the barrier!" He shouted, feeling the malevolent aura being induced at just the appearance of the lone Undead girl. Nodding on his direction, a single knight responded, "Men! Prepare to retreat! Prioritize the women and children! Move!" A female knight with gold cloak already tattered beyond repair started giving her second of command the right to lead together with a quarter of the knightsquard to hasten the refuge. So far, she held her ground and didn''t share the paralyzing fear that spread instantaneously. Only three hundred of the knight''s ranks could still fight and they stood bravely alongside the Golden Knight that seemingly came out of nowhere for their rescue. Simos snapped back to Delica who was now walking leisurely as if on a stroll. He knows it was her, but he could not sense his sister at all. Is this really Delica? The girl ignored him, her eyes fixated on the ones suppressing the Draconic. "Nee, don''t be mean to my Ilium!" She said pouting and before anyone could react, she started accumulating mana on her hand. "[Dissolvement of Shadows]" A hostile mana was felt directed at them. The shadows of each necromancer from the moonlight, flickered. And each and everyone of the men started to sink in their shadows. But before it could swallow the dark mages, Simos chanted his own counter. "[Earth Script Incant: Quake 12.4m N, 3f Depth...Script Incant: Reversal 30 chains 180?]" He could feel the mana leaving his body, but his movement didn''t slowed. He needed to go closer to Delica. As expected, the earth beneath the dark mages crumbled into cracks making their shadows deformed. This gave them time to produce a small counter spell. From within those cracks they were able to take out their sunken legs and feet. They were still getting their bearings when the dragon, Ilium, who was now free from the runes, moved his tail, not heeding the measly bindings covering his body, and aimed to strike down the mages. Clicking his tongue in anger, Simos followed another chant to hasten the second part of his spell. From the cracked ground formed a 30 meter circumference which started to levitate and in a quick swoop, switched around, smoothly dragging the still trapped necromancers on the other side of the circle away from the blow from Ilium. It settled back abruptly again on earth. Gusts of wind assaulted them as the dragon flapped its gigantic wings and moved towards Delica. The robed men who almost died keeps on stuttering, their eyes glued on the image of a young girl petting a submissive dragon. Even the knights couldn''t keep their posture. They have long since identified their assailant. They just can''t accept the fact that it was their sweet and graceful young lady whom they have mourned just the day before. "Delica, what happened...to you?" Concern and shock masked on every word. It was the golden knight who spoke directly to the Lich. "Happened? What do you mean? Nothing happened. I''m practically normal." She replied making her voice dance. Anyone who could see her current state would disagree. She was obviously cursed by [Raised Greater Undead]. Her shadow was taken out of the cycle of threads and left to roam the lands for all eternity. The news of both the young Sila-ir''s death grieved the House Canary. The siblings who were almost twins were well-loved and admired by all even those outside of the Banner. And yet someone defiled their young lady to be brought back as a mere Undead that could be compared to pestilence! Unforgivable! A new life came to them. One by one, they started taking up their arms again, vowing to save her. Their voices started to pick up until all of the knights were shouting promises and oaths not just to save her but also avenge her death. "Pffft. Save me?" She burst out laughing, "when you can''t even save yourselves?" The night sky opened even more and the familiar''s that she has summoned came forth. All 100 or so of those Undead slowly swarmed behind Delica who was now perched atop the dragon''s head. The Canary''s faces darkened even more as they recognize the beings that have been the cause of their ordeal. She faced her familiars and her smile broadened in an unnatural length. They were still in trance when the Lich offhandedly send a wave of Darkness that slashed the Knightsguard''s front defenses. Another spell from Simos emerged. [Stone Wall] Roughly twelve injured resulted from that single attack but the barrier were raised again, stronger this time with the help of the necromancers. Unfortunately, the golden knight was critically hit by the larger part of the attack when he placed himself between Delica and the Canary as his defense wall broke, sending him to crashed on the ground.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "Ara, I''m sorry. I guess I put too much strength on it? Are you okay? Ple~ase say you are okay. Ilium still wants to play with you. After I am done with you!" He was able to cushion his fall by using wind and softening the ground but the slash itself left his armor to cave in. He fell exactly where the knights were gathering their formation. Simos hurriedly build up his reserves to automatically repair the armor. He also sensed holy and healing magic slowly recovering his health but his muscles were still strained. Grunting, he tried to speak, "N-no...get out. Get away, fast." "Thank Hvatvetna, the rays of Bjartra! Are you feeling all right?" Voices of good will came across everywhere. In terms of combat, Simos could overtake his sister anytime, but if its magic then he was in a great disadvantage. If it wasn''t for his massive mana pool and spellforged sword that enables him to replenish it dramatically, then there was no way he could place even a draw against her. "Look out!" A voice rang, and he saw a magic circle stacked on each other aimed at him from the Draconic''s mouth. The barrier took another blow. It was the first time the dragon actually used magic spell. To use a trump card. "[Stone Wall][Stone Wall][Stone Wall][Stone Wall][Stone Wall]" Curses! His array of spell was limited. He even broke who knows how many mana potions just to retain a sizable reserve of mana. His eyes roamed on the voice that called out earlier. It came from a young mage, older than him. But the mage apprentice''s eyes were full with admiration. It hurts him seeing that more than he thought. The spell continued pounding on his earthen mana walls, shattering the third and the fourth before he could cast another one. It filled him with guilt. I wasn''t saving anyone. He was just saving himself. He remembers him, the boy who look after the magic tools. His father, ah yes, Simos killed him, didn''t he? One of the casualties in the flooding. His eldest brother was also there, he could almost hear him choking on his own screams. Or was it a different man? On the boy''s right, was an old veteran, the one who would give him apples in the morning. His name, he forgot, but he would always turn a blind eye whenever he climbs the trees from the olden orchards. His son was part of the night guards. Did Simos also killed him? Everyone who was giving him prayers--every one of them lost someone dear tonight, and he''s the one who took them away. He mocked himself for all this hyprocisy. The breastplate that was damaged continued to disintegrate as it return back to mana, showing a blonde boy with blood freely flowing from his temple. His eyes were tight shut as pain engraved deeper in his body. But when he opened his eyes, clear blue orbs reflects those people around him. The knights who rushed to support the fallen knight was transfixed on the spot. ""Young Master!"" They all shouted. Every second, a revelation that shook the very foundation of Sila-ir would unfold before them. They were expecting that it was Sir Reculus, their Herald in full gear, or a divine intervention from the gods borne out of their prayers, a hero. But this, this was even better. Their young master was back! Joyful tears overcome to them. "Healer! Do it quickly." "I am already! Don''t get in the way, greenhorn!" "Protect the young lord!" "Hurry up! Cover the right flank!" Simos still continued supporting the walls when he was startled to hear a familiar voice on his head. Nodding inwardly, he produced the scroll from his [Chest] and activated the parchment. Delica was now openly scolding the Dragon, "Bad Ilium! I''m still not finish playing! You already have your fill." Despite the protest of the knights who started to create a protective encirclement around him, Simos used [Haste] and quickly created a distance from the Canary Knightsguard. Showing the result of the appraisal, Simos can''t stop himself from panicking, "Blazes. Aiven. There''s a negative status on Delica, [Soul Corruption]. It doesn''t sound good." He replied when he was out of earshot from anyone. Simos was moving towards Delica and the runes creeping on her body became more apparent. It seems to be growing. During their conversation, magic attacks from Delica continue to shoot down on Simos. Simos has been used to tanking so his defense and vitality has always been high--bulk defense and offense, while Delica used long-range spell to keep Simos relatively on her sight. Whenever he got too close, she''ll aim a strong spell on the Knightsguard and Simos was quick to pick the hints on Delica''s habits and position himself enough to protect them. All the while, she''ll be giggling like playing to her dolls. "See? See? I''m doing everything according to plan! All in Aiven''s plan! Take out the Sila-ir. Take out the Gold. And kill you, my dear brother. Ah my brother. Please di~e." She laughed. She''s gone mad! She even screamed Aiven''s name for all to hear. "What in helheim?! Is that why she has [Fractured Soul] Title?" Thankfully, Aiven didn''t heard Delica pridefully announcing that Aiven was behind this whole plan all along. Simos tried glancing at his knights and just as expected, Aiven''s name was being circulated with murderous intent. She must be stopped before she says anything that''ll compromise them further. Though all she said so far were all true. They really were planning to introduce Simos'' return--a miracle was less likely to be questioned--then stage his death so he could cut all ties to his renounced House. But she''s seriously taking the plan at heart. What happened for her to be fixated on the plan anyway?! It''s either that or she''s a damningly convincing actress. But there was no way [Soul Corruption] status was just part of her acting. And the malice on each attack was real. She really was trying to kill him. Right, Lady Maou-chan could use cleansing due to her holy attributes. It''s the House'' misfortune that no priest or faith-based class would want to work under the Sila-ir Banner due to its infamous reputation. It''s worth the shot. "Understood. I''ll stop my sister here. And Aiven, hurry up." Simos could already see Aiven nodding. He was intending to dispell the communicator since he was busy dodging and shielding from Delica when he heard an unexpected question, Simos was silent, it took him awhile to get Aiven''s meaning, then he checked the Familiars who were thankfully still on stand by, not daring to move without Delica''s command or else they might also be reprimanded. "Yup, the Beastials under those animal-kin are here." The Runic communicator activated and Simos just heard Aiven cursed, which was more than what his friend ever said in his lifetime. Simos smiled wryly, "Could you do it before she kills anyone, in particular?" And the communication ended. Frowning, he can''t help but muse, well that''s that, he could only pray for their success. Miasma started to trickle down on Delica''s eyes--pupil and iris, turning all black. "If only-- If only I...Ahahaha don''t look at me!!!" Something was causing Delica to amass that much negativity. If this continues, her, being in the center of carnage could have triggered something. "Delica! Stop this! You are not yourself. Let me help purify you." He wanted to sound angry, but his voice failed at the end. He can''t take seeing her like this. All this time, she has been acting her normal sunny self that he didn''t notice anything was amiss. Lady Maou-chan should hurry or it might be too late. Then a huge magic circle appeared beneath Delica. She screamed. Far off, a group of mages was able to cast [Control Undead]. It took awhile but the spellcasting successfully connect on target. "Y-you dare! You dare! You dare!" The spell was immediately countered, breaking the circle. She glared at the Canary. Delica raised her arm, aiming at the paling mages who didn''t know what went wrong and released she recite a powerful incantation [Shadow Script Incant: Shatter, heads] [Dark Discord] Same as before, Simos defended aligning himself to block the attack. He released a scroll [Slow]. The time lag started and the world around him decelerate. He used this to activate more scrolls, [Magic Resistance] [Aura Strengthening] [Anti-Spell Abjuration]. But from the onset, he knew he can''t defend this. Taking a spell that could kill hundreds and followed by a wide area darkness counter was too much. But he was determined to take everything. That was the job of a tank. His job. Murky shadows blasted towards him, and just when the spell breached his defenses, mana-filled Lightning strike the place infront of him, shielding him from the shadows that has formed into vengeful wraiths. The whole area was covered with blinding light. Spectres appeared condescending, sparkling into statics. At the center of it all, was a giant of a man. He wore the same gold of an armor but bulkier and has seen more action with all the signs of war. On his right hand was a lance, diverting the spell still pouring at their location. The man was smiling when he looked down on Simos. "Just in time, I see." "U-uncle Dalen!" "Boy-a, so you still remember this old man?" He laughed, giving a friendly impression. Compared to the knight defending him, Simos felt small. [Instant Teleportation] was simultaneously casted and a great number knights bearing the Lion Gold Banner appeared. The animosity between the two houses seems like a dream as the Lion Gold put up an immediate squad for healing, distributing supplies and reinforcing the barriers and defenses. "Why are you--?" The older man gripped his lance and forcefully made an opening until the shadow spell was dissolved, "We are family, are we not? Nephew?" There was something off with his way of talking--hinting his calculated tone which was the same to his father, sizing the profit and loss to be gained by his actions. Simos does not like it one bit. Before he could ask further, two men appeared beside him. Both were carrying the mantle of Regalia. On their vest were the two-studded sudri rubies shaped in circle, A 2-Star Rank Emblem Chevalier. As if he was expecting them, Sir Dalen gave his order, "Take Simos." and to the child he added, "do not worry, you are safe now." Overhearing the man''s declaration, Delica''s face became conflicted, "Simos? You are...taking my brother? No, no, no, no, no." She suddenly writhed in pain as if assailed by unknown phantoms. Her words were pleading, the coiling dark mana and runes on her body were continuously quivering. "Begone Undead! You are no longer needed in the living!" Sir Dalen proclaimed. A group of priests were readying their chorus. The uneven oscillation of her cores started to resist and repel each other. She hugged herself, agony bracing her every being. "No, no, no, no, no, no," she hissed, her body went into convulsion and in a split second, she was seen standing infront of them. Barefoot, she stepped closer. Her body seems stable but the mana was pulsating all around her. "Delica..." "Don''t listen to her. She is no longer your sister. She is nothing but a relentless lich who plague life itself." The Emblem with a cropped neat hair and spectacles lightly commented, trying to soothe Simos but failed miserably. The men''s stance didn''t changed but their battle aura suddenly fortified, their battle zones also widened considerably. "I...I..am no longer your sister? It''s a lie, right Simos?" The daze on her eyes waned, clearing the miasma and showing the Delica they all knew, "Nee Simos, let''s get away already. Please brother. Far away with me, my master, Aiven...Please?" "So your Master is Aiven, of that filthy Blank Banner." Simos heard Sir Dalen muttered under his breathe. With a stern voice, he faced the three of them again, "Larem, go find him, the undead''s master can''t be far." The other one of the emblem nodded and he disappeared carrying his orders. "Eh M-master. Lacrimal! My Master, where is--" A blood curdling scream came from Delica, pain and agony were apparent in her expression. The accursed runes glowed the brightest and five Undead Generals came to defend their Mistress, including the one she was just talking with. Unable to pinpoint what was wrong to their Mistress, they simply supported and do her bidding. The other Undead Familiars started to commence their attack to the humans. "We have to move now, young Simos." the man with glasses beckoned him but Simos answered him with a glare even if the helm of his armor hides his face. The man continued staring at the battle, looking closely at Delica being shielded by a winged Undead. He seems to be enjoying the spectacle and was on no real rush to miss the opportunity to observed the fight. The remaining Undead Generals engaged into a close-knit battle with the Herald of Lion Gold. Even the Dragon was on the rampage. The Lion Gold continued blocking the assault of the Undead Generals. A fiery whip came across from an Undead Elven, her seductive gazes was more on the craving of battle. The moment he dodged, a halberd slash would be waiting. The man smoothly pivot, mocking the Undead Tiger-kin whose red and black strips bristled past his lance. His attacks were teamed up with a Dwarven Undead who was using Gravity Magic to blow away the ground with its War Hammer. Sir Dalen''s skill was still on cool down but the Herald''s very movement was still swift and efficient, making everything seems like a child play. But his trained eyes didn''t neglected the Undead Seafolk who was at the standby, standing resolutely between the battle and Delica. Simos was helpless. "Stop! Don''t hurt my sister!" Simos was struggling on his feet, unaware of the bloodlust he was exuding. "Amazing, to have this power at such a tender age." Simos ignored the Emblem''s musings when he silently countered the [Teleportation] magic the chevalier used on both of them. "So this was the power of an otherworlder." Simos was stilled by his words, "why did you...otherworlder" He placed his hand on Simos'' shoulder, "Your secret is safe with us. We have been watching your progress." Then something clicked on his mind. They were watching him. Calling him an otherworlder¡­then that means they think he came from the other plane. And they used [Corpse Spy] to watch over the otherworlder. The corpse spy...his sister. Spewing hatred, he gnashed his teeth in rage, "You! You did this to Delica!!" almost reclining from revulsion on the man''s touch. Delica died...because of you. Those words that haunted him suddenly held weight. "What are you..." Simos brandished his sword to the unarmed man but it was easily dodged. "Young Simos! Stop this behavior!" He unsheathed his rapier, frowning as if debating on his next course of action. But the very moment he put a space between them, Simos heard his communicator again. With only those instructions on his mind, Simos put all his trust on his friend. He recasted multiple support and scrolls for [Haste] [Flight] and started his move. Not expecting Simos to make a suicidal attempt as he dashed on the center of the Undead battle between the Herald, the chevalier was a second late to match his speed. Simos used his skill [Heavenly Steps] and his very image blurred. Even the Herald was caught off guard at the sudden appearance of his nephew. Unfortunately, Ulna was getting agitated at her High Mistress'' state. The chaos of battle. The factor of the new strong opponents. The unquestionable deterioration of Mistress Delica on her arms. All these made her [Familiar Arts: Ars Valkyria] sharpened beyond her current level. Her very weapon sings with mana-infusion at it sits on her side. This was an offense range that was just a hairsbreadth from her skin that creates an absolute kill zone from anyone who dare touch her at its activation. The range had already reached even her Mistress. And with eyes widening from shock, Ulna saw Simos materialized infront of them, both his hands cupping the face of Mistress Delica with a relieved smile on his face. But it was too late, faster than she could ever imagine, her skill activated. And when finally Delica looked up to meet the soft gaze of her brother, Ulna''s spear was already piercing Simos. "Simos?" With unsteady hands, she tried to clutch the failing hands that press warmly on her cheek, that it almost burns. "De...lica." The smile never left his lips as blood started running at the edge of his mouth. "I''ll be waiting for you." The Lich''s body shook with intense emotion, gasping sounds came, unable to push away the tears and the accumulating lump that threatened to burst on her throat. At that very instance, something remarkable and unexplainable happened. Simos'' falling body disappeared. And on its place was beautiful glowing girl with flowing ethereal gown and a radiance that could rival angels. All was silence, stupefied by the unknown mysterious being. The Lich looked amazed then frightened. She started to say something but the small girl merely placed her gloved finger on her lips, "[All is well now Delica. Please rest]" she said in a voice that could lull a baby to sleep. In a blink of an eye, all Delica''s Summoned returned to her staff, and the Lich herself disappeared. The amazing feat left the weak-willed to kneel in tears and prayer. They could feel all their stats recovering just from the appearance of the mysterious girl and not before long she too was gone. But that was before, she released a massive holy mana wave, that almost turned the night sky into day. On that day, the "Tale of Two Siblings" that became a popular theme for Bards and Theaters alike was born, and the "Legend of the Saint and her Golden Knight" begun.
Chapter 28 "Simos! Something happened...it''s Delica!" ¡°Delica? What happened to my sister?! Oi, Aiven!¡± Simos cursed, ''what is happening?''
On the other side of the runic communicator, Aiven was stocked still, not even moving a muscle. He could feel the rising panic that''ll only gave way to a state of blind helplessness. The abrupt silence as the communicator cut off didn''t help Aiven''s nerves. Vomer has been silent for awhile. She was using [Mind Grafting] with Malar giving her instructions to stand down. After all, Infront of Master Aiven was small girl with a bow drawn. A heavy-set arrow was aimed on his small forehead at point blank range. If you thought having a dagger pressed on your chest or a gunmetal aimed at you was scary, then imagine a 2 meter longbow! There was a fleeting terror that the sound of stretching bow string gives as it rests at its full weight, the flexing of strings grating at her ear and sending a sense of uneasiness from anyone who could see. Not to mention the glaring blood lust aimed at the Lesser master. Even if Vomer was an Undead, she was still very sensitive, even if she was supposed to be an inherent of the great bears. She couldn''t even speak! The thin fingers that hold the strings on place looked so fragile that just one slip and Master Aiven would be dead! And yet the little master''s expression didn''t change. He was still very calm and continued holding the communication runes in his ears. And as if unconcerned of the cold metal pressed on his forehead, the lesser master murmured, "I should have handled this more delicately."
It all started awhile ago. The deathly silence of the makeshift command center was all duly because of the small boy crouched on the floor and surrounded by parchments, brush sets and inks. The very epitome of a studious child that any parents would be proud to have. Only, that boy was surrounded by undead creatures clad in dark armors with the ominous design, and the walls that was set as a background was made of stacked up skeletons that was straight out of nightmare. That child was Aiven, and he was in fact the appointed master of these undead creatures, and has full authority over them. When Vomer was tasked to use the scrolls, the only thoughts on her mind were the parchments placed on her care. Being an Undead Beastial, the only manifestation of her race was the grey fur, the same color as her hair, covering her hand up to her shoulder, making it looked like a glove was fitted perfectly on her arms. Only the palm was left visible from the soft velvets. Skull Vomer, a familiar of High Mistress Delica under the Command Unit. She could be easily described as beautiful, with her hair tied in a single knot and the distinctive curves on her hips and legs. She was however far too expressive for a corpse even if counted with the likes of The Triplets of the same unit and the far too panicky Right Arm Distal. The infusion of their soul and not merely their shadows to the bodies themselves, came to mind, different to the Mindless Undead summoned with only the remnants of their shadows. This makes her and everyone on Delica''s retinue a [Demised], Undead who have forsaken the cycle of rebirth, and which subsequently made their living memories and personality intact. The only time their soul would return to the cycle would be the moment their [Soul Gem] was destroyed. But who cares? Right now, she was a little concerned on using the parchments. Her frown was deepening as she studied the scrolls and she can''t help but place her gaze back to Aiven again. They were just so pretty. Hyoid, the other Familiar she was with, was left to monitor the discs with no intention of helping her this time. Afterall Scrollcrafting was a very competitive and secretive knowledge, so she wouldn''t also know how impressive these are. But Vomer could still feel that the tendered scrolls were special. In her living memories, she could remember using some while traveling her Path to the Sphere and she even partied to escort a [Scholar]. But that was short-lived. She was never a fighter, a wretched existence to be held in a Beastial. Her race isn''t interested in anything that doesn''t concerns strengths and training and if there was anything remarkable about Vomer, none of these includes them. So it''s still kinda sketchy for her. But if she remembered perfectly those scrolls were never as pretty or colorful as these. And when she looked backed to the Lesser Master, he was still absorbed in creating more. The Lesser Master has this air of detachment, as if he doesn''t belong. He was just really silent, the creepy kind of silence. Watching him, she can''t help but speculate. He scares her sometimes. There was just something about him that makes her want to run away. I fail as an Undead! To be frightened by a child! B-but he was really giving weird aura. But even with her little knowledge on runes, isn''t he just simply writing them? Aren''t you suppose to have [Cryptic Magic Tools]? Tools used by runic scriveners that compiles the glyphs you learned? Some could even automatically set the runes on the scrolls. And he was not even taking a break to check for mistakes, or look for any graphs or cheat sheets! Hm well, that scholar must just be low level. What was his name? Maybe that was why he always has escorts all that time. As she poured mana on the [Wiretapping Scroll], she was surprised again at how little she consumed. Ararara, being a direct subordinate of the Demon Lord was so amazing. With this much power she could crush the clan that annihilated and sold her family all by herself! No need to trouble Mistress Delica for these little things, you know? Suddenly it was able to produce sounds but for her they sounded like ants crawling all over which irritates her ears. But when it became audible, Master Aiven went beside her and started tweaking with the circles. Was this all right? There was still running mana there, you know? But even how hard she tried to strain her ear, only the crawling sounds passed through the glyphs. Maybe it''s broken? But it works for her since Vomer just received orders from the Mistress that the young lich doesn''t want to be observed. Vomer already delegated the matters to the others, so it''s fine. Even Malar didn''t show signs that the discs were being messed with. The interference has all the workings of Incus, an Undead Crusaegir or Shellpeople. Incus was quite humanoid in form, despite being a Seafolk though instead of hair, her forehead continues into a black obsidian shell. It extends in a complete coiling mass to her shoulder that has a sheen of violet and blue, and looks more as a hat. She has the specialty for [Illusions] which was a prevalent arts for most Seafolk and now she was using that same arts with little counter from Malar. Women needed their privacy sometimes, yeah? But somehow the Lesser Master didn''t move. He continued revising the circuits and from time to time his eyes would widen. Aiven continued gazing at the ongoing negotiations projected at the [Observer Discs] between Delica and the head of the Rust-Irons without any trace of what''s going on his mind. ¡°Change the Lonely Mountain''s perspective to Ulna.¡± Malar tensed, miasma continued streaming on his two pair of eyes which was closed shut, but he was still able to support his [Familiar Arts: Observer] if needed. Even his voice was not showing any strains. ¡°Very well, Master Aiven. Though there was hardly any reason I could account for the change.¡± Just when the young Elven Undead started adjusting his skill, a small interval suddenly happened and the observation discs wavered like ripples of water. Then they all felt a sudden release of mana. The spells were done with so much efficiency they weren''t able to react, let alone identify what it was, even with the amount of spirits emitted. Even Hyoid was on high alert and placed her hand on her bow. But Vomer was sure they weren''t hostile. She struggled to make sense of what¡¯s happening. Then without any warning, Aiven instructed in his Communicator, shifting immediately to Maou-chan''s link. ¡°Maou, tell that Seafolk to close the Serpent Vent now!¡± Unknown to Aiven, stares of concern passed between the Undead in the Command Center. Specially from his uphanded orders. The Serpent Vent was their main source of power, even within this range, the three Familiars could feel their dark mana being regenerated at amazing speed. Why would the Lesser Master want their power to dwindle? Unless, that was his plan all along. A foreboding thought has already taken root in their minds. ¡°Yes.¡± Opened...it? The Serpent Vent?! Ridiculous, just what has Her Highness been doing? ¡°Then you can close it yourself.¡± Master Aiven nonchalantly said. No no no, aren''t you being rude? He shouldn''t talk to a Demon Lord incarnate like this! Maou-chan''s petite energetic voice could be heard. Thank goodness, she''s such a benevolent merciful being! That was when the young master tried contacting Simos. The Familiars were getting uneasy at the instructions from Aiven. And when Aiven mentioned Delica''s name, a very angry sheep-inherent Beastial dashed infront of him and draw her bowstrings in his face.
¡°Hyaaah! Hy-Hyoid...please calm down! Calm! Breathe.¡± Ponytail tried to ease in to quiet things down. So her name was Hyoid? The Shorty one who has long creamy brown curls and a ram-like horns twining on the side of her head. Thinking it over, aren''t the Beastials on Delica''s Familiar''s too random? We have the big muscular athletic ones, then there''s this...fluff. Just plain fluff. What kind of fetish does Simos'' family cater with anyway? In any case, this fluff was glaring at him with all the intention of killing him. Escapism over, Aiven struggled to keep his poker face in place. Aiven checked his mana. He could feel the amount lessen compared before but it was comparatively inconsequential in terms of his overall reserves even if he activated three different spells in succession earlier, [Analyze: Skill], [Detection: Trace Mana], [Scribe: Rune Cipher]. The moment Aiven sensed that the Detection Skill he has and the ones in the disc did not match, he knew something was up. The sudden cut of communication from from the Rust Irons proved it beyond doubt. And what he saw was Delica with a very maniacal smile on her face while a huge raging negative miasma covers the whole battlefield. Magic script started to form on her arms and neck. Delica doesn''t look like herself. It¡¯s like she''s being possessed. Glimpsing the runes on Delica''s arms, Aiven was getting more listless. He can''t be sure since this was the first time he encountered it, as far as he could read, it mentions something about ''infection'' ''soul gem''. It spells bad news for him. Delica was not even picking up the Communicator! Hyoid started talking, her voice grave ¡°Our mission is to protect High Mistress Delica. Speak your intentions, human.¡± She almost spat the word human clearly showing how fond she was to that race which was actually close to none. Her glare was answered by a lofty sigh from Aiven, ¡°And I ask you, why are you here?¡± Hyoid flinched but didn''t dare to show her surprise at the calmness of this boy. ¡°I received a mission from High Mistress to follow--¡± her voice trailed. ¡°To follow all my orders.¡± Aiven continued for her, ¡°Did Delica told you to raise your weapon at me?¡± ¡°No--¡± ¡°Did she told you question my command?¡± ¡°Noo, but¡­¡± Shorty said, frowning, wavering Then Malar voiced out, ¡°Forgive our actions. Mistress Delica expressed her wishes not to be seen for the moment.¡± ¡°Ah so that''s the reason, then let''s continue.¡± Aiven moved away slowly as if the arrow doesn''t pose any threat. Malar nodded at Hyoid''s direction and she lowered her bow. She could be heard whispering to herself, ¡°what''s the point of all this?¡± ¡°The point? Isn''t it obvious? We''re going to stop Delica.¡± ¡°¡°¡°What?!¡±¡±¡± The three shouted. What Aiven just said was the same as saying he was going to oppose their Master. Those words were enough for them to kill him on the spot! And did he just said ''we''? Hyoid was now fuming, ¡°I knew it! Traitor! What makes you think we''ll go against High Mistress'' wishes?!¡± [You don''t know one thing...about her wishes.] This statement made them stop. Aiven said the words in a cold calm voice that shouldn''t have any effects on them and yet, their instincts have all been alerted. His very utterance has become infused by mana that they can''t help but freeze. Aiven''s aura suddenly simmers with hostility. Cold shivers gripped the Undead. Being severely exposed to his [Deranged Status] didn''t affected them physically, but the very fact that it did gave chill to their bones disturbs them to no end. What could this youngling possibly did in twelve years of his life to gain so much karma sins, that an Undead could sense it? But the oppressing aura was shut off just as easily as it manifest. Aiven sighed again and seated himself in the table, watching the [Observer Discs]. It was few seconds later that they heard his voice again, ¡°Unless Delica asked for my death, the least you could do is respect her orders.¡± They were getting confused. Each one was now in doubt, until Aiven said, ¡°Or would you prefer to break that oath?¡± He was waiting for them in all seriousness, gauging how they will react when circles started to emit beneath the Familiar''s feet. The three was also startled but as if in daze, they calmed down. Hyoid looked at him in the eye, and smiled mockingly, ¡°We just received our orders, Master Aiven. Goodbye.¡± Order? Good...bye? Don''t tell me-- Aiven instinctively made his move and casted multiple defense scrolls. But he was not yet finish when a blinding light covered the whole area and from where the Familiar''s stand, was...nothing. They are gone? The makeshift command room was empty aside from him. Tracing the circles, he read the runes still lingering on the ground and was convinced that it was somewhat similar to a [Summoning Circle]. Delica summoned her Familiars to her side. Well, it''s better than being attacked and outnumbered by Undead. He really thought that shorty would shot him dead! Then that means... He scanned the empty room, picked all his things and sprinted outside. Even the Undead Sentinels that stand guard beyond the bone cage were gone. A more pressing matter came to mind, he has to go to Maou-chan. If Delica summoned all her Summons then that means Maou-chan was all alone right now. What was that girl thinking?! He checked the perimeter. There was no trace of Delica¡¯s summoned. Determined, he tried to connect to Maou-chan. When the communicator gave the activation circle, he started talking ¡°Maou, you okay?¡± ¡°You alone? Hurt?¡± ¡°Stay low. Hide. I''m coming.¡± The catacombs should be under the mazes. He used all his speed he could muster and just ran towards the manor. The branches were snapping on his arms and legs but he didn''t slowed down. The haunting silence was creeping the hell out of him that he just continued moving. Nothing stirs. A third of the building has been melted into ruins. Aiven searched the area, scorched marks were everywhere but the grass and remaining walls were was still wet from the flooding. There were no bodies around. The corpses were obviously used to raise Delica''s army. Knowing Maou-chan was fine, he started contacting Simos. We have to make sure what is Delica''s status right now. Not wasting time, he just blurted, ¡°Simos, use [Appraisal Scroll] to Delica¡± He waited for Simos'' report while struggling with his detection to cover the mazes in hope to find the trap door the girls used earlier. Aiven was also starting to feel the miasma numbing his senses, the holy water helps but he was still pressed for time. Damn it! Where was it? The trap door must have been covered by concealment magic if he can''t detect it with his skills. He memorized the damn thing but the maze has been damaged enough that it''s almost unrecognizable. He could get the general location but where was it exactly? Think! Aiven rushed to a dead end he passed by earlier. A piece of wall that was still at man''s height. The trap door exists. That he was sure. This was an open area so a floor trap door was impossible with the rainwater getting sucked in. Upright then. The walls. Aiven studied the vines. The flooding from the hired mage''s influx of mana has been almost ten feet high. The vines clinging on the wall''s surface has moved along the current. But on this particular spot, the leaves were not in harmony. There was no sway like a comb was run through the greeneries, instead it was spreading from the inside out. An impossible pattern. Bingo. Maybe he shouldn''t have used magic from the beginning. Argh, he just wasted mana. With the lock system Delica told them in their gatherings, he opened the door, and ventured inside. It took him a few more minutes until he sensed Maou-chan''s presence. The ancestral cemetery of Canary was huge. Five floors under. The first two were renovated with cages. The steel seems new, and the plaster covering the walls was lighter than the bricks its supposed to support. The rest of the floors were for the dead. A singular figure of a bird loomed at the very center, and a circular entombment which divides each section was filled with bones wrappings imbued with prayers and chants. Not really paying attention to details, Aiven moved on the last floor. He knows no one else was there aside from Maou-chan and when he stepped down the stairs, someone tackled him. ¡°Ai-neechan! Ai-neechan! Guwaaahhh!¡± ¡°Maou-chan, are you okay?¡± ¡°Y-y-yes! But, but¡­¡± The little girl tightened her arms on his neck, almost weeping but she slowly pointed at the huge opening, a few meter in diameters, at the center of the circular catacombs. The bottomless hole was rounded with a glazed glass-like surface that emits a pale blue hue. Little stalagmite and stalactites of same substance have also formed on the floor and ceiling, if he was not mistaken these were all mana ores. The biggest piece was a huge stalactite jutting menacingly on the ceiling, creating a chandelier-like fixture that welcomes the mouth of the hole. The Serpent Vent.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. A pure mana liquid that illuminates the whole area was at the tip of the chandelier-like stalactite. It forms a droplet the size of a head that seems to be on the verge of dropping off any seconds but still held on. ¡°T-there''s a ghost!¡± The little girl didn''t raised her head as she buried herself deeper on his collar. A ghost? He scrunched his eyes to the direction of her finger and tucked on the surface of the hole was a glob of gelatinous stuff. ¡°Maou, have you closed the vent?¡± When she peeked to look at the Serpent Vent, the glob shook violently. Both Aiven and the girl stiffened and she screamed. ¡°Kyaaaah! Noooo! Disgusting!¡± He has seen these substances before, and just like most things that interests him, he became curious. Aiven was still mesmerized by the scene. He inched closer and produced his Gigant Darner. On the edges of hole were multiple slimy packets of globs of green. ¡°Get behind me.¡± The girl nodded, terrified now that she could see clearly the ''ghosts''. Ignoring the tears and the begging face of the young demon lord, Aiven latched a thread on the Darner. When it entered the threadhole, the thread that emerged on the other end has thickened into the size of a two finger cord. Leaving it aside as another unexplained aspect of magic items, Aiven continued threading the needle to a tolerable length and secured a knot on his equipment. Checking the tools, he poised himself and thrown the Darner like a spear. The needle hit the glob and a window appeared.
You have learned Stitch A single loop of thread or yarn in the textile arts.
You have learned Cross Stitch Combat Craft: ATK: 5 A single loop of thread or yarn in the textile arts. Retrieval weapon engaged.
Lame! Gugh, whatever. But he still cringe at the name of the attack skill. If he has to scream Cross Stitch everytime he use the skill, he will die of embarrassment! He tugged the cord and the needle went back to his hand. At the needle was a gooey substance. It really was a slime! Using appraisal, it looks like the ore was still in partial form. He used [Harvest] and the remains of the slime was separated and on his hand instead was a more concentrated mana ore. This is so easy! This''ll take him just a minute to clean everything. He aimed his Darner again and started picking on the helpless stationary preys. Aiven showed the ores to Maou-chan and she backed away, ¡°See? Nothing to be afraid of, these are not ghosts, these are slime.¡± He has no experience dealing with demon children so he doesn''t know how to comfort Maou-chan. Pushing her to cut off the manaline would be problematic until he cleared everything to her. The little girl shook his head vehemently and stammered, ¡°not them! There is something here! I saw them. And Lacrimal said that there¡¯s really supposed to be ghosts here!¡± That pink octopus! Aiven actually want to avoid that one at all cost but if he/she/it just unnecessary scared Maou-chan, he¡¯ll have to confront it earlier than what was expected! He concentrated on the serpent vent, And with a flick of his wrist, his Darner after attacking a slime, changed direction and hit another one. He continued experimenting until he got the hang of controlling the Darner''s trajectory in mid-air. ¡°You aren''t afraid of the Undead.¡± ¡°Ghosts are different, I-I can''t touch them!¡± ¡°No ghost will appear now I''m here.¡± Do ghosts exist in this world? Spirits, undead, summoned devils, these things were recorded in the Known history, but he haven''t heard of Souls wandering around scaring people. There were instances of named shadows left by the rested ones, but not ghosts. ¡°Really?¡± Maou-chan began to relax and was watching him collecting ores.
You have learned Chain Stitch Combat Craft: 5 points [+Needlework ++2 every combo] A series of looped stitches form a chain-like pattern thread or yarn in the textile arts.
Not bad. Not bad. He looked at Maou-chan and offered his needle, ¡°Are you still scared? Want to try?¡± The little girl shook her head and signed in relief. Anyway, he has to wrap things up, before he got lost in his experiments. It also looked like the girl has calmed down. That''s better than her getting tensed up over nothing. He needed her to focus so they could help Simos and Delica later. Somehow, he could still communicate with Simos and what happening there was getting graver and graver. ¡°[Fractured Soul]?¡± ¡°Ai-neechan. I think that¡¯s because of her core.¡± ¡°What do you mean, Maou?¡± ¡°Eh? Um, let me see, I have this link to Delica. But right now, I feel it weakening. Cil said it was because Delica was pulled by the two parts of her [Soul Gem]. The lich body wasn¡¯t supposed to function with only a part of a soul so it integrated to her named shadow. When she was already complete, the soul should not have retained the shadow. So it was trying to reject the Delica¡¯s shadow.¡± It¡¯s rejecting Delica! Souls were pure existence that couldn¡¯t hold on to the material plane without a vessel. Everytime a soul goes from vessel to vessel in the form of rebirth, it leaves a shadow. That shadow was the person¡¯s memories, personalities--the very essence of the life the soul has lived, a named shadow. No wonder Delica never felt like an Undead Lich. Her essence was pretty much still in her [Phylacteral]. Who is Cil? Argh, it doesn¡¯t matter! ¡°Can you help her?¡± ¡°Um¡­yes. Yes! I can do it!¡± ¡°With her named shadow intact.¡± ¡°Eh? But that would¡­¡± ¡°Delica should still be Delica.¡± Maou-chan was deep in thought, her expression changes as if she was debating with herself, but in the end she was smiling while saying, ¡°I just might have a solution! You¡¯re right, if my servant can¡¯t remain as herself, I would fail as her master.¡± Satisfied, he continued discussing some matters with Simos. After that Aiven retrieved his wet Darner and wiped them on his trousers. ¡°We need to close the Serpent Vent.¡± ¡°Yes! Leave it to me.¡± She puffed up her chest and went to the side of the now-cleaned serpent vent. When she placed her palms on the mana crystals covering the rim, she hesitated as if remembering something and said, ¡°If I do this, will your loyalty increase?¡± Loyalty? What is she talking about? ¡°I have always been loyal to you, Maou-chan.¡± His reply was so fast it that he regretted it. The moment he said that, he knew it was a lie. Does Aiven like the girl? Yes. Will he protect her? Of course. But when things come to a point where he has to sacrifice any of his companions to do so, there was doubt in his mind that he would hesitate. The fact that he couldn''t left her here and now was because of conscience, a moral concept still engraved to him. A little girl left alone would put too much guilt on him especially with how much she comes to mean to Delica and Simos. But the rational part of his head would see her as just a means to an end. She got dumped into their lives unceremoniously and so far she has proven to be of some use. As far as Aiven was concerned, this girl was their connection to the people who used Delica and was hunting otherworlders like him. ¡°You''re not loyal,¡± Maou-chan said, her aura lightens as she draws mana to the crystals and mixing it with her own, ¡°I mean, not yet. But no worries. I''ll do my best so you''ll become one, one day! Just wait and you''ll see!" And she smiled so genuinely that her cheeks were flushed with color. Seriously, what is this girl thinking? Her title as Demon King, or their Leader (as connection to being called ''minions'' everytime), was a far-fetched idea for him. But he can''t deny that he still end up smiling because of her weird declaration. ¡°I''ll look forward to it then, Demon King.¡± ¡°Of course! Who do you think I am?!¡± she giggled like a child who find a pet project to play with. Well she was a child. While she''s busy with the manipulation of manaline, Aiven went with his scrolls. There was still something he could do. Activating the [Wiretapping Scrolls], he tried searching for one particular line. He scanned the different connections and was open ears to anything that mentions a name, a very particular name. Got you. Aiven finally found the Herald''s communication link. There was something about the movements of the Lion Golds that peaked Aiven''s interests even before the commencement of their plan. Based on the hacking of communication links, there was a surplus of healing supplies and perishables on their caravans. And instead of information dissemination based on warfare it was more apt to say that the data they''re gathering was more for search and survey even if their steady advancing firepower seems to be in line for battle. This just solidify his speculation the moment he took note of the plain unadorned gold bannermen. The same banners that has no insignia, no pattern, no herald--The very symbol for peace on Heraldry Nobility. The Lion Golds of House Amdelair has come here, not for conquest, but to aide. Relying on his instict, Aiven made a gamble. He hijacked into the identified link and started deciphering the runes they were using. He read the symbols flowing in the Mana Script as it passed on the [Wiretapping Scroll], and tried translating it to his own words and tweaking it enough to change the contents. The action itself took less than minute then he converted a blank scroll and copied everything into it, rune by rune. The runes were more on wind magic. Using sounds, vibrating the air, to carry the message. When he poured mana, the magic circle activated and the runes he just made slowly transferred on the active link. When he was in, he just left a simple message and tried to make the air vibrate on the same tonal disparity created by vocal chords of the Hero of the Seven Rivers. His spell was already connected to Sir Dalen so going for an extra mile wouldn''t cost much. Ugh, he practically used four spell scrolls just to say a sentence. Since they were the envoys of Yuusha and was carrying out her last wishes (is that hero dead? Not sure) they might as well use her. In an added effort to mask the communication magic, he regrouped the runes and added visual runes (or light magic as illusion). He projected an image of the hero the last time they saw her parallel to the words from the message. How ever the message was interpreted would be up to the Lion Golds. The process came to him naturally. For comparison, deciphering and messing with magic sequence was the same as reading and editing a second language. The same as what he routinely do in their [Identity Ring] so he could manipulate what status to show to outsider, only this time, he was messing with a spell that was already active. At the thought of [Identity Rings], Aiven confirmed the black box on his pouch and was again filled with resentment. Concealment items do exist in this world. In fact, they have six of these items on their inventory. The reason they didn''t used these items was because on the on-set, they''ve went to the Temple Ruins of Sola as legitimate novices of the Training Grounds. The next thing they''ve known, their normal identity rings has been left from the inn of the Termina Settlement and was impossible to get back, not only due to fear of being monitored but also due to time constraints. They have only gotten hold of these spare only when Aiven retrieved their account from the Treasury--just after they''ve already dodged the inquisition from the City Gates and have already been safely inside the Merchant''s Districts. So why haven''t they used these rings in the Cessine? The reason was because they can''t afford to. The fact that concealment status enchants hide completely the status of a person makes it a very dubious item. Everyone who uses these rings was like a walking advertisement and will subsequently be spotted either by pickpocketers or the patrols. Good luck to those who even dare use one inside one of the Cornerstone City Fortresses! Especially to those obvious ones likem, as Simos said, novices whose level can''t be that high that normal status appraisal would be hindered. And so they opted out. But what he has were no ordinary [Identity Rings] which just made the blow harder for Aiven. Just as what Aiven has done to the communication link, he could read the [Runestones] attached at these rings. The magic script can be easily rewritten from there and make it possible to show a different class, age, homepoint...whatever setting he desire which deviates from the typical [Identity Rings]. These customized rings have never been reproduced in the market yet. But that skill he was so proud of was still utterly useless. Being the cautious paranoid person Aiven is, at the moment of falsely registering from the inn, he had assumed that their status could have been read by anyone. Delica was thankfully hidden in the [Chest Necklace], Aiven has a new class, Maou-chan hasn''t reach the age to be bestowed by status contract, and Simos was presumed dead (the best disguise possible). If for chance the ones that entered in the inn and the ones who checked out suddenly has a different status, they''ll definitely garner some unwanted attention. And if by chance they wear it now, their status as ''non-hostile'' from Delica''s mindless undead would be covered by their new status and they could be mistakenly attacked by her summoned! To think that his only trump card in concealing their identities could backfire this much. Really really really crappy! He stashed the partial ores and cleared his scrolls. Trying to bury the painful thoughts he was then submerged by a huge mana wave he have not anticipated. His mana and strength was instantaneously filled. His senses instinctively heightened as he focused on the epicenter but somehow all his senses points at his back. ¡°Maou¡­¡± He had known she''s an impossible existence, but he was still getting surprised at her actions. The little girl was sweating hard but she persevered. The Serpent Vent was almost covered with the mana ores from the rim, thickening until it was almost reached the center of the opening. The crystal-like thin ores bent upwards at an excruciating slowness towards the ceiling, forming a cone that meets with the huge chandelier-stalactite. When she mentioned she could do it, he just dumped the impossible work to Maou-chan because he has no other choice. If it worked, good, if she can''t then there''s always another way out of this. But to see it up close, he didn''t know how dangerous and near monstrous it was, her smile however just made the gap seem even greater. The process was going at a steady pace but the more the opening became smaller, the more rampant the swirling of the light in the suspended mana liquid became. Like watching a bomb getting diffused. Only the fuse was very visible and getting shaken like a freaking snowglobe! He need to check himself if he was still breathing normally. The moment the cone was completed, the rush of the last remnant of mana surge went up and the crystal mound pierced the droplet. It immediately evaporated forming a smoke screen that fills the room with fumes more potent than the [Superior Mana Potion]. Aiven blinked back the tears forming from the natural alchemical steams as a side effect of Maou-chan''s interruption on the surge. He craned his head back to make a better view as he saw Maou-chan reaching for the item where the mana liquid was seconds ago. Then the little girl lit up and gleefully raised a thumbs-up on his direction. Holding a piece of [Mana Gem] on her hand that was being suspended at the end points of each inverted cones just awhile ago, creating a crystal hourglass-shape with Maou-chan at the center. But the relief was snuffed out mercilessly when they both heard a stranger''s voice, "Finished fishing?" His body was instantaneously bathed in cold anxiety. The entrance of the lowest floor was blocked by a man wearing an immaculate white doublet, over grey waistcoat and lined with silver revelry. Where did this man come from? He didn''t notice anyone in their vicinity and the place should still be concealed and hidden from any intruders! There''s a youthful appearance on his cheeks, and the arrogance to match. A circular embroidery adorned his vest and unmistakably decorated with two rubies. An expensive gemstones, the pinnacle of magic stones, that could only be found and mandated by the Cessine Regalia. Emblem. Ah shit. What does the special corps of the Regalia doing here?! ¡°How rude, and just when I waited for you to finish your...business.¡± He started walking towards them, releasing an oppressive battle aura, ¡°Introductions, yes, I need to introduce myself, first. If only you were not children then...Ah yes, my name was Emblem Chevalier Larem of Cessine Regalia, Fourth Circles of Sudri and First of Stjarna, positioned under the Banner of Gold.¡± ¡°Is knowing the name of our executioner changes anything?¡± Will he slip? Fuck, he needs an opening. This man was a strong one and Aiven doesn''t know how to deal with him. If he has time to investigate, maybe he''ll have a chance. And he''s two-star ranked, a 2nd tier magic caster, then that makes him at least between raw levels of 200. He needs to make him keep on talking. ¡°Of course, polite customs separates casual killing, you are probably new at these, granted your young age.¡± ¡°Is there anything on your customs concerning killing helpless children?¡± ¡°Children? Probably. Helpless? Tsk tsk. Your karma is screaming with the sins you''ve committed.¡± His eyes gleamed with light, a subtle amount of mana film his sight. ¡°But hm a tailor, you really are helpless now little Aiven of House Gallinthe.¡± Then his appraisal went beyond him to Maou-chan. Aiven knows he will see nothing suspicious but Aiven almost stilled his heartbeat knowing he can''t do anything to shield Maou-chan from the measuring gaze without breaking this little time he has to gather intel, ¡°what a lovely pure aura you have, little girl. No wonder the [Labyrinth''s Core] is attracted to you, an incomplete one, but valuable nonetheless.¡± He lingered his eyes on Maou-chan until he corrected his gaze to Aiven, ¡°Ah sorry there, Eldest son of Gallinthe. I just gotten excited.¡± He clapped his hands, ¡°The Superiors would definitely be interested, so be grateful to die peacefully knowing the girl would live.¡± ¡°You are not taking me alive?¡± This guy doesn''t know anything about Maou-chan? Then he''s probably not one of those involved in Delica''s death. He sounded old but looked young, old money perhaps, when a Magician accepted the Emblem, they stripped their banners to become the Shield of Regalia--a common knowledge recorded in tradition, so that makes him a Noble Banner before. ¡°You have more value dead than alive.¡± Ouch, that hurts, you know?! Arrogant, trying to prove himself, so he tried to make himself sound mature. He probably copied someone. The one he copied¡­that talk about values¡­this isn''t enough but¡­ ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°Still prolonging your life with small talk? You do know¡­¡± Aiven wrenched his hand and the massive needle flew from to his palm with the Darner aimed at the voice. His other free hand, shoved Maou-chan to safety of his back. The man didn''t dodged, the needle was grabbed barehandedly, ¡°Really rude.¡± He grabbed the thread and would have yanked Aiven towards him when he got distracted by multiple globs on the ceiling and walls exploding one after another. Aiven cut off the thread and six needles suddenly appeared heading the Chevalier''s way. No, they didn''t appear out of nowhere. Aiven has released six normal-sized Darners earlier and flung it in the opposite direction unnoticed. Using [Chain Stitch], he directed the attack to the under-developed slimes at their surroundings to stack up the attack and misdirect, he changed its size in mid-air to deal more damage on the Chevalier. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s it?¡± Larem took the attack head on, deflecting each needle with only the tip of his saber, showing his expertise on precision combat. ¡°Come young tailor. Pick up your sword.¡± What sword? He can''t even equip anything decent! Damn it! He clenched his teeth. Humor him, wait a little more. Aiven took another Darner and made its specifics that of Gigants. The meter long needle balanced on his hand and he fitted his fingers inside the threadhole. With no trace of elegance, he sloppily copied the stance of the Chevalier with his outstretched arm extending the needle like a sword. The older man answered him with a laugh, showing amusement. "Enough of this." The chevalier lunges towards him, Larem hasn''t casted any magic or used any protective spells. Whether it¡¯s in confidence or sheer pride, Aiven doesn''t care as long as it doesn''t give more disadvantages to his side. Aiven doesn''t want to kill him but there was no way he could incapacitate the Emblem without resorting in ending Larem''s life. Aiven''s speed helps him dodge most of the attack but just one mistake, a wrong turn of his waist, and he was kicked on the stomach and laid sprawling on the floor with a massive internal hemorrhage and three ribs in the wrong places. Just from a boot and he has his life depleted by half. But he didn''t stopped moving, a light came just as he expected and he was healed within moments. The man only showed his surprise by the split second as his eyes widened. He looked at Maou-chan before it was replaced by a condescending smile. The girl backed away and hid again to the stalagmite half her size. ¡°A real talent we have here. What a wonderful find.¡± His attention was full on him now. With a healer in tow--a strong one at that, the best action for the chevalier could do was to incapacitate the cleric first, or kill Aiven with one shot. The chevalier''s saber was covered with red light. He must have thought low of Aiven to think that killing him in one blow was easier than making Maou-chan sleep. Really, this fight was just one insult after another. Aiven have already calculated that none of his scrolls or active skills could even scratch the surface of his armor so it can¡¯t be helped. Larem''s movement was flawless and precise, and just when Aiven felt another healing spell coming from Maou-chan, he made another gamble. ¡°Don¡¯t heal me! I will fight him with my own power!¡± which was like signing his suicide note. Taking one of Simos¡¯ lines, Aiven can¡¯t help but cringe inwardly. The chevalier also faltered at the bravery (stupidity) of his words. He smiled the same smile Aiven noticed in Musre whenever he visits Simos'' training under the Knight¡¯s tutelage, which only made him sure of his assessment of the chevalier. Aiven put all his speed to his legs, and propelled straight towards the chevalier in a seemingly reckless abandon. Aiven covered the distant faster than the eye can see and just as he hoped¡­no, better than he hoped¡­the chevalier let his guard down. With all that has been said, it was obvious that this man purposely let him pass through his zone of attack. If Aiven has to guess, it was because Larem wanted Aiven to make a last stand to him. Larem¡¯s defense was two tier¡¯s higher than Aiven. His poison, acid, trap and mental resistance also outrank him. Nothing a boy of Aiven¡¯s status could do to immobilize one of the Emblems. Show me what you can do. Larem''s expression seems to say to him. If only the chevalier was not fighting Aiven, then maybe that line of thought would be correct. Seeing the pitying eyes looking down on him, Aiven¡¯s face that was showing despair seconds ago became clear. His dark obsidian eyes, no longer wavering and even his once erratic heartbeat were now steady. The calm breathe, the determined gait--these small adjustments didn¡¯t go unnoticed from Larem¡¯s eyes. The very moment Aiven stepped over his zone, Larem felt something was wrong. At that very second, he lost track of the boy¡¯s presence! Just a second. Then he felt a palm resting on his back. On reflex, his body tensed for a retreat but just as muscle started to move, Aiven already activated his command. [Inventory: Stained Dagger] Larem felt a paralyzing pain inside his stomach, his mind went blank from the unbearable pain. A child¡¯s arm was already slipping to his neck when the instant blinding pain came. And that was the last thoughts on his mind. [Inventory: Dark Sword] [Inventory: Bastard Sword] [Inventory: Shark-Toothed Sword] [Inventory: Leithe Sword] ¡­ Blood spluttered on the chevalier''s mouth and all life has escaped from his body. Where his neck was supposed to be came clumps of sharpened metal arranged in vertical and on top of his scalp were the tips of swords like spikes suddenly came under his skin. On his back was Aiven, the boy¡¯s hand, where an inventory bracelet hangs loosely, was casually placed on his back and his other arm was on Larem¡¯s shoulder as if he was merely on a piggy-back ride. Every time Aiven calls out a weapon, the body will jolt in a frenzy but it remains upright as if gravity haven''t caught up with the speed he release each equipment. Aiven just emptied half of his weapon inventory over Larem¡¯s body. Larem¡¯s lifeless body, or what could be make out of it, collapsed in a deep thud of heavy metal--and it was not because of the chevalier''s armor. Aiven braced for the impact. His feet softly touched the ground and between his legs was the corpse. He just stood there staring at the body. Not really a good sight. Inventory Bracelets uses spatial magic to materialized items from one plane to another. It could bypass, armor, barriers and other instances. They all have in-built safety mechanism to function, but with Aiven¡¯s rune capabilities, it¡¯s easy to disable it. He never used it at this scale yet, and it left a bad taste on his mouth. All his methods always makes him feel wretched even if the other party has all the intention of killing him in turn. The fact that Larem died because of this method was a testament that the man was a good guy, right? Does that make him the bad guy here? This world system keeps the balance that hard work was equally rewarded with becoming strong. Strong was a privilege. Even Simos who was a cheat from the beginning needed to train harder than anyone else to master his abnormal status. That¡¯s why a lot of the common sense in this world¡¯s order was focused on status and ranks. This was a viable truth to the people living here. But none of this affects Aiven in any way. From the start he thinks status was stupid. A small bacteria, something without a functioning brain, could kill a grown man. Give a man a cut and he could die of infection in a month. Just spoonfuls of water on a man¡¯s lung and he¡¯ll drown even if he was just sitting in his home. ¡°Ainee-chan.¡± The voice was from Maou-chan. Even hearing his name, he was still in a daze. The reality of how easy murder came to him horrifies him more than the act itself and this just made him in a spiral of guilt, but the very next words he heard from Maou-chan scared him shitless, ¡°I-I can¡¯t feel Delica.¡± That night, Aiven didn''t care about who was the bad guy or the good guy anymore, or if his actions should lead him to a path he''ll regret. Right now, he need to save his friends.
Chapter 29 The Sila-ir¡¯s Catacombs have been compromised. The possibility of spying items or spells within a corpse was unusual but still a chance Aiven would rather not make. Fast, but not recklessly, he took a spare [Identity Ring] and placed it on Larem¡¯s still warm finger. Copying Simos¡¯ earlier actions, he then placed the body--weapons and all, inside an empty inventory bracelet. He then equipped the bracelet on one of the more decent occupant of tombs. Hoping this will do, he changed one of the runes on the bracelet and added [Lock]. He was called paranoid by Simos multiple times for a reason. He gulped down a number of mana pills and when he felt it replenishing his strength, he severed all mana traces he could found in this place while leading Maou-chan to a hidden tunnel that was supposed to be her original getaway with the Undead Seafolk. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Maou-chan tightened her hold on his nape and Aiven nodded. She was hugging him tight and with a simple activation of a [Teleportation scroll], they were easily covered in light and their surroundings shifted. They were on the wall of a cliff, carved in a semblance of a cavern. The cliff gave enough camouflage and shadows for hiding and below them was the river that cut across the Sila-ir estate. If they follow the river, they would find themselves back on the secret tunnels where they escape from the manor. Aiven separated from Maou-chan and produced multiple scrolls. ¡°Simos is still holding. His mana is low but his life force is not yet critical.¡± Maou-chan reported. As it happens, it looked like as one of the effects of accepting Maou-chan¡¯s Quest, the three of them really did become her Guard(ians) in a way. Just like Delica¡¯s ability to sense her familiars, Maou-chan could verify each of their status. It¡¯s the very ability she used to help Delica find them when he and Simos was almost burned from the [Hades Underworld] spell. Nodding, the scroll he released on the ground crumpled into nothingness. The etched circle from the parchment was still glowing, hovering just a few centimeters from the ground. ¡°Maou-chan.¡± A light illuminated the spot where Maou-chan was standing, linking the small one on Aiven''s palm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Everything will be all right.¡± Maou-chan replied with her normal cheer. Receiving her consent, Aiven activated [Transplace] and swap Simos and Maou-chan''s position. Miracles are never questioned, by the witnesses at least. With this thought, they moved with their original little scheme to fool the banners of gold. Aiven didn''t move at the flurry of light and mana and when it settled, his breathe caught. On the dimmed cavern was his friend. The blonde strands of hair seem to catch light on its own. Aiven was relieved to see him until he saw the blood. There¡¯s just so much blood. Simos slouched and with growing paleness, lifelessly fell on his knees. Aiven didn''t expect to see a gashing hole on Simos'' stomach! He stretched out his arm to catch Simos and was just as pale to see parts of his friend¡¯s innards already spilling on the floor! He fumbled on his inventory but his hands were shaking that he can¡¯t hold anything properly. Argh, fuck it!. He scattered its contents in desperation. The [First Aid] he was able to use on Simos was still in cooldown. Aiven almost begged for it to come faster. The healing potions were not fast enough compared to the worsening of his friend¡¯s stats, Simos was almost bathing with the damn thing! Then Aiven felt a wide area effect healing spell casted from the place where the battle was second ago, and some bordering effects reached their hiding place¡ªimmediately closing some of the internal injuries Simos had suffered. Maou-chan? But it was still not enough. Simos¡¯ lifeblood continued to pour out of his body. Giving silent thanks, Aiven tried again. It took all Aiven''s strength to patch him up until a collapsed lich appeared on top of Aiven! Struggling, he felt no weight on the girl and no sign of life on Delica. Her body was still whole, the [Phylacteral] was still beating with miasma, but he has never seen Delica unconscious in her new state. Undead don''t sleep. Calm down, he murmured to himself, shaking away the queasy feeling of seeing Simos'' intestines falling out of his hands and added by the helplessness of not knowing how to aid Delica. The [First Aid] he was casting were failing. He started using conventional methods again. The bandages and stitches started to fall apart. Clean the wound, apply pressure--the first aid he learned from his old world. Focusing on what he knows he can do--save Simos. He''ll deal with Delica later. The space beside him lit in elaborate pattern, Maou-chan just used the second [Teleportation Scroll] before she appeared but he was too far gone to notice. When he felt her hand tapped him on his shoulder, Aiven glanced at her. The girl was already saying a prayer for Simos to heal. When everything that needs to be bandaged were dealt with using healing magic, Aiven collapsed as if his body finally gave way to the tension. Then another tap, Maou-chan was pointing him to their escape route. There''s still a lot of things to be done. Aiven tried not to think as time trickled by. Carrying two children was hard. He could use scrolls again, but with his state of mind, he just selfishly decided that he can¡¯t lose sight of the two of them again. Not now, when he doesn¡¯t know if the destination point was as safe as they presume. If they¡¯re going to die, they¡¯ll die together. He tried checking on Maou-chan, reeling the little girl on his side as much as possible but instead it feels like the sealed demon lord was the one leading them to safety. Thankfully, Delica was unnaturally lighter than she looks, and Aiven was already used at carrying Simos'' weight even before their adventurer days. Simos always get himself in bad situations that Aiven always ends up cleaning after him. Isn¡¯t that right? The exhaustion was creeping on him but he pushed it at the back of his mind just as much as everything that threatens to shake the little calm he has left. Everything is finally ending. That''s what''s important. And everyone is here with me. The glooming threats of Rust-Irons were gone. Delica''s familiars were well and still existing. Though he wished they didn''t. Extra baggage. Additional headaches. Argh. The Lion Golds were pacified, somehow. From the start, this was the best they could do for them. Now all they have to do was get away from this prison hell. It was minutes later when Maou-chan was able to look after Delica. They were finally inside a more spacious part the abandoned tunnel. He stayed at the entrance, looking out for anything suspicious, but his eyes were just dazed in one direction. The quietness unnerves him. Simos was lying on one of the bedsheets he took out from the black box, the color was starting to return to his face. Maou-chan was kneeling beside Delica and used another of her prayers, asking for the spirits for help. There were times he caught her talking to herself but he just let it pass. Delica¡¯s soft features and downcasted eyes started to move while her body continuously emanates miasma. The parasitic runes (namely the shadow of Delica latched on the Soul Gem) were slowly manifesting again on her body but Maou-chan just traced the symbols with her finger and they calmed down, meticulously changing its affinity to light. Maou-chan was sealing Delica, using her named shadow as a catalyst. He was watching closely and reading the seal she was placing. ¡°Can you read the runes?¡± ¡°Umu, no. I can¡¯t, but Cil said I should just put my hand on these runes and let her do it.¡± That name again. ¡°Cil?¡± Aiven asked, this time he was fully prepared to question Maou-chan thoroughly. She was looking a bit concerned; since the past hour has been the most time they have conversed with each other. It was mostly Delica who would monopolize Maou-chan and during discussions, the demon king was happily listening to everything they were talking about that she hardly pitched in (actually it was mostly just Simos and Delica doing the talking). ¡°She¡¯s a friend. She helped me in making magic! But she said she can¡¯t be left out because there would be ¡®complications¡¯. I don¡¯t know.¡± An imaginary friend? A voice in her head? Her other self? What is it? ¡°Is she dangerous?¡± ¡°Eh? Of course not! She won¡¯t hurt a fly! Right, Cil? See? She said ¡®yes¡¯ right away!¡± The girl defended, she was not even looking at her handiwork as her hand moved like it has a life of its own. It¡¯s more of a question if ¡®she¡¯ can. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°Ahhhh, I¡ªshe said I can¡¯t say that. But she¡¯s really good.¡± ¡°She won¡¯t take over your body? Transform you into an older/demon version of yourself? Go berserk? Self-destruct?¡± ¡°What? No¡ª¡° then she started whispering to herself, ¡°can you? Really, but¡­I see, is that possible?¡± then as if coming to a conclusion, she faced Aiven and replied, ¡°Nope, she promised!¡± Maou-chan replied getting flustered at his incessant barrage of interrogation. He can¡¯t help but doubt it. None of the public records have any in-depth record of a demon¡¯s physiology or psychosis so he cannot be sure what to make out of this new information.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. When the seal ritual was finally over, Delica mechanically came to life, her joints creaked as if shifting the rigor mortis that settled on her body. It was her eyes though that made all the difference. It was pure blue like her deep azure iris and pupil have expanded to dominate all space of her eyes. Then her lashes fluttered as she blinks multiple times and were at last turned to her normal human eyes. For awhile she was staring at Maou-chan¡¯s face and just like the very first time she was revived, she screamed. ¡°Nuuuuu! M-master! Master I¡¯m sorry! I fail!¡± She started bawling her eyes out and saying apologies after apologies to everyone especially to Maou-chan. She kept on hugging the little girl. Leaving Maou-chan unprotected with the Serpent Vent took a huge toll on Delica''s pride as a [Vassal Lich] that she took up her role once more with a burning passion. Ah she''s back. I didn''t thought how much I''ll miss her noise. The fact that she was sealed was never brought up, probably since she already know the details. She could assess her own status and Delica could hardly complain because the seal was special on its own right. The seal also has little effect on her since it was just the permanent severance of her two cores. This would have killed any normal Undead but since the core was split from the very beginning, its existence was continuously linked by her shadow. The same state she was before she rampaged. Since the light-attributed runes were originally from her creator her body readily accepted the spell without much resistance. Right now, instead of saying seal, it¡¯s more like a blessing since it means that even if she lost any one of her cores, she could still survive. ¡°Thank you master for bringing me back. I¡¯ll serve you with the best of my capabilities.¡± ¡°Of course, I expected nothing less!¡± ¡°Hear that Aiven? She has the making of a great Lord!¡± Their eyes met and his heart almost lurched when he heard her say his name. She¡¯s really back, right? This is Delica. ¡°And uh, also thanks for the help.¡± She added momentarily conscious at the gaze she received from her friend. Aiven just answered her with a pat on her head and Delica beamed her normal cheerfulness on full marks. And with that she concentrated on summoning Ilium for them to escape. With the loss of the terrain''s natural dark mana, Delica became noticeably weaker and needed more time to create the necessary preparations for her summoning. It took longer than was expected when Simos came to, and Delica started tearing up again. Simos was fully healed but he was still in much pain with his muscles and organs still fresh from a beating. If Aiven didn''t headchopped the young lich, she would have continued stacking negative status on Simos'' recovering body! ¡°You don''t deserve pity.¡± Because you are not a pitiable creature. You are better than that. ¡°Cruel. Aiven is really cruel,¡± Delica said sobbing as she goes back to her corner. ¡°Don¡¯t be too harsh on her, even if she did went overboard.¡± Simos defended, cloaking the bedsheet on his shoulder. He started to sit up but groaned as his muscles were still aching in fatigue. Even if he was healed, the new flesh wounds were still raw. ¡°I am deeply reflecting on my actions.¡± She replied almost stammering. ¡°Say Delica, now that I''m awake and all, were you really serious killing me off?¡± Simos asked, as Delica lovingly strokes Maou-chan''s hair to calm her down. Can you not make Maou-chan your stress-reliever? ¡°I already said I''m sorry! You know I was not myself, my Phylacteral not really able to mend and...my soul gem fracturing into two incomplete cores and started to--¡± ¡°Hey, not that again. By gods, I am not blaming you. I was just saying how it took you half an hour and I am still left standing in the battle. That habit of yours should stop.¡± ¡°Hmph. Is it wrong to play with your food?¡± ¡°Give your enemy enough time and they''ll find a hole in your silly games¡± ¡°Mind you, that very habit saved your life by a margin. If I was serious you wouldn''t have lasted more than a minute.¡± ¡°You''re too generous dear sister. Why don''t you be more accurate and apt it to seconds, eh?¡± Sheesh, Delica is still a crybaby. Aiven noticed Maou-chan who was trying to catch on their conversation. She would lighten up whenever they mention something foreign to her ears. When she caught him looking at her, she smiled and stood up. Just a few steps and she was able to sit on his knees with a contented expression on her face. She has been doing that lately. She also used Delica as lap pillow whenever possible, and would turn to Simos for him to carry her whenever they move. It''s like she''s always seeking someone to cling to. He sighed, but it put a relief on him knowing Delica was back to normal. No matter how stretched his definition of normal is. Then Simos and Delica came to a full stop as they realized again that they went ahead in their arguments about roundabout things as if everything was all right. Looking at everyone apologetically, they started laughing. ¡°Thank you Aiven, for everything,¡± Simos said, his hair was still in disarray, dried blood stick everywhere from his clothes to his trousers. He looked like something shredded him. ¡°Thanks. To all of you, for surviving.¡± He finally word out for everyone to hear. For some reason that put a relaxed atmosphere to the place. They survived. That is all that is needed. ¡°But, um,¡± The blonde started again. Catching Aiven¡¯s attention, Simos pointed at the embedded threads lined on his skin from his abdomen, ¡°what is this?¡± ¡°Sutures.¡± ¡°Sutures?¡± ¡°Stitches.¡± ¡°Uh, why?¡± ¡°Open wounds, they need to close.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Simos was still looking confused. Before Simos could ask another question, Aiven took his scissors and started snipping and pulling the threads off Simos'' skin. It was uncomfortable at first but when he moved on his back, the blonde already stopped fidgeting. ¡°I really don''t mind. But was this for your experiments again?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± What did you say? ¡°I don''t know what you''ll get from stitching people up, but who knows...¡± Aiven groaned in irritation. You were dying and that''s what you think I¡¯ve been doing?! ¡°Okay! I''ll shut up. So it''s not your experiments. Got it,¡± Simos true to his words, didn''t brought the topic again and was silent. Then Aiven pointed at Maou-chan. Save your thanks to her. Realizing what he meant, Simos'' face softens ¡°Thank you Lady Maou-chan for fixing me up.¡± Simos said petting the girl as they rested while Delica went back in creating the summoning circle. ¡°Don''t mention it! Every time you get injured, my level rises! So it''s great.¡± ¡°I''m glad to hear I am of some use to you my lady,¡± Simos smiled genuinely. ¡°Just continue doing what you are doing. I''ll definitely look forward the next time I heal you!¡± Maou-chan. Please don''t say such morbid words so cheerfully. Not wanting to imagine the twisted direction their relationship was headed, Aiven finished cleaning Simos and applied a small [First Aid] to close the wounds. Then Aiven decided to rehearse to them their plan since it looks like they still have time. Just like earlier, he appraised everyone and severed all traces of mana and negative miasma clinging to them. Delica was really being thorough with her circle. By the time he was finish placing concealment magic and distributing [Identity Rings], he finally checked on Delica. He knew that summoning animate and reanimated creatures were one of the most complex circles he has encountered so far, but what''s taking her so long? This was the very reason why Aiven steered his studies away from [Summoning Familiars] and never looked back. The circle was tedious and the chanting was too much. Just the summoning itself was already a hassle and sucked so much mana. Maybe he could have helped Delica in the circle. He should start reading about them. ¡°Delica...¡± ¡°Before you gave me that tone... ¡° ¡°Tone?¡± ¡°Please, as if you haven''t glancing my way as if I''m a useless creature not being able to finish my summoning circle as fast as you do your impossible runes.¡± ¡°But before you could...¡± ¡°It was the Serpent Vent''s help, okay?¡± Just how strong was the Serpent Vent, to be able to increase Delica''s strength and summon an army? With Aiven''s look of bewilderment, Delica was sure he doesn''t know anything about Manaline connections. ¡°First of, Serpent Vents were phenomenon that produces labyrinths and dungeons! The concentration on the surface was immense. When I connected into it, I was...ahh the sensation was just amazing! I even shoot up to two tiers higher.¡± ¡°Wait, two tiers?!¡± Simos asked, ¡°You reached Calamity class?! That''s awesome. No wonder I could barely read your status!¡± ¡°Huuu, I know, I miss the feeling of power.¡± She said feeling dejected as she scribbled on the ground. Calamity class was fifth tier magic class. Then that makes it... ¡°500..¡± ¡°Eh? Hm, if it''s raw levels then yes, I was about Level 534 when my connection to the vent was cut.¡± Shit. He looked at Simos. He was fighting this monster? And he survived? No wonder she wiped out a whole army! ¡°Level?¡± Aiven asked, his eyebrows scrunching as he scrutinize Simos. ¡°Level 56, why?¡± You got to be kidding me, Simos can''t possibly fight ten times his level stat?! Then he remembers something. ¡°Tier?¡± ¡°Base. What, you think I''ll jump to a hundred level overnight? Don''t be stupid.¡± ¡°But with Delica...¡± ¡°I was being pummeled in a corner. And I have 6th Tier World class equipment so I lasted like what? Minutes?¡± The blonde said laughing at himself. 600 level requirement. It was a great boost but Simos couldn¡¯t still use it to their full potential. Then Aiven''s mind started calculating Delica''s level...then she''s currently a third tier--A Champion Class. ¡°What raw levels are you?¡± Aiven was looking at Delica directly. ¡°Currently?...hm, let me see, I''m a level 67 Lich. Oh right, raw levels, that''ll make me 367, more or less.¡± He almost blanked out from the staggering level gap of him and his party members. And I reset my level as a Tailor! But right, Delica has familiars so she¡¯s weakened to the point that even beginners can put damage on her but if she has all her ¡®babies¡¯ and she started giving them maxed equipment¡­ What sort of Boss Raid Level are you?! Lich were three tier class creatures. Even at their starting levels, they were already strong. Of course, that''s to be expected. And she was already on the verge of a class up! About half more she''ll reach Legendary Tier. Aiven needs to be careful from now on. He''s been focusing on runes and Babel language for the past ten years and recent events just proved that those were not enough. He really needed to catch up on Dark Arts on his reading list. He can''t imagine Delica''s retaliation if he pissed her off, big time! They end up talking amiably for another twenty minutes until Delica finished all her preparations for her summoning. Just looking over the spell, he can''t help but scan how wasteful it is. He really needed to help Delica to work on the [Undead Summoning].
Afterwards was all a blur to him. When all was done, Ilium was summoned for the second time that night, sending dark gusts of wind and miasma hovering all around them. His appearance made a huge commotion on the surrounding forest. They were at the edge of the River but their location was easily seen. The dragon''s wide back made it possible for the four of them to sit steadily along. Thankfully, they were in the Cessine City Fortress, the southern defense of the Kingdom which has monopolized the combat warfare. If they were in any other fortress--the West Trissine with their fleet of Wyvern Riders or the East Exine''s Magic Carriers, they would have been doomed. With most of the fighting power of fortress concentrated on the Cessine Castle and the Higher Bloods'' estates, their escape were greeted with nothing more than the typical screaming of the good people of the lower and merchant''s district and the old fashioned cannons. ¡°Tch. There''s still too many guards at the walls.¡± Simos muttered under his breathe seeing the lines of fortress guards that were stationed on the gates. ¡°As expected of the biggest army in the four fortress of Arvalar, we really do have overwhelming manpower!¡± Still, they were unprepared. They have just received a report that the Undead subjugation has been successful, and now an Undead Dragon just raised out of nowhere! Their orders were to expect incoming attack just in case the neighboring Empire decided to give them a visit. Since the guards weren''t expecting a breach from the inside, they needed more time to recalibrate and reposition their massive cannons. Ilium continued rising atop the rooftops on the districts. Adventurers were starting to pool on the city¡¯s main square, readying themselves after the alarm. Gugh, not this again. "Up! Go up!" Aiven shouted, then Delica nodded as she started to give specific commands to Ilium. Curses, the adventurers started using appraisal magics, trying to gauge their party¡¯s status. If any of them has a higher level than their [Identity Rings] and multitude of concealment scrolls, their status could be leaked! They used the typical [Identity Rings] because that would be the safest. His name and Delica was on the wanted list so it¡¯s not much a loss. But Maou-chan and Simos was a different issue. They have to protect Maou-chan''s existence at all cost. The dragon rises higher and higher until they reach the highest flight altitude. ¡°Simos, make an air packet around us, now!¡± Simos didn''t miss a beat and started chanting. ¡°Air pressure, same levels. Temperature, same. Ilium, when you feel the air magic completed, fly higher!¡± Aiven dug his nails on the dragon''s scale. Delica was caging Maou on her arms and Simos was also crouching as the winds lashes. But the moment the spell was casted, the surrounding air became peaceful, while outside the air bubble were the streams of clouds violently moving against them. The people underneath looked like ants, then magic started to fire. Too late, they were already on the skylines. They hid over the cover of clouds and drifted away from the City Fortress and they were gone in an instant. Their exit was more peaceful than he could hope for.
Chapter 30 ¡°This is nostalgic.¡° Simos said now fully awake. His elbows both propped to support his inclined body. ¡°What is?¡± Delica asked. ¡°You know, with all of us riding at the back of Ilium. Me, mortally wounded. Lady Maou-chan, healing me. You, crying.¡± ¡°Hah, nostalgic,¡± Delica''s brows'' arched slightly in amusement, ¡°when it all happened in one day?¡± ¡°It did, didn''t it? Man, that was a long night!¡± The part where Aiven was left out was not raised since the person himself doesn''t care. He was busy taking account of their inventory. The cool breeze of dawn greeted their party for the first time. Simos was slowly recovering. And Delica''s purification was a success, you wouldn''t have linked the dignified girl sitting promptly infront of him to the crazed Undead that wrecked havoc on the Cessine Fortress. That was really a grueling night. Aiven breathe in fresh morning air and tried to relax his aching muscles. He really thought they would die! They were now riding smoothly on a warm air packet that keeps them at a leisure pace. The horizon opens up before them in powdery streams of clouds tinged with the orange and carmine sunrise being slowly claimed by the cerulean skies. Behind them was the cultivated lands and farms which was hardly visible on their height, they could no longer make out the walls of Cessine City Fortress. The grassland where their city stands stretched through Gadawodd and Hawl''s river veins and breaks down into streams as it enter the bordering forests of the kingdoms. It was almost picturesque, especially with Maou-chan comfortably sleeping on Delica''s lap, cradled by Delica''s arms. A child in Maou-chan''s age really needs sleep and what happened the night before has exhausted all of them physically and mentally. The scales was biting on some their flesh, but it was made tolerable by a set of thick blankets made of soft fur and leathers latched from the dragon''s underbelly. Not the most stylish drab, but enough to be bearable. Once Aiven got a good grasp on his class, he promised to make a decent saddle for Ilium. Actually, what he has on mind was a tent. The air packets do not bring strong winds, it moves with the wind, so the very idea was plausible. But he has a long way to go. An image of a citadel carried by a dragon on its back came to his mind''s eye. That would be really awesome. But he was not that ambitious, just a collapsible tent with a carriage-like structure would be enough for them. Though he would need to fatten Ilium up to make the tent more balanced. ¡°Here you go,¡± Delica said, giving Simos a steaming cup of coffee. Leavened bread drizzled with butterhoney was being passed down one by one. The cup itself has [lava cubes] that keeps it piping hot, but would be lukewarn when touched by skin. Magic tools used for convenience has been on the rage for the nobles lately specially with the 500-year Demon War closing its chapter seven years ago. When Delica''s gaze settled on him, Aiven just said, ¡°Your strongest, no sugar.¡± The usual. Shaking her head disapprovingly, she continued brewing. The large vial in her hand was poured, stirred and shaken like a professional barrista, ¡°Don''t you think your slight obsession to drown yourself in pure coffee was the thing hindering your growth? You could beat a Sudri high in caffeine!¡± she asked, but there was still a hint of teasing on her. ¡°Impossible. Any Sudrine at aged three could brew coffee. And not everyone was stunted as Aiven here, no offense.¡± None taken, afterall, the Sudri''s Fire Mages were known to chew on raw coffee nuts. And it''s not like Aiven was short, his batchmates just happens to be bigger than him. It''s like his features was still that of his old world though his face has taken after his blood mother. Even before his reincarnation Aiven has really liked coffee. His mother actually beamed when he started drinking three cups a day...a singular stereotyped to innate Fire Mages, but during those times, the best he could do with fire was a [Flint]. The beans cultivated and processed in Cessine City were one of the best he had tasted; aromatic bitteroot coffee with just the hint of ginger, Sufi Breweries, Buri Blend and any number of Cafes in the higher district--but Runsaer Kingdom was well-known for their exotic and particularly dangerous line of beverages and cuisines. ¡°Give him his coffee, it''s either that or he''ll drown himself in ink!¡± her brother conceded, sipping his drink with white smoke wisping through the air. But Simos suddenly went pale and looked at Aiven, "Aiven. I didn''t mean--" ¡°Stupid brother. Do you really have to remind him?¡± ¡°Remind me what?¡± What are they apologizing again? ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Simos started keeping his head down in remorse, ¡°we know scripture''s a touchy subject, especially now that you have a tailoring class.¡± ¡°But--but don''t worry! You could always take a another license to be a scribe! There''s lots of Arvalarian who have multiple licenses for their crafts, like Grand Maester Tocelle of House Chattreuse and Maester Renish.¡± ¡°I''ve also heard Axiom Scriveners in the Holy Kingdom would normally took sub-class licensure in stone carvings so don''t lose hope!¡° Simos quickly added, giving a large pat on Aiven''s back that slash a couple of his health. Almost coughing his coffee from Simos'' small act of encouragement, Aiven muttered ¡°I don''t want to be a scribe.¡± ¡°¡°Eeehh??¡±¡± ¡°I want to be [Scout].¡± ¡°That doesn''t...make any sense. What about your subjects in glyphs you''ve been taking in the Training Grounds? The mountain of books in your collection? Bihorn Brushes sets, alchemical inks, scrolls?¡± ¡°Wait, didn''t you said you volunteered to be a scout to explore old ruins, dungeons, so you could gather ancient texts and see old runes?!¡± "Forced." "Volunteered. Come on, Delica, ''til now?" ¡°I wanted to be a Scout so I could continue adventuring with you both.¡± Aiven replied, frowning a little at their blabbering. And an awkward silent came, two pair of eyes stared at him gaping. ¡°W-what?¡± Simos coughed, and smiled apologetically, ¡°Eh, nothing. Nothing. I''m just not used...hearing you completing your sentences, you know?¡± Delica giggled, obviously delighted to hear his answer, ¡°Can''t be helped, little Aiven, since all your retorts has always been a deadpan silence, the ever-universal glare or the simple groan that mercilessly kills the conversation,¡± If he keeps his silence, he was suspicious. If he started talking, he was weird. Make up your minds, people! They both relaxed when he glared at them which just irritated him as he made his point. ¡°Come on Aiven, don''t be like that.¡± Simos said, good-naturedly, ¡°we also know you hate talking so you don''t have to force yourself to talk.¡± He does hate losing mana. Delica handed him his coffee, ¡°And you have no idea what your voice does.¡± He looked at her puzzled, so Delica continued on, ¡°your tone is oozing with mana. Pretty dangerous around beings who feeds on it...mainly us, don''t you think?¡± Her smile made him spine tingle with dread that his cup almost slip passed his fingers. ¡°If you want to ask me why I kept silent about it, it''s because that place back then is so filled with such delicious miasma, I could not have noticed, so please stop giving me that accusing glare.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°Ahah! Is that why those guys follow you?¡± Simos asked, his wounds forgotten, not that there is still trace of it after Maou-chan''s healing. ¡°Uh? Delica''s pets?¡± ¡°Hey! That''s mean!¡° Delica burst out, pouting. ¡°Ahahah, to call Undead as mere pets!¡± What else do you call ''familiars'' if not pets? He was not interested to be a tamer and with the high mana consumption rate of tamed familiars, Aiven easily scrapped it off to his list of things to spend his limited attention to. ¡°Well, it could be a factor. But you have to admit, Aiven''s analytical skill is unmatched. The way you handled my Generals unflinchingly is remarkable.¡± Delica consented. I didn''t do anything remarkable. Seriously, where do they get their confidence on him anyway? He paused then drink his coffee, savoring the taste before he went back to work. He want to sleep actually but his mind won''t let him until he settled their current stand. Itching to do something, Aiven went back to his accounting duties. Scribe? Really? All this time, they thought he would go for a scribe class? Why would anyone invite a boring useless scribe to their party? Sheesh, but what the hell, it''s not that being a tailor is any different. *sigh Six [Treasure Chest] bracelets hang on his wrists, 4 on the left, 2 on the other hand. And as natural as clearing up a messy cabinet, he opened all of them at once and started segregating the trash from the useful. The [Inventory listing items] screen came to life almost overlapping infront of Aiven. Unlike the normal born people on this world, his brain was already haywired for multi-tasking. One of his advantages living in the technology-based era of mobile phones and computers. Simos and Delica wasn''t surprised at how easy it came to their friend. He makes it look so simple. A staggering amount of info was being loaded on Aiven''s brain, and yet he could still scanned through everything with efficiency. The very first time they saw him do it three years ago, they were so unprepared they thought he has gone mad. But hours later and he was still functioning. A monster.
Unlike them, he was the only who have handled taxes before, in a sense, so he really should be the one to handle their finances. He was just way too weak. I really am pathetic, aren''t I? As clumsy as Delica is, she just dumped all these materials and supplies on him--weapons, augmented items, and food supply that could feed a thousand for a forthnight. The almost untouched wagons and caravans of subjugation campaign supplies--the loot from the Rust-Irons. You would think by the chaos and all, Delica''s familiars wouldn''t have the sense to stash the loots away. If he''s not mistaken, the supplies were confiscated by Acromion''s unit. Isn''t he the familiar who gave him his first pay-out? Come to think of it, why would a walking corpse have spare coins to pay him anyway? He can''t help but be amused. That Undead Beastial has the making of a money-grubbing bastard! He likes him already. Going over the loot, Aiven was thinking they could resell the weapons but all of the weapons were mostly base tier double-edged swords and spears. What''s worse, it has the Fallen Rust Iron Insignia at the hilt. Too suspicious! There''s no way he could sell these without linking them to the total annihilation of the Oreindr House. The arrows could be useful. There was no markings on them and they seem to be normal aside from the magic-casted ones which could fetch a more hefty price. But the feathers used were all the same. It''s from a Burnheart Pigeon, a local avian at the Termina Silva Forest, the same forest they just passed by hours ago and the one that separates the Sila-ir and Oreindr lands. Its color was brownish red. Similar to the Rust-Irons vermilion coat of arms. His House Banner doesn''t own an army so he was not sure if the feathers has meaning or not. He''ll ask Simos later. Looking at his growing list of questions, it''s obvious that Aiven''s concern was more focused on the food supplies. Sacks of rye bread, potatoes and some ingredients for porridge. There''s also the abundance of meat. What do you expect from warriors? It was just too much. There was no way they could finish it off. It''ll only just take a week before it all spoils. He could save some with preservatives and ice magic but most of it would end up as garbage by the end of the month. Let''s just pray they''ll encounter a starving village on the way. Actually, maybe they should look for one. He could really use a normal bath and bed any time soon. He sighed, ah the pains for small comforts. The items were all good. Their expiration were still years from now and since they have lost most of their newly bought supplies from Cessine Fortress, these potions and herbs were definitely welcome. No such luck on needles though. For the item supplies, he''ll mark them as hands-off for now. There was no way he''ll sell them. The possibility of fraud and swindlers were too engraved on his old-world self, that his apprehension towards the merchant guilds could be seen as pure paranoia and unfounded--any merchants would be offended. Still, he was clear on his notion to limit transactions to merchants as much as possible. He was still not finish on Delica''s loot but his mind was already wandering elsewhere. You can''t blame him because after this, he has to take care of ''that''. Afterall, it''s not only Delica who brought something over. The pouch securely fastened on his belt has been uncomfortably filled with not just one black box, but eight! The other seven black boxes contains the whole Treasury vault of Canary Gold. Simos brought it along when he retrieved their family heirloom. Just thinking about it already makes his palm sweat like crazy! He could already imagine the treasures and golds stashed on these black boxes. But he has to steel himself. If the high class items were there, then the possibility of the Fallen Canary Insignia stamped all over it was high! Slash that, it''s a certainty! Their status were too low in terms of level to use any of them, aside from Simos. And on a selfish note, he was a crafting class. Nothing was useful for him there even if he got the minimum level requirement. Again the loss was too much for his heart! He could almost weep. Thinking back, it isn''t the time to dawdle about it. Their very future hangs on every and any resources they could put their hands on. With a nagging idea, Aiven cut into the siblings'' normal bickering, ¡°Delica, your Dwarvens, could they still smith?¡± The two stopped and Delica placed a hand in her chin in deep thought, ¡°Hmm, I don''t think it''ll be possible with their status overriden by [undead class]. They still have their living memory, so they might have the know-how.¡± So melting the metals would have to be pushed back from their schedule. They don''t have a furnace so that could be a long way off. Wait...living memories. ¡°Tailor? Any tailor?¡± ¡°Eh? Um, sorry Aiven, none of my lovelies has Tailoring Class.¡± ¡°Tch.¡± ¡°Hey stop thinking they''re useless just because you can''t use them at the moment!¡± Aiven answered her with a shrug and busied himself again. They went back to a restful silence while Aiven continued in his musings.
The weight of his ceremonial dagger from his House Banner was pressing on his skin. His hand moved and felt the crest on the scabbard. A lone shield. A House that protects. With his next agenda, he would really need the protection of his Banner. While the sun still gives off a comfortable glow, Aiven started to wake Maou-chan. With a yawn, the little girl wiped away the sleepiness on her eyes. ¡°What is it Ai-neechan?¡± Clearing his throat, for a tense moment all his party members'' attention came to Aiven. And with as blunt as he could be, he finally said how he plans to adopt Simos. Saying they were shocked was an understatement. ¡°Oi Aiven, this is not a passing matter. You know my name''s history! Knowing who I am, I don''t think your House would approve!¡± Simos said as he straightened his position. This was not spur of the moment. He has put a lot of thought on this and he has decided that this was the best course of action for them. On the records, Aiven was the sole survivor of his banner, this makes him the current head of House Gallinthe by default. So it would be possible for him to create a blood contract with Simos.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. House Gallinthe was once a commoner''s name mostly found in the Kingdom of Arvalar. Their ancestry can be traced to one of the small settlements that was absorbed in the Kingdom when the Three Kingdoms were just being formed. It was only through his father''s stubbornness that the name was carried over when he rose in Banner Nobility which made his name more detestable to the Higher Bloods, since most of those who were granted of titles opted for a more heraldric name. The last time he checked, his status as Herald was already placed under his titles. It would take a Bearer of Regalia to personally give and take this title away so the their banner still stand. His parents must have surrendered the title to complete their escape. ¡°I agree with Aiven.¡± ¡°You too?¡± Simos was aghast staring at Delica. ¡°I know you also have the Herald Title from our Fallen House, if we weigh the pros and cons of having the same banner of a Common House and that a Fallen Gold, whether as a relative or a shade, it''s obvious which of these, people would pry more. In any case you would need a new identity, especially now that you are pronounced dead...again.¡± ¡°Ugh, how many times did we died already?!¡± ¡°Officially? Or literally?¡± With that Simos and Delica started to smile. They were back together. They were still in enemy''s territory but the thought that no one died permanently, made everything feel that things were not that bad. Aiven faced Simos. He was looking straight at his friend, and with a practiced draw he unsheathed his ceremonial dagger. The engravings glistened with his House'' crest and he handed the scabbard to Simos. Simos was quiet, alternately glancing at the blade that was pointed at his chest and the scabbard made of ivory and silken threads. A reluctant smile, then Simos said in resignation, ¡°Do you really want me to be a part of your House?¡± Aiven shook his head, and he could see Simos'' face falling. ¡°No, I want you to be part of my family.¡± Simos smiled then, almost in embarrassment, ¡°guess it can''t be helped.¡± With his right hand, he clasped the naked blade until it draws blood. The insignia glows a pale light and while the metal was still drenched in his blood, Simos sheathed the ceremonial dagger, closing the blood contract between them. Words for the Mana Contract came to Aiven as the connection between them started to solidify. Argh too many words. Let''s shorten it a bit. Wait, wait. Name? Crap, what should I name him? I need to give him a new name? Argh, whatever. ¡°Simos of Renounced House. Under my Name as Herald of House Gallinthe, my ancestor''s blood on white banner, speak your new name.¡± It took a while for Simos to pick up what Aiven said, and he sighed, ¡°This is just like you, very well, I''ll take the name Remus. In memory of my master.¡± Remus. Is he talking about Musre? Remus and Romulus. The twins nursed by a wolf and then founded ancient Rome. Which one of them died? ¡°Remember the day of your second birth, Remus of House Gallinthe.¡± The image of them, Aiven''s hand on the hilt, and Simos--now Remus, on the scabbard, makes it look like they were shaking hands with the dagger between them. Then the contract was sealed. There''s a growing restlessness in the back of Aiven''s mind, just a nagging voice. Afterall, if he goes back to his past memories, isn''t adoption also some of kind of marriage in Japan? The practice was for same-gender actually but, it''s not like this was the same! It''s a blood-contract! And for crying out loud! They''re both minors, and he does not swing that way! This internal argument went on for a long time as Aiven tries to justify his decision. Well, it''s over so whatever. ¡°Whoa, that wasn''t so bad,¡± Simos said, checking his status immediately afterwards. Aiven did the same, but there was nothing different in his status. ¡°Congratulations...Remus!¡± Delica said. ¡°Congratulations!¡± Maou-chan mimicked more enthusiastically. Then a notification box appeared.
You have gained the Blessings of Hringra. May you look upon my brethren in prosperity.
+Your Karma Status has been restored to neutral +Fame [30] Oh boy! Karma points? Neutral?! With the shock of the notification window, Aiven clasped Simos in his shoulders. He was so happy he has to restrain himself not to give Simos-Remus a hug. ¡°W-hat? I should be the one thanking¡­¡± But Aiven wasn''t listening. He knows about the rumors but he didn''t expected that he''ll get this bunos. Simos must also have the same blessings. It must be the reason why Simos didn''t accumulate much negative karma even considering his dark past. Isn''t that unfair? Well simply donating to their temple could gain karma, so you could say these points was a bit shallow on his opinion. It didn''t surprise him if the gods would just give it away like some coupons. The skills he gained in his infamy were still there though, his level 4 [Aura of Animosity] and [Aura of Aggravation] was still active. The [Deranged] status of his job class was still there. But at least his infamy has toned down. ¡°Blessings...from your ancestor.¡± Aiven confessed. ¡°Oh I see. That makes sense, you are my kin now afterall.¡± ¡°Ah I also remember that one.¡± Delica muttered. ¡°How unfortunate I lost that blessing! It was really helpful in my line of job before, you know? Being a god-blood sure is fanciful.¡± ¡°God blood?¡± Maou-chan asked, listening to their discussion. ¡°You see, my brother here, Master, has the blood of gods flowing in his veins. He was a descendants from the long line of The God of Heaven, Hringra, Keeper of Scales and Justice.¡± ¡°You too?¡± ¡°Uh no, Master. I''m just your average [Vassal Lich]. But I will serve you with utmost reverence!¡° ¡°So one of your grandmother is married to a god?¡± ¡°Raped more likely. When gods aren''t busy helping their worshippers, they help themselves to their worshippers.¡± Simos, is that really something you tell a six-year old? ¡°Except for my Covenant, Myrkva of Hallow and Shadows, of course. Because every living he touches dies.¡± Then Delica continued explaining. There were a lot of benefits in being a god-blood. These people were few in numbers but were well sought by the kingdoms. They were known to be gifted and could go beyond the ability of humanoids. But they were also feared and detested for their advantages. Remus has the ability to use Heaven affinity magic, a special type magic that only decendants of Hringra could use. And the other one was his [Spirit Limiter], the ability to bypass the restrictions of spells and imbued artifacts, relics and arcanes. This means, he could use any spell and equipments no matter what level tier or class they are, as long as he has the capacity and ability to wield them. That was why Aiven calls Simos a cheat character. ¡°That''s amazing, Si-Remus!¡± Maou-chan corrected herself and Remus visibly reddened in embarrassment. But Maou-chan was already staring at the blood still dripping on his hand. Before Remus could ask, his hand was enveloped with light and was cleared of wounds in an instant. At least she learns fast.
Now that''s over, next would be... Aiven then went beside Maou-chan. ¡°Maou, if you''ll have another name what would it be?¡± Aiven asked. Simos and Delica exchanged glances. They easily understood what Aiven wanted to do. He also plans to adopt Maou-chan. ¡°Are you serious?! Nah, forget it, of course you are serious. Simos said, and he continued muttering, "adopting a fallen and now the Lady Maou-chan...you really are weird.¡± Apparently adopting a fallen noble was taboo. But who cares anyway? And it''s not like he has a choice. He can''t let these two wandering around with their names a huge give-away. And also, the demon lord would cause havoc 500 years from now. By that time, he would be dead. He''ll let his descendants handle it. ¡°A name? For me?¡± the little girl tilted her head. ¡°Yuusha!¡± ¡°Denied.¡± ¡°Eh? But, Yuu-neesan''s name¡­¡± ¡°Find another name.¡± Yuusha, the demon lord... just thinking about it makes his head hurt. ¡°I think Yuusha is a great name.¡± Delica said, eyes sparkling. Your drooling over Lady Yuusha is showing Delica. It took a couple of suggestions until Maou-chan decided to call herself Mayuu, Myu, Mieu. Mieu... It feels off for Aiven, especially since it sounds like a cat meowing. But if this what makes the girl happy, then so be it. And with the same ceremony with Simos, Maou-chan became his relative. During the congratulatory exchanges, Aiven expected a notification window to pop out again but nothing appeared. That''s weird, being the demon lord, shouldn''t she also have an effect? Hm, probably has to do with her seal. ¡°Me too! I can''t let it be only Remus and Master! You have no choice but to adopt me too!¡± Aiven gave an SOS signal to Simos. Both youth exchanged looks of understanding and this time Simos stood against it. ¡°Don''t be unreasonable Delica. The traditions and rules of the surface doesn''t hold you anymore.¡± ¡°B-but..¡± ¡°I like Delica''s name.¡± the sealed demon lord said. ¡°I see, so Master likes my name. Ara, then I am satisfied.¡± And it was settled. Thank goodness. Nice one Maou! If he ends up also adding an Undead in their family ancestry, his mother would skin him! Not that adding a god-blood and the demon lord was problematic enough. And Delica doesn''t need a new identity because there''s no way he''ll let her be seen in public. If possible, it would put a lot off his shoulder if she just stay peacefully at the [Treasure Chest] Necklace he gave to Maou. Indefinitely. For awhile they practiced getting used to their new identities. Correcting each other when their names slips, having conversations, until it became a second nature to them to respond to their names. Aiven also conducted a smalll ceremony for himself. Taking the full commemoration of his ascendance to the Heraldry, but he keep silent about it from his friends. It was normally a big celebration with a feast and offerings, but they don''t have that luxury. Along with the ceremony was the Pledge to his House which he also shortened, and a grand motion to take a second name. He choose the name Ainee. ¡°Ai-nee-ch, eeh...Ainee, are you okay?¡± the little girl asked concerned on the change of his expression. No, he was not okay. But it''s better than explaining why ''his youngest sister'' has been calling him Ainee. The demon lord can''t really call him any other name than that. She picked up Remus easily but when it comes to him, ugh, well he''ll just go with it. It''s not like he''ll have the title forever. Right there and then, Aiven made it one of his life''s goal to properly and officially relinquish the title to his real sister when the time has come. Thinking about it, what was his sister doing right now? Leian should be fine. With the rate their going, he won''t be surprised if his little sister outlived him by decades. He could make an effort to find his family but Aiven knows making contact with them right now would expose everyone to too many complications. He should just trust them and prays that his mother and father, wherever they may be, would forgive him for using their House this way. But he knows they would understand, why else would they transfer the title to him?
¡°We have to go down, Ilium''s [Dragon Form] would dispel after an hour.¡± Delica announced minutes later, the 666 minutes countdown of the Draconic''s inert skill was getting close. Aiven already read that part when Delica shared her familiar''s skills earlier. That was why they''re altitude has been slightly dropping by the minute. Hmm, Mieu quickly look from left to right, ¡°where are we?¡± ¡°Fellen''s Valley, at the northernmost tip of the Edelei''s Meadows. East of Arvalar, SouthWest of Runsaer. See that lake, Lady Mieu?¡± Remus pointed at the small body of water just past the green depths of the mountain ridges, ¡°That''s the Hawl''s Den, nasty hole on earth, we''ll circle around it and follow the High Road once we move on land.¡° ¡°I see,¡± She said, but she was clearly still confused with the barrage of foreign names. We really need to teach her a lot of things. ¡°And where are we going?¡± ¡°We are going to the Black Kingdom of Runsaer.¡± Delica announced. ¡°Got it.¡± She smiled, happily agreeing without any clue what place that is. ¡°And uhh, why exactly?¡± ¡°You see Master, Runsaer was the only kingdom at the moment where we could move freely and still have access to the Regalia.¡± ¡°To gather more information?¡° ¡°Yes. But before that, we need to cross the Austrine Borderlands. I think we could settle at the border by dusk.¡± ¡°Good.¡± She replied, with feign superiority, her back poised as she copies Delica''s posture. She''s trying too hard. Then she noticed the drinks they have and peered over Delica expectantly. Seeing this, the lich offered her a cup, too big for her hands and Mieu brightened up. ¡°Here''s yours, Master.¡± She seize the steaming milk with both hands and tentatively sip the warm liquid not wanting for her tongue to burn. She reminds him of a hamster nibbling a sunflower seed. It took a couple more minutes when they finally reached the top of the forest''s trees, and when they got behind a steep ravine, Ilium announced, ¡°Braced yourself, Masters.¡± With the simple wingbeat, the trees got cut and flattened until a good space for landing suddenly cleared under them and with a smooth swoop, they touched ground. The dragon lowered its head for them to go down, ¡°Thank you Ilium. Please rest now.¡± Delica murmured and without anymore words the dragon was called back. His body dissipates in a small particles and compressed into a gem no bigger than pebble that was smugly fitted to her staff. In the small circle of empty foliage and destruction, a group of four adventurers can be found. They stood there in silence trying to absorb what just happened to them and what they plan on doing next. It was Remus who broke the silence, ¡°Let''s go, before anyone links us to Ilium,¡± he picked up the little girl in the same bridal fashion as before, ¡°Same formation on Milodas. Vicinity check, Ainee. Area Affinity, Delica.¡± Aiven and Delica sprang to their feet. Aiven started to activate his skills when Delica voiced out, ¡°Fellen Valley Area Effect: Blessing of Freyra''s Leaves,¡± Everyone in the party already knows the general description of the area when they entered the valley. The typical [Welcome Screen] came up two hours ago but because of Delica''s sensitivity to mana, she could pull out more details, ¡°+20% on Water Affinity, Earth Affinity. -30% on Dark, -20% Air Affinity. The Terrain also gives Four-Ten Drop Rate on Earth Magical Beasts.¡± ¡°No hostile in 3 block radius.¡± Aiven chipped in. It looks like the dragon''s appearance scattered the Magical Beasts in this forest. Their destination was towards the main High Road that connects the Three Kingdoms of Man. They already have a general direction when they see the area from above. ¡°Beasts are 1st-tier minimum, max Advance levels, raw level ranging from 100-140, no notable variants.¡± Then he paused, his eyes gleaming from using his [Mapmaking Skills]. ¡°No civilization picked up yet.¡± ¡°1st tiers, what a pain. I''ll get my twin blades, Leather Armor ++Enchant. We''ll prioritize speed.¡± Remus murmured. Aiven started giving out their equipments together with their resupplied bracelets. ¡°I''m fine with my equipment, but I suggest a protective earth cloak for Master Mieu. We''re good with the stats, but I don''t like the level gap between our party. Is it possible for one of my familiar to tank? I''ll cover for Master.¡± ¡°No issue there,¡± Remus said and tried to gave Maou to Delica. But Mieu said she wants to walk on her own and started to struggle away from Remus. He looks rejected. A little independence was good for her. With these two siblings, he wouldn''t be surprised if the demon lord grow up into a spoiled selfish brat. Well, not if he can help it! He still has a few agenda up his sleeves. Right now, Aiven has just landed on a golden opportunity that would not present itself for anyone. The Demon Lord was still an innocent child. A pure adorable innocent six-something-year old. That means he could brainwas- *cough* influence her and steer her away from becoming a despicable ruthless all-powerful being that would razed against the all-known surface of Frear! Being bossed around by a brat doesn''t sit well on him. He might not be able to make her a morally good person, afterall, he isn''t really into the good vs. evil...villains vs. hero... the whole labeling system. As far he knows, he has always been on a neutral apathetic. If you don''t mess with his friends, he won''t bother with your existence. Well mostly because his friends were already too much for him to handle. Before she became a full-grown demon lord, he would make her his student! And he''ll make sure to mold her into an upstanding model student. Aiven placed his hands on Maou-chan''s delicate shoulder and with a grim smile, he announced, "Maou, your training begins today."
Extras: Their omitted convo on top of Ilium. "So what is our story?" ¡°Four innocent siblings dreaming to become adventurers to travel the Known Surface.¡± ¡°Three innocent ordinary siblings.¡± ¡°Not fair Ai-i-nee! I can''t be stuck in hiding inside a chest! I could be a cleaning corpse.¡± ¡°We are traveling novices, we cannot possibly afford a cleaning corpse.¡± ¡°Incognito then. It would be suspicious if children of no status suddenly offered coins on the streets for information. You could be nobles in disguise going for their ''Path'' as custom. Hundreds of nobilities goes their passage around the Continent, a few more posing as one won''t be a problem.¡± ¡°I''ll be the big brother! We would stand out if there''s no adult figure in our party. I could pass as fifteen anyway. I''ll have to work on my disguise since I don''t look like any of my cute little sisters. Isn''t that right, Mieu?¡± "Yes Simos!" "That''ll be Remus from now on. Remember, I''m your older brother now." "Remus! And Ainee-cha...Ainee, will be my older sister?" "Wonderful Master Mieu. Though it''ll be Lady Ainee for me, huh?" "..." ¡°Nee, Master Remus, don''t neglect your other sister too.¡± ¡°My other sister is extremely shy. Isn''t Ainee adorable?¡± ¡°Definitely Master! Her silent cool beauty would freeze anyone on their tracks, but my Master is still the cutest!¡± ¡°...¡± "Hahaha, we''re just messing with you Ainee. So anyway, we''ll carry over our names to the adventurer identities. It''ll make our authenticity better which would be a huge excuse in case someone use high level appraisal on us.¡± ¡°So what''s left is the [Identity Rings]. How many are left?¡± ¡°4, 2 on Delica.¡± ¡°It looks like most of the identities left are wiped out. You could reset the rings, right, Ainee? Okay, we''ll need each to have two rings. One for the adventurers part which would be our default rings. The other is for the Incognito nobles. When they got exposed, we still have Gallinthe''s Banner to fall to. So we still need two more. Ainee, do you think you could make me level 80? I don''t like starting from Rank-F rank. It''ll eat a lot of our time. ¡± We''ll it''s better than asking for a level 250. That time in the Rat''s Ear Dungeon was horrible! I can''t still forgive Si-Remus for forcing them on that forgotten Dwarven Arch! ¡°Also make Master Mieu age as five.¡± ¡°Too young!¡± ¡°Well, we can''t be sure if Master Mieu is capable of aging in her sealed body. So even if we have to stay for two to three years in one place, Master''s abnormality won''t be a give away.¡± ¡°Eh, I won''t grow up?¡± ¡°Hm, even the Lady Yuusha didn''t age.¡± ¡°But, but I want to grow up like Yuu-neesan!¡± ¡°It''s still not confirmed yet, Delica''s case is a lost cause, but I haven''t heard the Hero fighting a toddler Demon King during any of the Demon Wars in records.¡± ¡°Hey! I could get a new body, you know?! But not now, cause I don''t think I can pull it off...now that I only have...1/100 of my ability. *sob.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I know it''s my fault so shut it ''Lady'' Ainee! Speaking of my familiars, I could really use some spare. I would have a need for it if I''ll use my babies.¡± ¡°Sure. How many do you need?¡± ¡°About one hundred eight?¡± "Forget it." "It''s five! I...will make up to it as I go along, I guess." ¡°So that''s a seven [Identity Rings] more. *sign* If only they weren''t that expensive. ¡± ¡°I, um, just a suggestion. Do we still have our adventurer''s plates? Can''t I use them?¡± *Ainee nodded. ¡°Whoah! That''s a wonderful idea! Your familiars could pose as us---when we set up adventurers. We couldn''t use them when passing Cessine since we don''t know how much info the enemy could trace back to us. It''ll be too much loss to toss them away. Who are our most popular in the guild? Savan?¡± ¡°Lost it.¡± ¡°Eh?! What did you say? Not my the Iron-rank Monk. Do you know how hard it is to rank up on the guild while joggling four identity plates?!¡± Who asked for you to register four times?! ¡°How about my Sintarus? Sain? Crap, Sintarus was in my inventory! Argh! I was working on him just this vacation! Asking to reforge our adventurer''s cards is too much hassle. Ugh, I could have made it as an Apprentice Geomancer, I was this close in creating golems.¡± *Ainee pressed only one adventurer''s plate to Remus'' palm and the boy snatched it up like a child, he quickly put it on and opened his status with a silent sigh of relief. ¡°Hah, only one of them survived? ¡± ¡°Remus¡± ¡°I know, I know. I''m not going to sneak out claiming to be another adventurer when posing as another one and jeopardize our shaky identity. The only back-history we have is that merchant Cirque, other than that, no one has yet heard of even a shadow of our existence. At least we could claim that we were using different name at that time with you, little sister, slipping her real name. As expected of Aiv-i-nee, heh, Ainee to think so far as carrying the name over.¡± ¡°But it is still a mere day-old background. ¡± ¡°Don''t think too much about it Delica. It''s not like we have enough preparation when we stumbled on ''Destroy the Whole World'' Quest from Lady Yuusha. Anyway, we could still backtrack a little. I still got Sain but, ugh I''ll have to give him up. This is really trying. ¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry Master Remus, I''ll take good care of it! Let''s see. I''ll get another female. I didn''t lost my adventurer plate, so I''ll give up on my Danira. That''ll make a Copper-Rank Swashbuckler and Shadow Priestess to joggle with my familiars. Thank high heavens we always wear robes when dealing at the guilds! Right, Lady Ainee?¡± ¡°You''re enjoying this.¡± ¡°It''s just your imagination, nee My Lady? Kuuu- this is so much like playing! I like it when people look down on me, makes it all too satisfying when they see how deadly wrong they are.¡± ¡°I don''t get it. But anyway would your familiars have any problems with weapons and class distinction Delica?¡± ¡°For the nth time, their class is still that of [Undead] so as long as they don''t fight, their corpse armory won''t trigger! They could just hand the weapons as accessory.¡± ¡°Don''t rage, a lot of you''re summons are Beastials so I was a bit concerned on them using other weapons not of their kin. They do still stick to their clan''s values?¡± ¡°Nope, they discarded it together with their shadows'' sentient. Only their ''Summoning Request'' links them from their limited living memories.¡± ¡°What clans were your familiars, anyway? Hah, I''m not familiar with the clans of Demi-humans. But I''ve always wanted to have a spar with a Beastials of Arbelos. They are one of the best swordfighter in the Known Surface.¡± ¡°Impossible, they are very secretive and exclusive that you''ll only find them on the GodStairs Mountains on the Pride''s Teritory. They have such a foothold on the mountain that the only humans allowed are the Long Walkers.¡± ¡°When did you became expert on Beastial Pride?¡± ¡°Hoh, you might not notice but I do have a tiny pack of Beastlies to command. ¡± ¡°More than half, right? I saw some Retiarus and Laquearius Beastials. I think the Laquearius is Lamina?¡± ¡°Just because Lamina uses a whip doesn''t make her a Laquearius. She''s not even a demi-human! She''s Elven for the Shadow''s sake. Seriously, Remus you really can''t define a Beastial by their weapons, you know? Not all trident-wielders are Retiarus or dual-wielders a Dimachaerus.¡± ¡°That''s odd, I didn''t know Elven can have ''that size''.¡± ¡°And now you define race by their chest size? ¡± ¡°I-I didn''t mean that! She doesn''t have Elven ears so..I just...Ainee, help me here! It''s common knowledge, right?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I know you can talk!¡± End Convo
Chapter 31: Side Story Cessine City Fortress Higher Districts Fallen Canary Estates The completely abandoned and decimated mansion of the Fallen Canary creates a foreboding image in mind. Once a grand estate of wealth and power, the area could now only be seen with multiple scars of destruction and battle. And in this night, a lone figure was entering the broken halls of the mansion. The woman held on to her cloak, defying her tired body to move forward. Reinforcing her concealment magic, she moved expertly on the remnants of the left wing. She was not here when Delica raged with an army of Undead as if to trample everything that connects her to the living. The intruder was none other than Cerylde of Gesam''e, a Second-Tier Expert Dark Mage. Passed the second of her decades, she was part of the Gesam¡¯e found in the Austrine Region. The town was long since broken from the 3rd siege of invasion from the Last Demon War, two solstice before she was recruited at age fourteen. Her family--her grandfather and a younger sister, survived but suffered so many losses, they could have been left for death. It was only due to her potential to break the second tier barrier that she was able to sustain their very lives, or what''s left of it. Her progress in dark aether and poisons had caught the eye of one of the high banners. Cerylde was by far not the most talented nor a very experienced mage, but her specialty in brewing apothecial herbs and antidotes was superior even among the ranks of The Hero''s Crusade, however her prowess was not enough to land her in the frontlines. It was her, being weak that made her breathe. It was later in the time of peace did that ¡®high banner¡¯ offered for her services, even if her status now hardly progress beyond her current tier no matter how hard she trains. This in fact more preferable for employers since a static maegus means that they could never outrank the structure that was already established. Her role in the Catacombs was a fixed one, compared to the elite mages that were being groomed for higher magic. And so, her being inadequate made her continue living. And two nights ago, her being weak (in another matter entirely) made her run away, which again saved her life. The very night ¡®she¡¯ handed over Lady Delica¡¯s soul fragment to Lord Herald Reculus. She doesn¡¯t know whether she should laugh or cry. There¡¯s nothing more to be done. She did what she did and Young Lady Delica¡­ Drown in thoughts of the past, she wrapped her palm on her inventory bracelet, making sure to secure the metal clasps, and trying to remember the very words written on a simple note inside her spatial chest--a note inviting, more of demanding, her to this place once again. Cerylde paused on one of the remaining drawing rooms that were still intact. The vine stenciled wallpapers and floored panes still show the evidence of the Gold Banner. But instead of entering, she took a deep calming breath and knocked. An action that would have received questioning glance if anyone else was present, afterall no one should be here. But just a few seconds later, a voice from inside called her to come in. When the dark mage entered, she adopted a serious countenance and gave a humbled stare at the man seated at the study table in the corner. The man was simply sitting laidback in the study room, reading some parchments on his hands while his legs were carelessly crossed on the table. The walls were covered with cabinets filled with leathered books, and a lone alchemical lamp gave a haunting gleam on the ironed brass furnishings. Raising his eyes on the woman, he righted his reading optics and was courteous enough to correct his posture. Placing his hand on his chin, he commented, ¡°First light to you Cerylde. You really came, I was wondering if I should fetch you, myself.¡± ¡°First light indeed, Emblem Chevalier Eudine of Cessine Regalia.¡± she recited perfectly, ¡°by fetch you meant hunted to the depths of Second Realm?¡± They want her dead. They all asked for her permanent silence in all of this affair. A beautiful smile came from the man. He wore the mantle of Cessine Regalia and the three-star Sudri Rubies on his vest. An impeccable white tunic could be found beneath the armored riding habit he was wearing. ¡°Now now, you know I am just here for negotiations. Could we do as much without ill will?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Musre?¡± she asked, ignoring his half-hearted plea for a truce. The Emblem paused for a second before confessing, ¡°Dead, though I hope it will not affect our dealings?¡± Chevalier Eudine expected her to become emotional, but instead she took the news calmly which made him relaxed considerably. Dealing with dark mages was never his strong points.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. He didn''t counted that Cerylde have already prepared for that possibility. She knew that the moment the Herald of Sila-ir falls, Musre would be the first shield to be destroyed, but now that her fear was confirmed, only acceptance could follow. It was her sin, this pain was to be expected. ¡°Where¡¯s his body?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Nothing. I was wondering if I could use his corpse for my Undead. It¡¯s very hard to get hold of potential carcasses these days, now that most talents were dead with the passing war.¡± She replied, not wanting for the Chevalier to know how much Musre meant to her. But there was no point to it at all, ¡°Surely you jest.¡± ¡°Of course I am joking.¡± ¡°Hmm, unless you want us to scoop his ashes from the wall fragments, that¡¯s the best we could offer.¡± ¡°I was joking, please set it aside Emblem. I don''t think we have the time for grave rites.¡± I can¡¯t even bury him. It took all her will not to gave way to the sting of her eyes of the dryness of her throat. Meeting this man was already a step to her grave. They have no need of her and the possibility of her getting out of this alive was a short straw. She remembered the very day the young lady Delica came under her ward. A wonderful bundle of light that was amazingly out of place on the Catacombs. Everytime she taught her the arts, Delica would be excited and filled with unbridled passion to learn. Not once did she treated Cerylde an inferior. And yet not one moment did the face of sadness and compassion drop from her young face when she treated the corpses. The Necromancers of Sila-ir¡¯s job was to ward off the negative mana filtered from the dead--clear off the curses and poisons they bring to affect the living. In an effect, they act more like priests to guide the souls that might rise to vengeful shadows. To expose the young lady to such environment, what was Lord Reculus thinking! Even if one of their beliefs revolves around one of the Ancients, God of Dark Myrkva of Hallow and Shadows, we, mortals, were all under his cloak , it was too much for a child to bear! The practice of dark aether was strictly regulated. Even their most common magic, [Undead] could only be of use if and only when the soul had submitted to a practitioner¡¯s words. Undead that independently festers from natural miasma was an abomination. It fed on the remnants of a soul¡¯s shadow and negative mana left behind from their living sufferings. Their very destruction was a specialization of the necromancers and dark mages, which makes them acceptable in the society even with their stigma associated with death. As the only advance dark mage in the Catacomb''s retinue, she also instructed and protected the young lady. Keeping her from the crueler side of their practice. Delica, as with most neophyte of dark arts, first assignment came at cleaning corpses. The very first step was to take away our natural disinclination to anything about death, then the process of acceptance of life¡¯s own impermanence. Respect and prayer. This was the way it has always been. And so the young lady started as a mere assistant, learning about the anatomical processes, and the doctrine of death, curses, miasma, and the basic constitution of Undead and how to counter each of them. It was their negligence as one of Delica''s ward not to notice the curse embedded on one of the bodies. And when she rushed to the scene, one of their elite mages was dead, their head necromancer critical and Delica was dying on the floor. The hostile accursed body has been neutralized. It was that moment that this very man came to their head necromancer''s aid. When the chaos reached head knight Musre, her companion and a friend, he comforted her and was convinced that this very man could help them. It sickens her. Whatever they did to young Delica, whatever it was, she can''t help but be convinced that she has a hand in all of it. But more than anything she was there! If only she knew! If only...regrets, all she has were regrets. She should have just accepted fate and stopped their Head Maester, but how could she--or anyone accept snuffing the great spark that could have become of the young lady? How could she let the potential of young lady Delica be wasted under her very watch? Just as the Emblem offered to save the young lady, they all readily agreed. The Emblem represents the Regalia, the very symbol of good that fought, time and time again, the evil of demons that were worse than the nightmare of any Undead. And this, they offered Lady Delica''s salvation. But everything was wrong. Her knowledge on black sorcery was limited but the vile Corpse Spy--shredding once soul¡­ Oh Gods of Eight Ancients! What have she done?! And what''s worse, when she confessed to Lord Reculus. The Herald merely looked at her in the eye and asked if it would change anything. And when she answered truthfully--that no one would find the difference, that everything would be just as it was...he smiled and congratulated her for a job well done and proceeded to have a ''talk'' with the Emblem. The other surviving mages in Delica''s quarters during her half-death, however, suffered the brunt of Canary''s penchant for cruelty. No, she must not think of that or she might faint. She prayed to her gods and willed her pain and fear towards the Emblem who in first glance could be mistaken to an angel. ¡°My family?¡± ¡°Still sleeping in your house, where you left them. Your sister was growing particularly well. She''ll be starting to the Training Grounds, I presume?¡± ¡°Next solstice.¡± then she paused glaring at the man, ¡°you''re not...going to hurt them.¡± ¡°Of course not. But you would.¡± Your decisions would. ¡°Now, your service has been well received--¡± They already have all of the Young Lady of Canary''s memory records. Unfortunately, they all have been filtered and only contains the memory slides of Young Lord Simos, just as instructed. The capacity of one memory globe was already limited. From dusk ''til dawn was the limit of one processed Data Ore (24 hours), afterall the plan was to span for years. The plan to monitor and observe the young lord of Canary. But there was nothing there about the Blank. Nothing about the Blank''s talk with the Lady Yuusha in a language the Babel could not fathom, nothing about the way the Hero addressed the young dark boy. Or even a single image of the Blank. This was Cerylde''s rebellion. A small one, not even worthy of a butterfly''s heartbeat. But hers nonetheless. ¡°We only just need one thing from you, Miss Cerylde.¡± The Emblem stood and gracefully went towards her. The looming presence petrified her that she can''t even back away even if she wants to. Then with a calm serenity, she heard his voice. ¡°Please kill yourself.¡± Ha...haha, how disappointing. Is this their mercy? ¡°Understood.¡± she murmured ¡°and in exchange, everyone of my relatives will not be harmed.¡± ¡°Of course. You have my oath on the truth of my name." She was surprised at the stillness of her own statements. But none of these put her at ease. Their exchange of words felt so distant as if they were merely talking about the weather. She''s going to die now. ¡°May your Shadow finds its way to the Threads, Miss Cerylde.¡± he replied. He handed her a vial. She recognized the purple liquid, a poison of her own making. She made it during her apothecary works under the fallen Canary. Her mind don''t even want to question how it ended up with the Emblem, or even as to why. Her weakness kept her alive, at least, this very sentiment gave her courage to face its end. And forcefully drank the vial on one gulp. No I don''t want to die. Chapter 32 Central Kingdom of Arvalar Royal Castle Regalia On the centermost region of the Arvalar Kingdom, stood a fine castle of Ignis marble and Laharian glassworks. The black night sky cannot hide its natural iridescent, polished from floor to embossed brass. Paired with alchemical lamps, the whole palace glittered brighter than the ringstars surrounding their world. The outermost palazzo was shaped in a cross-quadrant fitted with lush gardens, and wallvines of primvelvets and thornbush. While the inner turrets reached the highest known made structure next to the Marsailles Tarouette of Runsaer, like a spire piercing the heavens. And with the passing of the 4th Phase of the Blaze Season---with the dying embers of heated equinox welcoming that of the Leaf, the Castle Regalia burst with busy liveries and grand orchestraic bards, never been seen during the reign of the enthroned King Regalia. Songs about the last Demon War were being played in the background, heroic epics and deeds of victory and conquest were the themes of today''s feast. Succulent cuisine that could feed hundreds of gluttons have moved from banquet to kitchen with emptied clatter and barrels of ales and well-aged wines were disappearing like rain on a wanting dessert. And today, all the Known Surface of the Second Realm was greeted with the grand news of their Hero''s successful departure to the plane beyond the Shadows-- the last of the signs to complete the harsh and cruel years under the Demon War. Past malice and grievances were forgotten for this memorable night. This was a time of peace. This was a time to gather in celebration and jubilation. So why in all that was blessed by the Eight Gods did someone made chaos in his City! Azrentin of Tharlier, under the Banner Chattreuse, paced infront of the silent stares from portraits and sculptures of men too long dead to be remembered, in an empty attempt to calm himself. The furrowed brows continuously masked in sweat even with the cool night air of the grand parlor. Every little detail of the waiting room was sufficiently furnished to cater the high taste of its occupant, but none of it took the interest of the old Once-Herald. Passed the age of a three-quarter century, he should not be exhausting himself this way and yet fatigue hasn''t crept on his old bones. Continuously using the teleportation portal from Cessine directly to the Royal Castle Regalia should place enough strain on a person''s mental function. Just a minute inside the dimensional packet was enough to make any sane mage to get lost on the winding material planes where time was stretched and restretched the more space was being warped. And yet Azrentin has been traveling in that very same packet for more than an hour. One hour and forty-six minutes in fact. Keeping his resolute expression, he waited until the door of the adjacent room opened, showing a woman with the all too known armory of the Emblem Chevaliers. With his trained eyes, he sought the rubies and have led him to see six of these glistening stones at her shoulder. Interestingly he was led inside without any word and only a parting nod on her part. You don''t normally find the Chevaliers bowing their heads to anyone, but you don''t normally find six tier maegus either. Inside the room was a man sitting on a sofa, his head nestled on the headrest as if in deep sleep. Beneath him were soft furs that extend smoothly on the floor that acts more like a carpet. And on top of him, languidly draped to his chest like a second skin was a woman. Her autumn-dyed dress was thin, like a piece of cloth elegantly curtailing on her body and the exposed skins shows burnt marks, and yet she shows no heed of the wounds still red on her creamy skin. She raised herself gracefully and blinked at Azrentin. Her face should have been gorgeous, more so even than most of the prized beauties of the Kingdom. That is, the part of her face that still shows skin. The other half has been covered with her flowing hair adorned in jewels, hiding the ruined half of her face that was akin to leather. The rest of her auburn hair was also bound in precious stones and golden chains. She smiled at him, full of familiarity and recognition and she placed her metal finger to her lips. Her left arm and hand was nothing more than automaton. ¡°He is still resting,¡± she whispered and caressed the cheek of the man beneath her. Azrentin bent to his knees and placed his ceremonial dagger''s tip to his chest while handling the Chattreuse Crested House Dagger as if offering the hilt to the woman. ¡°My Queen, forgive me for the intrusion.¡± She disregarded the formality with a wave of her hand and laid down again on the chest of her man. ¡°You''re making me embarrassed Lord Azrentin, it hasn''t been a year since I''ve ascended in my stature. I am your Trusted am I not?¡± Azrentin smiled inwardly as he remembers how this young audacious woman grown under his care. Even if she was his Trusted once when she foolishly acted the vow of fealty to follow him to war, he has always treated her like a doting father. ¡°That vow should have been surpassed by a graver one, My Queen Rilliana. I am no longer a Herald, and you are no longer my Knight--a splendid one I might say but I am now just an old man subservient to your highness every call.¡± The woman seems to panic when Azrentin bowed deeper. The old man however didn''t even hide the plaintive playful smile. ¡°Now you are merely teasing. Call me aside from my blood name and I''ll definitely get angry.¡± ¡°Isn''t that my right, Rilliana?¡± A deep voice cut through their lowered conversation. The man stirred on his position and the room''s temperature seems to rise. He moved slowly as he sat in a more upright position. Steams suddenly appeared billowing on his body, or was it a trick of the eye? And when he opened his eyes--eyes of the palest brown that it glows amber, the alchemical lamps burned brighter filling the room with sunset yellowish light. He was only wearing the heavy coat draped over his shoulder while both his arms were lazily outstretched on the sofa. The man had the skin kissed by the sun and his dark hair was oiled back to his nape. He wore no upper tunic and his great physique was clearly shown. He was not a large man and yet his presence seemed to occupy the very air of the room. He gently placed his left arm on the woman and planted his lip on her temple. ¡°Did you wait, my dear?¡± The simple touch made her closed her eyes and arched her body towards the man. The blatant display didn''t show any effect to the old man, maybe because he has seen it before or he has seen worse, much worse. ¡°Not in the least, My King. I am, how should I put it, immensely entertained,¡± looking down on her position almost atop the man. The man didn''t mind her weight and simply made a mocking smile to his wife, ¡°What this I hear? You hated the title but would not stop to abuse its privileges?¡± ¡°We are the only ones here, surely we could drop the stupid courtesies.¡± she remarked, reminding him of her discomfort on shallow titles and tedious formalities. Though being called a Queen of Cessine City Fortress was not something to be discarded as shallow. ¡°But Lord Azrentin has been waiting--he has almost polished the navied floor with his pacings outside, isn''t that right, my Lord Consul?¡± Obviously baiting Azrentin to address her once more. Rilliana''s comment on his activities despite his effort to erase his presence didn''t surprise him. ¡°Rilliana,¡± the young man voiced out, ¡°you might have pledged to Azr but House Chattreuse is under my Regalia. You''ve let me wait for moons upon solstice before my people could call you my queen, let me have my fill.¡± ¡°Ah, but I would have been more than content to be only called that by you, Iralius.¡± ¡°Inside of my bed? I remembered you more ambitious than that.¡± ¡°Bastard,¡± she laughed filling the room with her beautiful voice, ¡°is this your revenge for all the impossible orders I have given you?¡± ¡°Hardly, how could I resist the command of my lovely Suzerain General? Stealing you from the Golds was the best decision I''ve made as a King." At this moment, Azrentin has no idea if his existence was noted or not as the two acted like newlyweds and gazed at each other''s eyes with deep emotions. He coughed, more forceful than needed to get their attention. When Iralius started to address him, Azrentin could see the change of his demeanor. Immediately, the softness of his gaze gave way to a more calculating look as if sizing Azrentin. Attending as this young king''s Consul, he has come to terms with the heaviness Iralius''s aura unconsciously emanates. This was truly a High King, Iralius Sudri of Amaranth, Bearer of Cessine Regalia. The man who embodied the 30th Circle of Sudri Ruby. ¡°It is about the unrest in the Higher Districts.¡± ¡°Ah that one? I have just come from the Cessine Castle and already received mountains of reports on the damages. We''ll clear it off within a month.¡± He momentarily closed his eyes and his brows furrowed as if remembering--or seeing something ominous, ¡°But...that Knighthood Banner Oreindr--I must have underestimated the threat level.¡± ¡°I am aware my liege. I was there when your [Replica] appeared in the Main Keep. The subjugation was handled by us, Consuls, it was our own inadequacy to not be able to handle the situation especially now that the Regalias were summoned at the Royal Castle.¡± A deep sign overcame the young king, ¡°For this blasted festivity. Even now one of my [Replica] is appeasing Regal King Vasa. That fool has taken this whole mess as an omen.¡± And the other [Replica] was with the Lion Golds, granting his just rewards. And another one at the Stronghold Keep making reparations...and who knows how many [Replica] King Iralius have released lurking in the kingdom. The glow of his eyes was not only due to the natural glow of lamps. As of now, the Cessine Regalia''s body has emitted pure mana. No wonder the queen''s scars were getting aggravated. All the burnt marks that ruined her body has been caused by the very man she has sworn her lifeblood. An unbearable pain must be coursing through her body right now if the mana that caused her scars were being exposed to her very being, and yet she seems content lying on the man''s lap. ¡°These petty things could be easily discussed at the Keep, so could I presume you have come all the way here for a different matter entirely, Azrentin?¡± Azrentin suddenly halted eyeing Rilliana critically, uncertain how to proceed. But Iralius only beckoned for him to get on this point. ¡°The hero candidates...¡± The queen was poised now, her expression no longer relaxed. The young king must have already told her about it. Realizing his audience was waiting, he continued, ¡°We have means to link the disturbance to one of the chosen.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Iralius worded out slowly, ¡°The fallen bird.¡± Nodding, the old man produced a memory globe and handed it to Iralius. ¡°And it looks like he has been in contact with the Lady of Red. Unfortunately, there were accounts that testify that he had died during the subjugation.¡± ¡°And this is a certainty? A few dawns ago I''ve read an entirely different report.¡± Iralius replied. Three Data Ores was now on his hands, and he started rolling these ores, the size of half a fist on his hands as if they were playthings. Azrentin recognized the Ores immediately. They were the exact accounts of the last memories of young lady of Canary. The last they have seen was the siblings'' encounter with the Hero and the dying vision of the child as she saw her brother and a fleeting shadow attacking the lady hero. ¡°At that time, it was only natural to assume that no one survived.¡± ¡°Assume? When did we ever worked on assumptions, Azr?¡± ¡°I-- I did, I mean--This was a possibility we have not accounted for.¡± ¡°That the hero survived, that the children survived? And that...what was the Blank''s name, Gallinthe, was it? And his whereabouts are still unknown, interesting don''t you think?¡± A boy that could raise an undead lich and dragon... He was from a house that they have long suspected to be in contact with the rebel group that has been antagonizing the Regalias as far back even before this generation''s Demon War. A House Banner that was only able to gain recognition with the Lady Hero''s accolades. If not for that, they would have been a nobody. With one of the hero candidates prematurely losing his life, it was just a tactical maneuver to use the opportunity to corner the Blanks and lessen their roached numbers. Also Herald Kieve was starting to get on the nerves of the nobles with his blatant information selling. It was useful when it was manipulated by them, but when it started turning dangerous, and with no actual measure to know how much that sly blank have against the Regalia, a simple rumor would be enough to justify the House of Gallinthe''s fall. ¡°Dearest king, don''t get angry, children had never been your strong points¡± the queen placed her hand on his shoulder, the metal gears suddenly turned red from the heat Iralius was emitting, ¡°Now, tell me what I should know, Lord Azrentin, from the beginning if you may.¡± Not even his close ties to the queen could save him from this inquisition, but the old man didn''t bulk. If he did, then his years of service would have been for naught. ¡°Four dawns ago, at the strike of third light, The Lady infiltrated the Royal House Regalia''s inner dungeons and stole one of the Forbidden Treasures. In the past of fourteenth light, we declared her guilty on all accounts of treason and consorting with the Demons. Her [Summoning Gem] has been thoroughly destroyed with no trace of it left, so our link to her has also been cut off.¡± Rilliana listened closely without interfering Azrentin. And the Consul continued reporting the incident up to the incident with the Canary. ¡°We have good reason to suspect that The Hero was connected to the incident.¡± The appearance of the novices when it was clear they should have been killed by the Lady Yuusha was not enough for them to speculate of her hand on all these, but with the Lion Gold''s claim that a divination from the Lady herself was received by their side, this made it even harder for them to exclude her from the factors. From the start, Lady Yuusha declared herself as a bait. The Lady, knowing very well that a traitor was within the children, still continued sharing her secrets and the existence of the Forbidden Treasure, the sealed Demon Lord to them. It was a challenge to come and find her. But what was the story behind the corpse spy to become a Lich that wanted her living brother dead? And where did the blank fit in all these? ¡°I see, two banners wiped out in a span of a night, one missing low-rank Emblem, and the unconfirmed death of the Corpse Spy and a Hero Candidate. The Lady must be really weakened if she was only able to deal only this, or is she just being prudent? I greatly admire the Lady Yuusha, but I have never been able to read her. What is she planning? Why protect the hero candidate?¡± ¡°The Lady must have realized what the Principalities had a seen in the fallen canary to take him under her protection.¡± ¡°There is that. We can''t deny if one so young was recommended by the Old Sages, then he must be of some grand potential that could catch the eye of The Lady, but something is missing. Lord Consul, is it too much to presume that you know of The Lady''s whereabouts?¡± Rilliana asked and was back to being the strategist that was admired by the City''s elites. It was her quick intelligence that made it possible to corner the Gallinthe and suggested the announcement of the Hero''s departure. ¡°Her last known communication was infront of the Lion Gold Herald, but no foreign connection was found related to the Herald. The squadron deployed on the abandoned temple has shown no signs of The Lady." ¡°Kill them off.¡± ¡°T''is done, my queen.¡± The knight squadron sent to the temple ruins were part of their higher ranks that zealously followed the Hero of Red. Once they heard that an impostor was inside the Temple, they directly moved into action. With their appearance, it might tempt the hero to reveal herself, however, they didn''t know that the hero was already sleeping within the statue and since the image of Goddess Sola still permeates a holy barrier, they could not touch the statue itself. So when the search has been fruitless, they were executed on the spot with the use of a trigger from a slow-acting parasite placed on their drink. Still, there was no hero with flaming hair appeared to save them. Their death sentence was also placed at the same time with anyone who has a connection with the dealings of the Canary''s hero candidate and the Blank''s false charges. If the story of a hero turned traitor became public, it would plunge the Kingdom into chaos and even the Known Surface would be greatly affected. They can''t just give orders to hunt the hero even to their most secret of the elites. Even their Blackguards that was known to do the kingdom''s dirty work, the Hero of Red has sympathizers. That was how much Lady Yuusha have infiltrated their people''s hearts. Dealing with the facts, a Lich calling a Blank her master could only mean, that he was the one who raised her. But how? Did he hide his true merits for years and acted only when his life was in danger? Using an already cultured corpse to hasten the process of the summoning? Ahhh, her imagination was running rounds again. ¡°So many factors unknown, there was even an appearance of a third party that was mentioned to have the countenance and holiness of a saint. The hero perhaps? In disguise to rescue the fallen bird? ¡°Lord Consul, spread rumors of the fake Hero, place appropriate bounties. The ones who have information shall be rewarded.¡§ Anyone who would stain the Hero''s image shall be punished gravely. ¡°Place the traitor child, as our priority. If the fallen canary is alive, he''ll find him. The Lady''s name shall not be mentioned during any transactions. Also just Use our normal knights.¡± If the best of their forces was placed to track some children, it would become suspicious for the council and the military where the Hero has most of her people placed in. For some time now, King Iralius was simply grinning at the side while watching his wife go to her inner workings. It was always a pleasure for him to see her in such a state. As for him, he was just enjoying the challenge. To defeat the hero who defeated the demon lord. It would be entertaining. He was not even worrying about the sealed demon lord, after all, it was just an empty vessel. He closed his other eye, and the vision of one of his [Replica] listening to the rabid administration of the Regal King Vasa suddenly came to his mind''s eye. Trying to placate the old senile with his facade of calm confidence and forced amusement, was a clear burden to his mentality. The other High Kings were also present, seated on the roundtable at the King Regalia''s courtroom. The four Fortress Regalias were all gathered, and in their midst was the Bearer of the Royal Regalia, Regal King Vasa of Arvalar. The Regalia could be said as this world version of Royal Blood. That¡®s why even if the High Kings were the heads of fortresses and has similar stature as both a Duke and a General, they were still called Kings. The Royal Regalia however, unlike the ones vested among the cornerstones fortresses, can be found at the very center of Arvalar. They act as a buffer and the sovereign ruler of the Land of Man and has always managed a neutrality for the Fortresses. If one of the fortresses revolts or tried to harm any of the Regalias, the Royal Regalia would lead the others and would have a legitimate cause to take their domain. Also, even if the people have a very regionalist viewpoint when it comes to the Royal Regalia, it was almost sacrilegious, afterall the Royalty has the rare latent talent to cultivate all the known elements. You could consider the Royal Regalia''s Bloodline was one of the Man''s greatest treasures. Unfortunately, because the elements fight for harmony inside the body, their bodies break over time. That¡¯s why they were being protected at all cost. It was Queen Regalia that died during the Demon War that carries the bloodline of the Royal Regalia and has passed it on to the Crowned Ensign. And so, no one would dare touch the Royal Family even if there were not related by blood. That''s the reason why King Vasa was still alive even if he should have been scorched hundredfold with how much he grates on King Iralius'' nerves. On his side was Lashven Nordri Malachite, Bearer of Bassine Regalia, a silent tower of a man that really lives up to being a fortress. Governing the earth element-rich land of the north, his dominion was a natural wall of mountainous ridges. He follows the tradition and sticks to his pledges as religiously as any priest in the monastery. Iralius wouldn''t be surprised if he takes his marriage bed the same way he would do his duty. For Bassine. He must have thought while mounting his wives. There''s also Remier Austri Tyrian, High King of Trissine. A scholar at heart, his messy hair and gangly monocles should have harbored resentment, but admittedly, he was the most reliable among his friends. His wind manipulation was legendary and moreover, he was the official mediator of the Regalias. It wasn¡¯t because his body was made of air that he was chosen as the pacifier of the group. Though it helps a lot whenever they went into heated disputes. The relatively harmless little flares, boulders, and water bullets would never have harmed him. He always had a fed up expression though, and would claim it was due to them that his air magic was so superior to others...he must be joking, right? Then Iralius studied the one that was seated directly infront of him. Asdale Vestri Catalina, Bearer of Exine Regalia and High King of the western city fortress. Asdale keeps a youthful appearance but he was ancient, His eyes were the forever changing colors of blue to green to white, like the color of a rolling wave and there were fangs peeking from his thin lips. The Regalia should all be human in race but old man Asdale has been visiting the whenever he travels the waters of Bermuda, that their blessings have transformed him into...this...thing (?). ''Envious now, are we? It''s not my fault the Seafolks could recognize a great seed at first glance, Bwahahaha.'' He would shout at each homecoming, invigorated and had probably spawn too many halflings to count. Let''s just leave that like that. After settling back to their City Fortresses, this must be their first time seeing each other again. Great companions, great fighters. Ah, what a waste to rot in this Court. After the war, the royal landscape had changed. The political struggle became underground and backhanded methods became the norm. The fact that he sent a clone of himself with the excuse of the current domestic turmoil of his domain, shows how much he hates the Royal Court. And the immediate acceptance of his substitute among the Regalias followed by signs of envy made it more apparent that no one wants to be present with their Sovereign Ruler. They were all kings born out of warfare, reared and raised on the battlefield. But now--the times of peace has no use of a hero kings. And Iralius made it public that he has no desire to bury himself in a pile of land and diplomatic management and skirmishes. Those kinds of work were too damn boring. Dealing with those imbeciles of the Royal Court who were able to wheedle themselves in the royalty with the use of their gold and smooth tongues just simply took away his interest to have a hand in all of these. He''d rather subjugate some elemental dragon on the coast of northern isles. Gone were the days he could just disappear and simply make the excuse that he was training. Or the days where he could declare the death of a convict in his city together with his whole family and servants up to the ninth generations, no questions asked. Iralius could even remember with fondness killing princes from the other kingdoms and no one would deny him his victory. If he was the one that dies, he knew his father would also not put up a ruse. The weak have no place in the war. But now, he couldn''t make any move without the Central Palace getting wind of it and hunt him down for paperwork and investigation. If you ask him, the Royal Regalia was getting weak, corruption was rampant and he really just want to kill all those useless people. Wait. What did King Vasa say? Did he just say they should summon a new hero again? To fight the traitor-hero? Then wouldn''t all their efforts to keep the adoration of the people to the Hero--and consequently all the heroes of war, be in vain? Even the other Fortress Regalias have complicated expressions. If they did exactly that, five hundred years from now when the [Cataclysm] occurs, they would be left to fend for themselves, with no help from the Divines, nor the Principalities that governs the Champion Summoning! Don''t make me laugh! Where was the Crown Ensign?! Hurry up and assassinate your father already! His consciousness went back to his wife and his arms tightened on her waist. Iralius immediately feel himself relax and his tension dissipate with her on his side. ¡°And when you find any of the children, don''t touch them. Wait until the hero contacts them, was this understood?¡± Her beautiful voice sounded so sweet even if her words were ruthless. What a healing feeling, and Iralius started nuzzling her neck. ¡°Yes, my queen.¡± And now they have to take countermeasures against the traitor hero. But something was still bothering him. For some reason, her first move after declaring her intention to wage war towards the Land of Man, was to attack his Fortress. They really have to kill her as soon as possible. To fight a being that was strong enough to annihilate an army of thirty thousand strong on one night, a woman whose influence goes beyond borders and the one hiding and nurturing the next Demon Lord. What a great distraction this hero was offering to him. They have fought together and he has acknowledged her, however, that made him be more aware of how much of a threat she is. She was the one that led the annihilation of a race--a very formidable one at that. And now, her sights came towards the whole human race. But what was truly frightening was their trump card--the supposedly one-shot kill has failed. To survive the complete destruction of her soul gem, she was truly an otherworldly strong being. He has to be cautious. But there was no way they would just back down. And so what? So what if she¡¯s a hero? Even if she did succeed in wiping the human race, it doesn''t mean they wouldn''t put up a fight. There are too many people shouldering their burdens, carrying their dead, walking forward to survive. Hah! Don''t just thrash our fates just because you woke up one day and you decided to kill everyone! If he saw that hero, he''ll kill her. He''ll kill her! Pour melted quicksilver on her marrow, chop her into thousands of pieces and erase her existence up to the ninth planes! Ahh, his temper was starting again. And their only link to the Lady Yuusha was a fallen little canary, Simos of Fallen Sila-ir. They¡®re not wary of the children. Let them live, let them wander in whatever ploy the hero was thinking. The moment, she as much as show herself, they''ll have her. The silencing of her pawns would be put on a later date. Afterall, in their minds, the incident became possible only because The Lady of Red was behind all of these. How could novices cause that kind of damage on their own? If they did, wouldn''t they be considered as dangerous as the hero herself? Chapter 33 "Go, now go!" Delica whispered in a rush of words as she pushed a young child over the ravine. An unbecoming scene specially with the honest serenity of her expression and the brutal action of shoving a child to his death. The boy was not more than eight and has a face that promise a handsomeness that would be obvious to anyone who could see him. But there was the tell-tale sign of greyish dull skin and gleamless stare that was the sign for any Undead. An Undead boy with grey hair, grey abysmal eyes. Except, if you look closer, there were two pairs of horns appearing on his forehead, one pair was upright pushing forwards and the remaining was placed closer to his ears and curled back away from his face. And some translucent scales seems to lighten under the moon from his neck and shoulders. His expression as he fell was actually serious and could be considered tranquil even. Delica also took a swift turn towards the shadows of the thick woods as two beings appeared. They walked over precariously up on the ravine''s edge, . One was a female and another was male, they were wearing enchanted cloaks with hoods that would not rise even with the abrupt movements or the lashing of the winds passing the cliff. Just one look from Delica and the two soon jumped over the ravine following the boy. Delica looked down from the edge with a 500 boulders drop, and waved her hands in farewell while smiling happily to give them luck. Now that''s one off from the checklist! Delica thought chirpily and took out a piece of note with a bullet list of tasks for her to do. A few seconds later there was a thunderous roar and a huge shadow appeared beyond the cliff, blotting the moon all together. The huge dragon was swift, and on its back were the two hooded figures. Delica''s Dragon was a huge giveaway for their group. If one was last seen flying anywhere close to the Fellen Valley, the one who wants to hunt them could easily track their wheareabouts. Draconics were half-dragons and half-whatever-it-was-that-they-mated-with. In Ilium''s case, it was a lizardman, so his [Dragon Form] has the greatest similarity to the original dragons. Since he has exhausted his dragon form, he reverted back to being a young Undead Draconic-hybrid-lizardman. But if they forcibly activated Ilium''s [Dragon Form] which could only happen if he was dying, then their dragon could continue on a different path and act as a distraction and give more conflicting information to any witnesses. Staging a near death experience was risky. Forcing the skill''s activation would automatically make Ilium''s health drop to one! Just one flimsy arrow would kill him instantly! But since it was a direct order from their mistress they all took the mission the very moment they heard it and didn''t show any protests even if they''ll be separated from their masters for a very long time, The two on his back were also Delica''s Familiars and has the closest features to Aiven and Delica. Coccyx was the only one that has black hair in her retinue. He has an effeminate face so even with the age gap, he wouldn''t seem that old compared to Aiven''s age. Coccyx was deathly pale, paler than the Undead that his skin was white instead of grey. He specialized in magic combat and wields two set of katanas. A dual wielder. When Aiven saw his supposedly doppelganger, there was a moment of pause and he did this thing with his eyebrow whenever he got something on his mind and simply replied that the Undead was ''irritatingly perfect'' for the job, which Delica doesn''t understand. The other one was Ischium, a female Beastial Chameleon-inherent, she changed her appearance until it matched Delica when she was still human and has a Maged Archer for a class. She has the largest sight range among the familiars so they could easily spot anyone who would try to harm Ilium. Delica was walking along the forest, when beside her came a beautiful woman with white silver hair. And they both walked on silence towards their camp. "Ulna, have you heard of the Serpentine Arch?" Delica asked not showing any signs of surprise at the appearance of her Undead General. "The Lost Dwarven Kingdom?" "Oh, so you know it?" "Of course Mistress. It was a great story to scare little children even among the Beastial Pride." The Arch can be found in the Mountain of Silt which was said to vanish and appear from any points of Frear. According to legend, the abandoned Arch was a dwelling place of a rich Dwarven Lord but due to greed they have closed off the entrance to their home. A stupid idea, but they were said to be self-sufficient and was able to amass wealth from mining ores and precious metals for hundreds of years until an epidemic happened and wiped out the Dwarvens living on it. Treasure hunters and adventurers won''t even touch it despite the possibility of wealth due to the cursed disease, not to mention locating the place was almost near impossible. But hmmm, to raise her Master into the status that she deserves, a Queen to all Demons, resources were really needed. If they have the treasures of the Serpentine Arch which was rumored to equal the golds of all Dwarven Kingdoms, it would be possible for them to create once more the Demon Capital! Even a palace befitting her master would not be a dream anymore! Delica was giddy with the thought and so she started making grand plans for their group. But there were still a number of things to be done, even right now she was not finish with her list Aiven gave her. 1. Unsummon your familiars. (scratch, impossible) 1. Fully summon five familiars; Ilium, one black-haired, one blonde, and another two as your pets. (check) They are not pets! But she still ended up fully summoning Ulna and the triplets since summoning the triplets was counted as one. What a bargain! So her Master would have lots of playmates! 2. Send dragon out as decoy. Add impersonators and give mission to seek out the Serpentine Arch. (check) 3. List of the most human looking of your familiars. (check) 4. Maou''s lesson plan. [Uwaaaahhh, the lesson plan is the most exciting one!]The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. She was already planning on what lessons and lectures she would have to teach the Demon Lord! Etiquette, dining manners, there''s also arts, poetry, history, geography, literature...a-h, to have the grace of a royal blood! She won''t let her Master be insulted as barbarian as with most demons! Her Master would rule and conquer with style! Thinking about her assignments, she wondered how Simos was doing with his. If she remembers correctly, Aiven also gave him one. "Ulna, how is my brother doing?" "The Suzerain is now delegating a rotational schedule for the Familiars. It seems there was an on-going debate on who should have the sixth and seventh dawn of the week." A schedule? Oh-oh, that sounded just like a task given by Aiven. Ah she hopes her brother hasn''t finished his list before her! Her steps suddenly hastened. "You know you don''t need to call Simos ''Suzerain''?" "But Mistress, it was a position you have officially designated, we could not possibly betray your words." "I-I see." Delica said with a forced smile. It just that...it felt a much higher position than ''High Mistress''...and much more cool-sounding! She lamented while trying not to sulk. It''s just an empty title though. When they were discussing their plans, Simos made it plain that he wanted to use her familiars for his own training. A collection of combatants with various backgrounds and styles from different races made Simos excited to train (more like spar) with them. Since Delica has a General-Class Undead as familiars, it''ll be bad if the one leading her summons to have a lower position in hierarchy the familiars made for themselves. And since she was busy with her full reins on Mieu''s education, she readily consented. Knowing Simos, Delica was sure her babies would also grow with this set up. "Nee, Ulna, what do you think of Simos?" "His Suzerein is young and loyal," Ulna started and there was small hint of respect in her voice, remembering how the young boy who without flinching, received her most powerful attack skill. "He is a worthy person to share your noble quest, High Mistress. He must be truly honored and should have genuflected for days to show his sincere intentions when you have bestowed the title, it must be during those times when we were reverted by Her Great Highness Maou-chan, maybe that is why I, your humble servant, have not witnessed it, truly--" "That''s nice to hear." And her smile broadened, with her chest swelling with pride. Ulna continued with her speech not realizing Delica has not paid much attention to her. It didn''t surprised Delica that her Undead Generals were starting to warm up to Simos. Either because they have seen his loyalty towards their High Mistress time and again, or because they were all simply just battle-maniacs and they would not want lose the opportunity to beat him to a pulp without incurring their Mistress'' wrath. Even so, the Familiars and Simos'' relationship was getting better. "Pardon High Mistress, it seems the dispute has been resolved." Ulna said later, halting in her Delica tilted her head towards Ulna curiously and the Beastial quickly proceeded with the report. The Undead Generals happens to give report on a daily basis. But the littlest of details--courtesy of the Skull Unit''s intelligence-gathering were given directly to Ulna through Vomer''s [Mind-Grafting]. It would be her duty to analyze and submit everything to Delica. And if it was urgent, to report it immediately. "First and Second Dawn would be for the Right Arm unit. The Third for the Left Arm, Fourth Dawn is assigned to the Skull Unit, Fifth for the Torso Unit and the Sixth and Seventh were the Foot Unit." Her report was concise. "So what do you think?" Delica asked. Ulna took a few seconds to process the question. Unlike most [Liches] , Delica have not once thought of her familiars as tools only to be used when necessary, but as her new companions that she needed to guide and nurture. Their living memories were limited only to their [Death] and [Summoning], making them socially inept and incapable of relating to others. Well, they were emotionless dead so that could also be a factor. But each of their unique personalities were endearing for Delica. So she respects their opinions and would like to hear more from them. "At most, we would have about 15-20 familiars at each dawn cycle. A workable number, though I would wish to have our full manpower at any given time. But if it is the wish of the Suzerain, then he must be working under the Great Demon Lord''s will." "Twenty familiars? Uh, isn''t it too many?" Ulna stared at the distance. Her expression seems to be calculating the right response. Delica became suddenly aware of her familiar. A pulling strand of longing came to her as she thought how much this Undead General was calling to her. A sensation that comes and goes everytime any of her babies would think of her. It was a jolting sensation that fills her with euphoria that she can''t help but want to snatch that life away. A life that was freely offered to her and was now calling to her every second. And Ulna was not the only one, right now, there were fifty three materialized Summons who were tugging at her being. These little callings that were so dependent on her she could easily drown on them. And for all their callings, they only have one mind at hand...protect, kill the humans. conquer It was so easy, so tempting to give on this frenzy and be swept away in the imminent course of nature. Natural, since from the start she was an Undead and their nature has always that one of destruction of life. Delica steadied herself. This was the problem when she summoned when she became a fifth tier [Undying Lich] and have herself reverted back to her normal [Vassal Lich] level. Right now, the hold of her familiars to her was too much for her restraints on her [Phylacteral''s] hunger for power. Her babies, ahhh, and they were so pretty and precious. If she doesn¡¯t check herself, she could pretty much consume them, and it would be so easy. Just a touch from her and they would be a part of her...forever. Together with their delicious cultivated miasma. Delica! Snapped out of it! Delica wrapped her [Phylateral] more with her condensed miasma. She''ll have to constantly activate the [Miasma Cloak] skill, draining her more. But the normalcy that it gave to her psyche was all worth it. "The Right Arm and the Foot Units were one of the largest of the groups," Ulna started, "so to be split up for two dawns would be...fair. But it is a size of no more than a squadron." Ulna finally answered, oblivious to the internal conflict her Summoner was dealing with. "Even a lieutenant-class Undead could easily manage them. For a general-class to be appointed of a measly number is an insult. But it was ahhhh, it was the wishes of the Suzerain, and Her Highness didn''t show any dislike of the set up." Then Ulna continued in a low murmur, "D-does she find our presence...repulsive? Does she hates us? Auu, she must hate us after our unsightly behavior at the Higher Keep..." Delica, now much calmer, was already expecting this outcome. "The vanguard and defense Unit. No wonder." she said in her high pitch voice. With Simos'' notion for equality, she wasn''t surprised at his decision. Also, the Right Arm was known to specialize in Vanguard--aggressive with wide area attacks and high in strength and offense. Something anyone who specialize in tanking has to be weary about, someone like Simos. While the Foot Unit complements Simos with their specialty in defensive measures. Simos'' own style would very much improve if he trained with these two units more. Being practical while having a great advantage for his training regimen, it really does sound like her brother. As she ventured on the darkness, she saw a dim light and found a small firecamp at the side of a river. Simos was actively having a discussion with a group of Undead, eyes shining and laughing loudly every now and then. Beside him was another boy who looked younger but have an expressionless face and eyes that seems old and deep. Aiven''s ears were open to the on-going debate but his attention was on the girl sitting on his lap and who has been copying a small illustration of a little flower. Three identical girls were waiting just a few feet away from Master Mieu with their face full of adoration. Their animated conversation was nothing but praises. For awhile, Delica just stood there and watched the lively scene, feeling a sense of belongingness even of how much changes had happened in their lives. You would think that with everything that happened, their world would have changed, that a hint of what has transpired would have carved something on the world or on their very skin like a tattoo marked for everyone who has eyes to see. But as with all painful and devastating events, with just the passing of time, Delica and her group find themselves in the all too familiar lull of routine. The additional numbers of their party needed only a few commands and silent admissions from Delica before they too became incorporated in their roles that were assigned to them from dawn to dusk. Two days, and already the five units of familiars made themselves useful. But there were still some hiccups now and then. Though thankfully she has Aiven and Simos to rely on. ¡°Delica! Come here, dinner''s ready!" Simos shouted when he noticed his sister, his eyes lighting with recognition. Muuu. I don''t need to eat, you know?! But still, she can''t help feeling happy as she skipped towards their camp. The little group of Undead she had sent off was already on the least of her worries. Chapter 34 Aiven woke up with a start. Sweat racing down his back and forming tiny smudges on his camisole. It took a few seconds before he calmed down. He should have said something, but years of training himself from speaking as little as possible made him suppress any instinct he has from shouting, yelling or even cursing whenever he gets in any position where a normal person would. Not being able to express himself in words, it didn''t took many years before even his expression became muted as well. He became your typical emotionless person. Though his inner thoughts were always far from being impassive. That nightmare. Ah fuck. He held up his trembling hands to his mouth, he could almost feel the wave of nausea racking his head as he almost heaved up the last of his dinner.
Ding
Congratulations Your [Miasma Resistance] level up Your [Miasma Resistance] level up Your [Miasma Resistance] level up
You''ve unlocked Miasma Nullity Required Skill/s [Miasma Resistance 10] acquired
Your [Abnormal Status Resistance] level up
You''ve unlocked Curse Alleviation Required Skill/s [Hex Analysis 10][Curse Detect 10][Abnormal Status Resistance 10] acquired
Even in his sleep, Delica''s familiars still has a way of killing him. The miasma levels earlier finally came to him with a vengeance, specially with all the Undead and the ruckus they made. And this time, there was no demon lordling to fend off the negative effects. His heaving stopped, and with numbed limbs, he hauled his body to sit on the ground. With his head finally resting back on the earthen wall, he closed his eyes shut and groaned in pain. When he felt his mana system starting to filter a different kind of mana energies that he could only liken to antibodies, his body relax for the first time that night. Right now, he was occupying one of the earthen compartments. The small box of dirt he was sleeping under was from Simos'' earth-molding skills. It was warm due to the earth retaining the heat during the day. And when the morning comes, the heat has already transferred leaving a cool shade for them to rest in. On the other room of the compartment would be Delica and Maou, eyes closed and sleeping soundly, at least he was sure the little demon lord was. Delica on the other hand was far from being out-cold. Even if she seems to be under a deep slumber, she was actually using this time to meditate on her [Undead Grimoire] within her Phylacteral. She doesn''t need any sleep, so when it was time for the first watch, Delica scoffed and insisted that she''ll take watch the whole night. There''s also her other familiars scattered everywhere, so there was no need to keep watch. But Simos just argued that it was already a habit and a routine for their party. Lady Mieu needed someone to be with her during the night after all. Mentioning Maou sleeping did the trick and she reluctantly offered to be Mieu''s body pillow which the little girl was extremely happy about. His eyes finally adjusted on the darkness and he could clearly see two familiars guarding the opening. He made a quick scan and didn''t bother to take note of their names. Their bland expressions as they sat cross-legged reminded him of stone gargoyles. The same expressions, he''s sure, as with the other two outside the earthen cabin. Deciding that the night air will do him good, he moved out the entrance that was covered by a heavy canvass. As he passed along the statue-like undeads, Aiven could feel uneasiness working up to his spine. He might never get used with these familiars Delica dragged into their party. He looked at the firecamp and saw Simos tending the coals. The fire put dark shadows on Simos'' face, reminding Aiven of his dream. It''s the rough simplicity of that nightmare that made it all the more heavy on his mind. The night they came to the Sila-ir stronghold. Aiven waited until he locked eyes with Simos and when Simos caught his movements, the boy smiled at him and beckoned him to come and have a sit. Taking Simos offer, he sat with the hearthstone infront of him, their position facing the woods while the camp was on their back. The shadowy forest and the night strewn with clusters of stars were his background. Fellen Valley was a colossal of a forest. Everything was larger and built for a bigger species than humanoids. The smallest of trees has the width quadrupled that of normal centennial trees and the leaves could pretty much pass as umbrella among others. The travelling was easy, camping and keeping with the magical beasts in the Fellen Forest was, at present, the most normal thing their party has done for the past days. ¡°Can''t sleep, huh?¡± and there was enough concern on the blonde''s voice to make him smile a little. ["Yup, but I¡¯m feeling better,"] Aiven tried flexing his hands, the [Miasma Nullity] starting to be in effect and despite its discomfort, found it necessary if he plans on continuing helping with the quest. It''s not like he had spend the years living above a three thousand year old catacomb that spews out miasma every ten years. But seriously, living with a cemetery under your bed must have been effective. Simos'' resistance to the undead was really astonishing to the point that he doesn¡¯t need [Holy Water] or dispelling spells. The two boys stayed that way for a while, listening to the little sounds of the forest and the simple movements heightened by the silence. Like him, Simos had no armor but a sturdy sword was hanging on his hip. Sitting there with slumped back made Simos looked smaller. And without the bulky vests and plates, he could pass as any normal village kid playing at swords. Not long after Simos handed him a heated water, no flavoring, just warm water to held against the biting wind. His friend looks like he has been waiting for him. ["Thanks,"] Aiven tried to motion on his hands, a habit, but Simos just grunted and crossed his arms. ¡°We still doing hand signs?¡± he raised his eyebrows, ¡°I think we''re long passed playing guessing games, don''t you think?" You know you could talk to us, forked tongue or not. Those were the same words from Delica. Aiven became suddenly aware of his disfigured tongue. The uneasiness of using it had passed and the poor muscles already felt at home at its new state. ¡°When I talk..." Aiven said, testing the roll of words on his lips, "does it shows?¡± ¡°No," Simos frowned, "you could be a ventriloquist with how little you open your mouth. So unless you talk with your tongue lolling around, then no one would even guess about your..uh...?¡± ¡°Deformity.¡± ¡°I was thinking if I should use plural.¡± ¡°I don''t have two tongues.¡± "Right, snake tongue. Or no tongue, doesn''t matter. You still don''t talk." Now it''s Aiven''s turn to scowl. "I am talking." "But not to us." Simos paused not knowing how to continue, "you''ve said more words to those Familiars than you would have uttered in a year in our company." "You know me," better than those idiots, so I don''t need to explain what I want to say. "Yeah, knowing what you want for breakfast just from eye movements? Sure. But you know voicing out your opinions--in specifics, would put me at ease. I mean I''m your party leader, you should at least be able to talk to me." The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "I''m fine." Aivenreplied. Hehad never heard that bit, but he didn''t refute it either, taking it as Simos'' way of exaggerating things for effect. A quiet sigh escaped from Simos, and he became noticeably wary as he faced his silent friend. Same old habits, the very thing Simos does before he would start talking seriously. "I guess I''m just feeling guilty," Simos finally said. About Delica? "Aside from my sister," they exchanged knowing glance, talking about Delica was painful for both of them that it somehow became a taboo, "from the start, I should have asked about you." "What?" What about me? "Whether you still want to be a member of this party." There were alarm bells flashing on his head, but he took control of it and let Simos continue. "What I''m saying is that you have every reason not to follow this fate. "From the start you got tangled in our family''s affair. Everything, everything about this quest has nothing to do with you. I''ve used your guilt as an otherworlder and didn''t even bothered asking you if you want out, Just so you''ll continue aiding us. Even when we''ve established it was me they''ve targeted, you didn''t even said anything about it.¡± Him, being a hero candidate. As with the most of their routines, sharing information among their party was an utmost priority. Among the most vital were Simos'' conversation with the Emblems--word for word. "You, sticking to us doesn''t add up," Simos muttered under his breathe. "Simos, you''re starting to piss me off," for the first time that night, Aiven was getting angry. "Am I now?" Simos started grinning, "now we''re having progress." "Isn''t it too late for that?" Aiven snapped back almost fed up. Simos closed his eyes and heave a sigh. "What I want to say is...I wan''t to give you a choice. A choice I should have asked right from the start. My question still stands, do you want out of the party?" There was a jab of pain at those words, as if speaking that question made Simos cringe. "You''re kicking me out?" You want me out of the party? "No! I--Ancients of Eight, why do you have to word it so cruelly? After everything you''ve sacrified? After everything you''ve lost? How can I ask you to continue?" "I didn''t sacrificed anything." "You''ve lost your family." "They''re alive and if you''ve forgotten, I''ve gained some lately." "Your honorary nobility shattered." "Good riddance." "And you were forced to have your first kill." at this Simos face really did darkened. There was a moment of pain in Simos'' expression and Aiven was too intuned to his friend not to notice. There were flashes of confusion and frustration. A face of a lost child who doesn''t know who to turn to. This kid. Is Simos trying to give him counseling? For once Aiven was really speechless. He was caught up on their problems that he forgot that Simos was just a child trying to make sense of all the changes and responsibilities hanging on their shoulders. Just a kid, despite his appearance. Whenever he heard Simos talk, he had always felt how strong Simos is, how steady and constant he is. Simos pretty much acted like their anchor through it all. And now Aiven was watching him shatter, Simos was not moving as if the energy has left him. ¡°No one forced me. You''re tired. You''re thinking too much.¡± Aiven really was not good at comforting people. But Simos only looked down, the crackling of the fire was audible as he went back to silence. "I''m not sorry that I have to protect my friends¡­I could say it was necessary, that the ones we''ve killed were not...innocent, that they were slavers, torturers, killers, abducters, the base of all that was human...but it was all just lame excuses. I can''t even use self-defense as a reason for our actions. We came to the Golds that night with all the intention to use anything to bring back Delica. And if you ask me, I''ll do it again." Aiven had decided that the lives of all the Golds were worth it to save a fraction of Delica''s soul. A girl who was an Undead, a Lich, who has no rght to be walking abvove ground. And yet, he doesn''t feel any regret for bringing her soul back. "No regrets?" "No regrets." "So is that a ''no''? You''ll stay?" At Simos'' incessant questioning, Aiven realized that he was asking his ''word'' for it. Their situation right now was different than their normal adventuring that Simos wanted to hear it himself and not just Aiven''s usual mute ascent and acceptance to everything that comes in their path. In their culture words were powerful. The [Tongue of Babel] was a gift that no one would dare dishonor. Promises, vows, Freareans take their words seriously as if its their last. Aiven balled his hand to a fist and bumped it lightly on Simos'' shoulders, shaking his head as if he doesn''t understand why they were even having this conversation in the first place. "I''ll stay, satisfied?" "Sounds about right by me." Simos breathed out, relief obvious in his every movement as he placed more timber on the roaring fire. "As the leader, we should have more of these one-on-one conversations as standard procedure. Maybe at every event of the quest, we should ask everyone if they still want to continue?" And Simos was back grinning that reckless smirk on his face. "For a standard procedure, isn''t this too personal?" "It is personal, I have to...make sure. And since we are having the longest conversation of our lives, why not ask more if you blame us, in your own words. Words binding. ''Cause by the Eights, you have the right to do so. You know that any verbal and non-verbal agreements should be black as spades." Simos said, remembering the common phrases of Runsaerines. "Or be diced and find wanting by blades. Done your research?" Aiven was surprised. With Simos'' hands full with the familiars, it was a miracle he could still find time to use the bathroom, let alone drill the books Aiven had shoved to him about the Runsaer''s history and culture. "Hey I might be careless sometimes but I take being a party leader to heart. And part of it was not making a stupid piece of myself and looking after its members, namely you, skulking." "That bad?" Then Aiven remembered Simos saying that "everyone" would be questioned, [s]Everyone?[/i] "so you''ve also spoken this issue to Delica?" Simos slumped back down again, more defeated than before, "you should hear Delica shrieking at me for asking her if she wanted to leave the party. If only you weren''t logged out cold, I could have used some backing." he whined, sounding more like himself, "I swear her familiars were all armed to skewer me when she started having a miasma ready at hand! It''s so much easier with Lady Mieu." "Maou? You''ve asked her?" "Yes, of course. She''s as much as a member to this party." "Uh...she''s the [Quest Item], why would you ask her to leave?" That stopped Simos. He stared at his friend and studied his expression and only saw honesty and sincere intentions on his words. Aiven really only saw Mieu as a quest, a mission, nothing more. Simos has thought that Aiven was getting along with Lady Mieu, did he got that wrong somehow? It''s true that Simos saw the demon lord as someone that saved them and kept him and his friends breathing, but hearing Aiven treating her as an ''item'' and not a person didn''t felt right. He remembers her little outbursts, the solemn prayers, the way she guided him, and the spark of pure curiosity and intelligence from time to time that was advance for her age. He shook himself away from those thoughts. "Sometimes hanging out with just the three of us all the time, I forgot how harsh and cold you treat your fellows." "Howabout you?" Aiven changed the subject, not even guising the rude dismissal of his question, "If you have the chance, would you want to put a stop this quest?" There was a pause, then a clear word, "No." This time they were both smiling, back to being party members on a quest to destroy the world. Aiven stood up and gestured for him to sleep. It was his turn to keep watch and there''s tons of work to be done tomorrow. ¡°You know why you fight, right?¡± Simos noticed how his gaze went to the tent where Mieu and Delica was sleeping soundly. "Yeah," Aiven said softly still smiling before Simos ducked his head and entered the earthen cabin.
Generantis Lignum ignis pascitur ; Ignem creat terram ( cinis ) ; Terra et venera ferat metallum ; Metalli colligit aqua ; Aqua nutrit ligna . Expugnaturum Lignum partes terrae ; Absorbet aquam terra ; Aqua extinguit ignem ; Conflat metallum ; Metalli transversum lignum Generating Wood feeds fire; Fire creates earth (ash); Earth bears metal; Metal collects water; Water nourishes wood. Overcoming Wood parts earth; Earth absorbs water; Water quenches fire; Fire melts metal; Metal chops wood. Chapter 35 "Please? Please? Pretty please?" [Now what?] Aiven stiffened hearing the dreaded words and swaying his gaze away from the pleading eyes and sweetened voice of Delica. Before he knows it, she has her hands clasped tightly around his and she has been making that cooing tone as if trying to baby him into submission. "Come on, little Aiven, it''s just a small request, no biggie!" He has all the conviction by now to say "no", but there was the unquestionable steel in her eyes telling him the threat that mask under her ''small request''. Whenever she says that, he always got a bad premonition about it. By her definition, small, was always relative. When he tried to move away, her grasp went to him arms, "please?" One word and it''s enough to make him sweat. "..." *sigh. "Yey! Okay, soooo could we work on these blueprints," Delica rummaged over his scattered journals which he has been quietly studying just a few minutes ago. With enough force to deplete half his health, she smacked a handfull of pleated parchments on his chest. "Uguhaa, str, tone it down." he coughed heavily with the innocent papers already pressing against his ribcage. She tilted her head as if not catching his words, then her eyes lighted again as her focus zoom in at the scattered papers, forgetting again how her fist were now as heavy as battering rams simply from their status. She still has problems moderating her movements with so much levels stacking on her new body. One of the setback of not growing accustomed to ones class up. "Ouuh, I want these, these and these...uh," she snatched one of his charcoals and started scribbling, "maybe you could do this...nee?" Hayts, another encounter like these and his [Pain Resistance] would reach the next tier. Just a moment ago, he was trying to level up his pattermaker job skills by trying to capture different clothing styles that he had observed in this world. He didn''t know that his little hobby of drawing, could be this useful. Before, he used drafting skill to tone his magic circle construct. Very helpful when a small skewered line could cause an implosion. Just imagine the mess...and the waste! That one time at the gardenhouse was enough to bankrupt him within three lifetimes! So far his [Clothes Template] has been increasing with each design. It shows the same function as a status window, but only with the rune data linked to Aiven''s status as a tailoring class. Same as a tab window when browsing the internet. But there seems to be a time limit on his [Clothes Template]. After recreating the design, the hovering 3D template of clothes on top of the [Command Window] would disappear within three minutes. He has no idea what''s the use of it and aside from looking pretty, it does nothing at all. He might be clueless at tailoring, but if there''s one thing he knows about the crafters, it was that blueprints were everything. It could be called Recipe by one class or Formula by another, all in all, it was the basis for every items that any crafter could create in their crafting skills. For tailoring, it looks like to be [Templates] and he has no idea how to use one. There were also a lot of system errors. When he tried copying one of Delica''s clothes and the error appeared, he asked for the clothes and tried to appraise it. Obviously, the [Wuthering Cloak] has a [Seal] attached to it with the words ''Lineart" emblozened in gold with a flush of curls on the letter ''l''. Other words also came to view when he tried to other clothes,''Madam Coutiere'', ''Emperor''s Clothes'', etc. He tried to ask around, and Delica simply shot him her typical what-era-did-you-came-from look for not knowing those reknowned artisans and she marched in again at her long lectures of all the ''up and about'' on the fashion industry of the upper echeleons of the society. As expected, he didn''t get any of it. What he did noticed though was that, he can''t copy designs that has [Artisan''s Seal] on it. So copyright infringement was very active in this world, huh. So rather using the templates and see the designs blur into nothingness, he tried honing his drafting skills in paper. But when Delica saw one of his sketches, the one he used to fool around with, her eyes twinkled and she was on his heels in a second. "Perfect! Oh my, Master would be pleased!" Apparently, her being in exclamation points has already been her default after she got resurrected. Her enthusiasm leads them to the present. What they were both holding were the sketches he had made from his old world memories. And all of them happened to be maid customes. "A real servant personnel is what Master is lacking! How can she rule the world without servants? Guehuehue, I can''t wait to see Ulna on these!" Black cut, low vest accenturating the chest, with white laces and dress that fell to the ankles. Choker, with high collars and black vest coattails over skimpy ballooning skirts. High heeled boots, and the infamous knee-high socks. He sighed, it''s troublesome. Really troublesome. But he did needed to practice his craft. And since getting customers seems farther and farther in his reach, he has to look for better alternative to have his experiments *cough ahem, practice on. Undead has the same body type, so wouldn''t it be fine? While thinking about the possibility of making clothes for Delica''s familiars and possibly turning a horde of maid cosplaying Undead in the future, a voice suddenly bellowed from the forest. "Yo, morning!" Simos appeared from the woods. He was in full equipment. He was wearing the normal leather vests and extra metals strapped on his shoulder and elbow. His gait was heavy with his boots and sheens all covered by iron while his helmet was securely tucked under his arm. Aiven could see his hair was drenched in sweat even if his face was cleared of any fatigue. His hair in particular. They dyed Simos'' hair yesterday with one of his inking dyes, it must have flopped since the color turned to dirty gold instead. This world also have no concept of hair dyeing since all beautification can be done by magic, really helpful in their case since no one would suspect Simos natural color. They have to fix that later. "What''s up?" "Morning dear brother, how''s the patrol?" Delica greeted, peering over her familiars that was already emerging from behind. Simos looked back his shoulder. Beside him was Mieu looking fresh with healthy color on her cheeks and the white dress still giving her the innocent aura of a young girl. She was actively chatting with one of Delica''s generals, Ulna, as the Beastial patiently retell to the little girl the history of the Demihumans that can be found on the farthest north of Frear. With a few commands from Simos that came as afterthoughts, Simos'' unit settled down. There must be about a dozen of familiars on his heels that were already looking approvingly over Mieu who also greeted them in a curtsy. She''s turning to be more polite as time passes. They must have come after their morning patrol.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The forest has lost its menacing atmosphere lend by last night and was now the normal luscious green and fae. The blessings of the Goddess Freyra of Earth and Seasonal Fall, gave the Valley an abnormal boost of growth. Greener, bigger, wider...a forest in steroids. Hunting was not a problem. With the manabeast''s excessive size and weight, the beasts'' movements were slow. The defense could pose an issue but with a powerhouse like Simos and his team of Undead, its like there were no scales or fortified furs in the first place. All of Delica''s familiars has now been recovered. Openly interacting with a group of Undead would have raised a commotion if there were passerbys but their camp was actually quite secure. Instead of taking the High Road, their party went inside the Fellen Valley and made their way while following the River upstream. The valley was in the middle of the Borderlands, so the Arvalar, or any of the Kingdoms of Man, has no hold on these lands. And since they do have the extra hands and eyes, they use some of the familiars as surveillance about two kilometers in radius. Nothing and no one would be near them without them knowing it first. Still, Aiven could feel their dissatisfaction from their more-than-nornal stiffness and their roundabout gazes as if not knowing where to settle their eyes on. It''s like their will was trying to rebel against Simos'' command to stand by. Argh, why can''t they just sleep inside their soul gems!? Delica''s Familiars, having a soul of their own could manifest themselves at their own will (with only 13% of their full stats compared to a formal summoning from their Summoner). It was actually meant to be used when the Summoner was in dire emergencies but these idiots would just pop up even for the smallest of tasks. Advantage through number alone would have been useful but when you were trying to have a low profile, it was amazingly fatal. And having more than a hundred familiars was truly hard to manage. They have so many people on hand, that the Undeads were starting to get anxious at not being useful for their masters. "We traced the bandit''s lair. The routes seems reliable," Simos took out some parchments, "they have some letters, merchant routes, travelling logs, inventories. But nothing useful so far." Ah, now Aiven was really smiling. Give it to Simos to rake in all the evil-doers in a three-mile-radius. He had always suspected Simos to be afflicted with hero-complex. But then again, Aiven remembered their adventures and his eyes rested on the blade hanging on Simos'' waist, the hilt already contouring on the shape of his palm, showing how many times the boy had wielded the steel. It''s not hard to guess how they got the information. Hero complex? Nah, Simos could easily turn ugly in zero point second if you press the right buttons. And he definitely does not want to be near when that happens. Also the bandit subjugation keeps the bloodthirst of the familiars at bay. Important, since they have to stop threatening to shred every incoming caravans that passed by. Every morning, Simos would scout the area with few of the higher levelled Undead assigned for the day. The other half would already be scatered in the Fellen valley levelling and hunting materials while the remaining ones were in their constant post. The last time he checked, Simos was almost half-dead yesterday when he was training with Tarsus, the metal attributed Dwarven. Even his near past exhaustion state Simos would still proudly tell him how he could already master the use of drawing magic essences while in combat. Simos would be balancing his earth and fire elements to maintain the magma affinity in his body, the second circle of magic that infuses two different elements. If he could infuse another earth element (making it on the third circle) on his magma affinity, then he''ll be able to use metal. Aiven had to admit, with the rate Simos was going he might passed the before they could even step foot to the Black Kingdom. If that happened, Simos would be the first person he knows who has raised that tier without any class! Which actually breaks Simos everytime he thinks about it. So to forget, he trains even more and ends up speeding up his levelling process which inevitebly gets him more depressed. The cycle was really pitiable. Aiven took note of the report from Simos and they started having their normal one-sided conversation. Taking it as her cue, Delica dismissed her familiars and took Mieu out for a walk. She was eyeing him, obviously making sure he won''t forget about his ''promise''. And he don''t even know how to use his class! Argh, whatever. He''ll research later. According to Simos, the lair seems to be an underground mining shaft just a few boulders from the mouth of the Fellen Valley. A lucky find when Simos shadowed a group of bandits out from the Fellen Forest. Normally, ore mines should be narrowed with tracks and barracked walls hanged with fae lights but the whole place was actually refurbished and restocked with all the needed living necessities. Once you passed the initial entrance, the path would widen to a huge warehouse. Pretty high-end for some low class bandits. They must be part of an organization, and if there''s one thing he knows about the underground guilds, it was their greed for information. Okay, it;s decided. They''re going to raid the lair. They just need to make some preparations. It''s really such a loss that bandits would tend to leave tax collectors, royal messengers and ambassadors alone. A typical behavior since they don''t want to make the kingdom their enemeies, or they would be wiped out over night. The rest of the day was spend on Mieu''s actual training. Delica would handle the general knowledge, ethics, culture and magic, Simos was for combat and survival, warfare. While Aiven took what''s left. (what is left?...well actually there''s Babel and the runes, and science, I guess specifically chemistry, physics, math, etc.) Aiven has no idea what Delica has been scheming lately but he would often times hear her muttering about world domination and conquering various flags. He doesn''t get why [Babel] would translate her language to that of an otaku, but everytime he saw Delica drooling as she watch over Mieu, he can''t help but feel pity for the demon lord. When he tried asking why Mieu needed to learn about dining etiquettes, social customs and pleasantriess, Delica raised her voice and just told him that Mieu was the Demon Lord, a royalty that would lead armies and kingdoms into ruins. It was only normal that she would need to act like a Queen. Simos on the other hand, was taking it slow. They would be seen playing chess and war stimulations in a form of games. Their combat practices was nothing more than body strengthening exercises, stretching, running laps and meditation while keeping certain stances. It''s still early to say if she has talent for swords. With her affinity locked only to the holy elements, it was hard for Simos to make a working training method for Mieu. The holy element seems to love her and she could manipulate the elemental to her will as easy as breathing. When they had their sparring practice on the second day, Mieu just need to blast the volunteered Undeads with a ball of holy light and they''ll get pulverize at one hit. Afterwards, there''s a new intensity of admiration and respect emanating from the familiars. As for Aiven, he could see that Mieu has difficulty at theories, but she excel at application. It would be better to focus on giving her examples and hands-on exercises. Still need to look after her progress. She has already the basic understanding of this world''s structure, and could already identify runes and linked them to words. She could copy basic illustrations and was able to grasp the concept of numbers and basic arithmetic.
Notes: ELEMENTAL MAGIC AFFINITY: Shows the range of magic that can be cast by a mana-user. FIRST Circle: [Earth] [Water] [Fire] [Air] SECOND Circle: []: Required elements [Earth][Fire] []: Required elements [Earth][Water] []: Required elements [Water][Air] []: Required elements [Earth][Air] THIRD Circle: [<>]: Required elements [Earth][] [< >]: Required elements [Water][] [<>]: Required elements [Fire][] FOURTH Circle [<<>>]: Required elements [Earth][<>] [<<>>]: Required elements [Earth][< >] [<<>>]: Required elements [Air][<>] FIFTH Circle [-Dry Weather-]: Required elements [Earth][<<>>] and/or [Earth]x5 [-Wet Weather-] : Required elements [Water][<<>>] and/or [Water]x5 [-Cold Weather-]: Required elements [Air][<<>>] and/or [Air]x5 [-Hot Weather-]: Required elements [Fire][<<>>] and/or [Fire]x5 EIGHTH Circle: [-Meteor-]: Required elements [<>][<<>>] AETHER MAGIC AFFINITY: Dark Shadow Demised Death Light Holy Divine Life Void For example if we take... Simos with his affinity of [Earth] - [Fire] - [Air] The best combination any human-born could ask for. In therory, these are all the other affinity magic he could use (if he could maxed out his stats to do so): []: [Earth][Fire] []: [Earth][Air] [<>]: [Earth][] [<<>>]: [Earth][<>] [<>]: [Fire][] [<<>>]: [Air][<>] [-Hot Weather-]: [[[[[Fire]]]]] [-Meteor-]: [<>][<<>>] As of this chapter he could only use: [Earth] - [[Earth]] - [Fire] - [[Fire]] - [Air] - [] This gives him the title: Second Circle of Sudrine Fire, Second of Austrine Earth; a First of Nordrine Wind and Hringra If he wanted, he could be transferred to any of the three Training Grounds located at the City Fortresses and since he has the blessing of one of the Ancients, he would also have a recommendation in the Elrhondir Kingdom. Only those who carry the blood of Arvalar Regalia (or if you are a Summoned Hero) could use all four affinity at the same time.
Chapter 36 "Aiven! Explain yourself!¡± Right off this morning, an angry lich wearing a frilly apron and waving a wooden spatula on Aiven''s face barged on his sleeping quarters. Delica have turned right back to being the nagging mother-hen slash adventurer-side of herself that her noble upbringing seemed to have been kicked out of her system for the time being. Her way of switching roles and settling into them like a second skin was really unnerving sometimes that Aiven wasn''t able to keep pace. Two days, and already the five units made themselves useful. But there were still some hiccups now and then. Still Delica have been all over the place, as she supervised the littlest details Simos had overlooked from her familiars and keeping Aiven busy with all her antics and requests. Ah, she has never changed. ¡°What?¡± he answered groggily as he tried to sit from his bed. Aiven could see that she have already made most of the morning. She smelled of spices and grilled meat, and her heeled laced boots have been caked with mud. He won''t be surprised if she have been wandering around their camp before first light. ¡°Nee," remembering the reason why she''s here, Delica continued. "why have you been teaching nonsense to Master Mieu?¡± Her tone was oozing with sweetness, but the accompanied glare was so sharp it kept him in place. Oh, that. As if on cue, a small black-haired girl peaked behind Delica and worriedly looked up to Aiven. Her hair was tied in simple twintails and on top of her dress was an apron that''s similar to the one Delica was wearing. She was showing an apologetic expression as if unable to understand the situation but was aware that she was the cause. ¡°Runsaer is black, Elrhondir is white, so Alvalar is rainbow.¡± Aiven replied with all seriousness as if he didn''t say anything preposterous. Delica had a stupified look. "And here you are still spouting that nonsense! Argh!" During her repeat interrogations of his teaching methods, Aiven had already folded his mattresses and blankets neatly on his lap and push it on his inventory. He made an effort to start taking out his journals for his morning habit of checking and listing his tasks for the day when his eyes went to the aprons and the spatula on Delica''s hand and his movements abruptly froze, ¡°...¡± Tracing where his eyes went, Delica raised her spatula and was frowning. "What?" This time it was Delica who felt uncomfortable on his stare. "You...were cooking?" Delica placed her hands on her hips and said sarcastically. "No, I was cleaning my teeth with an oversized spoon." Soon after loud conversations and giggles caught his ears. Aiven glanced at the entrance of the earth cabin where slivers of daylight were already passing between the flap of the canvass. He moved towards the firecamp disregarding the angry accusations from Delica and the activities going on around their camp. Now fully awake, he was greeted by the warm dawn. There was a wagon stationed not far where a couple of Undead were busy tinkering with it. On the other side of the camp was another pair polishing some swords and armors. Their space so far was starting to be filled with busybodies. On the makeshift kitchen were five girls preparing food. Mieu, Ulna and a set of blonde triplets were all earnestly and cheerfully making breakfast of porridge and grilled chicken wrapped in bacon. It looked like the young demon have slipped off the cabin while Delica was doing her hysterics. Not really surprising especially with how Delica could rant on and on and on about a particular subject she might caught herself in. The open kitchen uses the hearthstone from their firecamp, and there were two low tables set up. One was filled with all the ingredients lined cleanly and already peeled and sliced. The other one was an array of supplies messily dumped as if in a hurry. They looked so peaceful, it would have put any person at ease, She even made all of them wear aprons. Apparently when little Mieu wanted to help with the food, Delica just went ahead of herself and shoved the frilly piece of clothing to the little girl and even dragged Ulna into it. Delica had always been the one making their rations before. After she turned, Aiven has wordlessly took up the role as cook. But this was the first time she forced anyone to wear a set of aprons. He doesn''t even want to think where she has gotten her hands on them. Somehow the image of liches, demon lords and undeads on his head was getting warped. And when he noticed the breakfast they were preparing, his heart sunk deeper. The porridge was a bubbling dark soppy liquid, and the bacon was far from looking anything edible. The thing was cursed! Not once, have he thought he''ll find a cursed breakfast in his lifetime. At this rate, he might witness all their supplies filled with hex marks and death traps. "Oi, Aiven! You should take Master''s education more seriously!" Delica said when she already caught up with him. With the supplies on mind, Aiven told her that they''ll talk about Mieu''s training later with his hand signals. "No, Master always comes first!" Aiven grunted and pointed at the food that could only be used as poison if they don''t do anything about it. "Fine...but food first." "Oh! I''ll hold your word for it. So, what do you meant about the food?" she asked innocently, with a mischievious glint on her eyes. Aiven sighed, not knowing if her being a Lich somehow affected her common sense regarding their vital necessities as mortals. "I don''t see anything wrong with your breakfast, Lesser Master." Aiven heard Ulna. She could still project an overbearing and cold posture even with the flowery apron. "hmpf, you should be thankful you are to dine with a banquet personally prepared by High Mistress!" For Ulna, defending the results of her High Mistress and Her Highness'' cullinary skills was enough cause to cut in their conversation. "Thank you Ulna, but I did have a great assistant," Delica said and Mieu suddenly reddened in embarrassment. Delica quickly looked back at Aiven, "you really have to taste Master''s specialty first before critisizing, you know?" "I-it''s not much as a specialty, uh, I mean, I just followed your instructions." Mieu countered, her cheeks still warm and not able to raise her gaze. Then realizing that she was fidgetting, Mieu straightened her shoulders and brashly added, "Knowing the roles and tasks of her subjects was one of the duties of a great ruler. This much is expected." What is she coming at? It was at that moment that Ulna passed the ladle to Mieu. The little girl dished a small portion and blew it over before pressing it to her lips. Her breathe instantly cleared the black liquid and it turned into a creamy substance. "Hmm, maybe a few more salt?" and she started stirring. Suddenly it was covered with light, stripping the curse wisping from the cauldron. The aroma was starting to fill the camp. He just stared at them. It was well known that anything created by the Undead would place a hex on the crafted. That is, if they had enough intelligence to use their hands in anything other than killing and infecting mana sources to feed on their miasma. But with Mieu and her holy properties, the side effects would be extinguished just with her touch.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "So~ what did you think of my training method?" Delica added, as she smiled at Aiven who was still brooding over finally having a solution at using the Undead for their daily chores and having Mieu as curse-deterrant. Signing, he ignored the triumphant look on Delica''s face and simply took a seat on one of the empty tables. The ones in the kitchen ignored him. It was filled with baskets of bread, potatoes, carrots and some onions. There was a neglected chopping board infront of him and he started clearing the skins and peelings left from their cooking. "Capitate! It''s the Lesser Master! We should all bow in greeting!" one of those triplets said, her grey eyes widening as she finally noticed Aiven, and when she saw the basket of trash on his hands, she quickly paced towards him and snatched the basket. On her words, the other two surrounded him and also made the same dramatic concerns, picking on the small sacks of meat and potatoes strewn on top of the table, "Oh dear, Lunate, this is bad. We should clean up before the Lesser Master." "Indeed indeed, Hamate, how unsightly to Her Highness!" He was still overwhelmed by their onslaught of words and hands as they continued cleaning the table. He would like to reply but before he could make sense of their sentence, they were already on their next set of conversation. Delica however, after nodding to them with a smile, was already at Mieu''s side. The lively chatter continued from the group of girls, and he could also hear the eager voice of the young demon lord. ¡°Uwaaahh! I wanna see the floating continent! Are there really unicorns there?¡± ¡°Yes, of course Your Highness. You could even find all kinds of dragons and flying beasts in the floating islands of Nirvaim. It''s beyond the waters of Bermuda so it could be difficult for us. Can you pass over the potatoes, Lunate?¡± Ulna asked to one of the triplets. Another of the triplets perked up, and briskly made the errand with the potatoes already on hand. "Difficult...not impossible." Mieu beamed, still stirring and not even commenting on the sudden transformation of their menu. "Nothing is impossible for the Demon Lord. Not only the Surface of Frear, but even the Floating Continent of Nirvaim would be under my rule! Then we could ride the unicorns all we want." "As your will, Your Highness," the group of Undead chorused in high spirits. The triplets continued on their own merry side of comments, "Do might I suggest the Hippocampus, Lunate? More claws less teeth. And the white gleams of unicorns would be inconspicoous during night aerial raids." "Ahh Capitate, but what they lack on teeth, they make up with fangs." "Exactly Hamate, aren''t they adoringly perfect? The identical little girls overlapped with each other that the moment you blinked, you would get lost of who said which even if they never failed to address each other especially now that their weapons were all stashed on their [Soul Gems]. "Oh, pray tell, Capitate. Which raids should we launch with our fictitious herds of disproportioned uglies of manabeasts?" "Uglies? You dare, Lunate! The fishscales of those sealined horses far outshone any Siren!" "Don''t be daft, Capitate. Scales against the mighty horns that could pierce the night''s veil? Rubbish and bullery. A unicorn could very well piss a pool for your seahorses to swim." "Now now, Lunate, Capitate. I would suggest our very own Sleipnirs, since I have no neighing mane-bearing beast to contend with. Can''t you see how fitting Her Higness Mieu would looked with the Godblood Hellhorses?" "Sleipnirs are overrated, Hamate, and High Mistress already command a number of them. If I should say so myself, Hippocampus are beasts of earth, land and sea, clearly the perfect bearer for the conquerer of all living and the dead!" "Huh, but Capitate, I have to give it to Hamate. Sleipnirs do have six legs more than your Hippocampus." "My sister gone traitorous! How can you equate the number of limbs to a horse'' value? Mind you, even your precious flashing horseflesh fall short on the hooves department." "My my, what better show of power than to submit an vile detestable creature as unicorns?" The three looked physically ill all of the sudden, even the one vying for unicorns was having the same expression. "Hmmm, on that I could agree Lunate. Unicorns really are the worst. They''re so bright and pristinely beautiful my eyes hurt." "Seconded, their vain holiness grates my insides, I could puke." They seem to have lost interest on their discussion as quickly as they put up their argument. Do they have a dark traumatic history with unicorns? Or is it a shared knowledge among the Undeads? Aiven was still processing the flow of their mutterings--argh, just listening to them already made another wave of migraine, when suddenly Ulna voiced out, "that''s the spirit, now why don''t you three duel to know which saddle would better fit our Queen?" She said it in an offhanded tone as if shooing some children off to play tag, At the word of duel, and its outcome regarding the young demon lord, the three looked at each other for a brief second and with a flurry of command spells their [Corpse Armory] activated and their weapons were suddenly out in the open. "Hoh ho, a grand suggestion, don''t you think, Capitate?" Lunate said gripping a huge black metal warhammer with its head already resting on the ground. Her bobcut blonde hair shifted silkily against the partial helm lightly covering the left side of her face. The rest of her armor, fitted her perfectly in designs of black and grey exoskeleton. "Indeed. Shall we Hamate?" Capitate asked, the weight of her dark-forged axe that rival''s the warhammer''s height, shifted effortlessly on her shoulder. She also has the same armor pattern, but the headgear was in mirror-image of her sister. Without any warning, Hamate smashed her knuckles against each other creating a resounding clang, the same effect as a starting bell, or a firing pistol. Drowning the word of warning from Ulna about seeking approval first for the duel. "On three then, Lunate?" Hamate asked, already positioning herself between her sisters. Two metal-linked and fortified gauntlets were equipped on both her petite hands. The gauntlets was designed larger than her head, and extends disproportionately down to her knees and covered up to her elbows in jagged cross of dark metals. Aiven was on the act of putting a stop to all this when Delica put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. She was smiling while shaking her head for him to leave them alone and watch for awhile. Before the fist strike could fall, Delica shoved Mieu in front, with an encouraging push, her smile only widened in confidence. The little girl staggered while making a yelp of surprise and made a stop at the very center of the battle. She was holding both her arms outstretched. At first she was panicking but when she saw the situation, she glanced at where Aiven and Delica was standing. Delica only made gesture as if saying, [i]I believe in you, Master![i] Mieu gradually calmed down, drawn a deep breathe and took her stance. "Lunate, Hamate, Capitate!" Mieu shouted with all her might and a burst of holy mana enveloping the girls. Instantly, disintegrating part of their armory and chipping some layers of their flesh. At hearing their names, the three girls froze and visibly deflated. All their weapons hidden in a heartbeat. "We deeply apologize!" She harrumphed looking down at the girls, the royal attitude on point, "And may I ask why are you apologizing?" "Eh, ah, Lunate? Is it because we broke the rule not to fight before breakfast?" "Neh, Hamate, you think it was because we didn''t took a witness before the duel?" "But Capitate, we couldn''t possibly remember everything Suzerain Simos briefed to us about the honor of dueling! And we did tried the pretense of debate before trying to kill each other?" The three continued murmuring with each other while kneeling infront of Mieu in a neat row. Then Mieu pouted, she''s still clutching the hem of her apron in a tight grip and with a swoop of her hand, the three became silent again. "I am your Lord." Mieu tried to say as regally as possible even with how high pitched her voice was, "and you blatantly disregard to ask for my approval for the duel, or any of my minions.\," she held her chin up and nodded towards Delica and Aiven, acknowledging their position. "I am unsure if you are worthy to be part of my army." The subsequent scene was followed by begging and remonstrication of their fealty to Mieu and the Demon Lord''s Army. It has all the proceeding of a court in trial, but only staged in the middle of nowhere with the camp no more than dirt and woods. "She''s wonderful, isn''t she?" Delica swooned, her eyes brimming with pride. Aiven was simply watching like a good audience when Simos appeared behind him. "What did I missed? "Playing royal court," Aiven said, pointing at the spectacle that they were watching. Simos relaxed and chuckled, "I say, does this courtly life has food in it? I''m starved." "About that..." he let his voice trailed as they both turned towards where the kitchen is. "Delica has been cooking." "She what?" Simos asked beside him. ¡°She has Maou, she''ll purify it afterwards." "I don''t think that''s the problem here." he replied weakly, scratching his heead, "but...hmmm, that''s another curious situation. Hey, you think if we eat purified holy porridge, would we get additional holy attributes?¡± Aiven shrugged his shoulders, having no idea what would happen if they did in fact eat something that has been circling from being cursed and purified as the ingredients get handled back and forth by a and a class holy vessel. But if they do get additional holy affinity, then the better. It''ll definitely help him deal with these stupid Undeads. A grumbling noise came from Simos and he reddened, "Can''t they wrap it up faster? I''m hungry I could eat a horse!" Aiven rolled his eyes, not wanting to comment. Simos went closer to the kitchen and greeted Ulna an amiable ''good morning'' which she answered just as politely. He was smelling a scoop of the cursed thing while talking with Ulna about his run for this morning. Possibly about the state of the Familiars and his training. Aside from breakfast and the mock trial, their morning was not as eventful as before. Mieu, out of her benevolence, had forgiven the three and they were only subjected to a beheading. An excellent verdict that was nodded and approved upon by the majority of the Familiars who have already gathered watching as the three made their plea. Their sentence was made right there and then, and was delivered by Ulna herself. It was not the beheading that the three was mourning about, it was the three months non-summoning punishment to them. They call it a sentence, but it was more like dispelling their summoning by having their life span reverted to zero. Hardly harsh really and as Delica pointed out, a healthy practice of the Demon Lord''s power and authority over her subjects. For Aiven, the less he have to handle her familiars the better, specially the noisy ones.
Note: UNDEAD CONSTITUTION YELLOW BILE summer - Blaze Equinox liver khol¨¦ ambitious, leader-like, restless, easily angered more yellow bile like lung - AGI BLOOD spring - Leaf Solstice heart sanguis courageous, hopeful, playful, carefree more blood like muscle - STR BLACK BILE autumn - Stone Solstice spleen melas khol¨¦ (?) despondent, quiet, analytical, serious more black bile like bone - WIS PLEGM winter - Frost Equinox brain phl¨¦gma calm, thoughtful, patient, peaceful more phlegm like brain - END In general, there are four types of proper spirit: One is brutal spirit residing in the heart and it is the origin of all spirits. Another ¨C as physicians refer to it ¨C is sensual spirit residing in the brain. The third ¨C as physicians refer to it ¨C is natural spirit residing in the liver. The fourth is generative ¨C i.e. procreative ¨C spirits residing in the gonads. These four spirits go-between the soul of absolute purity and the body of absolute impurity. Chapter 37 Massaging the burrows of his frown, he let the feel of mana leaving his body again and just heaved a deep sign. Today, a carriage taken from the Rust-Irons needed to be refurbished, There were over half a dozen fired up familiars who volunteered to do the job and the general cleaning was done with so much enthusiasm that the wood varnish almost chipped! It was Tarsus, the Dwarven leader of the Foot Unit who actually lead the group. Not only cleaning, they even started improvising. The result, the simple wagon turned into a black carriage of death with skull pattterns and miasma surging from who knows where. On top of that, it became cursed! Aiven rechecked the chains attached on the wagon and didn''t mind the creaking sounds it creates from time to time even when no one was touching it. From his appraisal, the [Cursed] mark was definitely on its stats and a building urge to lash again at the familiars came to him again. So far it hasn''t moved an inch. For some reason or another, the curse made the cargo move on its own. But only when it actually has a passenger on it. Empty as it was now, it looks like any funeral carriages you''ll see in Cessine. Unfortunately, the carriage was too slow to be of any use and it has an obssession to crash itself towards cliffs! "Well if we needed cliffs, we could just use it to find one?" [Simos, why would WE need cliffs?! What kind of freaked out situation would we need cliffs?!] ¡°Lady Mieu could purify this later." ¡°No,¡± Aiven replied sternly. Acting oblivious to Aiven, Simos continued pressing on the curse issue. ¡°What are you planning?¡± ¡°A horseless vehicle.¡± Looking at the runes of the curse, he might be able to find a way to create an autolocomotive vehicle without the continous expend of fuel or mana. Creating motors was impossible for him, even if he has the blueprint, it would be hard to fuel in a long run. Oil was hard to refine by one person and there was no way he would resort to mana-powered vehicles! So much waste! He''d rather walk. But this thing...a carriage that propels itself on its own. Just trigger the curse and the hex runes would do the rest of the work. He placed his hand the body of the wagon, the wheels were well-made, the balance was light and there was even a spring on the suspension to lessen the drag of the body. Despite appearances, it was a great wagon. He can''t wait to start fiddling with it. He continued eyeing the cursed carriage and for some reason the chains rattled violently. Could it sense what he is thinking? Nah, impossible. """We deeply apologize!""" The Undead kneeled infront of them. And just like before, Aiven didn''t took note who they were and just collectively called them as the Foot Unit since Tarsus was with them. The bulky full armored dwarf with dreadlocks and rings on his hair has his head in the lowest compared to the others. He took a deep blow from this setback. He was a blacksmith before and this was the sort of work expected of him but he failed his mistress. Aiven waved his hand in dismissal and went to his scolding, "Enough of that. From now on, all Familiars would not touch any of the supplies." Then he eyed the Dwarven. "You. Delica said you still have your living memories, teach me how to fix and maintain carriages. Smithing too." At least they now know anything the Undead created will be cursed, in any menial craft whatsoever. So all the odd-jobs still fall into his shoulders. Really useless. "Pffft, with your skinny arms? Forget about maintenance, you won''t even be able to sink a nail, Lesser Master" Tarsus said. His head was still down and his expression was still that of regret contrasting to the arrogance of his voice. Argh. He also need to raise his charisma over the Familiars. The way he addressed Aiven shows he was looking down on him but he ignored it. He was really starting to hate Undead Creatures. "I''ll do it. I''ll just have to patch up the canvass and clean the frame and suspensions right?" "Leave it. You have work to do. Cleaning and stuffing tar between the seams of the body would take more than a day." And there''s only two of us who are not Undead here who could work on it! Thankfully they still have more than ten wagons stored in the black box, though it was covered in blood and the canvass cover were tattered. But with his class, the canvass wouldn''t be a problem. It''s the tar that he needed to worry about. It was to make the wagon waterproof when they have to cross rivers. The wagon was actually not that important but going on foot to the Runsaer would be problematic. People would question their travelling methods especially with a child in tow. "I understand." Simos replied while having a complicated expression. Aiven can''t just leave these menial tasks to his friend. It hasn''t been long but Simos already has his hands full for these past days. Afterall Simos was practically leading the Undead Familair. As for him, most of the miscellaneous job fall into his hands--inventory cleaning, cooking, equipment mainternance, mapping, etc. But he actually has a lot of free time compared before. During afternoons, Aiven would go to a corner and start skill grinding. Using needles on people opened a new set of skills,[Acupuncture] which was one of the skill sets of [Needlework] on Undead has its own uses. [Acupuncture] enables him to see passed the mana points to add health. However, there seems to be no functioning mana nodes to be found on the Undead''s meridians (since technically all their bodily functions are dead). But since their [Phylacteral] acts as their whole mana system, their soul gem pulse like a giant mana node for him to locate. He could use this skill to pinpoint the exact location of their weak points. Which was pretty neat if he wants to take them out one by one. So far, he can''t use his [Craft Command]. Not without the proper processing of materials. This was not the same the synthesizing method in alchemy or runecrafting in scribes where you could just read some instructions and you are good to go. Without a master to teach him the basics, he has to work on what he could do. This was getting frustrating. Aiven start off casting with his [Clothe Appraisal]. He used outleveled garbs and leather items on his own inventory. and try to assess the materials. Using this skill, he was able to identify the raw materials and items for his class. If not for this exercise, he wouldn''t know the existence of Runecloth, Knothide, Windwool, Hexweave, Mooncloth among others. All of which, he has no idea what for. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. He could guess their properties, but appraisals could only go this much. Even researching wouldn''t help him. None of his books ever mentioned these materials from his extensive book collection! Artisans always kept their secrets closed which was such a pain in the ass. The one he could do with ease was [Dismantle] though. Obviously since taking pieces out was much easier than piecing them together.
Ding
Congratulations You''ve unloacked Tailoring Skill Set IV: Clothe Scavenging Due to displaying undeniable skill in extracting materials, you are now able to salvage raw materials exclusive to textile arts
Another tailoring skill huh, this was pretty useful. He would be able to unravel the materials needed in the equipment creation. He took out his [Beginner Mage Cloak] and tried the skill on. So far was able to extract two manabeast''s fur, embersilk thread and black leather. To make [Fur], he''ll have to extract two manabeast''s pelt. That''s easy enough. For the [Black Leather], he''ll have to create at least three black fur (from Garmhounds, Shadowfangs, etc.). Unfortunately, he has no idea where he would even start looking for some [Embersilks]. What in Frear was an Ember anyway? And how would you get silk from it? He continued studying each materials from dismantling the items, then afterwards he tried to reverse engineer the damn thing. Unfortunately even evoking his [Repair Command] do not work. He can''t repair it since it''s not broken. He tried activating his [Craft] command and he felt the mana expended, but then, he would have no idea what to do. He tried stacking the materials and place his hands on them while activating the crafting skill, but nothing happened. Now what? His Basic Sewing Toolkit didn''t come with a manual, he checked it for the nth time already. Argh, total pain in the ass. So getting back with his reverse engineering bit, Aiven went back to the materials on his hand and tried sewing the old-fashioned way. He cursed, and flung the thing on the floor. And cursed some more with a force that matched the growing frustration inside him. Then as if a heavy feeling backlashed on his outburst, he sighed and took up the materials again and resumed his craft, knowing he only have himself to blame for the situation of his class and it was up to him to make use of it, if ever he had the chance to do so in the future. It''s a bit awkward getting the hang of it and some passing armored Undead who would go inside the earth cabin and would gape at him for a second before abruptly straightening his body and march back to where he came from. There would be a few coming in now and then, but after the fourth one, no one ever came to his sight. Were those rabbit ears? Ah, whatever. The silence was really calming.
Your [Concentration] level up
Waving the window notification away, he went back at the obsessively repeatitive work. At least he had that for compensation. During the sewing, he also used his [Drafting] and [Thread Guide] to make his stitches even and clean. Same principle as with his scroll-making, a pattern would lock itself on the [Black Leather] and he just need to follow it with his needles. He simply played puzzle as he piece it where the [Fur] and [Embersilk] should be. When he finished, he was looking over the piece of equipment. His first product. Could he say that this was his first product? He just shreaded and piece the thing back together so it''s a bit sketchy whether he could claim it as his. With all the mundane works of a tailor, he had forgotten about his current status. Especifically, the negative effects of his [Title] as "Butcher of Silk Button." He glanced at his work, his brows frowning deeper in confusion as he appraised the cloak one more time and found nothing. Just like before, his [Deranged Status] as a crafter should gave him a 5% fail ratio. Shouldn''t it have been triggered by now? But he did a manual labour of it without using his mana...well aside from using patternmaker skills. At his appraisal the [Mage Cloak] that was crafted under was overwritten with a simple text.
Please Insert Seal [Butcher of Silk Button]
Oh so the only thing different was that he could claim one equipment as his. Did he just turned to plagiarism? So much for patents. He allowed mana to move over the runes and took out a few words so it wouldn''t feel so brutal. Silk Button. Sounds harmless enough.
You have crafted Beginner Mage Cloak
STATUS: additional n/a
Armor 3
Life Bonus 0
Melee Critical 1.1%
RangedCritical 1.1%
Magic Critical 1.1%
Oi? What is this? The stats were actually better than the original! Aiven was still surprised at the result when another notification window appeared.
You''ve acquired [Beginner Mage Cloak Blueprints]
He immediately opened his [Clothes Templates] and right under it were the blueprints for the [Beginner Mage Cloak]. Amazing! The crafted templates stayed on his command window. He must be the only one in the world to get excited about this, but really, these revelations was a big moment for his class. Basically aside from finding a way to by pass the fail ratio from his Deranged Status, overwriting items to claim as his own, he could steal other people''s designs! Somehow Aiven started laughing. He was a known fugitive anyway, stealing would at the bottom of his list of crimes. This time, he really could go for forging! Time to get my hands on some invisbility cloak, dragonscale vest...what else? With his mind going over the list of mythological class items, he grabbed another equipment and levelled up his [Clothes Scavenging] skill. All his free time afterwards was spent dismantling and restitching all the clothes in their inventory up to the intermediate levels. If he tried to reverse engineer Superior Tier or Calamity Tier-level items, his needle would break. As expected. he still need to raise his class. He was able to balloon his blueprints to fifty templates. Before he could call it a day, he just need to try crafting something first. From his inventory, Aiven held out the raw materials in creating a Mage Cloak. He has some black leathers and pelts. He processed the pelts and made a fur out of it through refining and harvesting. He has to make an improvisation for the Embersilk Therad, so he took out some Leafsilk Thread that was a dropped item from some giant Silkwood Catterpea. Now that he has all the materials, he looked over the [Beginner Mage Cloak Blueprints] and patterned the design on the materials. He cut out the pattern and he sewed. During the whole process, he got the [Skill Set I: Cut], [Skill Set III: Binding] and [Skill Set IV: Contouring] to level up..
You have crafted Beginner Mage Cloak: Unique
STATUS:Blessing of Freyra''s Leaves
Armor 3
Life Bonus 5
Melee Critical 1.1%
RangedCritical 1.1%
Magic Critical 1.1%
Well, at least, he got one item done.
Basically, Aiven''s crafting skills was divided by three catergories, the [Tailoring Craft], his [Job Skills] and [Combat Craft] Tailoring Craft Skill Set I: Repair/Dismantle Skill Set II: Needlework Skill Set III: Patchwork Skill Set V: Clothe Appraisal Intermediate Skill Set I: Craft/Upgrade Intermediate Skill Set II: Acupuncture Intermediate Skill Set II: Medical Gauze Intermediate Skill Set IV: Clothe Scavenging Job Skills Craft 2nd Tier Job Title: [Patternmaker] Intermediate Skill Set I: Cut Intermediate Skill Set II: Drafting Intermediate Skill Set III: Binding Superior Skill Set I: Shred Superior Skill Set II: Thread Guide Superior Skill Set IV: Contouring 3rd Tier Job Title: [Dressmaker] Superior Skill Set I: Ornamental Appraisal Superior Skill Set II: Rune Embroidery Calamity Skill Set III: Ornamental Engraving Combat Skills Craft Skill Set I: Stitch Intermediate Skill Set I: Cross Stitch Chapter 38 The slick snipping sound of scissors can be heard from one of the far-off trees surrounding their camp. The shadow of the leaves gave a silhouette of stained glass across Aiven as he continued with his sewing. On his lap was a black mass of matted cloth that creased in a heap. It was a nice day. The Garmhound''s furs were one of the softest he had encountered that matched the black and white theme he had in mind for the maid costumes. Aiven leaned back and rolled his shoulders from its ball joints to ease up the aching sensation from slumping too much over the materials. "This is becoming a habit," a shadow loomed over him, and Aiven saw Delica standing beside him, hands on hips and feet parted firmly on the ground with a fed-up expression she seemed to be fond of these past few days. "Should I be concerned?" Delica asked as she scanned the four familiars who were kneeling infront of them. They had been perfecting the position of feet tucked under their legs, with their forehead touching the ground. A dogeza. "Hmmm," Aiven continued stitching, the template still fixed on the materials on his hands. "Remind me again why they have been doing that for two nights and one day straight?" she asked. The four undeads were no other than Malar, who was as motionless as a statue and would murmur something Aiven could easily accept as a curse of some kind. Next to the elven was Hyoid, her ram-like horns were hidden from the mesh of sandy-colored curls as her whole muscle tensed at the humiliation of her position; followed by Vomer, the bear-beastkin who was still trembling, Delica gave a look of pity on the poor girl. And at the end of the line was Lacrimal, the undead-general of the Head Unit and responsible of their intelligence network. The seafolk octopus-inherent was also shivering, but the way he panted and squirmed was sending awkward chilliness at Aiven. The undeads were the ones he had the pleasure of being acquainted with when they were stationed in the command center. Remembering their actions, Aiven was still pissed. "They abandoned their posts," he answered with the usual sharpness he used when talking about the undead. "We are getting in circles here," Delica was pouting and flopped beside him in a graceful pose, "the only reason they left you and Master, that time, was because I called to them!" "You have negative status then, so you were excused," another snip of his shears and the bodice was done, "but these four, are not." She grunted, giving up on the argument knowing that they have been at it for more than what was necessary, "you really shouldn''t abused my babies." At the mention of her pet name, Aiven''s face darkened and he put down his work so he could stare at Delica. The lich held his gaze. A telepathic bargaining went over the two. If Simos was there, he would have been able to translate the opposing wavelengths, but since he wasn''t, no one could even guess at what overwent in their silent conversation. They made a staring contest for about a few more seconds. Delica was the first one who break the eye contact. "Sheesh! Fine! But you could only reduce their health to one percent, any bigger than that and I''ll get angry," Aiven didn''t moved, but the glint of his eyes told her that he was not that happy with the condition, "okay, two percent, each for you and master. Satisfied?" The four looked up, expectant and happy of finally ending their punishment. The hardship was puny. It would be an insult to even call it that, with their living expereience to consider. But the feeling of uselessness was driving them mad, that when their mistress came to their defense they were tearing up with joy--aside from Lacrimal who seems to be disappointed. Aiven stood up and left Delica who was still grunting in displeasure. He moved closer towards the four and started to took out identical bowls and poured holy water into it. The familiars were all confused even when he set each bowl on the ground infront of each of the familiars. Looking down on them, shadows menacingly forming on his eyes, Aiven said, "start licking." "EHHHHHH????" They all straightened and stiffened. Cold sweat breaking on their forehead. "The humiliation!" the elven blurted, the first word he had uttered since the start of their punishment. "This.damn.human.larvae!" the sheep said, trying to restrain herself. "I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry..." the bear was muttering while hiding her face. She was so deep in her dogeza, the dirt were all pushed downward in the pattern of her hands. The air was filling with their complaints, but then they realized that their mistress was just at hearing distance so they quickly quieted down.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Delica was staring at a far off place with a blank face, shoulders slumped that she looked like all life was drained from her. She could be heard saying to no one in particular, my little Aiven...ayah, what happened to my little Aiven? Where did I go wrong? Where is my cute, adorable, little Aiven?... Then Lacrimal with no hesitation at all, bend and put out his tongue on the bowl. The remaining three was suddenly assaulted with remorse. Their great leader of the Head Unit, whom they looked up to, took the challenge and punishment head on without any negative word. Strengthening their resolves they also started bending down to lick the accursed holy water. Then the sheep was getting a hard time at the task with her curly mess of a hair getting on the way. So Aiven, sincerely feeling bad for her and thinking he might have gotten carried away, grabbed her hair in a bunch, away from her face. He crouched down and tried to smile to ease her discomfort, "go on, continue." Hyoid stared at him in horror, remembering the deranged aura they have all felt from the little boy, she shut her mouth and do what she was told. Everyone got shivers at his merciless action. Delica in particular covered her ears, trying to hold on to the thread of deniability she still have on the growing sadistic tendency of her friend. However, Aiven would soon regret his decision, afterall the pink octopus was starting to get excited.
Afterwards, they talked about the gathered info on the bandits over lunch. This time, Aiven did the cooking, though it was mostly with Delica''s strict instructions. Roast pheasant with herbs and spices, rye breads with butter and garlic. Coffee, milk. Simos gave another list of trade routes and schedules of travelers, but Aiven emphasized on loan and tax collectors. "You visited Runsaer often, right Delica?" Simos asked. "On a few Blaze vacations more than you, what of it?" He moved a few list of names towards her, "recognize these names?" Delica and Simos studied the lists and tried to reminisced who, what and where they have heard the names and titles on the parchments. Living on the higher circles of the society before, they have a good grasp on the structures from other places compared to Aiven, who only have the honorary title. "What is this for?" Simos asked. He had been bothered by Aiven''s growing interest about these people, which was a first. Anything that has no script on it, barely warrant a second glance from his friend. "I''m looking for someone we could use, their weaknesses mostly." "Hmm, interesting. But what are you looking for exactly?" Delica asked. Aiven paused and pondered on it, "political manipulation is all theory to me, so can you look on these? If we could know where their money comes from and where it went, then we could find what dirt we could rub on their faces." "That''s a good start. Actually, the only start we could have, but it is still a long shot. Runsaer and Arvalar have trade but their relationship is strained specially after the Runsaer lorded the east from the Bassine City Fortress," Simos remarked after stuffing a mouthful of meat. "Well, Arvalar did abolished their eastern stronghold, shrinking Bassine towards the south after the demon attacks. It was only through the rogue camps that the man was able to hold the border." Delica added. "And that camp grew until it called itself Runsaer, ''the one who sees rune''." "Wrong. It''s actually,''the one who saws the rune''," Aiven said. "Aren''t they the same?" Simos asked. "[Saws], as in cut, maim, separate. There''s a difference," he remarked. "It doesn''t matter, there''s a lot of theories on the Kingdom''s origin and no one knows it''s real meaning anyway. All we know so far was Arvalarian hates the Runsaerines so I don''t know how much we could get about the Emblems," Delica said. "On the contrary, if the Runsaerines really hates the Arvalar Kingdom, then we are headed on the right direction," Aiven replied. "Emblems? Like that one we met, Ainee?" Mieu asked, still nibbling on some bread toast. "Yes, but we are targeting the other one with Simos, you''ve seen him right Master?" Delica asked. "Hn," she muttered while nodding. "I don''t like him. He had no injuries but when I healed him, he took most of the elements from the spell. I really don''t get it." [i]Wait you healed the Emblem? How...[i] Then Aiven realized something, "it was when you casted a wide-area healing." He declared. Mieu again nodded, happily eating her meal. "Can you still remember his constitution when you healed him? And also everyone on the area." "Pretty much, why?" her eyes looked up to him. "Great job, Maou!" Aiven patted her on the head, "you really are a great evil demon king." "Hehehe," she chuckled, glowing with the compliment. "Oh, speaking of which, how was the demon army equipments going along?" Delica asked. "The costumes?" "Uniforms," Delica corrected, too tired to even get angry. They talked about Aiven''s progress in his class. Which he clarified to be not much. Though he was finished with the sketches. "Wait, aren''t you supposed to take their measurements?" Delica asked. "No need, I already have them," Aiven remarked. "And how, pray tell, did you gotten hold of such intimate personal information out of my precious familiars, without my knowing? Eh?" "Delica, your miasma is ruining the food," Simos annouced forcing a smile to calm the atmosphere. "I have good cartologist skills." "And what''s that have to do with you peeking over my familiars!" "I could measure a mountain''s height within eyesight, so knowing a person''s measurement just by looking isn''t hard," he explained blandly. He was kinda proud of his mapping skills afterall. He kept his poker face on as he hands his plate to Mieu. When it touched her hand, the food went back to normal. "Ah," Delica calmed down, "ah I see, you do have a point." "By the way," he finished his food quickly and started cleaning, "do you have any hair and skin products?" "Hair and skin?" "Any cosmetics? Make up?" "Uh...is your Babel translating properly? I can''t..." "Face paint used on humans." "Ah, like what the undertakers used?" Simos suggested. Beautification was different from this world. With the existence of magic, glamour and illusions could be done with much more realism compared to the cosmetics of his old-world. Placing coloring agents on the skin was only done to their dead to give it a decent appearance before burial. Hence, most make up artists were those with professions of undertakers. "Perfect. Do you have any?" "We used some as necromancers, but what is it for?" "A project for world domination." She smiled, and taught him everything she knows. Chapter 39 Aiven was indifferently watching four needles, seamlessly flitting around his craft as they pierced the patterns together. Each end of the thread was connected to one of his fingers. Well, it is...distracting to say the least. Much better than being a depressing useless piece of... When he realized that his mind started to wander on his darker thoughts again, he took out another one of his needles and traced the thread with mana for his control, making his mind blank again and filled with nothing but repetitive patterns under his template. It had felt like ages since the last time Aiven had contemplated on his own situation. A week at most, and he had found the morbid bliss of ''not thinking'' to be the best course to pass the days, which only happens when his mind was busy with his stupid class. Barely noticeable above the canopy of leaves, Aiven flicked his finger as the new addition to his threads looped into another stitch. This makes it...five needles then. It was a welcomed improvement to his tailoring. Pleased with his work, Aiven made himself comfortable at his chosen branch which was three boulders from the ground. His crafting and training was progressing more productively than he would have had imagined. At first, he could only produce three full-set wardrobe, starting from cloaks, hats, then armors. An insane amount of linens and wool threads later, he could come up with about ten sets of wardrobe in a daily basis. Templates for boots and shoes came to him by the end of his fifth day grinding levels. The technique to his efficiency was due to multi-tasking, which came from using multiple needles. As with all newly-initiated tailors, he started with only one needle, then he tried using the same skill on [cross-stitch] where he could use multiple needles in midair. Unlike the attack skill where there were only two point of directions for the movements, the one he devised for stitching were complex. Fortunately, it was repetitive, so a workable pattern was used with the help of his [thread guide] skill. His proficiency in [cross-stitch] attack also rose. But still, a huge part of his concentration was needed. His maximum was ten needles, but there would be a lot of missed and crocked stitches at the end of the day if he pushed that far in numbers. [Mana Manipulation] was one of those base skills he had a knack for and so far, more useful than his combat levels (which basically consisted nothing but speed and running away). From the start, he had never entertained the idea that he''ll become a tailor. His mana might be dysfunctional before but it was still possible for him to land a job-based class, be it the scholars'' or the artisans'' grounds at the Cessine Training Grounds. Reaching for anything more would be a hassle. But somehow tailoring suited his way of using mana. Before, he had no choice but to strain even the last bit of his skills. Instead of the normal burst of mana for skill activation, he used a long but thin stream of mana operating throughout his body to regulate the spells. Basically, the mana expended outside of his body looked like strings of mana. It was efficient and mana-conserving and right now that same streams of mana made it possible for him to led the needles into his control, giving him the impression of a puppeteer. His current needlework was enough to make a consistent quality while still capable of surveying his surroundings. Trees. Forest. Marshes. More trees. And the unmistakable shouting and screams of agony from below. Hmmm, they''re finishing late, he thought as his [Detection] zoomed to a couple of people fighting a few spans away from his hiding place. His cast easily spotted Simos. He should be worried knowing that his friend was one of those fighting in the fray, but Aiven was completely calm. Another searching scan from his map and he saw two of the bandits had fallen. It looked like Simos'' group doesn''t need any support for now. With only six familiars under Simos'' lead, they were now against ten standing bandits out of the twenty-three original count. Normally, he wouldn''t even bother watching Simos'' sparring exercises with the undeads but he made an exemption for this one. Afterall, this was techinically a dry-run for his craft. The flashiest of the familiars, Ulna was already wearing the costume he made earlier. Her silver hair, which split into a feather-tip, spun fluidly as she speared someone through the neck. The colors worked well with the black and white motiff the conventional maid costumes. Actually, all the familiars present were in maid-outfits, and instead of focusing on the bandit-subjugation, Aiven shifted unconsciously in looking for flaws in the equipment he had crafted. Her [corpse armory] was easily integrated with the lightweight armor that was tatted with [Runescript: Chaos Rune] for additional 10% attack and [Runescript: Wind Breathe] for speed. The rune ornament varies from those that were directly dyed on the material and the ones stitched to form the runescripts. The dyes would tend to evaporate within activation, while the stitched ones were in continuous effect. The complexity and quality of threads also factored in the veracity and affectivity of the runes. From the t1 [Cotton Wool] to t3 [Transcend Vine Threads]. The threads were also picky in what rune they should be embroidered into. Conflicting affinity would often fail based on his experience so far. He opened his skill sets and checked on the skills he used for runescripts.
Job Title: [Dressmaker]
Skill Set I: Ornamental Appraisal Skill Set II: Rune Stitching > Rune Embroidery Skill Set III: Ornamental Engraving > Rhinestone Engraving
His [Dressmaker Job Skills] have already surpassed intermediate tier, twice as fast compared to how he levelled his other tailoring job titles. Not really surprising since he had been working with runes the very moment he had spoken his first word. Working on these armors were the same as when he was producing scrolls before. As for the design, it would be boring if all costumes would be identical, so he played some parts of it. Not for any aesthetic designs per se, but generally for the sake of his sanity. Regurgitating one hundred maid outfits repeatedly could be straining for his questionable mental health. Just thinking of it was already draining him.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. For Ulna''s Right Arm troop, he sticks to the conventional maid costumes since Delica was unhealthily pushy about the matter. They were mostly attack and strength oriented, so an easy to move garb was not too bad. Amazingly, all Ulna''s group were made of females. One of Ulna''s [Familiar Arts] was [Ars Valkyria]. If his history was right, valkyries were all female warrior-reapers ready to choose the fallen warriors in battle from Old Norse, so he won''t be surprised if everyone under her unit were all females. But a nagging feeling kept bugging him, especially whenever he saw that rabbit-beastkin. If he wasn''t mistaken the rabbit-inherent was called Distal. When he was distributing the clothes, some of the girls in the Right Arm unit started dressing Distal in the maid outfit. Did he made a wrong assumption? He was sure the rabbit was male, but maybe he was wrong. There''s actually a suit made for the rabbit-inherent undead, but when Ulna and the triplets started a full-length speech on the greatness of the Demon Army, highlighted with singing praises of their mistress, his head started to hurt and he easily snuck out of the impromptu gathering. The Left Arm unit, which was headed by Acromion were mostly in butler-style, suit and tie--- a design similar to a tuxedo. Aiven even made a feminine version of the tux to suit the females. But they still looked intimidating. Basically, they looked like a mafia. The group was mostly made up of beastkin, so they could easily pass as yakuza, with beastial characteristics here and there. Lamina''s group, which were long-range mages and archers were mostly made up of elvens. In the end, he decided to design a costume inspired by kimonos. It was a bit nostalgic on his part that he started being engrossed with the crafting. As for the practicability of his designs, so far, long skirts were very uncomfortable to watch, with not much room to move. He''ll have to work on the slits better. As for the balloon design, there''s a lot more place for the opponent to get hold on to, so that also needed some trimmings and revisions. "Basically, less clothes, more skins," he murmured to himself. "I knew you were pervert." When Aiven looked up, just one branch above him, he saw Mieu with her feet playfully dangling in the air, smiling innocently at the on-going battle (which he had conveniently muted out) below. "..." His eyes were fixed on the stuffed doll the demon lordling was cradling on her arms. It was made from the excess materials Aiven made from the costumes. It actually had the same design as the baroque automatom that his mother used to make, except the materials were all made of white leather and some fine textiles and it had no mechanism of the simulacra used for automatoms. The clear manastone placed on the doll''s choker glint a faint blue and Delica''s voice came out, "Hmpf, I am grossly disappointed." His brows twitched at her, or more specifically, at the doll''s unwarranted opinion which was instantly translated as, right, says the person who wanted to dress all undeads as maids. "Maids are the epitome of loyal service and excellence! Why should I not want that for my master?" The doll was starting to rot with the miasma flowing erratically from the gem. He could easily visualize Delica berating him with her nagging. Aiven replied by squinting his eyes more. Before he could question her reasoning, Mieu had gently tapped the head of the doll and her mana started enveloping the doll-Delica. The mana was so pure, that not even a tiny leak from a lich''s miasma could be detected. "Nee, isn''t it fine, Delica?" Mieu said while giving her typical brilliant smile. The little girl lifted the doll and faced it towards her,"and Ainee did gave me this doll for you. Aren''t you happy?" she asked, their foreheads almost touching. The gemstone, which was originally the inventory necklace Delica used to house her body, glowed on and off for awhile as Mieu held on to the doll-Delica. The toy''s features were the generic face of porcelain dolls, doe-eyes, impossible lashes, and pouted lips dimpling in a smile that would have made his mother''s doll automaton proud. Aside from the small-fitted victorian dress and the golden fine threads he used to create the drill-like curls on the toy''s head, there was nothing that stood out from the doll. Delica became quiet, "true, and this disguise is quite convenient, but can''t I really be a cleaning corpse? How can I serve master like this?" she whined. "But this also made it easier for me to be always on master''s side. And this doll is too cute! But, but, being carried by master is too much, ayaaaaahh." At this point Aiven shut his ear away from Delica''s monologue. "Oi, we''re finished here," someone shouted. A second later, Simos was leaning leisurely to the tree Aiven was resting on with, arms crossed and perfectly contented with his morning exercise. Aiven''s train of thoughts were still on equipments that when he saw his friend, Aiven automatically scanned Simos equipments. There were no ripped parts or anything abnormal on the affinity and the runescripts but he noticed that Simos was no longer carrying his weapons. "Your broadsword?" Aiven asked. "Oh that. It broke," Simos shouted back again. Realizing the piercing gaze from Aiven, he explained, "okay, I know it''s new but the handle had started to deform. Well, the edge got chipped long before that so it was not a loss," he shouted in reply. "Is it done? Should we start?" Mieu asked excitedly. The little girl hurriedly stood up, balancing herself at the length of the grey stoned branch as she tip toed, placing one foot forward to after the other. "My preparations were complete, my lady. You Aiven?" Simos announced. Aiven nodded and tucked his needles away. He stuffed his other materials to his inventory and straightened his gloves in the process. "Yay! Finally!" And Mieu, without prior warning, jumped from the tree, and was smoothly caught by Simos. Aiven soon followed, but he broke his fall by stepping on each branch he encountered during his descent. The group was waiting on him when he touched the ground and dusted a bit of dust from his clothes. Aiven went to Simos and tapped him on the shoulder. "Try to limit yourself a little," if not, Simos would halve all the weapon loots from Rust Iron army by the end of the solstice. On his palm was Simos inventory bracelet which was securely on Simos'' wrist awhile ago. The blonde shook his head exasperated, "stop doing that," he said and snatched his bracelet, and automatically equipping it. When Simos reached for his item list, he saw that his weapons were restocked and his expression became more conflicted. "If I didn''t know any better, I could have mistaken your on for a thief." He glanced at the mess from the bandit subjugation and reflected at how easy it was taken care of by a handful of undead. Compared to them? I think that could be taken as an insult, he thought, however, they haven''t encountered a high thief yet, or even a high novice among the bandit''s ranks, so dissing a whole class build could be reckless. Not to mention, he''d rather not badmouth the dream class of Simos infront of this sword-head. At the other side, Mieu went to where the majority of the familiars were standing in formation. She touched the inventory necklace and Delica sprung out of the doll. Her blonde tassels were striking that the doll''s hair which was made of actual gold seemed lacking. A simple obeisance towards Mieu and a wink to Aiven, and Delica was off in her hyper normal state of bubbling energy. "You''ve done well! What a wonderful run!" Even at this pace, he could hear Delica praised each and every one of the familiars. "Thank you, High Mistress! All hail the demon king!" they cheered. At the appearance of the girls, the undeads started to become unruly. "Delica." Aiven tried to get her on track before she started petting and spoiling her summons. "Yeah, yeah," the lich answered half-heartedly, "same drill?" When Aiven answered her with a nod, she summoned another one of her familiars. A flash of a magic circle and mana expended later, a woman was standing infront of them and was kneeling. "This vessel is Cuboid, my high mistress, I await your command," the newly summoned familiar said. The newly-summoned familiar had brown hair braided to the side, her eyes were black and she has a very motherly expression as she took her bow. What made her eerily incospicuous was her dress. Tailored in grey, that covered her feet up to her neck. She''s wearing a scarf and gloves that the only skin exposed was her face. She stood up and when you look closely, her skin was pink and not the normal undead color of grey marble, and her lips were also pinkish. The culmination of all their efforts of three-days experimentation in making make-ups, just to make an undead look human. "Wow, good job Aiven," Simos said taking a closer look at Cuboid. "Airbrush paint, this time," Aiven said, showing off a contraption with a valve and air pocket that was originally a high-class perfume of Delica. When he squeezed the air pocket, a spray of paint was sent through the air. The demonstration was to avoid any unnecessary follow up, Simos might come up with. "It does have more texture now than before," Simos said. "Undead don''t sweat or have oil. It made it easier for painting," Aiven said "Painting, huh? I don''t think this is painting anymore," Simos said in awe. Aiven on the other hand was not that satisfied with his work. He had seen what cosmetics could do, and truthfully, this paled in comparison. But still, they needed to know if it''ll pass. Chapter 40 "Gasp! Oh Cuboid, what have the lesser master done to you? You looked so disgustingly ugly like a human!" a stupid-looking undead exclaimed. Going over his mental list, the one who spoke was Proximal, under Ulna. An undead fox-inherent beastial with maroon hair and two canines poking out of her lips. This must be her first time seeing one of their experiments. Cuboid smiled, "I am once a human, I''m afraid, does this bother you, Proximal?" Her tone was calm but there is no denying the heavy atmosphere from Cuboid. "Huh, what? Shiver. O-of course n-not," the fox''s ears started to quiver and she backed down. She stepped back only to find the triplets. And the three girls quickly looked away. "Nee, nee, Capitate, isn''t our high mistress, formerly that of man''s race?" one of the triplets said. "Eh? E-eh?" the fox started to shrink further. "Hn, hn, Lunate, and isn''t our majesty, the great demon lord, currently trapped on the same race? Humans do have tendencies to be filth, but ugly? Tsk, tsk, tsk," another answered while brushing an imaginary goatee. "Ah, Hamate. Indeed, to say an entire race was ugly so blatantly...and my, isn''t it the work or the lesser master? Surely no loyal familiar would be wise enough to say so disrespectfully," the third concluded. Proximal''s ears were downcasted and tears were forming on the edge of her eyes as she stuttered an unintelligible apology, which Aiven ignored. He was never interested on the internal going-ons of the familiars as long as it doesn''t affect him in any way. "Come now, stop teasing Proximal, she''s just a kit," Simos said, crossing over to Proximal and resting his hand on her head even if the Undead happened to be taller. "S-suzerain, sob, even when I...I?" Proximal sniffed, eyes closed while clutching her twin daggers to her chest. She started to bow lower so Simos could have a better reach. "You did a good job out there," Aiven could hear the approval from Simos'' voice, while showing off his perfect white teeth. The other Undeads huddled closer to that smile like a beacon. It was an expression that reminded him of Delica. Before long, Simos too, was praising the Undeads one by one and patting them in the head. Even Ulna and Radius, who seemed to be the serious-type, were not spared. Despite their tensed awkward stance, they didn''t pushed away from Simos. The triplets even crouched to make it easier for the young Suzerain to pat them. The wide smirk of a cat, immediately gave the three undeads a palpable pet-like aura. When Aiven asked about the Undeads'' behavior towards his friend, Simos only explained that it was the familiars'' usual response to strength, to yearn for it and submit. The nature of the summoned to seek approval and praises from their masters. The two really are siblings, Aiven''s brows slightly creased. "I do apologize for my young brethren''s crude remarks, lesser master," Cuboid said. Without a fuse, she kneeled infront of Aiven, showing more respect than what he was accustomed to. Should I also praise Cuboid? Aiven paused at that thought and looked at the familiar carefully. She did well after being subjected to various trial-and-errors...so, Aiven''s thoughts made his decision for him and before she could say anything, he poked her cheek. "Lesser master..?" Cuboid said, a little perplexed. Cuboid''s features had been ingrained to his memory from all the tedious cosmetic works they had done, but there was nothing to be modify on, much less improved on her face. She had a dainty nose, full-lips and eyes of deep brown, at most, she doesn''t deserved to be called ''disgustingly ugly''. He pressed his finger again against her cheek, more gently this time and said, "the colors suits you." Cuboid blinked, there was a momentary shock on her eyes before she lowered her lashes and smiled, "thank you, lesser master." He nodded at her and immediately looked over at the two fallen cart, leaving a stretched out choked surprise over the undead familiars as they gaped after Aiven''s back. When Aiven checked his finger, not a trace of color was smudged to his skin and the layer of paint didn''t caked or broke. It was a small improvement, but one he was happy with. The plaintive smile was so rare on Aiven that the undeads became uneasy. "Oooohhh, it''s the first time little Aiven complimented any of my babies," Delica raised a thumbs-up to Cuboid, "well done!" And Cuboid bowed her head again in response. "Anyway, for the next few hours, we''ll only need dear Cuboid here...so...please disappear for now, no?" Delica slashed her staff and most of the familiars were unsummoned back to her staff. "Lets start. Lets start!" Mieu said excitedly. The design of the carts were unique. It was four feet, solid box with bars extended to all sides and layered with hay. The typical wagon used by slavers. There was no sign of dead bodies or horses, but the pools of blood and marks of battle were evident from the trail. Aiven took another quick look from his [detection]. "Have you taken care of the slaves?" Aiven asked to Simos. Simos sighed and said, "do you really have to check everything every ten minutes?" When Aiven nodded in a hearbeat, Simos added "yeah, they''re safe, two of the familiars already transported them at the nearest village." They have been careful in creating a vigilante image that has been targetting the bandits in the borderlands for the past days. If they started swaying from the robin-hood-reputation they''re garnering, the local settlers and nearby villages would start being cautious and might even file a subjugation quest towards Fellen Valley. A cause for tightening the borderlands was the last thing they need. "Mieu?" Aiven asked. "Yes!" Mieu answered with sparkling eyes. The little girl raced towards the fallen wagon while dragging Delica''s hand, followed obligingly by Cuboid. Delica, with an indulgent smile, stepped closer to Mieu and the lich went back to the doll. The girls, with Simos on the front made the typical image of a passing harmless civillians.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "Everyone okay?" Simos asked as he tried to readjust his new sword to its sheathe. "Okay then, we should start, Ainee." "I leave you the clean-up, Remus," Aiven said, and signalled the start of another of their experiment.
A moment later, a holy light came from the lordling towards a beaten up man on her feet. They were staring at the unconscious bandit. The healing had long been finished but the man took his time to become conscious. A forewarned grunt and there was a sudden intake of breathe, as if his lungs suddenly started functioning again, which could likely be the case. It took another gasp of air before the nameless bandit opened his eyes. He had the normal ragtag gear and rodent-like features of a crook you might find in any alleyway. His eyes, however, widened but still unfocused, likely remembering what happened moments ago. This made his face comical with how his eyes bulge disproportionately to his head. "What the cocksuc--?" the man blurted out. Before he could finish, Simos whacked him in the head, the force of it caused the man to blanked out for a while and lose a few of his teeth. "I suggest you watch your language infront of the ladies." The man seemed to get over the initial shock and started to look over his surroundings. Even with the ropes, Aiven was still vigilant and never left his guard. A cornered animal was when they are most dangerous. The bandit spat on the ground, "keep yapping twat," his eyes widened then he sneered, "the fuck is this?" His gaze moved, sizing each one of them. From Simos who was too close to the bandit, to Aiven who was protectively covering one arm over a woman and a child innocently carrying a doll. "We were passing by when we saw this," Simos said while looking at the remnants of the battle. "What should we do to him, Ainee?" He called out to Aiven. Aiven was still expressionless and said, "He seem like a bad person, Remus. We better bring you to the next village to claim your bounty." "Don''t fuck with me! Hah! Wait ''til boss come an'' ya''ll see!" He laughed. "I really hate this part," Aiven murmured. And Cuboid, taking her que, stepped closer to the bandit, "your name?" she asked. The bandit just leered at Cuboid, who was a beauty comparable to a highborn''s harem, "pretty girlie wandering in our land would get her legs spread," his bloodied eyes were watching Mieu, "ay, what you say whore?" he spat, and for all his poor looking physique, he must had a great aim since it landed exactly on Cuboid''s cheek. Blood were also present on the spit when she wiped it away with the back of her glove. There was a dark gleam on her eyes as she stared down at the leering bandit. She looked back at Mieu, and her smile softened, "excuse my actions from now on," then in a whisper, "your highness." Mieu nodded and placed her hands on her ears, but her eyes solemnly didn''t wavered.
By the time they were finished, Cuboid was obediently sitting infront of Delica. Aiven took his usual place and tried to rehaul the make up. He was holding a scalpel and slowly peeled the skin from her face. The past months under Delica''s tutelage of handling bodies of her undead familiars, made him capable of stomaching this much gore. Delica then used [Re:Exumes Corpse] which Cuboid''s face was back to its normal undead state. As per usual, he prepared his brush sets and paints for the reapplication of the colors to the undead''s face The bandit was also cleared up, courtesy of Simos. "Yay, congratulation, Aiven," Delica started clapping, "this time, it''s a success! The man didn''t even knew what was infront of him. But for the earlier ones, I wonder how did the those people knew my Cuboid was an undead?" "I apologize for my earlier failure," Cuboid said, she would had bowed her head if not for Aiven holding onto her chin as he painted. "Eh? No need for that. Aiven''s paints were on point and your masking of miasma was better than mine!" "No, my mistress, it is because your power was overwhelming that compared to suppressing a measly soul gem''s miasma of this lowly creature was easier." "Tsk, stop talking," Aiven clicked his tongue and tapped the brush on her forehead as he scold her to be still. "It''s your eyes," he answered staring at her eyes that were grey, "that clouded gaze could only be found on the dead." "Should I gouge my eyes then, lesser master?" This time, Aiven stabbed Cuboid''s head with the brush. "Delica, were all your familiars had brains for decoration?" He asked. When Delica was going to retort, he held up his hand to silence her. Cuboid had not budged from her seat. There might be force behind the brush but it didn''t broke her skin so the damage was minimal. "No, never mind," he heaved a sigh, already engrossed at the painting of Cuboid''s face. His face was uncomfortably close to Cuboid but he seemed to not mind the proximity. Delica also started her impression, "hmm, the eyes then. Well, Simos did say he''ll be touring master at the Fellen Town two dawns from now, so we still have time to prepare." Aiven nodded before they went back to their hidden camp.
The first hurdle Aiven have encountered as a self-learned tailor, were creating dyes. "Let''s see, so how''s your cooking skills going along?" Delica asked, fiddling with a few herbal vials aligned in their outdoor kitchen. She was on a one-tracked mind in grilling him to perfect his cooking skills, not only because he was, in default, the one making her master''s food at the moment, but also because as it happened, creating dyes were as much as cooking as fermenting, boiling and mixing herbs and colorants, for him to make anything passable. His knowledge on dyes and coloring agents were strictly limited to the most common of paints and his scrollcrafting. He knew that bloodroot, a secondary medicinal herb used for health potions, gave the red hue on the liquid and therefore could also be used for extracting red dyes. Molteve were used for the blue. And everyone knew that the best of inks were taken from giant kraken. But even if his inks were all personally made by him from his own work station, he was still vastly ignorant on the whole matter of dyeing. Delica on the other hand had been handling colorants and pigments as an apprentice dark mage, partly as a job for undertaker class. Also, she had been dyeing her hair since she was nine, and once something took her fancy, there was no way for her not to thoroughly get attracted in the ways of acquiring useless information about it, which turned out to be not that useless since he needed all of it. The process was the same as any paint but simply chopping or grinding the blossoms, or roots, or nuts, was not enough. A color fixative was needed to bind the pigments on the materials for a long time. Unlike his parchments for his mapmaking or scrollcrafting, where he could use either egg yolk, or different oils (linseed, turpentine, etc.) and mix it with the ground pigments of his choice, the idea of placing it on threads was hurdle. For his threads and textile dyes, it''ll either be a mixture of either water and salt if it was extracted from berries, or vinegar for the ones that came from plants. Fairly easy, then the dye bath. He just need to boil the thread overnight. Various factors contribute on the vibrancy of the colors. Depending on how long it was soaked, the measurements and quality of raw materials. Huge amounts of linen cloth and wool cloth were expended simply from all the experiments he needed to invest in trying out the different pulps he had amassed from herbs. And if he wanted to succeed on his plan on human skin, then there''s a lot of venue for him to cover. To create first grade cosmetics, the road was really tedious and long. It''s also on his credit that somehow, Delica was very interested on his little project. For the hair, he just need to follow the mixture from Delica and use her formula. It was the foundations and lipsticks he had some problems with. Extracting colors and blending them into earthy healthy colors was really a trial and error on his part. By then the herbal coloring full body bath would be not far from their reach. Delica''s knowledge on body preservation had been ultimately useful and once they add his talent at drafting and dyeing techniques, then they could make a passable human out of Delica''s familiars. Though it was proving to be harder than he had anticipated. The undead were also growing their immunity on the holy attributes due to Mieu''s combat practices. Also, since their whole soul gems had recognized Mieu as their mistress, it''s easier to integrate a [Blessing] from the demon lordling on them making their detection as undead almost unnoticeable. As of now, a mage''s only way to be notified of undead''s presence was their miasma and their unnatural hatred to the living. Delica once told them during their sessions how once there was an [Dead Detection Spell] that could identify the undead without any hitch, however the spell would be swarmed by notification of not only the undead, but also with corpses and cadavers of man, animals, and other sentient creatures, that it became useless. So today''s [undead detect spells] were enclosed only to those factors. Took those two out, and there would be no way for anyone to know of their existence. Once the familiars got the blessing, it was up to them to suppress their miasma. Following that, the moment they received their orders not to release any enmity towards man, then they could easily go unnoticed. And with their fanatic zeal towards Mieu, the latter part was not a problem. Chapter 41 High Road:Eastern Borderlands A dark carriage moved past the forest, rattling in a hurried clunk as the wheel strained to keep pace at the rush of the driver''s need for escape. Hoots and shouts of men followed the carriage, their drunk wildness was obvious from the addicting adrenaline of the chase. But inside the carriage, the scene was the opposite. Cuboid was primly sitting with a fan on her lap, and unperturbed by the bumps and clattering noises made by her current transport. Her calm felt remote and disconcerting. She was not alone. Beside her were two other beastials under the skull unit, Cranial and Palatine. Their distinguising features had been conveniently hidden. Their fluffy ears were securely covered under a maid cap, and their tails wrapped on their thin waists. "They''re funny, aren''t they, my lady?" Cranial said, lifting the curtain of the window and watched the group of men chasing after them. On the lead was a man named Maco. He might not be the leader of the bandits but shouldering the title of the second-of-command of Ulfr''s Bane gave him authority and respect of a hundred men. All were capable of murder, rape and pillaging. When the maid-wearing Cranial locked eyes with the man, Maco licked his lips and he whipped his horse. The rear of the carriage was right infront of them and the anticipation of another good haul was intoxicating. Despite the high of the moment, the man reigned in his greed. "Oh, so that''s him, he looked nothing special," Palatine shoved closer and excitedly peeking with her companion. The two looked like children window shopping for their next pet that Cuboid smiled lazily. She, with their lesser master''s instructions, had been briefed about this man. Just with all profession, he had taken banditry with a levelheadedness that made him rose to ranks. That same civil attitude was too out of their brutal underground guild that his boss had taken him directly under his wing, even if he was still technically green on the ears. Suddenly the man lifted a horn to his lips and the sound blown signaled the chasing bandits split to two. The small group he had taken cut directly to the forest. It was a shortcut that they had been using to ambush their prey. The winding road would snake at the next turn, and with their speed, they would be well off in time to await their haul. "Ah, he''s gone now," Cranial returned to her designated seat and commented. "Have you taken fancy for our little bandit, Cranial?" Cuboid teased. "Don''t jest, my lady," Cranial sulked with a disgusted face. "We simply find his eyes pretty, those lustful eyes were really wonderful to be added to our collection". Even Palatine nodded and giggled. Cuboid lightly tapped her fan on Cranial and Palatine''s forehead, "your enmity, dear loyal maids, it''ll ruin your gorgeous face," she warned. And the two hastily, concealed their growing miasma further inside their soul gem. Their soft pinkish, very human looking, lips quivered until it settled to a small humble smile that was suitable for their servant status. From the outside another voice was heard, "should we speed up?," their driver reeled back his head and looked at his passengers. But his eyes were hopeful telling them that he want this game to be over with as soon as possible. Radius was forcibly trying to make himself less agitated, his free hand was hard pressed on the beaver hat on his head, afraid that the wind will carry it off. With their forces, they could crush these men but because of this play, they were forced to take on the role of the mouse fleeing. He was in fact, from the left arm unit, so he shouldn''t be with the skulls trying to do odd jobs for simple intel gathering. But since, the familiars were originally from the slave stocks of the Canary, few of them have the knowledge of horses. Radius, unfortunately were one of those few and the demand for this sort of work passed on to him. Cuboid was familiar with recklessness of the left arm unit and decided to give him a simple treat. "Stop the carriage," she ordered and the eyes of the familiars started to shine brightly.
They have finally arrived on their destined route. With their heightened sensitivity, it was easy for them to pinpoint the bandit''s location. The second-of-command continued hiding with his men, waiting for the ripe time to launch their attack. "Hold, Maco, ay heard there ought''a be meat, aye?" even at the distance, Cuboid could watch a scarred man managed to stride beside him. The men guffawed with brutal light on their eyes. "Wi''d ''dis lands naw ours? I reckon, we ar''tah savor meat ''til Myrkva tak'' us," another one answered with undisguised drool and lust. "Took boss a long time, but aye, we own these borders," Maco lied calmly. Cuboid smiled understandingly, that her cool beauty had turned purer and more benevolent. Taking credit of the demise of the other bandits was now common. With the loss of their rivals'' share on the territories, the vast majority of the borderlands became under Ulfr''s domain. They too had loss some men, but as fate had it, the ones that had fallen were mostly coming from their enemies. Seeing them boasting and flailing cluelessly to take merit was interesting, but she did not take it against them. If someone was weeding their enemies for them, then who were they not to welcome it? "Let''s go," she whispered. She didn''t need to explain further when their horses started to advance frantically and made a dash at the road straight to the bandits hiding place. The carriage still wobbled uncontrollably behind. When the extravagant carriage came to the bandit''s view, their tension intensified and killing aura came emanating from them that the familiars became intoxicated. But there was more high grade aura that they were seeking, and that was ''fear''. In a flash, the whole carriage swerved and Radius held the reins for the horses to jump. Coincidently, it''s left wheel hit a rock and the whole mass of mahogany and metal railings was in the air. "What the...clear away! Clear away!" a nameless bandit shouted. Watching a flying carriage had made the bandits scrambled to their feet and dodge in an undignified clamor. It hit three of their men and caused a few to stumble with concussion. Their shouts of anger and threats filtered with curses felt like flies buzzing for attention, and so she complied. While the dust had yet to set, the door of carriage abruptly opened. A beautiful woman stepped out, her clothes were simple but the cut and quality of it gave a regal atmosphere to her. And with a very calm expression, Cuboid hold out a severed head for the bandits to see. "This belongs to you," she said matter of factly and tossed the man''s head to Maco. The man gulped down when he realized that her gaze was in line to his neck, and he visibly shivered. It took awhile for his eyes to focus on the severed head and recognize the face of the man. """Boss!""" A collective shout echoed on the forest and the bandits begun their usual spouting of threats and curses. The familiars had seen through all of these similar raiding and robberies that they dismissed their ramblings to a rabid dog who doesn''t know which hand to bite. "Say, how many of ours died, Rad?" Cuboid said plainly ignoring the bandits that had surrounded them. "Six," Radius scowled. She didn''t missed the turn of his words and asked, "is mental calculations really that hard for you, driver?" "Ask your Malar and his unending lists, let''s see if you won''t vomit figures," he replied scathingly. "Ah, is that the tone you should use to our lady?" Palatine said, but her eyes were mischievous, "come my lady, ask this humble servant another question, I do not mind polishing my arithmetic." Radius rolled his eyes but still answered a half-hearted apology. Cuboid took Palatine''s offer and asked, "okay then, my maid, then how much is one person''s worth?" She really had no habit of calling them by their role, but the repetitive reminder was needed for her to make them understand the responsibility after they were given new skins. She was afterall, the one in charge of them. Palatine scrunched her adorable brows and scratch her cheek, "by ''their'' standards? About three?" Cuboid nodded briskly, her saint-like smile hadn''t lessened, then said, "kill six of these men, for each one of our dead. Lord Nomen did offer us a ride that should elevate their value twofolds even if they''re pigs." The four-horse-drawn carriage indeed originally have six people when it left the southern city-fortress. But one thing led to another and they picked up a few people from the road. Those people, Cuboid and company, have the same visage of nobility. The original travelers of course offered their services and wanted to curry favor for a good deed. They didn''t knew that by the time they passed the borderlands, they would encounter bandits and were killed. By that time, Radius had snatched the reins and made a sloppy attempt to escape. An intentional error, after all if they were indeed set to runaway, they wouldn''t be rounding up these pigs for slaughter. "Ah, my lady is really generous," Cranial and Palatine said in unison. "Hoh, why didn''t you asked earlier, I wouldn''t have mind counting," Radius laughed and pulled out his sword. Maco was pale. His hands unwittingly grip his sword harder and eyed the four people infront of them. He could be considered low-level at being a thief, having only acquired the class for two years but as a warrior, he was already on the first tier in swordsmanship and he knew that these people were dangerous. But it seemed that he was the only one with eyes to see the danger, since his men became more rowdy, snarling and inciting a reckless confidence that their numbers brought. "Six of us?! Pah," the scarred man spat on the ground, "aw right, you''d taek six to y''ar hole, aye?!" he laughed and others joined in with the dark humor. It was accompanied by other lecherous sentiments but their shouts suddenly became horrid. Cranial and Palatine opened their mouths and a high frequency sound was heard paralyzing the men. They writhed on the ground, some were drooling saliva, and others were pressing their hands on their ears. Those more affected had been bashing their head on the ground or the innocent trees, leaving a trail of blood and flesh on the surface.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. His eyes were blurring with blood vessels popping from his iris, wet blood was trailing on his ears. Cuboid lazily watched the men''s utter helplessness. "Too easy," she heard Radius muttered, a bored, discontented expression had creeped in to replace the excited one he wore earlier. "Can you vow that you won''t lose your cool once you rampaged, my driver?" Cuboid teased and she was answered by a meaningful silence from her fellow familiar, knowing that as a beastial undead, his blood would always boil to claim humans. It was the reason that they used [soundwave] from Cranial and Palatine to disarm their targets to avoid unnecessary bloodshed from their group. Their laidback attitude had dampened the bloody scene but for those who were still alive, their faces had darkened and their mind were screaming from agony, almost equalling their captors as demons and monsters alike. It was a first for them to encounter sound magic. This magic afterall was a high level and rare affinity magic. It''ll need a balance execution of wind and earth magic, two opposing elements. It was not as destructive as fire and water, but still on a scale that needed meticulous channeling of power. Palatine, holding on the air magic, and Cranial, using the earth, was able to synchronize and create a shapeless attack magic that was almost impossible to defend from. "Let''s see," her eyes roamed the remaining men and gathered her skirt towards Maco. He was still livid, but he fared better than his men. "Your face looked familiar, I wonder why," Cuboid remained looking down on him and brought her fan in a resounding tap, the red feathers of the Burnheart Pigeon closeted together and a feather fall down gently infront of the man. At that moment, the pressure of the frequency decreased, but his body was still paralyzed. He must have felt the third tier strength of her battle aura emanating from her, a subtle warning that he should behave enough not to be stupid. Even if it was only a few leap of tier of difference, that difference was equaled to two hundred levels that could easily crush him. "I don''t know you," Maco scowled, and the fan immediately lifted his chin so Cuboid could study his face more. The hot weather of the eastern borders gave gold on his skin, and the philandering lifestyle of the bandit had yet to show on his belly or physique. "But if I did, would you show mercy?" "Mercy...is that something you people possess?" his scowl deepened and she scoffed, "I guess no, so why ask it of us? Really, aren''t you putting too much value on yourselves, thief?" Maco shouted now, "You talk of value when you placed thirty six of us equal to six corrupt and rotten nobles?!" Cuboid''s eyes started lighting up with interest, "you know you''re numbers, and your words were literate...are you really just a simple bumpkin road thief? If then, how many lives should I claim?" It was clear that it was a question that he never expected, but it was a chance for a negotiation. A bargain that could possibly save his and his men''s lives. He gritted his teeth until blood drip on the corner of his mouth to focus, but his bias hatred made him stubborn, "none, they deserved death and be ripped of their skin." What a misplaced pride for a bandit, or is it a commoner''s entitled injustice towards the higher bloods? Cuboid thought. It was also something she had felt a long time ago, when she was still a commoner with nothing to offer to the world, aside from her life. Then she said for him to hear, "even Uncle Roginn?" The name affected the bandit and his eyes widened. His eyes shifted on her whole body, looking for any similar features to the herald of the Rust-Iron Bronze. That''s when he saw the ceremonial dagger of the house Oreindr on her hips, and he finally recognized the striking red feathers that could only be find on that old man''s estate. Cuboid ignored his conflicted expression. She retrieved a box from the carriage and emptied it on the ground, silvers, jewelries and only a handful of golds, piled on top of the other. They glinted against the sun, giving a few light to blind the men, "these were worth at least three hundred gold. You risked thirty-seven lives for a measly amount of three hundred gold coins, doesn''t that mean your lives were only worth eight golds each?" She laughed and her mirth sounded like bells chiming, "a horse had more value than your lives." She lightly kicked the pile and it toppled closer to Maco, "when you look at it that way, wouldn''t it be better if you just all die?" "Wait!" Maco bellowed, with his all his strength he looked up towards Cuboid, "I know Lord Herald Roginn!" his eyes panicking for any strand of hope that he might be saved. Hope when it lodged to your system was hard to let go of. "Oh? Really?" she said, taking her time for the words to show her interest. "I was his Trusted, once, ago when..." he trailed off. There was guilt now, taking the brutal features of his face and he looked vulnerable. We know. Cuboid had been briefed by Mistress Delica. Maco, was one of those men who had raped Lady Gunnier, the youngest lady of the house Oreindr and was supposed to be dead wife of the Canary. It was a wicked sense of humor from the nobles. Maco and his fellow knights at the barracks didn''t knew that the one they were playing with one drunken night was actually their lady they had once sworn to protect. Their drinks had also been pinched with aphrodisiac, and he was too young to control himself. At the end of it, he was able to escape but the haunting truth of what he''ve done followed him. He had convinced himself so much that he was a bad person that he settled for this path of banditry. It was only through this that he could kill to his heart¡¯s content the nobles that caused too much pain to people like him, who were treated as nothing but disposable pawns and collateral damage. The feeling of power and superiority over the lives of others can''t be compared to anything he had experienced before. As it was, absolute power could truly corrupt any man, before long he forgot the initial reason he took up his sword again. But then news of the Rust Irons fall into ruins had reached his band of thugs and lowlifes. Already, his heart was turbulent and he was only able to keep away from the sting through women and alcohol. The knighthood banner was a humble and strictly militaristic so the relationship of the knights towards their herald was thick with camaraderie and respect. Remembering those days was like keeping a dam to his raw emotions. And now, he was facing a woman related to his Herald, the one person he had taken vow to give his lifeblood with. To say that his emotions were in chaos would be an understatement. While he poured out his heart out to Cuboid, she was ecstatic. For a grown man to be this easily manipulated was amazing, but she didn''t shown it to her face. After laying everything bare, Maco was stripped off his own dignity and pride, even the shallow arrogance that come from being a bandit was reduced to a shameful part of his past. The part that his life was also forfeited since their lives were now on this woman¡¯s hand also made him feels at a loss. In retrospect, this was also a way for him to bargain for his life. "My name is Desme of House Oreindr, third cousin removed, of the Fallen Rust-Iron Bronze," she said after a long silence, "do you wish to do right by my house once again? Sir Knight Maco of Edelei?" Sir Knight He remembered his knight-training, the sparring, those late night drinks with people he had spilled blood with. It was a title he never thought he''ll hear ever again and the sound of it attracted him. If eyes could speak, his would have asked if it was really possible for him to get everything back. "The title, the riches, your honor, your life, could be restored, if you swore your loyalty to me, Sir Knight," Cuboid said, answering him and she unsheathed the ceremonial dagger and placed it directly to his heart. "But my path is not easy." Without letting him digest what she said, she gave him another incentive to join her, "I journey to exact revenge for the fall of Sir Roginn." Vengeance. Maco made a satisfied grunt, "you were hunting Aiven of Gallinthe?" A feral hunger came to his eyes. This person had been into the dark realities of life, that it would be impossible for him to believe that he could still be saved. If anyone gave him any offer for salvation, he would surely shun it and wallow in his own pit, but if you let him use that very same pit to drag others with him, he would surely be delighted. Aren''t humans so interesting? "I want him dead," she assured him that his specialty for cruelty would not be in vain. And his mood began to raise as he assessed how much profit he could get from her. The civilities of a conservative person came to him at last and he was looking at the pros and cons of the deal she was offering. Emotional people were unpredictable, if he grabbed her hand to settle something as unreasonable as honour, she would have chopped his head off. But the greed and lust of this man was reassuring. This time, they picked the perfect person for the job. "Yes," that one syllable was like a magic word that released him from the paralyzing effect of the maids. He took himself unto one knee. "I, the one standing infront of you, with the name Desme of House Oreindr, given to me by my Lord, take you Sir Maco, stripped of land and shade [of] under the cloak of renounced Rust-Irons Banners," she announced and the vow was completed. The vow should never be tampered with, but it could be misled. At this one, the only loophole was the name she was using which was as mentioned, given by her lord and mistress, Lady Delica. A couple of clever wordplay, and the only thing this man heard was that ''Desme'' had taken Sir Maco, of no land and shade, under the cloak of the Rust-Irons. The man finally stood up, he seemed taller than he once been, and at once, his eyes softened towards Cuboid, "my lady, Desme." It was not impossible that he could overlap the image of Cuboid towards his Lady Gunnier. Even if Mistress Delica can''t remember the lady, she was able to pull memories from the corpse of Sir Roginn. The hairstyle, the mannerism, the posture, was all drilled to Cuboid. When she smiled towards Maco, it was the mirror image smile of Lady Gunnier, causing him guilt and grief every single time. "Sir Knight," she curtsy and then her head went back to the other bandits still squirming on the ground, oblivious of the events that transpired. She pointed at the pile of silvers and said, "these thirty six bandits, I had bought their lives, can you kill them?" Maco breathe once and bowed, "as you will, my lady." Brainwashed? It was a start but right now, Cuboid was still far from it. The reason Maco didn''t hesitate was because he can''t be certain if these men heard what he had said earlier. That past of him should be buried together with their bodies. And also, just from her words, it was obvious that Lady Desme was testing him. If he didn''t obey, then not only would he lose this chance to make right for the banner that he lost, he might also die with them. Choosing between their life and his, of course he would choose his own.
"Are we successfully being hunted?" Aiven asked. On his right was Vomer, relating the words being spoken, and on his left was Malar, keeping two mirror like screen that showed what was happening at the road, two boulders from their current location. "Yes, indeed, lesser master," Malar replied. "How long can this Maco reorganize the bandits?" "Shouldn''t we wait to see his abilities? It was the man that took our Mistress'' fancy right?" Aiven''s eyes sharpened dangerously and Vomer almost jumped out of nervousness. It had only been months since they had been attacking the bandits, and the amount of information they have gathered was astonishing. However, they can''t stay at bandit subjugation forever, and the type of information they have were too random to be useful. So instead, they''re going to make use of the bandits themselves. The Oreindr house had been their ace from the beginning, as long as they found anyone that can be related to this house, they could continue with the plan. It was a stroke of luck for them to have found a banished Trusted of that knighthood banner. An upfront investigation on the Regalia would cause questions they cannot answer. Touching any info on the Canary or Gallinthe would also cause them to be noticed and might get tracked back to them. But if they investigated the mystery of what really happened on the Rust-Irons, then in this way they would know if they''ve left holes in their escape. Whatever information the bandits gets would link to their situation...meaning the situation of hero summoning. Right now, the whole storage of the Rust-Irons was under Cuboid''s discretion. Having concrete proof of her lineage was important. So it was up to her to make use of the resources, and so far, her judgments had been satisfactory and she seemed capable of handling everything. She might not have a special trait, but that simpleness was what they needed for this to work. "Once they reached the Fellen Town, contact me immediately," Aiven said and was ready to leave when a familiar head of golden hair appeared beside him. "Hyaahoy, little Aiven! How''s your side project going along?" Delica said then popped a candy to her mouth. Aiven smiled when he saw her. It was the first thing he always do as a greeting to any of his friends, be it Delica or Simos. She had been so used to it that she never realized how rare it was for Aiven to smile. Even the undead caught their breathe when they saw Aiven carelessly smile like a boy, though he was still a boy for his age. Like always, she beamed at him and continued to scan the mirror screen over Malar''s [Familiar Support Arts: Observer] But her stare followed the scabbard hanging from Cuboid''s belt, as if seeking them. The Oreindr sigil was plainly decorated. And just like always, her eyes dimmed to a seriousness that was alien to the old Delica. "It''s going according to plan," he replied, noticing the abrupt change on the lich. "According...to plan," she mimicked coldly. There were these episodes, few moments, during their talks when he felt that she was shutting everything out, including him. Whenever that happens, he just felt restless. Before she could notice anything, he snatched the bag of candies under her nose and started eating one, "ahhhh, my candies! Give it back Aiven!" "No," he reprimanded, "you''ll get cavities." "Gugh, I...I don''t have...ugh, the deteriorating speed of undead can''t be ignored so I know about cavities, but still..!" she whined raised her arms to forcibly reach him, but Aiven was successful on monopolizing her bag of treats that she continued whining. "Aren''t you supposed to be the role model of the demon lord?" he asked. She stiffened as if she took a direct blow from his comment, her fingers twitched few inches away from her sweets before she reluctantly took it back, "you''re a meanie! And when did you became taller than me, huh?!" Aiven paused then stood straighter, stepping a hand span infront of Delica. He placed his hand on top of her crown and she plopped her chest out as if that would add to height. In the end, he can''t help but sigh heavily at the helpless idiot and laterally moved his hand towards him and unexpectedly only reached his forehead. "Hn, I guess I am," he muttered absent-mindedly. The girl was waiting for a self-satisfied remark from her friend but Aiven just continued staring at his hand still in mid-air. There was a sad expression on his face. "We should get back, I haven''t prepared the menu for tomorrow," he said and walked out. "Eh, what is wrong with him?" Delica tilted her head in confusion. The skull unit members who saw the exchange were sweating buckets, as if there was a repeat of the cold dusk aura coming from the gloomy lesser master. They can''t even breathe at the tension and was quivering, conflicted as to what to think at the bizarre behaviour of the lesser master.
Chapter 42 He felt a soft breeze and breathed the fresh countryside air. The wind had been gentle and the green pasture at the lakeside of Hawl¡¯s Den had proven to be a perfect place for a picnic. Simos, with his usual carefree personality, did not pass this opportunity to spend their day off to sightsee at the famous lake. It was famous, not because it was a tourist spot, but because people would offer a limb or two to avoid the seemingly calm body of water. Instead of the clear luminescence, the whole lake was black. The water was normal, clear fresh water with no abnormality whatsoever, but the lake itself was so deep that from a distance, the water had become black as midnight. No one had ever reached the bottom of this lake. Even brave talespinners and barbs could not muster a lie of a singular person to have done so. It was said that a mysterious being had crawled itself from the lake causing the lake to form and water accumulated over time. Others had said that a strong magical explosion had dug itself so deep on the Frears surface. Be it a treasure or a monster of mythical proportion, no one knows for sure. "Is that Delica?" Simos asked. A small figure bobbed up and down on the surface of Hawls Den, waving at their location. "Should we get her?" Aiven asked, already readying a rope. The boy sighed and scratched his head, "Nah, she would get bored before night falls," and as if a disclaimer, he added, "hopefully." The boys of the party were comfortably dressed down in a simple canvass shirt and breeches and were sitting cross-legged. They were surrounded by simple baskets of fresh fruits, bread, and cold cut meats. A nice set for a lazy afternoon. Beside them was Mieu with her three attendants, the triplet undead. Being the closest to age among the undead to the young girl, the triplets had become the official playmates of the demon lordling. Though in their usual chattering, they had proclaimed themselves as Mieu''s personal bodyguards. Aiven continued overlooking the mass expanse of the lake. Unconsciously, he raked his hand at his now shoulder-length hair. He was still unconvinced at Delica''s version of ''having fun'' when five tentacles strutted out to surround her. She yelped and instantly was dragged down underneath. "Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh," she screamed playfully and made a paddling sound as she emerged once again, unscathed, with a creepy octopus-slashed-man as her mount at the dark gloomy waters. "Lacrimal! Onwards!" She commanded, cheerfully. The octopus must have felt the other masters looking his way, that the seafolk automatically swerved and gave a wistful smile at their direction. Aiven''s facial expression didn''t change, but his eyes somewhat became dead at the wantonly way the androgynous octopus kept swaying on the waters and glancing at him as if to catch his eyes. It was obviously laughing but thankfully, the distance carried their voices away. Aside from Lacrimal, twelve other seafolk undead were swimming alongside their mistress. Their dark scales and shells gleamed as they surround the girl like glorious elegant synchronized swimmers. As her voice raised higher, another melodious voice came accompanying her screams and then was harmonized by other voices until they sounded like they were singing in a chorus. Their time of hiding was coming to a close, so the peaceful excursion was also a way to treat the familiars, with great considerations with the seafolks race. Afterall, aside from the illusory magic, the seafolks had been useful in providing a cascade of illusion on their camp through their mist and chant spells, making it harder for anyone to know of their location. Also, the moment the undead seafolks had learned of the existence of a body of water a few days ride from their camp, they had been sneakily giving hints and pleading eyes towards Delica everytime the lake was being mentioned. It came to a point where they became a huge hassle to deal with that even the other familiars were coming up with daily complaints. They loved to play tricks to people, and that same trait seems to have been carried over to their undead state. According to books and logs of some adventurers, seafolks were amazingly sensual people and was rumored for their skills in that particular area, making them a sought-after slaves for obvious reasons. It was no wonder for them to have deep-rooted hatred towards humans. Afterall, it was man alone, with their greed and lust that would hunt their coves for anything of value. Elves were forever linked to their lands and fae and would not dream of leaving the continent of Frear that they love. Similarly, beastials had always maintained mutual respects to their sea-dwelling counterparts, and the orkans were too stupid to manage a boat let alone traverse the unmerciful Bermuda Seas. Being landlocked for so many months after their summons, their strength and use had been limited and confined to just providing illusions. Even at the previous battles, they had not contributed much in terms of kill count and only became useful for support. Having been treated to this excursion, the siblings hoped that that overly-frustrated racial undead would not stir any more troubles, troubles that were too mature for their ward to be mentioned carelessly. For undeads to pursue procreative activities, on what end were they trying to achieve by ''that''? Aiven mentally shivered. Looking at the pink tentacles being used as a mount by Delica, he can''t help but inwardly cringe. His negative bias on Lacrimal didn''t improve much for the past months. He did avoid the undead seafolk afterall. Even if his work had been greatly influential to the skull unit (which the octopus unfortunately led), their interactions were almost close to zero. Even after months of Leaf Solstice, and not once had they even exchange words. Lacrimal was starting to feel left out. Of course, he had Vomer and Malar to thank for that. But hopefully, most of them would go back to the inventory black box and be on standby again for who knows how many months. "Oi, Aiven, we''re on a break and you''re still working?" Simos said sourly and eyed the fabrics still stacked beside the dark-haired boy. Before he could finish his sentence, Aiven raised the fabric for his friend to see his newest craft. With the tan on Simos, you wouldn''t have noticed even if his face became heated, but right now the boy was as red as a tomato. He snatched the flimsy material out of Aiven''s hand and quickly stashed it behind the picnic basket. He glanced once at Mieu who was thankfully playing this-world version of chess with the triplets, oblivious of the happenings, and then glared at his friend, "are you insane?! We have a child here!" As if that term doesn''t apply to him still. Aiven innocently furrowed his brows, "but that was for her..?" He could see his friend''s eyes widening in shock and quickly recalled the cloth he just snatched. "Don''t tell me..." he stuttered for a while before he finally said completely, "you made a lingerie for Lady Mieu!?" With the delicate laces, the streamlined cut and ribbons and just from the shape of it, Simos'' grip on the clothes became tighter that he''s afraid he might damage it. "It''s a swimsuit though," Aiven corrected with a flat voice. At first glance, it might looked similar to a woman''s underwear, but it''s considerably lighter. He used silverspun carapace that doesn''t absorbed much water and the design was a conservative one-piece swimsuit that had a skirt-like frill at the waist. An appropriate swim wear for a young girl. In his opinion, that is. Piecing delicate undergarments with a small innocent child in the same area should have been a crime. But he can''t be bothered by that now, also, it was a swimsuit, not an underwear. It might be similar but very different. Simos smacked his hand in his forehead, he gave a sidelong glance at the undead mermaids and sea creatures blissfully swimming with his sister, "I understand that you''d make scant swimming wear with the seafolks but this is..!" the accusation was strong on his words. "They hate clothes," Aiven defended. The race had always had an irrational biased notion that clothes would hamper their freedom, and so it was normal for them to be always in nude. It was one of the reason he had designed the swimming clothes of the familiar seafolks to be that skimpy. Any more inch of clothe added and they would wallow on the waters and professed themselves to be drowning even if they were still in fact on the more shallower banks of the lake. Seeing the arrogant and mesmerizing undead merpeople brought down a nudge and looked like paddling salmons on dry lands did wonders to his mood. He memorized the scene to heart, just so he could have something uplifting to look back to. But that had earned him another scolding from Delica and multiple crafts adjustments until he finally decided to make a loose set of brassieres for the pathetic bunch. It did made it harder for him though, with barely enough space to work on, but he could easily supplement the bonus stats with [rune ornaments] and [rhinestone engravings] making the brassieres the merpeople used became studded with colorful manastones, dangling rune-gems and laces upon laces of runescripts. On waters, the adornments added more mystifying elements on the undeads and they all looked like belly dancers from his old-world. You would think the seafolks would hate it, but they actually fell in love and was seduced with the designs. They even helped him finalizing the whole look. Their weakness had always been their vanity, afterall. They were also easily attracted to beautiful things, and music. Aesthetics were their joy and weakness, which somehow also included the swimsuits he made. The considerations he made for the undead seafolks somehow cemented his status with them and they had been given to adulations and praise of respects on him being one of their masters. He had already finished with the maid costumes, and so the break to work on another line of clothing wear was a challenge he took rather well. In his part though, he had never been affected with working with the undeads since from the start, he had never viewed them as people, but rather like mannequins for him to dress with. Useful for practical application of his crafts. Though having zero reactions from naked beautiful high-class harem-level girls was troubling. He doesn''t know if he should be concerned that he was not affected, as a man, to their charms, or should he be thankful that he was mentally healthy not to look on walking corpses with lewd eyes of a psycho? It was like looking at Renaissance and old paintings. They were pretty but he never got a boner from looking at them. Very crude way to take things that way, but it could be because his perception about sensuality was still that from an outsider point of view. Having a child body and hormones, and a mature over-exposed but almost distant outlook towards it, made the idea of sex a bit too troublesome for him to think about right now, to say the least.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. For a philosopher to say that sex was the core motivator of humans, that person must also had some weird suppressed subconscious baggage, in his opinion. Hn, Freud, wasn''t it? Aiven coughed at the sudden thought and tried not to think too much on the subject. "Ah, so that was not on your taste, Suzerain Simos," a sultry voice was overheard from their spot. Simos shifted slowly to the side to look behind Aiven. Just a few feet from them was a long elongated stretch of quilted cloth where the few elites of the familiars were comfortably sitting, they were still remarkably behaving restrained despite enviously looking ahead towards their mistress. Lamina, the one who spoke earlier, was on recline. An umbrella was opened by one of her attendant above her. The black kimono, edged with red chrysanthemums maid outfit that Aiven had made for the head of the torso unit, draped on her body well and did not lessened the dignity that the pyro elf held herself with. It was designed to loosely cover only the half right of the body, leaving the other side exposing a strapless, black laced corset with a high collar crisscrossed with leather strappings underneath. An apron was delicately stitched above the kimono, for the sake of the maid theme costume their Mistress was pushing for. "Swim wear, is it?" Sharing the shade of the umbrella was Ulna, sitting with her legs crossed. The slit on the skirt revealed shapely and gorgeous thighs. She was leaning sideway with her pristine hand supporting her chin in a languid manner, her eyes were half-closed. Despite having a servant uniform, she was able to make the clothes suffused with an air of superiority. Her wings were folded behind into a trail of glistening dark feathers that mirrored the little ones adorning her lashes that swayed enchantingly everytime she blink. "I say, swimming had always been done unclothed, did times had changed since our shadows'' death?" Tarsus remarked before tipping his goblet. The dwarven had a very deep drawl on his voice that even if he could be joking, his words still fell in serious gloom. "And pollute the scenery? Have mercy to those who are not blind, Tarsus," Acromion said but there was only light teasing on the insult. The male counterparts of the undead generals were currently predisposed to empty the barrel of aged alcohols taken from the caravans of the looted bandits. The beastial and dwarven were drinking in a contented subdued spirits but they still kept challenging each other on drinking and breaking into good-natured cheers, though it was Acromion who always raise his voice towards the very serious dwarven. The head of the foot unit sputtered his alcohol and grimaced, "You are no better Acromion. Though with your innate furskin there would be nothing to show for." The beastial stared at the young dwarven for seconds then laughed heartily while slapping his hand on his knees. His sharp canine teeth can be seen, while boasting that if Tarsus had seen the entire lineage of their beastial races then he wouldn''t be saying such things. The two were equally dressed in servile clothes but in a different manner entirely. Even with how much Aiven tried to design equipment for the two, their crude and bearded/furred appearance and bulky stunted physique made all his attempts looked comical and ridiculous. His tailoring craft made it only possible for him to work on cloth-armors and not on the metal ones so he basically just left their armors untouched with only a few additions on the ornamental side, especially on the dwarves. Dwarvens afterall had the minority on Delica''s familiars with only sixteen undeads under those race so there was no need to rush his work on metallurgy. Acromion toned down when he saw Aiven who had been staring at them unblinkingly. He gave one swift swing on a wineskin and offered it to him, "a drink, lesser master?" The boy shook his head ''no'' and lowered his head contemplatively. The beastial tiger undead merely shrugged as if saying if you say so, then proceeded to fill his belly with the ale.
"Ainee, I won again," a little voice interrupted their talk. Mieu walked over to their side, carrying the chessboard like a tray. The small voice was filled with joy but it held enough hesitation and curiosity, as if testing whether her words came through. "It''s Aiven," he answered as he peered over the set of corsets he''s working on. "Ai-neechan?" "Aiven," he insisted. "Ai? Ai..." the little girl cocked her head innocently to the side. As with all things that irritated him, Aiven kept the mental lashings off, and simply ignored the pet names being unconsciously given to him by the young demon lord. Being called ''love'' in his native tongue was not working out well for him. The girl however was oblivious on the heartache she was giving to Aiven. He raised his sight away from his sewing work and on his view was Mieu, her doll shoes, designed with a ballerina ribbons crisscrossing on her legs didn''t made any noise as she made way to Simos'' sitting place. She sat on his legs, her back turned to him and balanced the chessboard carefully on her lap. Understanding the silent plea of the girl for their attention, Simos smiled and wordlessly took a pawn on the opposite side of the girl''s game. In between them were this-world''s version of chess, only it was supposed to be played by four players. It was the first time Simos had introduced the game. It was one of the boy''s favorites so Aiven was not sure why it took a long time before he pulled out the old boardgame. The set was made of pearl ivory and dark ebony matched glass set. It was something worthy to be part of the Canary Gold''s treasuries. Mieu seemed to give up on correcting his name altogether, her eyes focused again on what was infront of her and squeezed herself more snuggly in between of Simos legs. "Another round!" Mieu said happily getting the little pieces and putting them one by one in place, "I think I am getting it, Simos!" "As you wish, princess," His elbow was resting on his bunched knee when he said, "say, howabout a history lesson, princess?" The little girl tilted her head at the question. "History? Unless it is about the history of this game we are enjoying, then I don''t mind." "Uh, yes. It is about the boardgame''s origins, but..." Simos trailed off, "I take it, you don''t like history then?" "History would tell me I am destined to die, so no, I don''t like history that much," she answered seriously, the queen piece was rolling on her palm. "I see. That is quite a heavy subject to learn." "And much harder to unlearn. Your books are quite extensive, and creative, on descriptions about how your people annihilated my race." Her looks were still the adorable little girl, but her way of processing information was too fast for her age that Simos was conflicted whether to be proud or despondent at her comments. Wanting to cheer her up, Aiven took down his stitching and said, "don''t mind it, Mieu. History could also be entertaining. Most of the focal points in Man''s history afterall were centered on people killing each other so it wasn''t all that bad." "Hn," then she laughed making her appearance resemble a cherub, "you really know how to cheer me up, Ainee!" "I aim to serve," he replied, taking his needle again. "So, about the game''s origin," Mieu asked, placing the last piece on the board in an audible clank of glass, "did people died?" "Thousands, hundreds of thousands," Simos said. "Ah, that sounds horrible," but her smile was so serene and contented. He patted her head "well then," he stretched his hand pulled out the four differently-colored kings from the board game, "the land of man was once divided, by four cornerstone kingdom. The Cessine city-fortress was once a vast kingdom of the south, and the other three city-fortresses also had their own kingdoms, vying for supremacy..." He continued his explanation while placing each kings at each corner of the boardgame.
Right after their brief history lesson, Simos proceeded to mercilessly dominate Mieu at a few rounds of chess. There were times that the lordling was on the verge of tears from frustration, but Simos steeled his heart and continued teaching Mieu on tactical strategies disguised as past time. "Nee, Simos, why do they sounded like they wouldn''t go for a swim?" During one of their breaks, she pointed at the undead generals, curiously eavesdropping with approval at their game. The little girl had been taking note of the other familiars. Some were even on the sidelines, and were simply silently taking watch over the merriment of the undead seafolks. "It''s not that they wouldn''t Lady Mieu, but rather, they couldn''t," he replied smoothly for the both of them.He continued smiling down warmly at the girl who took a liking on making him her personal chair. Their image was too gentle that you would think that they were brother and sister, playing. Mieu took her side of the gameboard, a black pawn, and placed it two blocks on the front as an answer to Simos'' initial move, and they started to play another round of chess. "Why not? I would...like to swim with them," she asked, in a low voice. "Unless they were affined with water, undeads normally sunk on waters," he explained apologetically. "Eh? Really? That''s...a shame," she replied, her dainty lips pursed in a childlike manner. At her obvious disappointment, a commotion suddenly appeared at the side of the familiars. "Oyaaah, if it pleases her majesty, then a hallow body of water would not stop us from granting her wish," Acromion was the first to announced and started to shed his outer clothing, while Tarsus was nodding and silently followed suit with the same unbreakable determination of a brainless fanatic. "If it is only swimming, shouldn''t we be able to fulfil something so simple for her majesty Mieu?" Lamina added, untying her constraining ribbons and catwalking dangerously towards the lake, and possibly towards her end. "To dare make our lord and creator unhappy, isn''t this Hallow Den too bold for a parcel of land of man?" Unfortunately even Ulna, who was supposed to be their manager, said something equally ridiculous. Before a mass suicide began, all the familiars found themselves restrained by a notification window infront of them.
Please pick the next course of action.
Please pick the next course of action Unable to repair due to incompatible crafting tool Unable to repair due to invalid item craft
Repair [Command Revoked]
Dismantle
All familiars stopped and blinked confusedly at the strings of mana that were hardly visible to their enhanced eyes, all of which leading to Aiven. Simos didn''t know when Aiven took his crafting tools out, but the dark-haired boy was at it again with his tailoring, silently embroidering a flowery runic design at what he supposed to be another ''swimsuit''. "Stay," Aiven said, slowly, casually, like commanding some dumb domestic animals. He didn''t looked up, or even acknowledged the familiars as his one hand raised slowly. Slivers of manathreads came to and wrapped their bodies. It was obvious that at the end of those threads were his needles, already piercing inside their armory and precariously stabbing their soul gems. Their expression crumpled as if they were physically in pain when their manic-impulse to lay down their lives for the whim of Mieu failed. Aiven doesn''t mind if they lost their souls in the pits of Hawl''s Den, but if he''ll end up fishing their souls out of the lake, then, wouldn''t it be better they got destroyed here and now?" "Simos, aren''t you supposed to babysit these brain-deads?" His friend looked up from the game, settling a knight to take out the lordling''s bishop, "I have my hands full," he replied while grinning, "and anyway, you have to raise your affections to them." Aiven was incredulous. The familiars also stiffened as if the idea of the lesser master being affectionate to them was just as distressing. "You''re still skulking," Simos concluded, repeating his observation when they have a one-on-one talk months ago, "I really can''t blame you, really, I mean, if my subordinates still addressed me as someone ''lesser'', then I guess I won''t be merciful." The familiars didn''t mutter anything, knowing they have no right to speak out of turn. It was an indirect rebuke on the familiar''s given title to Aiven. Despite having the same standing as guardians to the demon lord, he was still on the bottom of their regards. But the person himself was acting like it didn''t have anything to do with him and simply shrugged, "why should I care?" Simos sighed deeply and commented, "no wonder they treat you poorly." "Well, they are being honest..." All the familiars jolted, torn between the self-deprecating statement of the youngling. "If they started calling me anything else, it would only feel derogatory," he added matter-of-factly. If they started calling him on the same line as those goosebump-inducing titles given to Simos like ''Great Suzerain'', ''Exalted General'', and such, he might have more impulses to make use of the familiars as his personal lab-rats. "Hah, you, being the lesser among us three is the most ridiculous thing I''ve ever heard," Simos pushed the subject. "I don''t have any class, so technically I''m still a novice while the Delica already gained a calamity-tier class and you, my friend, got an unorthodox one...a rare variant even among the rares!" "Said a god-blood," he tsked at Simos, "and what good does class do when I am but an amateur with no maester to surpass?" "An amateur..?" he raised his brows and quirked a smile at his creations that is now being used by the undeads. "Being able to use runescripts?" "That''s the limit of my self-study," he said goading Simos to imagine what he could create if he did have a teacher to guide him on the arts, and not denying the fact that that was the best he could actually amount in their quest. Then he felt a deadly glare aimed at him, when he looked around, he saw a beautiful pair of green eyes with golden flecks. The unmistakable hate from Ulna''s eyes was not something he had seen before. Listening to two human younglings debating on who was ''lesser'' among them, and to think that these two stood above among them undeads, seemed to still grate on her pride. He didn''t back down on her stare, but he did loosen his hold on the undeads. All of them staggered and recovered on their rightful places in a tense almost dissatisfied state, whether for the part that they can''t grant Mieu''s wish for them to swim together, or that they had been caught off guard by the lesser master and cannot exalt any form of retaliation towards him due to his position.
Chapter 43 It was truly a nice day. That was until a shadow covered Aiven''s workspace. When he looked up, he saw the avian undead, Ulna, still emanating her hate like a glorious halo. Her glare was more open. She kneeled down infront of him until they were on eye level, and without much ceremony, produced five flawless coppers stacked neatly as if offering them to him. Lamina rolled her eyes at Ulna''s actions, seemingly bored and uncaring. Acromion hooted his approval and excitement, and Tarsus was in deep thought and quietly watched Aiven''s reaction. Crap, not again, he hid his surprise at his stare towards the winged undead. Afterall, just from those actions alone, it was obvious that Ulna was claiming a duel with him. Aiven didn''t know how it came to this, but it had been established that giving him copper change become a common tradition among the undeads when asking for a duel with him. Without any prompting, she added, "on grounds for being an obnoxious master." "I reluctantly accept," he replied, formally accepting her challenge. There was a clear irritation in his voice, the first visible emotion he had given since the start of their harmless picnic. He looked down as if saying that it was unfortunate, then he took on the coppers and placed it on his satchel. The copper coins clanked heavily inside his growing pouch. A lot of the Undead has been challenging him lately. Then he addressed his friend who was scowling at the turn of events. "Simos, took over." and when his eyes met Mieu who was shrinking further towards Simos, he added some instructions, "take some clean-out gargantuan manabeast''s intestines and bloat it with air to act as floating device." He left it at that. When his last words finally sank into them, the dozens of familiars who were hiding close-by rose immediately took his meaning and moved into action. They all started hunting the forest in glee. They had been keeping to themselves as they watched with envy on to the seafolks playing with their mistress. In actuality, he was amazed they were able to hold on this long without any complaints. He must have unleashed a massacre to the innocent gargantuans, an elephant-like manabeasts with a body of rhinoceros, with that single statement, but it was better than nothing. Aiven also shuffled something from his satchel and took out a separate inventory black box he had claimed for his dismantling and reverse engineering crafts. He tossed it at Mieu which she clumsily caught in both hands. Simos was still in a bad mood, but his curiosity got better of him and decided to check on the inventory. When Lamina and the other heads of the undead saw their sovereign taking out set after set of swim wears, they became more in awe of Aiven and was openly staring at him both in a perplexed and confused silence. There must have been at most a hundred swimwear inside the black box. "Ah wow, these are beautiful!" Mieu breathed out a gratifying sigh. It was too late, the demon lordling had latched herself on the inventory and was starting to give out the clothes. The board game was ignored for the moment while she said a bright ''thank you'' to Aiven that could blind a man. And with her triplet assistants, busied themselves distributing the swimwear and following along in a sing-song rhythm how they could now all enjoy a dip in the lake. Aiven kept the amusement away from his expression at the painful awkwardness Simos must be feeling right now. On one side of the banks, an amassing number of bloody carcasses were being dissected for their intestines, and on the other hand were gorgeous undeads trying on their newest gift from the lesser master. Though the gifts were mostly the discarded and ultimately rejects, the quality was still on par with the ones the seafolks wore. Afterall, the only reason these were discarded was because it had far more clothing textiles used compared to what the seafolks were wearing. "You..." Ulna started then her words dropped, too speechless to complete her statement. "Being a tsundere runs in his family," Simos interjected on Ulna who was clearly caught off-guard on Aiven''s generosity. "I see," she replied softly. "What are you two talking about?" Aiven asked, already putting a distance from where Mieu and her playmates were having their picnic. He started to take six darners from his bracelet, a sure sign that he was readying for their duel. The fight had long been concluded on the minds of the familiars. For them, it was impossible for Ulna to win even a single match against the lesser master. But for once, the six darners piqued their interest. Even Simos raised his brow at his friend''s use of twice the number of his normal weapons. "Come," Aiven openly beckoned to Ulna, as if he was simply inviting her for a walk.
Ulna followed along, her head low and was conflicted. From the start, she had aways felt that there was something utterly wrong with the boy. Simply trying to unravel his motivations was already too off-putting that her strength to face him simply vanished before it could took hold, leaving her confused as to how to deal with the lesser master. And it can''t be helped especially with her fuel to fight being doused with the happy conclusion of her subordinate''s excursions. "I had wrongly judged you, lesser master." "Really now?" he replied, genuinely not understanding what Ulna''s change of opinion of him. "I had been mistaken of your hate on us, familiars of High Mistress Delica." "Eh? But I do hate you." Ulna snapped, "were you playing on me then, master Aiven?" Her feathers began bristling at her anger. Her corpse armory started to materialize on wisps of miasma. "You show your contempt on my brethren time and again, and yet...you...you..." She stammered, not knowing where to start. She had witnessed first-hand this youngling''s unremitting efforts on creating and modifying their equipment, endless nights perusing and reading the pile of random scrolls and logs from their captive brigands, the tasteless task of coming up with their disguises, and even his silent thankless work behind their everyday operations. In all but on his title, it would looked like he was the one slaving over them. The contradiction that was their lesser master hold on their ranks, was unnerving and put a heavy wedge to how she, as the forefront of the undead generals, and the others should approach the dark gloomy boy to whom their mistress deemed necessary to appoint as one of their masters. "And I hate talking more," he answered expressionlessly. Ulna''s instinct instantly made her aware of his attack. Her miasma divulged into a spear infront of her and instantly parried three giant needles that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. True to his normal attack, Aiven started with [cross stitch] and three gigant-spec darners came rushing towards Ulna. They engaged her in an exchange of blows, almost like an invisible enemy was wielding them and kept her rooted on her place. The spear itself should have proven to be at a disadvantage. It may have dominance on range, but each swing should have cost thrice the time for one darner to thrust at her. But the undead would use all parts of her spear to block every attack at needlepoint. And despite their speed, they moved in a mechanical set of movements, and can be considered as basic. But everytime she get a foot advanced on Aiven''s direction, the three needles would bundle together and deliver a heavy blow that would force her to step back, and their distance to each other would remained unchanged. This tactic should result in a draw, but in terms of stamina and endurance, an undead''s tenacity would always outmatch the living. No one knows this better than Aiven himself, and he was, unfortunately, far from being a living battery of mana unlike Simos. On reflex, Ulna would also meticulously cut off any stray threads that could hinder her movement, in a calculated strike that would also deter the puppet darners. She had seen too many duels from the lesser master, to know his underhanded schemes to trap his opponents in web-like traps. If she was not careful, the [crossstich] could cage her within minutes with humiliating consequences. Just thinking of the outcome of his past duels, she can''t help but grit her teeth in disgust and braced herself to parry his close-combat ranged attacks. From a safe distance, Aiven was conveniently watching as Ulna engaged his gigant darners. The other three spare darners were hovering on standby above him with mana threads seemed to have locked them on mid-air. Finally after what felt like precious seconds of deadlock, Aiven grabbed one of the darners and latched a single thread on the eye hole. Like a javelin, he threw the needle. There was not much strength behind the straightforward throw so Ulna simply dodged the needle. She didn''t left her eyes from the puppet darners, but she still saw how it pathetically struck a tree behind her. "Fight me, Master Aiven!" Ulna shouted, agitated at the stagnant duel they were having. She was aware of his unmatched speed in casting and dexterity in handling the craft tool as weapons, so the fact that he didn''t use the full speed at the needles made her aggression rise more. Aiven tilted his head, "Okay," he answered. And with a professional casualness, started wrapping one side of the eyehole of the two remaining darner with a red thread. The bandaged-style wrapping acted as gripping points that when he practiced swinging the darners at each hand, it didn''t slip. It took him time, time that made Ulna enraged with how unmotivated the lesser master was dealing with their duel. She pushed herself faster and harder towards to where AIven was. But it was that moment Aiven was waiting. She was still on an all-out offensive. when in an instant, she noticed him breached her range. Armed with one needle in each hand, he started to act and aimed to pierce her defense. She was reeling back from the sudden development. Her eyes started to strain at keeping up with five needles trying to strike her, and the eye-catching tail of red-blood cloth from the lesser master''s double-wielding lunges added additional irritating distraction to their fight. A sudden lapse of judgment was enough for one puppet darner to pass through and pierce her shoulder. And as expected, it hit her corpse armory. "Loss ten points on defense," Aiven muttered, his eyes gleaming with the notification as the stitches from her sleeve came undone, and causing it to dangle uselessness from her shoulder. From the start, the darners never posed as danger to his opponents, afterall they had never targetted her vital points. They were, still, considered crafting tools, so their functionality was limited to his job-class. But for the lesser master, he actually dared to unconventionally use them not only a means to distract but also to disable his opponent.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. He would, without fail, use [Thread Guide], to lock on the equipment his unlucky opponent were wearing, then use [Dismantle], [Clothe Scavening] and [Shred] alternatingly, he was able to render his enemies on constant defence, and on edge as to which of his puppet darners were simply following his [Thread Guide] command, and which ones he had actual control over. Ulna clicked her tongue and severed the sleeve completely. At this rate, she would lose her armory and be stripped with nothing but her weapon. It was truly an insidious fighting style, and the mental and psychological damage of possibly fighting with bare skin was too powerful a blow for a normal person to sustain. "How formidable," she whispered under her breathe.
As they resumed their exchange of blows, the other familiars had created a protective encirclement around them. If not for the great need of concentration a familiar needed to fight Aiven, Ulna would have heard the growing conversation from their little spectators. "Capitate, Lunate and Hamate," Simos called out to the triplets. The three stood in attention and chorused a respectable "yes general?" their cat tails swinging back and forth with the excitement the supposedly peaceful excursion offered. "Take Lady Mieu for a swim, will you?" he smiled warmly and led Mieu by the hand further away from the commotion. "Can''t I watch? Please? I''ve never watched Ai-nee duel before, may I, Simos? Just this once?" Mieu asked, her eyes still glued to the back of Ulna that was slowly getting obstructed from view. Their movements were so fast that only flashes of blades and tip of a spear can be seen at their exchange. "Apologies, Lady Mieu, but Aiven''s duels are not suitable for children," he replied, with voice devoid of emotions. "Truly?" Mieu covered her mouth, "is the fight really that vicious?!" "On a very different level, my lady." She beamed, happily, "Such a thing...! No wonder, he is so strong, maybe I should also spar with Ai-nii, one of this..." Simos'' steps froze, "No." He flat out refused, his bangs hid his expression that Mieu peered at him in confusion, her holy elements also nulls most of her discomforts that the sudden pressure on her hand was barely noticeable for her. He was not the only one who heard her. All of a sudden, all three of the undead trembled at Mieu''s proposal. As if feeling the grave danger of such an event happening, they all kneeled infont of Mieu and groveled at her feet, "Our great majesty, we beg of you, promise you would never, ever, ever face the lesser master for a fight. We beg of you!" "Lunate, it was scary, right? It was truly scary, right?" "The time, Capitate...when we bare our fangs to the lesser master..." "It''s all right, Hamate, even if...if we could never be maidens...still, it''s all right," the three huddled, trying their best to comfort each other. "Eh?" Is he truly that malevolent?, the demon lordling thought. She even saw tears of miasma forming at the undead''s eyes, "As expected of my guardian! Fu fu fu." She leaned closer to Simos and chuckled, "maybe you should also learn after Ai-nee''s methods?" Seeing Simos sustaining such a heavy blow, the triplets perked up, "well, nee, Capitate, if it was General Simos..then..." "En, en, Lunate," another one nodded, "to experience the great Suzerain..." "Capitate! Lunate!" the last of them scolded, "have you two forgotten!? Didn''t we swore to protect our General''s innocence!" The three made another round of gibberish talk about how to shield Simos from the clutches of corruption of virtues and such that Simos was left speechless. The demon lordling was only too happy to share the sentiment, passionately agreeing, and even cited that it was afterall the liege''s duty to protect her dominion and all its people. His face was stiff from their awkward conversation, but to hear their latest profession to guard his chastity was too much for him to take. "That''s what you get for having a fan club," they heard Aiven''s voice coming from the group of undead. Revealing no outward injuries of any kind, he walked leisurely towards them. Simos recovered his wits and gave Aiven a measuring glance and knew that the duel didn''t favored the familiar. With a sigh he said, "I''ll call Delica." "No need, General," behind Aiven came Ulna''s reply. A trademark cloak was draped over her shoulder. It was obvious that her uniform was a tattered mess. In terms of damage, the winged bestial had cleanly suffered gaping wounds on her arms, thighs and between her collarbone. Even without witnessing the battle firsthand, Simos could already guess that his friend had inadvertently used five needles to pin all of her limbs, leaving the remaining one to target her soul gem and coax a submission out of her. Despite of this, Ulna was still wearing a refreshing expression on her face as if enlightened. She faced Aiven and bowed, "the duel was...interesting. To think you would use this many on this lowly servant, it made me happy, lesser master," but for some reason, she was smiling---a big heartfelt smile was directed at Aiven. "I would take my leave, but mind this, Master Aiven, this is far from over," and with a pride that would have been impossible with her current state, she marched away with a joyful bounce in her steps. Aiven was clearly disturbed and faced Simos, "Did I broke her..?" Simos'' mood distorted even more as if he was dealing with a problem child. "It''s because you were using that indecent swordplay!" "I only drilled my tools into her body," Simos needed to take a second before he processed what he said, "I didn''t went too far...did I?" he added while caressing his chin as if in deep thought. "You know, sometimes I miss your silence," Simos remarked. Aiven shrugged his shoulders and started to make his way towards their picnic blanket. And there, they saw Delica waiting on them, arms crossed impatiently while tapping her finger on her arm. The girl was dripping wet in her full linen dress, long sleeves with pantaloons under her skirt. A traditional garb for swimming. The clothes stick to her skin, but she had securely wrapped the [Guardian of the Graves Robe] around her small body. When Delica heard about their little disagreement on Miue''s wish for her ''babies'' to also had a swim, she started murmuring on her lack of consideration on proposing for the excursion and began brainstorming on how to solve it. But the moment she stepped on the lakeshore, most of the familiars were already happily swimming at the lake, all with their own set of bloated donut shape floatation devices, and the sordid dueling match between Aiven and one of her babies was already commencing. "So what did you do to my babies, this time?" Simos could hear the coldness from his sister''s voice.
"She''ll be fine," Aiven answered. He noticed that she was left alone at their picnic. All of Delica''s undead generals were engrossed on cleaning up the remains of the gargantuans they had recklessly hauled from the forest. "I know she''s fine! I was talking about you, stupid Aiven! Sheesh, why do you have to accept a fight from a three-ranked undead? What if you get seriously hurt? Or die? Hah?" She berated him with a slew of questions, "The first time you fought my familiars, you suffered mana exhaustion that you passed out! You were lucky this time, I mean lately but...look here, master hasn''t yet mastered resurrection yet, and if I end up summoning you back to life, what do you think would I do with a youngling tailor apprentice undead?" It was her usual line, mostly as a passing remark, whenever any of her friends get into trouble, but this lately her tone were getting desperate. "If this continued...I don''t think, um, maybe we should get our heads together first?" Her voice suddenly became cheery but there was a strain to her words. She clapped her hands as if an idea came to her, "nee, why don''t we wait until Master perfected her [resurrection spell]? She''s been working on her holy magic, so it''ll definitely..." Both Simos and Aiven glanced at each other worriedly. The atmosphere was turning bad. Keeping with something on their mind, they would often gesture with their eyes as they heard the growing agitation at Delica''s voice. Then, as if fully resigned to the task, Aiven hang his head and resumed his seat. She was still on her rant when she felt a warm hand patting her on head that she stopped and sharply looked up at the expressionless face of Aiven, "understood, I won''t die ''til I''m on my prime so you could have a nice body to summon." "Eh, eh? Are you even listening to what I am saying?" Delica was shocked to hear that from Aiven. She didn''t expected for him to take on her statement seriously. Following along, Simos also took his place along with some refreshments from the picnic basket, "that would be twenty-five moons, I guess. Hm, make it thirty, tempering the body would require years afterall." "Would the two of you, quit it already!?" But Aiven continued, "anymore and we would be too old to be of use, right, Simos?" "Hmm, I''ll choose poison, to better preserve the body. The manner of death should also factor in, right, Aiven?" He nodded in response and also took some drinks without leaving his eyes from Delica who was starting to tremble. "W..w-why?" she kept her fingers playing at the hem of her robe, her head was low and the trembling of her shoulder didn''t abated. She looked considerably smaller compared with the two. Going to their fourteenth age, the past months had enabled the two to grow, physically. Simos, now sporting a perfect black-dyed hair, had shed some of his soft features and grown in width with lean powerful muscles as fruit from his constant training bouts with the undead familiars; while Aiven had finally catch up in height with Simos, though he''s still a few centimeters short. It made his lanky appearance looked more slender, and with his shoulder-length hair that he kept in a ponytail, his appearance now actually looked more deceptively harmless than before. Simos freed her grip on her robes and hold her hands gently. When she refused to look him in the eye, he slowly tucked his hand to her chin and raised it until they were facing each other, "Delica..." he said, ¡°you can''t protect us here, forever." She flinched, her eyes showing pain at the gentleness from her brother''s words. Her guilty expression was exposed, realizing that her friends had known that she had been postponing their quest. "But Simos, I can..! I am stronger now, surely, there''s no need for the two of you to chance fate. Why don''t we leave everything to my babies, they''ve proven their worth. They could handle everything." Her brother shook his head, empathically, "as we are now, we would slowly turned to a burden." Delica didn''t reacted. Guilt was still eating at her for placing her emotionsabove the well-being of their quest. It was a proposition they had asked two months ago. The young lichdidn''t want them to go, that was obvious enough, but more exactly, if there was no going around it, she wanted to come with them. However, doing so would simply like abandoning her master and placing them on danger. She inhaled sharply when she felt a great tug at her phylacteral.Breathing itself was a useless for her current state, but the reflexive action of the living seemed to become more telling on her bodywhenever she felt her twin cores pulling at each other. This only happens when she felt torn from her mission as a summon of the great demon lord, and her shadow''s humane sentiments. As of now, their forces were too many to act underground, and too few to have an actual impact towards their goal. With Simos'' stumped in growth at his lack of class, and Aiven facing a deadend at his craft, they had planned to personally scout ahead to the Kingdom of Runsaer. Without much choice, their only option was to split up.
"Is that why they were leaving?" Mieu suddenly murmured to herself. The little girl went back after changing for her swim and saw her three guardians having another dispute at the journey Simos and Aiven was determined to have. The siblings didn''t noticed her at all. Following behind her were the retinue of undead generals and her attendants, all clad in their respective swimwear. Knowing the heavy atmosphere of the group, she simply smiled and said, "may I request for a party''s meeting?" "Your highness?" Lamina asked. They had just made a meeting last night about their next move and couldn''t understand the need for calling for another one. "Humour me, Lamina," she said. "I''ll call upon the mistress then, your highness," she answered and took a bow. "Thank you," she softly added.
As for the meeting. Everyone was tense. It was the first time Mieu had requested a meeting, and being the one to request it, she was also task to facilitate and head the meeting. Even when it had been a general knowledge that the highest position belongs to the demon lordling, she had never demanded any governing power or authority to her people, until now. When they were all had settled, she looked around nervously to make sure she had everyones'' undivided attention. On her right were her three guardians, and opposite them were occupied by the head of each unit. She stole another look at her guardians; Simos, Delica and Aiven, who were curiously apprehensive at the lordling''s objective for this meeting. She then took a deep breathe, nodded, and with practiced motion clapped her hand twice, "Okay everyone! Le-let''s commence the party''s evaluat---I mean, meeting! Same, same!" Her words exactly copied Simos'' opening at their first meeting that the boy choked back a cough. Aiven held back on his chuckle, "Maou, what may be the reason for this meeting?" he probed, clueless as to what might have caused the well-behaved and obedient girl to demand for a meeting. She cleared her throat, in what was supposed to be a mature and prim one, and announced, "I know that this might come across as my own selfishness, but.." she paused but resolved herself once more, and said with a confident voice, "I am goingwith Simos and Ainee." "Wa-wait, your highness...it''s too dangerous. For you to come along the lesser masters'' journey is..." Ulna was the first one to voice her restless shock at Mieu''s words. Her wounds had healed considerably after her duel with the lesser master, but that didn''t erased her doubts. "I''ve decided, everyone. Of course I will be accompanied bymy bodyguard, right Delica?" Suddenly, Delica who was still shocked from her master''s announcementand beating herself with self-pity suddenly looked up, her face was glowing with contained excitement and grinned her ascent. "Where my master goes, I go, is that acceptable, Ulna?" Delica also said, but her eyes were clearly saying ''my master is the best!. A wave of protests rose at the familiars side, but none actually said them outloud. Their restlessness grew even more when the lesser masters were silently contemplating what she said. "I am going," Mieu repeated. "To only know the known surface of Frear on books and hearsay alone...is not something a demon lord should be contented with. I would determine with my own eyes this world that wanted my race''s annihilated. Please, let me do this." "Are you sure, princess?" Simos asked. There were too many objections that kept coming up to his mind to oppose this move. Even he was not certain that this was a good decision for them. "Yes!" Mieu answered, her voice determined, and her eyes returned a clear resolution on her decision.
Character Design for a younger Aiven Chapter 44 Fellen Town Eastern Borderlands "This is amazing, Delica. So this is what a countryside inn looks like, oh, I just saw a dog! That''s a dog, correct? It doesn''t look anything like Radius though," Mieu was leaning against the windowsill, almost at the edge of falling off. The girl was positively glowing as she hugged her doll. From an outsiders point of view, she might look like any child talking and playing with her dolly. Only, the innocent plaything was far from the normal toys. "Yes, yes, Radius is ten times more adorable," doll-Delica answered. They were at the second floor of the three-storey building, but the two were not minding the height as they kept naming every objects that moved past their eyesight. Like before, the girls were inseparable. Not only because of Delica''s stubborn watch over her master, but also because Mieu''s holy aura perfectly mask any dangerous miasma from the lich. This also caused her holy element to become indistinguishable, similarly cancelling out the two abnormal elements the two were exhuding from their aura. Even if they were at the heart of the town, not once did the villagers took interest at the little girl and her doll. Sharing the room with them, was Aiven. He was sitting at the bed while reading a book. He flipped another page and chance a glance at the little girl who was oblivious at the morning cold. Morning at Fellen was relaxing. Situated in between a steep valley, the town would often not see the sun until midday, making the scenery felt like it was on the suspended colors of dawn for hours. With its high altitude, fogs and grey clouds would often form right before the villagers stir to life, creating a comfortable atmosphere to drink tea or coffee to chase the lazy morning away. She was still amusing herself at the plaza and market place outside, when she straightened as if alerted by something and slowly pushed herself away from the window and started walking towards the door. As if timed, the door knob slowly turned followed by a knock. Finding the occupants already awake, Simos entered loudly as if to announce his return while carrying a tray of breakfast. "Welcome back, Si-R-Remus!" Mieu greeted. "Busy morning, dear brother," doll-Delica followed, seeing as her brother had made his way at the diner''s kitchen for food, even if he just came straight from his travels. "Good morn. It''s good to be back." he smiled and the room seemed to brightened with all of them warmly smiling with each other. But the quiet corner of Aiven didn''t went unnoticed, "Yo, you too, Ainee. What''s this? Still in bed?" He asked, dropping the tray at the bedside table and took off his boots along the way. "Morning," he replied, then cozied up to the soft pillow under on his back. "Hah, I didn''t knew you''ll miss a bed this much, anyway, I got bread, coffee and milk. Want to hear my report with that?" he answered back. He also lifted Mieu and placed her in his lap. "Oh, there''s apples and cereals, you should try it with honey, master," Delica chipped in, already used at the familiar actions of her brother to their new pet..correction, ward. "Nee, you know I can eat by myself now, you know?" Mieu can''t help but complain,seeing how Simos busied his hand to prepare her bowl infront of her. "Apologies, but there is only one seat in this room," the boy looked around as if to show his point and added, "well, I don''t mind eating on the floor." He started to get up but Mieu panicked and hold on to his arm, her voice on a higher pitch, "D-don''t bother." "Really? I don''t mind the floor, princess." Simos was probably the only person who addressed the demon lord in such a way. It was a slip of a tongue that stuck when he reasoned out that since she was yet to be crowned, she deserved to be called as princess first, as protocol demanded. "I told you, there''s no need," she said, her ears starting to turn pink while gesturing for him to settle down already. But Simos proceeded to tease Mieu. The girl had been trying to pull a serious front with them that Aiven understood Simos'' lighthearted interest at poking fun at the demon lordling. Shaking his head at the peaceful atmosphere of the start of their journey, Aiven dragged himself out of the bed and also took his coffee, before returning to his usual comfy spot. While they were talking nonchalantly, Simos had handed some receipts to Aiven. The receipts were all addressed after the common house of Gallinthe, mostly under the name of Ainee, which dated weeks ago. Earlier on their preparation for their move, Simos had went ahead with the [transportation gate] stationed at the center of this town. As an official depot of theExine City-Fortress, this place was connected directly to the eastern fortress, and was considered to be one of the main hub for trade and merchants throughout the borderlands. In terms of funds, a quarter of their golds were given to Cuboid as she dealt with the bandits. It was also true that even if he didn''t planned for it, majority of their money on hand was spent trying to actualize Delica''s vision of a complete combat maids and butler for her master, and the rest were on the undead''s make-up, especially since there were some materials that can''t be easilly acquired on the wilderness. Hah, I guess I did spend the most ..? So far, the Canary''s treasuries were untouched, but since those were too eye-catching to use at this small and quaint town, Simos had volunteered to trade them off at a more appropriate place. Thankfully, even the most common of accessories and jewels, it still added a hefty sum to their budget. Aiven sipped his coffee and was trying to account for the receipts. And just like what they discussed, there were also slips of receipts and banknotes which was, at most, a year or more old. "Good job," Aiven complimented. He was a bit skeptic Simos could pull it off but his friend proved his resourcefulness. "Well, what do you expect?" Simos cheekily remarked and took one full bite at his apple. "But what was it for, really?" he asked after pondering about the weird request from Aiven. "Insurance." It could be considered as going overboard, but establishing a credible credit was the best way to validate their identities. Still, it took a lot of guts to sneak inside establishments and messing with the records. Then showing in the merchant''s doorsteps the next day like he''s been there before. With Simos charm, the clerks and shop owners could never deny him. Not once was the dignified and charming boy who was generously sightseeing at the fortress was suspected of any crime. And anyway, what was to report? No one had reported any stolen goods. A month of breaking-and-entering at Exine''s merchantile district was enough to make Simos notorious if it were to be known, but compared to trespassing at the HIgher Districts of Cessine, it was nothing the prodigy of higher bloods couldn''t handle. It also helped that the boy only targetted the lower establishments with not much security to break in. "Oh, before I forgot, here," Simos took out an inventory bracelet and tossed it to Aiven. It bounced once on the bed and when he recovered the items, his eyes widened. "Bought them along the way, liked it?" Simos said, keeping an eye at his friend''s reaction and just as he expected, Aiven''s eye twitched. "Pastels?"he asked, his voice was strained. "What is it Remus?" Mieu was cleaning up her bowl when she saw the distracted look from Aiven. On his lap was a set of dress and skirts in a soft colors of light blue, tint green, pink among others, and his expression was at a loss on what to do with them. "Araah, aren''t those from the Spinning Spindle?" Delica asked, recognizing the highly reknowned tailoring guild at Alvalar Kingdom, "how lucky. Oi, Aiven, don''t rip them to shreds!" "Too flimsy," he remarked and gave a withering glare at Simos. He did asked for sample clothing for his craft and for casual use, but he didn''t expected that his friend would buy something as diabetically girlish for his taste. As a tailor with only counterfeited designs and a shady effects on all his crafts due to his negative status, there was no way for him to chance selling or using his crafted items in the open. "What? Can''t I give any souveneirs to my cute little sisters. Afterall I am surrounded by girls, now, aren''t I" Simos laughed and snidely advised Aiven to cool his head first, not batting an eye at the waste his friend did with the expensive dress. By this time, Aiven''s initial mood plummeted on the ground. He was still technically wearing pants and pajama, but Simos'' comment was a telling reminder that he was now posing as a girl. As it was then, he had decided to continue with his identity as Ainee, and crossdress as a young apprentice tailor indefinitely. Among the four of them, his identity as Aiven was the most wanted at Alvalar and they have extensive info about him, so disguising himself as far away from his image was the safest move for them to take. And now that he had grown his hair, it had softened his feminine features even more, and his slender arms and legs had yet to amass the needed muscles during puberty. Compared to Simos, his training had mostly focus on agility and dexterity, making it a disadvantage and a challenge for him to gain body weight. He was aware of its necessity but that doesn''t mean he was not pissed off. When Simos saw Aiven taking out his whole stocks of needles with a murderous aura, he immediately raised his hand in surrender, "Wait, wait, just kidding! They''re on the fifth slot!" He shouted while breaking a sweat. Still distrusting Simos'' nature for mischief, he hovered his hand on the inventory and flicked towards the said slot. And right on mark, a collection of doublets, knee-length cloaks, leggings and corsets were stocked inside. Not one of them bearing any additional effect from a crafter, or mana signature and he was insttantly absorbed on studying the casual clothes any respectable adventurer might use. It took Aiven no time at all to use [cut] and the [repair] command spell at the clothes. He also took great care not to imbued it with any of his mana so that it''ll not activate his [Butcher of the Silk Button] side effects. It was long established that repairing crafts would not overwrite a crafter''s signature, so these clothes were still untainted from his crafting. Seeing the way he was handling the clothes, his companions already left him to his own thoughts and continued chatting while enjoying their breakfast, though it was mostly Simos regalling Mieu with anecdotes of his shopping trip at the eastern fortress which was known for its clockworkers and alchemists. By the time he was finishing the third coffee offered to him by Simos, he was able to finish a couple sets of clothes for his everyday use. For Simos, now Remus, his attire was the normal low-level novice''s garb of leather vests, heavy platings and metal chainmail. The more standard his clothing were, the better, so there was no need for Aiven to make his clothes for him. It can''t be helped since his [charisma] was already abnormally high and still on the rise. Just wearing even the cheapest material at the market, Simos still had a way to make it look fancy.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Delica still had her wardrobe for Mieu and a few dresses and sturdy cloaks that needed only a few snips from Aiven for the little girl to wear. However, Aivens clothing needed to be tailored specifically for him. If he simply wear female clothes, his built is still that of a boy. So he fashioned a corset inside a tight-fitting doublet. He chose the vest so the padding wouldn''t be noticeable. Aside from the doublet contoured for a feminine line, he would also cover his sillhouete with a cloak, so from behind, it would look like he was wearing a dress, and the added girth on his upper torso would distract people from taking note of his flat chest. Though he was technically wearing leggings. He also brought his satchel and customized it to a belt latched with all sorts of crafting tools so his hips would also seemingly look wider. The first prototype was tested the moment they tried entering the town. Noting the uninterested reactions of the people at his disguise, he marked it as a success and asked Simos for materials so he could reproduce the results. All this considerations so he wouldn''t need to wear any bloody skirts. With this, he would look like a normal girl with a tad of tomboyish gear, that leans on practicability. "Why are you always so cautious, more than that, I think even if you wear a full-body armor, you''ll still be mistaken as a girl..?" doll-Delica said when Aiven revealed his new get-up. "It''s stylish, Ainee!" Mieu said, looping her fingers at his hand. "Whatever makes you happy, I''ll support you," Simos pull a thumbs up towards Aiven. To be honest, the first week of their reintroduction to society was the most stressful week for Aiven''s masculinity, or what remains of it. Thankfully, Alvalar''s society have a liberated distinction between male and female and would hardly discriminate a woman, aside from those of Higher Bloods with their obsession to lineage. So basically, trying to blend in as a girl had not much consequences for him as long as they continued living with the common houses.
"Hey, Ainee, you coming?" Simos shouted when he and Mieu were readying to start their day. The Fellen town was just a simple stopover before they resumed their journey to Runsaer so their group decided it wouldn''t hurt to make their presence known here first and have a little tour for the demon lordling, not only as a step for her to socialize but also as a break from her studies. "I''ll catch up later," ["I''ll just check up on something,"] Aiven said and added in slide a handsign for Simos to read. "Let''s meet at the plaza for lunch then." "Plaza, twelve," he repeated while waving his goodbye at the entrance of the inn. "Come now Mieu, the monkey show would be over soon," and the boy offered his hand to Mieu as they started their leisurely walk. Aiven didn''t felt any lingering gazes at their retreat so he breathe a sign of relief. The diner was clean and the counter was manned by a friendly balding man, who always had a ready smile. He made his customary greeting at the staff and started to walk back to their room. The staff was also easy to deal with and had seen their fair share of adventurers so hopefully, they wouldn''t place any interest at the appearance of a novice and apprentice pair. Their group''s cargo, complete with two horses, was also mediocre at best, and was currently housed at the inn''s stables. But as he was making his way back, he felt someone triggering his security at their room. He was expecting this development that he wasn''t surprised when he opened their room and saw, at the vacated seat at the window, was a woman. The curtains was closed but that didn''t prevent him to identify the intruder. But before he could say anything, the woman stood up and bowed towards him, "lesser master, I..." He pushed his finger to her lips to quiet her down, and the woman complied. He glanced at the corners of the room and finding his security scrolls still in active, he released her and said, "Greetings, Cuboid, how are you faring?" The beautiful woman smiled at his words, giving her a more ephemereal feel. "This servant has been well, thanking lesser master for his concern." Without second thoughts, he started taking her hood off and brushing her hair away from her face. With a soft touch, he started caressing her cheek. "The corruption is spreading," he murmured, noting at the gradual discoloration from the undead''s hairline and neck. He started shifting his hand at his crafting inventory, "you''ve done a passable job at maintenance. Try this once a week and report to me the results," Aiven handed Cuboid a small bottle, "do this treatment to the others." "Yes, Master Aiven," Cuboid said. And just like that, he started re-applying the undead her disguise. It might not be that noticeable but from his sharp and critical eyes, there were jarring smudges along her exposed skin. One of his job afterall was to make sure that the undeads they have planted at the bandits would remain. He has been experimenting, applying full body baths to the most human-like undead so they''ll have a more fleshier colors. Aside from that, he had been personally teaching them how to apply make up themselves so they could reapply the colors whenever needed. He continued his instruction as he pushed Cuboid back to her seat. As one of the few pupils Delica had taught alongside him, her talent at make-up was second only to him. For the past days, the familiar would routinely visit them at their inn. She and her staff was also housed at this town, only they were occupying the spacious lodging close to the town hall. While discussing about their disguises, she would also update them on the movements of their bandit sub-branch. The Ulfrs may not know who they were working with, but they were too greedy to care. They were financing the bandit''s operation to take control over the borderlands. They called it financing, but the truth was, they were only giving them the old and shabby equipments they''ve looted from the one-thousand army of Rust Irons. Cuboid, with the strength of the other three familiars were supporting the bandit Maco from behind to raise up as he rise up to lead the main line of transport of the eastern borderlands, giving them an active connection with the dark guilds. And like what they agreed before, Cuboid has the whole jurisdiction over the operation. He also received from Cuboid some news from the Draconian''s side. From the inconclusive network of information of the underground guilds, they had sightings of a dragon undead carrying what seemed to be a small party of two unidentified younglings towards the dwarven teritories. And there were circumstantial evidences that the kingdom was working towards uncovering the mystery of the undead dragon. So they took the bait, Aiven thought to himself. So far, the group of the dragon-hybrid Illium, hadn''t contacted them, directly. They could only assumed that no one had yet found out their real identities. All they could do was wait. And it was a harrowing and exhausting wait, especially since they have yet to acquire any sound evidence on what their enemies were up to now.
As he wrapped up the cosmetics, he saw how nervous the familiar was. Tapping her on her forehead he said, "anything else?" Cuboid nodded. "Lesser master, may I took a moment of your time?" she said. As always, the topic of their conversations were all business that she seemed to be hesitant to brought out a subject not related to her mission. Still she continued and started her talk while bowing her head. It was a very weird quirk for this familiar who seemed to be always on the verge of lowering hersef in any situation. He gestured for her to sit again, and waited for her to speak, "lesser master, it''s about this one''s [summoning requests]." He tilted his head. A familiar''s [summoning request] is the triggering, unfulfilled wish that caused them to linger on the living and made them one of the undead. Basically, most of the familiars of Delica had completed their [summoning requests] when their party destroyed the legacy of High Banners of Sila-ir, but there were few cases where their wishes was not for revenge of their past master. Just like her case. Aiven thought. "Yes, I remember. I''ll pass on yor message." "Understood, thank you," she said meekly and just like before, Aiven left, not looking back at the woman still sitting silently at the confines of their room. It was already an unsaid rule that he would never get entangled with the internal workings of the undead familiars, and was only tasked to supervise the miscellaneous jobs and extension projects that their group was investing. Afterall, he was the one handling their finances. But still, he can''t leave these untended side quests alone to Delica. Even if it was considered as her job to comply to the familiar''s [summoning requests], she would still need to be discreet about it, and there was no telling what that crazy overprotective girl would do. With Cuboid''s request still fresh on his mind, he started to look for his party''s whereabouts. He was still drifting in thoughts when he saw the familiar sillhouettes of Simos among the throngs of people. His brows knitted and instinctively made his pace faster. They were only supposed to watch some street performance, so he was not expecting a huge crowd to form along the plaza. "Brother," he called out, thinning his voice to resemble a girl''s. The new title came easy for him, since from the start they had treated each other as family. When he reached their side, Simos was already shielding Mieu from the wall of people that converged into a curious mob of villagers. He was acting weirdly, that Aiven tried to usher them out, but his friend stood firm and pointed inconspicuously towards the other side of the central well. A group of battle-worn adventurers were gathered infront of what he guessed to be the town guild branch. Four were with swords, others on light garments of support class, but all of them were suffering a wound or in bandage. The most decent at the party was arguing with the uniformed guild staff, blatantly unconcerned of the attention his tirade was gathering. It was the usual routine that had been happening like clockwork long before their party came to Fellen. He caught one of the comments of the mob, "che, if this''ll continue, the ban won''t be lifted." "Not ''til that son got over his pride or his corpse." "Don''t matter none for us folks, though. A collective agreement and nods answered the gossipers. "What''s that all about?" Simos whispered to his ear, still frowning. He already picked Mieu up on his arms and the girl was quietly watching one fallen youth at the side of the road. Slowly, she put the doll closer to her lips and murmured something indistinguisable to their ears. "Later, someone is waiting for us," he said clutching him by the collar. "Wait, what?" Simos was forcibly dragged out by Aiven. Even if they were already out of the open blue skies and fresh air, Aiven still continued on his brisk walk, not stopping to give any explanation. Simos stopped him on the shoulder and said, "Oi, slow down, what''s going on?" "I knew it, Delica, Remus forgot about our lunch date," Mieu said to her doll, while poking Simos'' cheek. "Lunch date..?" he repeated the word as if trying hard to grasp something on his mind. Then his eyes widened and as if enlightened muttered, "was that today?" Aiven blankly nodded a reply and gestured to one business estabishment beside the town hall. Simos promptly put Mieu down and tried to made himself presentable. He was smoothing his vest when he started airing his complaints, "you should have said something earlier...we don''t even have our guild cards yet..!" Aiven tossed him a metallic plate and he caught it without missing a beat. He raised his brow, impressed, "... copper?" He was flipping it backwards when he added, "I don''t expect you also have...!" another item was flung to his face. When he reflexive snatched it by hand, Simos saw an identity ore, "I see you also opened an account from the Treasuries." Aiven didn''t made any movements. They were on the edge of the busy streets but their group was still on those part that didn''t have much traffic. Somehow Simos was able checked the time at the townsquare, still visible on their sight, and saw that there were only a few spare seconds before it strike twelve midday. Mieu tugged his arm, and when he looked down on the girl, she smiled confidently, her eyes full of trust, "everything will turn out fine." "When did I ever doubted you, little sister?" Simos said and calmly gave a nod to his friend. When he did so, Aiven was already smiling mysteriously. It transformed his face to an innocent expression and made him look younger than his years. The three of them made a calming picture of cheerful bystanders. Slowly, while still facing them, he stepped back, then another one. And just as the bell chime, a rush of horses came bolting on their way. A familiar shout came thundering for Aiven to get out of the way. And just like any cliche cinematic scene, the innocent clueless girl was pushed out of harm''s way by a handsome youth from the oncoming carriage. That was the stage of their play. Unfortunately, receiving a full-on tackle from Simos was enough for his ribcage to cave in. He was coughing when the rude driver finally reigned in his horses to a calm gallop. "The hellion were you dim lass doing at the road? You whore-bit have a hole on your brain to wander infront of our carriage?!" Hearing the driver who was on his barrage of insult to them, Simos can''t help but whisper, "Hoh, I think he''s enjoying himself a bit." Still wheezing from getting the wind knocked out of his lungs, Aiven looked at the red-headed man, young enough to be a teen, with a roguish, almost dangerous animal air to his being. It''s been a long time since they''ve last seen each other, but Radius seemed to be doing fairly well. Despite looking disgruntled, he had a weird light on his eyes as he smugly made his line more convincing in his role as the rude driver. They have gathered reasonable eyes to be a spectacle themselves. Simos would have already retorted his own indignant speech when they noticed Mieu, who had a sad expression and huddling close to Aiven. In a split of a second, white light covered them both, instantly removing the stinging pain from his scrapes and bleeding wounds on his knees and hand which he used to break their fall. "Bad dog, Radius is not cute at all," she murmured disheartened. Her voice wasn''t loud that it was drowned by the sound of the busy square, but Radius stammered to his next words. With his innate canine features, it wouldn''t be surprising if he heard his liege''s poor assessment of him. "Hush now, you''ll make him cry, princess" Simos commented softly. "Too late," Aiven noticed the pointing hand of Radius trembling as if he wanted to retract them any moment now. Even with the beaver hat, he could easily imagine the undead''s ears drooping low and was staggering at his domineering fascade.
All this can be seen inside the carriage. "Oh no, what a poor child," a melodious voice came said. A dignified lady was watching the scene and was followed by two loyal maidservants. Cuboid''s benevolent words were heartfelt and was very fitting at the accident that almost happened due to their carriage, and yet, her sympathetic eyes were directed to Radius. "How tragic," the young Cranial, said while peeking under the curtains, "I bet you three skulls he''ll broke down in three minutes." "Make it five, if it was me, I wouldn''t have lasted on one," little Palatine replied. They were too entertained at the pain of their fellow undead that they didn''t noticed that time had passed. "Ayah, is that our cue? Could we step out now?" Cuboid asked. "Could we?" "Should we?" "Must we?" The two girls looked pleadingly to Cuboid. Smiling, she said airily, "hmm, five more minutes." "Yay!" the two cheered. Chapter 45 The Fellen town was the most respectable settlement in these uncharted lands of the eastern borders. As the only strategic depot that could trade to both the Exine City-Fortress and the Runsaer Merchant Guild, you would think that this place would have turned into a bloodbath of hungry merchants vying for supremacy. Aiven watched his own reflection at the tea on his hand. He made a few mental calculations of how much the perfumed tea must have cost to pass the time. Having a first-hand experience with the ways of the mercantile guild from his mother''s automatons works, he had long been jaded with the patented silver-tongued daylight robbers. To be at its center was jarring. Afterall, he was in fact inside the Valiant Fell Pavilion, the grandest building he had encountered since they''ve escaped Cessine, and one of the twin pride of the valley. Pillars and stone carvings of a paradise depicted from faerytales decorated the six-floored building. Incidentally, the patrons that use this establishment as a stopping route were all highborn denizens who ventured to this seemingly vast expanse of vegetative mutation of a valley. At the ground floor was a fancy restaurant, with delicacies that could cost an annual savings of a family of five. While the remaining floors were housed for the elites for their lodging. And of course, the top was specially designated as a gambling den, a legitimate one, courtesy of the influence from the Runsaerines. And this was the very place, Cuboid and her retinue had called home for the past weeks. "Initial contact, completed," one of the maidservants announced, as she started pouring tea for their guests. "An insignificant one," her fellow maid replied, as she also started cutting a cake into equal portions. "Irrelevant." "Immaterial." "Inconsequential." The two maids echoed each other while having a pleasant expression. The dainty lips and thick eyelashes of Cranial as she swept her eyes to their guests gave her an air of a fairy, while Palatine''s pointed chin and large eyes made the young maid look like a pixie. Even if they were already on the balcony of one of the private sections of the pavilion, the appearance of these surreal maids had attracted a following of patrons. But amazingly, the one who had taken the greatest number of admiring gazes the moment they entered was the unassuming beauty of their mistress, Cuboid---or Lady Desme, to the majority of these humans. "A success, don''t you think, dear guests?" Finally, Aiven heard Cuboid announced, making a great show as a generous host. She was dressed finely with beige satin and gold silks today. Her voluminous brown hair was braided in a loose bun with a single lock curling to frame her face elegantly. Gone was her servile temperance and was replaced by a sophisticated air of subtle nobility. "I guess we should be showing surprise and gratitude for treating us cordially," Simos said crassly while receiving the tea from Cranial, "even if we are ordinary nobodies from the streets," he added. He silently made a quick work of the drink, tilted his head back, and finished it with clumsy slouch at his seat. But despite his rough casualness, Simos was still able to make it looked like he belongs at the opulent background and lavish gardens that can be seen from their high view. "A refined lady should show grace, especially when vying for a pure and self-sacrificing reputation, no?" the lady chuckled, raising a jeweled hand to cover her mouth prettily, "especially if they aggrieved some poor helpless nobodies on the streets." "Helpless nobodies with no backing or experience." "Then this lady could only offer a temporary respite, let''s say, maybe a treat every now and then as an extension of a lady''s charitable heart, perhaps?" "We would never imagine declining," his blue eyes twinkled in mischief as he raised his cup to Cuboid in a salute, "With this, our coincidental connection would be settled." "But it''ll only amount to nothing but acquaintances. A protection from a noble lady could only amount to this much after all" her smile became more genuine with charm as the two kept on their relaxed conversation. Aiven was silent from the beginning. He was staring outside the wide view of the balcony, looking unconcerned of their careless exchange. Though he had been checking Cranial''s application of [Spell of Unvoice] to secure their privacy. Like always, the two seemed to be having fun. Even during their drills, Cuboid and Simos had always taken their ''play'' seriously. "Well then, there is no need to put up with our roles now, masters?" Cuboid finally said breaking from her persona. As if she was a different person entirely, her voice lost its grandeur and became indistinguishable and toneless, "this lowly servant deeply appreciate for the masters to listen to this one''s request." Simos became embarrassed and waved his hand dismissively, "don''t worry about it, we only need the name of Lady Desme." "And..! And it is our job, after all, to look after your shadow''s request. Um, that''s what Delica said," Mieu interjected shyly while indicating at the blonde baroque doll placed comfortably on her lap. Doll-Delica¡¯s gem glinted but there was no voice coming from the lich, probably due to her taking to heart their agreement that she had to keep her voice only to the demon lordling. A practice, the two girls needed to perfect especially once they come to public. "Then shall I begin my story then?" Cuboid said, her words became almost inaudible. Just like in the setting of the Yuusha, to begin the quest, there were requisites that needed for it to be established. And it always involved hearing the story first. Mana contracts could never exist without the words of [Babel] and it follows that for a quest, knowing which words to use and its history was a fundamental requirement. But there were also other factors needed to consider, in case of Cuboid, her [summoning request] needed to be made in a specific place. The reason it was brought up now was that her hometown was actually the one they had decided to be their stopover, Fellen. "Before I begin, had you ever thought why I am the only human in the collection of the highly valued slaves of the Canary Gold?" she begun. Simos visibly tensed at the spoken reminder of his renounced house. His eyes somewhat held a faraway look but he didn''t censor Cuboid in her narrative. Cuboid''s status was unique. Just as she said, she''s the sole familiar under Delica''s summons, of the man¡¯s race, and the only one at the Sila-ir''s slave trade for almost decades of trade of novel and rare pleasure slaves. She, being human, was also the reason she was chosen as the perfect stand-in to become the heir of Oreindr House. Though at first glance, her appearance, though pleasing to the eyes, should not have cause for the High Banners to take fancy with her. That is until it was revealed to them that she was actually a former [quest bearer]. Watching the well-tempered undead recalling her past in a brutal honesty with no embellishments of any sorts made Aiven a bit regretful of her fate. But his sight never left Simos'' profile and he could tell that the boy was far from being unaffected by Cuboid''s confession. As one of the well-accepted belief in this world, there are people who are revered to as [quest-bearers] or those who have a strong connection to the manaline. Their existence could be said to be highly guarded by the Principalities, or Sages of Old, the very ones who govern and oversee the summoning of the champions. It was said that they were keys that could cause a series of events that could lead to a fulfillment of the world''s fate. It''s all fancy wordings and all, but technically, they''re NPCs. Incidentally, most of them, don''t even knew that they are [quest bearers]. They are even suspected to lack any will of their own, aside from what the world''s fate dictates. Born as an ordinary tavern girl in the borderlands, Cuboid was one of those with these special circumstances, but unlike most of them, she ran away from that very fate. But as if the world was correcting itself, she was caught by the slavers, and eventually faded into obscurity and was disposed of. Simos'' eyes were clouded after hearing her story, and for a while, the room was filled with his silence. There was no massive change in his demeanor but just from his expression, anyone could tell that he was plagued by his own demons. Aiven would have risen from his seat when Mieu beat him to it. The little girl bravely stood in front of Simos, snapping him out of his brooding silence. "Hm..? What is it, little sister?" Simos asked. "Remus," she started softly, her voice filled with unabashed concern. And as if instructed, she raised her doll until it was face to face with the boy. Simos stared at the doll who was the mirror-image of his sister. The forever eerie smiling face of the doll seemed to warp the moment it was separated by only a few centimeters from Mieu''s body. "Delica said...she said she would take care of those who passed, just as you took care of the living. And she said,¡± Mieu paused, eyes downcast for a second, until she raised them with a soft expression on her face, ¡°you don''t have to worry, Simos." His eyes were locked on the gemstone that stored the young lich. It was obvious that at the distance Simos could hear his sister''s voice as she, in turn, gave her brother reassuring words of comfort that was too personal for Aiven to eavesdrop on. "I see," the boy replied, his usual goofy expression was back, and he lifted the demon lordling for a bear hug. "Ooof! Wait, wait..! Just Delica! I''m-I''m not included," she complained while being engulfed in his embrace. Sandwiched between them was the innocent doll. Probably realizing that they were exhibiting some unnecessary public display of affection, Simos good-naturedly laughed and spied Aiven at the corner of his eye. He spread his arms as if inviting him to also jump into his arms. A vein popped out of his forehead, "stop fooling around," Aiven admonished harshly, not moving an inch from his seat. Simos didn''t take his rejection seriously and continued in his good mood. The laughter and boyish smile could melt the hearts of a thousand mothers. This boy''s specs were a really high class, it was no wonder the Emblems had taken him as a hero candidate. Then Simos breathed deeply and faced Cuboid once again, "I wanted to apologi.." "Oh there is no need, Suzerain," Cuboid''s calming atmosphere was contagious. There were no ill emotions behind her words and she seemed genuinely concerned that her masters had felt burdened by her past. "How long will you apologize to us servants? The blood debt has been paid, and more." "I understand, so I assume that your request doesn''t involve any revenge?" he answered seriously. "Yes," a sudden mana contract appeared in front of their party. Since it only involves their party, no outsider could see the manifestation of the contract. "When I left, I also left my family. My [summoning request] was for you to find my only living relative, my younger sister."
Ding!
Cuboid''s Quest: Familiar''s Summoning Request Cuboid''s living memory was sparked by finding her shadow''s past home. After retelling her story, she has entrusted you to find out her long-lost relative. Quest Requirements: Successfully summoning undead familiar, Cuboid Finding the birthplace of Cuboid Affection points must be above fifty (50) Quest Completion: Find the living relative of Cuboid Quest Failure: Unable to meet quest requirements Difficulty: D Reward: D
Accept Decline
It was a simple and harmless request, and it really fits the meek nature of Cuboid. And just like before, they accepted. The request had long been accepted by Delica when she initially made a pact with her familiars, still, this contract would make it possible for them to extend this request to her party members. "However..." Cuboid hesitated. "It isn''t as simple as that, now is it?" Aiven finished. He had a rough idea of where this was going.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Cuboid nodded. "My sister is missing," she paused as if conflicted, her perfect brows furrowed, "I had run away from this burden only to find myself once again in a similar role...please," she almost grabbed Simos'' hands but she stopped herself, "please know that the quest prevents me from giving any more details." After she spoke those words, her expression cleared, and her voice became normal once again as she resumed her genial noble mask. "Ah, our lunch is here." Cuboid and her maidservants, now carrying a trolley filled with food, continued their act. But their attention was naturally all focused on spoiling Mieu. The familiars'' image of a soft-hearted lady giving her affection to nameless pitiful children was convincing. Aiven finally took his eyes away from the painting-like scene below and decided it was time to take his distance from the balcony and its peculiar designs. As someone who had been obsessed with Babel, Aiven had already noticed the intricate magic circles covering the arches and pillars of this establishment. These were interwoven as decorations for thePavillion, which was, admittedly,a novel use for [rune spells]. He could easily gauge them to be more or less at the superior tier.A few talisman cast along the wallpaper were equally sturdy and none seemed to be used for spying, but were actually worked specifically to prevent that. This craftsmanship could only be attributed to a master. The security on their inn was lacking and they could only use those on the basic side in terms of concealment magic since, from the start, their party must reflect their status as low-leveled adventurers. With the status of the pavilion, this could be the only place for them to discuss their more conspicuous reports. "Can you repeat that?" Simos said, pausing midway from filling his plate with food that was spiced with too many herbs he can''t identify. "When did we own a mercenary group?" "We don''t, Ulfr does," Aiven replied nodding at Cuboid''s direction. The working contract she had given to them also hold the newly formed mercenary unit which was composed of mainly the bandits under Maco''s leadership. "They''re working for legitimizing their operations." "Really now, is it out of loyalty, you think?" Simos also stared at where Aiven was pointing at. Lady Desme, who had appeared out of nowhere to this town had already cemented a bridge of connections to the locals. At the heart of it all, she had been busy attending balls, soirees and even donating a reasonable amount of silvers in all the right places. A successful social butterfly with a deceptively generous wealth of gold. The subtle secrecy of her house also acted as a lure for the bored and the curious. However, the fact that she was recruiting for her own personal mercenary group was not wide-spread. "They were using her," Aiven replied plainly. A fallen military house would definitely be compatible to form hired swords, Aiven seemed to suggest. A fallen banner still had options for their reclamation. According to the law of man, for a house to fall, the Herald should either be dead without reaching a form of succession, or they were renounced, or their nobility was dismissed by the Regalia. But each heraldric caste system provides special limitations and privileges for each. For the bronze banners, the only will of succession was only throughdescendancy. Any other form of consanguinity of any degree would not be given any consideration. This was because their position was only taken by force of might. With the Oreindr, having no herald or any legitimate successor, their Rust-iron bronze title was stripped off. And so, the only way for them to reclaim their banner was by the old ways of accumulating meritorious act on the battlefield and the fastest way for that was through forming mercenary units. But after the demon war, there was a huge drop in numbers of these hired mercenaries. There was no more job opportunity for mercenaries and a newly-formed one would be hard-pressed to make their notoriety known. "If Cuboid said it''ll be fine, then let''s just trust her. She is after all the one in the field, so her judgment would have better weight," finding novelty at the idea, Simos replied as if the person herself was not there in the same room with them. Still, for the bandits to move in a direction that they didn''t foresee was also interesting in its own right. This was, after all, just a way to dispose of their traceable loots and to test the infiltration prowess of Delica''s familiars. Now that they have used Oreindr, would the Emblems take note of one struggling fallen house trying to re-establish itself? Would they make the connection? Not that it matters. If they did make a connection and decided to attack Cuboid''s group, Delica could easily severe the connection and summon them. Undead familiars were independent beings which can''t be traced back to their summoner. Even if there was a secret method, Delica had long been enclosed under Mieu''s holy elemental protection, so there shouldn''t be much risk for this ''baiting tactic.'' It''s one of the reasons they can''t get a hold of communication on Ilium''s groupwho were hopefully being safely chased by the higher-ups ofCessine. When Aiven resumed to his brooding, Simos gestured for him to eat, "have a little faith in Delica." Aiven''s blank expression wavered a bit at the conviction in his comrade''s eyes. And all he could do was agree. Afterall, they can''t directly interfere now. The undead familiars are out of their hands the moment they split towardsRunsaer. "What else did I miss?" his friend added. Then seeing Aiven''s plate still empty, he grunted something under his breath, "But seriously, eat something solid already. Having coffee as your only sustenance...really we shouldn''t be starving, right? I did left enough silvers when I went out." "You sound like Delica," Aiven answered snatching his plate since Simos had taken it upon himself to serve him his own portion of the food. "You look so ragged, even my maternal instincts gets triggered," he answered grudgingly. "After this, we could go to the inn''s courtyard. I just erected some training dummies, what do you say?" "I refuse,"Please, you twitching to beat me to shape, is the reason I am this beat! Trying to escape the subject, Aiven pointed his fork to Simos'' identity ring, "Your class?" With his question, Simos easily took his hints. "Hrghh, there''s nothing interesting at Exine," he replied while his mouth was still full. "You...got rejected?" "No, but I''ll get one eventually," the boy said with a forced cheer. It was clear that Simos hadn''t even applied to any of the available apprenticeships at Exine even after spending close to a full month at the city-fortress. It''s impossible to push him to commit to a class, after all, he had been yapping about secret classes and dark classes since they were back at the training grounds. It''ll take a nightmarish encounter to even acquire a dark class and more than luck and divine intervention to stumble on those secret classes. Roaming aimlessly at the surface of Frear would not do him any good. "Speaking of class, how''s yours?" he asked in turn while giving Aiven a once-over as if gauging from his appearance the answer to his question. "Busy," Aiveen uttered one word, dismissing the question. Just with that, Simos knew that his friend was also on the same zero progress in terms of their class hunting. He was about to give up on the subject but then Aiven pulled out a piece of parchment. It was a map of the town with some scriptures and markingsstill crisp from its newness. "No wonder," Simos exclaimed in excitement, tracing the ink marks on the map, "Can''t believe you''ve finished finding the taverns here atFellen... Autumn Haust, Creak Braka, these taverns should be easy---" Aiven raised his hand for Simos to stop and pointed at the red markings on the establishments he had identified. Enlightened, Simos started to mutter, "you''ve already checked them? This fast?" He made a funny expression and unconsciously looked at his inventory bracelet which now had the copper guild plate and treasury identity orbs. "Did you even sleep while I was gone?!" "Never better," seeing his normally relaxed friend''s troubled look, he remarked, "I didn''t bring Mieu tavern-hopping." The statement took Simos aback, then there was a moment of relief passing through his eyes until it reverted back with a panicked halt, "...then you''ve left her alone?!" His emotions were really easy to read, "You think Delica would let me?" he mockingly said and tapped twice on the center of the map that was laid bare on between Simos'' hands. "Orphanage," Simos repeated the markings on where Aiven''s fingers had led. Then his gaze raised outside the balcony and there, opposite to the pavilion was the white prestigious facade of the church of the eight gods and along its courtyard was an orphanage, he was on a verge of a sigh when he added, "Let me guess, Delica?" the silence answered his question, and he shifted nervously, "well, I guess, the holy grounds is the best place for the princess'' affinity training. And I don''t suppose that you found Cuboid''s orphaned sister in that place?" "Nothing''s that convenient in this world." "Thought so," they continued their discussion while filling themselves with painted roast chicken, garnished strips of pork, and something Aiven was sure to be inedible with how dizzyingly colorful it was. Simos was still being updated when a bell was suddenly rung. At the other side of the door came a voice, Radius in his footman persona no less, announcing for someone who wishes to enter their balcony. Before they could recover, a flash of green and jewels literally jumped out of the doorway straight to Cuboid. Somehow, the two maids were unmoved by the sudden intrusion even when they heard a shrill voice of a wailing woman. "Desme, my dear, are you unhurt?" She had a beautiful alto voice, and when Simos finally got passed his initial surprise, he was able to have a good look on their visitor (or more likely, Desme¡¯s), and found himself facing a pale lady who was hugging Cuboid on the nape, who seemed too accustomed on the woman¡¯s outburst of emotions, to voice any complaints. ¡°When I''ve heard of your accident I was so worried I rushed here!" Probably in mid-thirties, the emotional woman was dangerously pushing her full weight on the frail shoulders of Cuboid. She would have continued in her lament when she finally realized that the lady she was putting in a chokehold had guests. Flustered, she straightened in a very noble-like stance and smiled widely that her laugh lines became taut but there was no happiness in her smile, "ah right, you''ve brought those ingrate who almost got you injured, you are too kindfor your own good!" her scolding had a tinge of anger and she sharply looked at the three of them, but then, she froze as she took in their appearance. Simos was too alert at the woman''s negative remarks that he stood up in respect. The gap of commoners and nobles were like the Bermuda seas, so it was normal for any person of Cuboid''s circle to come bearing ill-will towards them. But for some reason, Mieu was only staring at the older lady with wide eyes, and Aiven was nowhere to be found. When Simos looked behind his shoulder, he saw his dark-haired friend, crouching under his shadow as if willing to disappear from the room. His face was unusually showing a bewildered expression and beads of sweat were forming on his brow. "Mother?" Mieu suddenly said and went to the older lady with the doll still cradled in her arms. The word somehow worked like a trigger and the woman, Mieu called ''Mother'', became moreexpressive on her worries that tears were brimming on her lashes. "Oh dear, oh dear, darling, is that you little Mieu? Come closer, we''re you also hurt? Truly what unfortunate souls to suffer such an incident. Tell mother everything," she continued, sobs were punctuated on each sentence, and her hands were all over the little girl checking for injuries like a fussy grandmother doting on her babe. "You two, Nial and Tine, how wonderful of you to take care of this precious cute little girl. Aren''t you being too adorable yourselves?" "Why is she here?" Aiven muttered under his breath, his face ashen, as he hid behind Simos. "What''s happening?" he whispered back, also confused and alarmingly getting concerned at the weird actions of his friend. "Where''s your sister? Hoh, to leave you unattended, how dreadful!" the older lady remarked with her wordsturned in anger. But before she could finish her words, Aiven already stepped out. "I''m here! I''m here!" It was rare for him to hear Aiven shout, and rarer still for him to repeat his precious words. His pained expression was clearly caused by the emotionally-stricken lady who seemed to always jump to her own conclusion. "Mother, Ainee didn''t left me. If Remus wasn''t there, then Ainee would have been hurt!" the words of Mieu put the old lady at ease. But it made all her attention came crushing to Aiven. Within moments, she was hugging Aiven. "Oh you poor, poor girl, you must have suffered," she cooed while patting Aiven on the head. In the span of a minute, the woman had cuddled and put her hands on all females, or supposedly females, inside the room. It was too fast that Simos was left standing still, still trying to wrap his head around things when the woman came face to face with him, "and lo, who is this?" She was deceptively taller than what he first assumed. She could easily be taller than his father in his prime. And despite wearing all the required revery for a lady, green embroidered dress, expensive gems and stones, and hair in a pristine spinster-like bun, there wasn''t any semblance of gentility in her bearing as she stood imposingly in front of him. "My name is Remus, my lady," he started, not breaking his casual calm as he bowed. "I see, I see, Remus," she was smiling amiably, her hands strongly on her back in an almost military fashion. Her wizened eyes roamed meticulously at the balcony, the fragile porcelain tea sets with gold trimmings, freshly baked pastries and the succulent lunch, until it rests on the other occupants of the room, all were beautiful, adorable girls of different ages. They all looked like flowers blooming in a garden. As if relishing the scene, she reluctantly took her eyes away and went back to the only male present during this simple midday meal. Dissatisfaction was evident on her face. "Oh how lovely, to be surrounded by beauties? Aren''t you too early to be this proficient?" "Pardon?" Simos'' ears became strained at the undisguised aversion in her words. "Oh, nothing, nothing. For the one who saved young Miss Ainee, you must be rewarded, here take this," she pushed a full purse intohis side and literally kicked him out of the room. "Wa---," before he could refuse, the door had already slammed in his face. The sound was still ringing in his ears, as he felt the weight of the reward on his palm. He was still stupidly looking at the closed door when he heard a man beside him saying," this must be the first time you met the Saintess?" "Saintess?" Dressed in a suit of a knight with a medallion pinned ontohis chest, the man who spoke had the appearance of a guard. Normally, a guard would be stiff with their sense of honor and duty, but his relaxed stance was not something he hadn''t seen before, especially when the guards were dealing with green-eared children. When Simos remained stupefied, he chuckled and clapped him on his shoulder, "questionable, I know." "Saintess..?" Simos repeated, unconvinced if he heard the title correctly. He crossed his arm, chin tucked while tapping his feet impatiently as his brain tried, with great difficulty, to link the weird pushy woman to a light, world tier class which was said to be god-blessed. "Why would a Saintess..." We''re they found out? The whispered notion came unintendedly that his whole body came to an attentiveness that must have been noticed by the guard. Slowly, Simos uncrossed his arms, metal links shifting on his armor. His blue eyes were shadowed but were abnormally sharp as he gazed at the knob of the door with an unreadable expression. But he forcedly dismissed the idea. If they did get found out by a high ranking official of the church then they should have long been detained and quartered before they could even blink. When his eyes matched with the guard, he saw that the man had taken a step back and his hand on the pommel of his sword. "Name''s Remus, you must be..?" Simos broke into his usual goofy smile and raised both his hands, palm up, showing his good intentions. He made his voice mirror the carefree tone of the guard before. The armored man similarly dropped to a confused look as if debating what came over him to be wary of a low-level adventurer, young enough to be his nephew. "Melfius, Squad leader of Saintess Cleo''s Order," he answered, and gave a nod of acknowledgment to Simos. Melfius looked like he didn''t intend to give his title but the situation seemed to have been diverted for him to do so. Simos also nodded, and then he started to snicker, just like any young bright-eyed boy, "What luck, can it be that the Lady is the same Saintess of the Drowned Stone? You know, the same Trusted of the Hero Yuusha? But it can''t be, right?" "It''s the very same," Melfius answered and he then relaxed when he saw the boy with his jaw dropping to an inch. The comical shock made Simos looked more like a youngster whose dreams seemed to have been crushed. The guard obviously interpreted his reaction as the same heartbroken youths who had undeniably been jaded after meeting his eccentric mistress. Denial was clearly on Simos¡¯ face but he couldn''t utter even a single complaint especially with the guard as his audience. The brutish woman who mercilessly kicked Simos out after she put her hands all over his companions, was apparently one of the eight legendary, honorable, grand trusted of the ¡°Hero of the Seven Rivers¡±. Before he could open his mouth to speak, the door of the balcony swung open, and he has forcibly admitted back again with Aiven taking his wrist in a death grip, "Brother Remus! Thank the gods you are still here, I''ve cleared everything to Mother Cleo, brother," he said in emphasis that even the hallway could hear his words. "You hadn''t told me you''d met such an amazing person!" Simos elatedly answered, but a bit of grievance on his tone can be heard at being clueless about this development while he was away atExine. "It was meant as a surprise," Simos doubted it, "I know how highly you look up to the Hero Yuusha that I wanted to introduce you formally to Mother Cleo, before saying anything," Aiven stated with a very forced smile that it was painful to look at. Simos shot him a look as if sayinghow-can-you-forgot-something-so-important!? Are-you-insane!? ["I didn''t forget, I would have told you, eventually, I just shoved it deep into my sub-consciousness, willing for it not to resurface again,"]Aiven answered in a slip of a hand. Simos wanted to ask if it was really that traumatizing but Aiven only continued to have a strained smile, as they entered the balcony and faced, once again, Mother Cleo.
Notice & Book I Summary I know this might come as a surprise (or maybe not, with how many dropped stories rrl had) but I would like to announce that I would be dropping this story. I had been starting my law studies so you might have noticed the random updates and drop on the quality of my works. So before the plot suffered, I am finishing their story right now. I had planned to rewrite this fiction but I am forcing the story and if I continue, I might hate myself and stop writing all together. Before I stop, I want to let my readers know how it ended. So here are my story notes. It''s been two years. Thank you so much, everyone, and for giving me the venue to share my story. If you don''t want to read the summary, then don''t scroll down. Thank you. Chapter 46 Summary Mother Cleo was a retired Saintess, her body took too much damaged from the demon war that her title was nothing but ornamental. She owned the orphanage and other similar orphanages across the land of man. During her reminiscence, she mentioned how the Hero Yuusha had told stories of snakelike harem-collecting male horses that Cleo had dedicated herself to protect beautiful maidens from those sort of evil. She kept eyeing Simos like a hawk, to the utter despair of the boy. Aiven also hated the Yuusha for her successful brainwashing of the once-pure Saintess. Melfius also put a word or two at the discussion mentioning about him being her 9th son out of her nine children, so she was really craving to dote on a girl she could doll-up with. Even her grandchildren were males, making her think that she would be forever cursed to be surrounded by males. That is why she wanted to always be in the healing presence of feminine charms. During this, she kept sarcastically attacking Simos. It got to the point that Simos'' being a virgin was revealed to the unbelieving cheer of the Saintess and she somehow forgave Simos (which he doesn''t know what for). It was not from lack of effort or invitations though (Simos had always been popular). But having a lineage linked to the gods, his house had been protective to the point of being suffocating on who he should spend his time, or nights, with. Even now, despite his charming friendliness, that could easily be mistaken as flirting, he couldn''t afford to be loose or build a harem, as the Saintess bluntly put it. Leaving a trail of blood is already unwise, leaving a trail of babies (genetically blessed by the gods) would be equally more so. Their talk continued. This time it was about how Mieu and Aiven had been volunteering at her orphanage. Then when the priest noticed Mieu healing a bruise from one of the children, the orphanage became a sort of a hospital. Which is good for PR and leveled Mieu greatly. After that, Mother Cleo had been trying to convert Mieu to be her apprentice which had caused the boys to sweat. The Saintess was surrounded by the demon lordling, a doll-lich, and undeads. But the woman was still clueless. They could only deduce it to the fact that all of them were fellow Trusted and envoys of the Hero Yuusha, so no animosity can be detected from them to their fellow Trusted. This proved to be a great veil against the people under the command of the hero before which were powerful allies of the man. Still, they didn''t reveal their quest since they don''t know how deep the hero¡¯s rebellion was to her comrades. Still, Simos was still whining about Aiven''s oversight and not telling him about their encounter with the Saintess. He even commented on how good Aiven was at ignoring or pushing aside anything that he doesn''t like that it could even be called a talent. Aiven only shrugged and answered that it was his defense mechanism. While trying to convince them of taking Mieu under her wing, Mother Cleo mentioned about the current power struggle. After the war, the dead were mostly tolled to the middle ranks. It meant that the tier gap among the people of Frear had drastically widened, creating a power vacuum. From the highest few of ninth, eight and seventh tiers, then a splatter in between, with the next majority bulk on the second, first and base tiers. This shift could only lead to one thing...anarchy. After their get together, they decided to tour the Town. It''s Cuboid''s hometown so she guided the party. They also heard news about the bandits getting scarce (which is good with the famine) a dragon (just a rumor), and about the cursed tavern that is being subjugated by a fool-hardy group of adventurers. Mother Cleo tagged along and said that the fool-hardy, always being defeated, adventurers were led by her student, Arman. Apparently, Arman was the son of the mayor of Fellen. There was a notice to vacate the cursed tavern. It was off limits, and that no one should attempt to subjugate it without the expressed authorization from the guild and the mayor. Right now, it was being subjugated by Arman''s group who has been at it for weeks now. They have information that a tortured ghost was haunting the grounds. Aiven''s party looked at each other meaningfully. They had found the tavern they were looking for. And true to their suspicion, the tavern was Cuboid''s old place. It was rumored that there was a disaster at the tavern and no one said anyone survived. Cuboid also mentioned that the subjugation was putting a strain on the people that the mayor even seeks help from her mercenary group for talented people to help his son. The fact that another band of warriors would be sent within three days was noted by Aiven. Chapter 47 Summary The last of their itinerary was the orphanage. Simos was introduced along with Cuboid with her following attendants. Was then accidentally (actually it was staged) known that Cuboid was part of the nobility. Then gave food (the expired ones...but it''s still fine, there''s a one week allotted before it smells). The clergy was ecstatic and provided help to them. Aiven''s cooking became more prominent. Aiven left the charity case to Maou with Delica (in doll form) and Simos for the background check (he''s also been running around looking for an assassin that could grant Simos a class....being a Master Classless hits his pride, hard), and Aiven proceeded to find some tailoring shop to ask for training. He found one but was completely chased away, saying that he was lacking something when it was actually his ''cursed infamy'' that causes the shop''s people to be disdainful towards Aiven, but he still went back. Aiven was admitted after his fifth try but failed the test. The initiation quest was to finish five coin purse in thirty minutes. His needlework is too advanced that his coin purse gets ridden with stitches, it won''t even open. He was using the normal method (the one on Earth) before, just one stitch at a time. But the actual Tailoring Crafters uses a command spell for [Craft], and the materials would float in the air, and the needle and shears would start to move on their own until it finishes an item. When Aiven used his [Craft], the levels for [needlework] [cut] and others are not in sync and the result is a mess. If he used the manual method, it took so much time, he could only finish two. The end appraisal of his test was a total failure and was then said that there is no way the fates will give him a Tailoring class, so he might as well give up. Unbeknownst to them, almost all of the assistant''s tailoring skills were only at 1st-tier, he actually outranks the assistant tailor who is giving them the lecture. Aiven just scrapped it off, he already has the class and the manual method works for him so it''s not a loss. Before he left, he saw one of those looming machines. In a last attempt to get something out of the establishment, he offered for the loom, saying that it was for a maester friend of his. When they asked for a proof of his tailoring friend, Aiven took out a handkerchief that he once gifted to Mieu. It had one of the rune laceworks he was experimenting with. It had already stripped its negative effects and is now imbued with a holy aura, courtesy of being exposed from the radiance of the demon lordling that could rival that the radiations from a nuclear. On the [seal] was the words ''Silk Button''. When the owner saw the handkerchief, she was too stunned and awestruck by the piece that she decided to relent and offer the right price for the loom. She even told Aiven where the loom was discovered, which happened to be in a dungeon near Runsaer. When he left, the Shop-owner looked at the identical coin purses (everything should have been the same) and was caught off guard when she saw the ones made by Aiven (she doesn''t know it was his, though). The two coin purses have a locking mechanism they haven''t seen before. And it was well-done. The stitches were so thin, there are hardly any seams to be seen and when she said [open]. The purse opened (voice-activated) and found that it has a capacity thrice that of a normal coin purse. It would have been a great piece, if only...there wasn''t any curse. When the shop-owner opened the purse, it equipped itself to her and her luck became negative. Also, undead and magic beast encounter increased. It took a year before the curse waned with the help of an exorcist. The next day after authenticating their guild cards (only for Remus, Ainee, and Mieu), they went to the town hall to find Arman. They had the letter of recommendation from Mother Cleo and some people from the Ulfr''s mercenary group that would help. Arman was of a muscle-head type and quickly got along with Simos after they sparred. They settled the plan for the subjugation. Afterwards, they went to the forest again and continued Mieu''s second-day Training. Simos discussed the mana usage and the status contract. Aiven¡¯s weird perspective and his insistence on calling it a status screen was also called out. Mieu showed her full status to Simos, he panicked and scolding her, with flushed face, that no one should see her status, even her closest of aids. He wanted to say about the ''lover''s pact'' in terms of showing the personal contract between souls but stopped himself, justifying that she was too young to be exposed to such talks. Aiven saw Simos staring blankly at the riverbank and asked what was wrong. But Simos continued on his daze while confessing what happened. In a slip of a tongue, he said that it was beautiful...Aiven doesn''t know what part could a status screen can be called beautiful, but he took it as one of the Frearian''s sentiments that he would never be able to understand (relationship flag?) They also released Delica from the gemstone when they were sure it was safe. And they talked about the plan for the subjugation. During this, she mentioned how reckless Aiven to treat her babies rudely. He then said that they were still weak so it can''t be helped. Finding something was not right, she asked how he even thought of them as weak and Aiven said that it was from his [Arcane Analysis]. Delica became bewildered then curled down in laughter. She clarified the use of Arcane Analysis, that it only analyzes the status of the soul gem and not the status of the undead (Aiven used [Arcane Analysis] because it''s less of a hassle, compared to its higher version [Status Analysis] therefore, less mana spend). Unfortunately, this caused him to only have a thorough status analysis of the undead soul gem, which was an item, instead of the whole status of the undead (the soul gem was likened to a heart, and the mushy muscle has less defense than the whole body). Apparently 3rd class is equal to a 3 Tier Undead. He fought a champion class undead and lived. He fainted. Delica left him to sleep and traced the dark circles under her friend''s eyes. What Aiven didn''t know though was that he messed up the skill acquisition for all the tailors in the whole Frear. With his overall level, he shouldn''t be able to enchant clothes with rune scripts and mana stones yet, let alone design his own template, but since his appraisal and scribe skills were too unorthodox, he was able to acquire the necessary requisites to open the skill trees for those jobs. And those jobs were the best fit to destroy any soul gems of any undead. It could be said that by the way of his level grinding was the best specialization towards being a Skill Master against undead. With this much skills, he could be called a prodigy only seen once in every one thousand years. But of course, he doesn¡¯t know that. Chapter 48: Side Story The story of Cuboid''s little sister. The Quest of the Marbled Fruit would lead to the old cave. The scenario is for the bearer to be beaten every day by her abusive drunkard of a father. But just before she would be hit, an adventurer would come in and help her and she would give the green marbled item that never fails to bear fruits. The quest bearer would stash it every morning in her pockets as the tree always stood in their backyard. It was going fine, even if she''s alone and her older sister was gone far away. For her, it was still fine because a lot of people are helping her every day. But the beating never stops. And there are times that no adventurer came. But still, the fact that a lot of people are willing to help her is enough to make her continue working in the tavern. That is until one day. The busy tavern opened once more and the girl waits patiently as the place gets filled. Delighted she saw some adventurers at the table. The look of adventurer would irritate her father and lash out at her. Everything goes to its scenario. And she was filled with hope when an adventurer stepped out and was walking towards her. She was happy. This is it, the little girl though. But the adventurer only looked down on her. Grabbed her hair and took out the pin that keeps in its place. Her long brown hair fell and hides her bewildered expression. Then her father struck her. The back of the adventurer as it went back to the table came to her view. The man was greeted with a cheer and everyone was giving her a pity look or amusement. Her father started kicking her and for some reason, it was more painful than before, there are more tears, more screaming, more begging. But the adventurers only continued cheering. That''s when she broke her fate. And caused destruction in her wake. The tavern became a cursed place, where everyone who enters dies. Chapter 49: Summary Aiven''s party came and found the distortion of a mana quest. Logistics and traps were made which was successful. Their party made it appeared as if the trap was sprung by the malevolent spirit but it was actually their intent to separate from the group to look for the source of the distortion. The party left behind was busy fending off sentient roots. On their end, they used the doll lich to warp the negative effects into a cluster of miasma, then Simos used Mieu''s dormant [Labyrinths'' Core] to suck the distorted manaline dry, showing the real body of Cuboid''s sister. They also saved the mayor''s son in the process. This made the partial [Labyrinth¡¯s core] to be tainted but was now fully functional. They helped purify the girl, with Mieu''s help and she was back with no memories of what happened. The little sister is already in her teens and was also shocked to see Arman. Apparently, Arman had tried to stem off anyone who wanted to harm Elina (Cuboid''s sister) since he was smitten with her. Back to the town, there was a reunion between the sisters. Mieu''s minion''s increased by one since the younger sister pledged her loyalty to the demon lord after saving her. These kinds of quests should not have existed, unfortunately, the cataclysm that happened half a century ago caused a rift on the Manaline and fates has been messed with. This caused more dangerous and twisted quests to appear. Even if it propels the inhabitants of Frear to accelerated growth, the end results are for quest bearers to be tied to a fate they have no hand in. That''s why Elvens hates the Demons with a vengeance because they blamed their appearance for the disruption to the manalines. Mieu was kinda sad to hear this. However, Delica also mentioned that there is a theory that the manaline, when it follows the 500 year Diem Era of Peace, would try to straighten the fates. The possibility that the Marbled Fruit Quest''s destructive behavior that led to its end was preordained by the manaline is a possibility, so the world order would neutralize. They said their goodbyes to the Town, leaving Cuboid to handle the bandits. And Mother Cleo hang onto Mieu as if her heart would break from the parting. Seeing such an unpolished gem of an apprentice was tormenting. She was only appeased by the fact that Mieu was too young to summon her own status contract so they promised to meet again in the future. She warned the party about the consequences if anything happened to their ''little sister'', and left the threat unfinished. Cuboid looked after her sister and made plans for the younger sister to adopt her. Aiven left communication scrolls and taught Cuboid how to fix her face paints so she would continue looking human. Cuboid would act as a sacrificial bait. If anyone sought her out to them, at least they would have a clue who is targeting them. Also, the whole town and the bandits became her protection. So far only the head priest, mayor and mayor''s son and head of bandits knows her identity as a noble, but clueless that she was a fake and an undead. After they''ve left, Cuboid sat down with Maco and the Town Mayor, Colbern. He doesn''t look like a statesman and was closer to the stocky built of his son. The history of Fellen was that it was a former garrison of the Exine but was abandoned during the man''s retreat. Colbern took it upon himself to establish a haven between the new Kingdom of Runsaer and the shrunken Exine City-Fortress, but the town had always retained their neutrality. Their unique position came about with the silent understanding that no military troop from either of the camp can come trudging on his town, but in return, they also cannot build their own. However, there is a growing disturbance in the land of man. Cuboid, then introduced Maco as the Chief Captain of her mercenary group. They were still nameless and not under the radar of any faction. They wanted to sell their services to the mayor. She convinced the mayor that all patterns of history had spoken that after the great victory over the Demons, man would always crash within themselves. And no treaty or oaths would spare their strategic position from the greedy eyes of the kingdoms. Neutrality would never be the answer, but autonomy. She said that it was only a failsafe, in case war is upon them, the mercenary group would be the swords and shield of his people. In return, the Fellen Town would be the mercenary (and unknown to the mayor, the bandit''s) main headquarters and would maintain their independence. The mayor saw no bad ends on his dealing with this and accepted. It was only a precautionary step. He had always known that his people would be collateral if the war would ensue. Since the town had always been in the middle, once they preferred one Kingdom to another, it might spark a civil unrest and could topple the peace he had maintained. With the unknown future, all mercenary groups had been snatched by the lords either from Alvalar and Runsaer. And no sane glory-hoarding mercenary would bet on a losing side. The words of Cuboid coiled on his mind like a honey, promising the neutrality he had always maintained. The plan of autonomy became more and more appealing, especially now that the banditry had significantly lessened and their economy had never been this flourishing.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. This is the start of the kingdom building side project of Cuboid. Chapter 50: Summary On their way to Runsaer they found a sand sail stranded almost in midair between the valley. It fit perfectly that the front was stuck at one end, while the back was on the other end. It looked like a bridge that connects the two cliffs. They met an eccentric blacksmith while exploring the sand sail. She introduced herself as Sera, a wandering blacksmith who wants to create all types of the weapon. She tagged along to explore the bridge. During the fight, she noticed how Aiven was using needles and that his job is a tailor. In a surge of excitement, Sera then proposed her wares for Aiven to choose from. As it turned out, all blacksmiths know how to make needles. But Sera, the blacksmith, had been searching to globe for different weapons. The weirder it was, the more she got excited. She found a blueprint for a special type rapier called needle. [Rapier: Finishing Needle,] but when Swashbucklers tried to equip it, none was accepted, except for Aiven. Aiven scathingly remarked that she seemed to be too happy to get rid of the rapier, and she answered that it was since having someone to wield her creations is more satisfying. They heard news of Tournament on Runsaer from Sera and some dark news on the coming civil war. Now that the Demon War ended, the four fortresses are trying to reclaim the lands they have lost and they were looking towards the other two kingdoms and beastial plains. As they go to the deeper bowels of the sand sail, Sera explained the Vast Lahar Desert at the middle of the continent. Some parts of the desert have sands so fine, it flows like water. That is where the sand sails were used. Sand sails were all crafted from the Trissine City-Fortress. They explored a little, fought some undead. Aiven was praised by Sera since he was an expert at killing Undead (well, he had a lot of practice.) Sera had a smithy on the Kingdom and said they could visit her anytime. Chapter 51: Summary Later that night Aiven and Sera talked about crafting. Got into a heated debate with Aiven and he was left speechless since Sera told him that he is not a craftsman. Then Sera asked him, his specialty, and he answered that it was female clothing. She then asked who¡¯s the most important girl in his life is. He can''t answer but on his mind flashed the image of Delica. Knowing that he was thinking of someone, she prodded him of what if he''ll make the best clothing for that person, what would it look like? He still can''t answer. And was left with a lot of designs not enough for his taste. The next day, Sera left to continue her journey. She was looking for a volcano to use as a furnace for her next secret project. When she left, the three continued to their destination. A day before they reached the Runsaer, most of all Delica''s familiars was placed in the black box. Leaving only the skull unit for Cuboid and the seafolk undead at the lake of Hawl''s Den. In an awkward moment, Delica asked if it is possible she could try the paints and dyes to look human again. Aiven was a little confused but agreed. He prepared a bath with the right coloring and herbs to preserve the body and some incense to ward off the miasma. After Delica took a bath, her skin became rosy pink instead of gray. Tenderly, Aiven proceeded to apply colors to her face. It was done with so much careful consideration and gentleness that it took him thrice as much to make it right. When it was finished, Delica looked like a normal girl again but Aiven was not happy. After completing the makeover, he got the status for a sub-class [Undertaker] with the title [Bone-Laced Mortician] for learning and taking care of dead bodies for the past months.
Job Title: "Bone-Laced Mortician" [Undertaker] Skill Set I: Re:Exume Corpse Skill Set II: Corpse Painting Skill Set III: Bone Reconstruction
Delica was ecstatic but when she got the look on Aiven, she got depressed. They talked about Aiven''s problem. His hatred for undead. And that right now, Delica was an undead so was she also part of that hatred? They had a private talk especially about Aiven looking at Delica as if the lich he is conversing with is not her. She used the allegory a caterpillar turning to a cocoon, but instead of a butterfly, it was a moth, and the person can''t accept it and kept the cocoon and never cared for the moth until it faded. Aiven kept holding on to the shell of Delica, and regarded the one in front of him as something that took her away. The conversation ended without any conclusion and they both had a strained relationship afterward. The next time Aiven saw Delica, she had peeled a new skin and not a drop of color was left on her body. Chapter 52: Summary Insert a small intro to the place. Discuss Arcana, the existence of the Alices, and about the crime rate of the place that it looked like one part of the kingdom is a slum, while the other part is filled with majestic houses (thieves in rags, and thieves under the corrupt). Delica was energetic as usual. Aiven and Delica have forced conversation every now and then and Simos had no idea what to do. The triplets undead were making a ruckus. They also had their [Summoning Request] to be accomplished at the Runsaer Kingdom. Originally, a slaver offered a twin to the Canary. But when they were born, they were conjoined triplets. According to the laws, there was no precedent what to do. Not to breach the contract, the slaver separated the children. Having a golden luck tiger lineage was a stroke of fortune the slaver haven''t anticipated so he pushed through with the arrangement. All three could have survived but all of them would be missing some hands or feet. But because, of their value, the slaver cut the third child and gave the parts to the other two so they''ll look like a normal child. The slaver now bought a peerage under the Runsaer so he was now a baron. What the triplets want is for him to be dead. (You could buy earldom, barony and other small titles at the kingdom at the right price). They decided to kill him in the most legal way. There was a tournament that the baron would be participating. If Simos killed him during a match, then it won''t be a problem. Aiven also volunteered fight to make their odds greater but was brutally shut down. There was no way they could get away if Aiven had stripped his opponents naked during any match. They continued gathering info. They tracked the baron and as they walked into a shop the baron was frequenting, they accidentally bumped into him causing a disturbance. In the chaos, Aiven applied [first aid] even if the baron was not injured. When the Baron found out that they have the protection from a Saintess, he backed away. But now, they got the physical characteristic of the Baron. (they got the physical analysis of the baron, so fighting him won''t be a problem anymore) They find out that the High King of Exine, Asdale would be attending as a guest of the Arcana. The group settled on a fancy inn, using their gold. They have a letter of introduction from the Mayor of Fellen Town, since they did solve the Cursed Tavern incident and still holding the recommendation from Mother Cleo. Their credits were also above suspicion. Aiven had been determined on this since he knew that with a fountain of holiness and golden boy on his side, there would be no end of limelight shining on his party. He can''t keep the two from being popular. One of the familiars that learned make-up from Aiven contacted them. She was Linea, another one of the Skull unit (a lot of the familiars that looked similar to humans came from the Skull unit). She was now in Cessine and carrying one of the customized identity rings, and was training as a maid under the Lion Golds. She is also in contact with the adventurers Sain (who was originally undead familiar Vomer) and Danira (undead familiar Hyoid) who is now taking quests under their pseudonym. Linea, Vomer, and Hyoid were to spy on the Lions and Regalias and give any details about the emblem that called Simos as a hero candidate. So far, they now knew that the emblem was named ''Eudine.'' Emblem renounced their houses, so it''ll be hard to know more about him. The title of Canary Gold was also vested to the Lion Golds and their uncle Dalen had bestowed it to a sub-branch of his house. It seemed that he was angered and even went on a rampage when they found the empty vaults of the Sila-ir. They received news that Desme (undead familiar Cuboid) had successfully taken Elina as her ward and the engagement of her and the mayor''s son, Arman, is proceeding smoothly. As usual, Aiven got reports of debt and tax collectors routes from the bandits. Bandits continued to only target the corrupt (killing bad people is less hassle than good ones, there would be fewer people looking after them). Also, the bandits haven''t found anything that could link their group to the fall of the Oreindr house. Though from the collected rumors, Aiven is now being called a devil''s spawn, and the Canary Sibling has been elevated to great reputation that their story is now being sung by barbs throughout the Arvalar Kingdom. The story goes like a tragic gothic play where two innocent siblings were lured by a cunning villain. The villain abducted the beautiful sister and forced her to be his lover. In his failure, the sister committed suicide. The brave peerless brother, in his attempt to rescue her, came too late. In an act of perverted evilness, the villain turned the beautiful sister into an undead and forced her to fight her brother. In the end, it caused the tear-jerking death of the brother but a goddess heard his plea for salvation and he was benevolently granted a second chance in life. ¡®Til now, the brother, with the blessing of the goddess, was still heroically chasing the villain. Unfortunately, there was a great hint of incest going on that it is disturbing. Simos can¡¯t help but laugh it off, the absurdity of the story was too much that he almost rolled over laughing in some parts. And the deity would often change depending on which gods the bard believed in. Aiven blanked out for days after hearing the story and would often mutter curses everytime something or someone reminds him of the story. Other major events -Tournament. Simos fought and won with no problem. However if his opponents were on his own level, he would be struggling, but if it¡¯s a tier or two higher, he could keep up. This is because he had been used to fighting two or three-tier opponents from their undead army. He would be expecting too high from his opponents that he would often miscalculate and would drag the fight. This could also be due to his inexperience in battle. Also, it would be disastrous for any of his opponents to base Simos¡¯ strength on his status level since he had the Blood of Hringra on his veins, deity of scale and justice. It was only through fighting with the undead and bandits did Simos found out about a weird quirk of his blessings. If his opponent was a sinner, his stats would be buffed abnormally. His status was too much of a hero that it¡¯s ironic that he is on the side of the demons. -Aiven continued his training in Runsaer, finds a Senyor Damask Cross that''ll find his method advance and teach him tailoring. [Craft] is the beginner''s way of making items, but the individual commands could be polished for a master to customize their signature works.
Additional Side Story 1: Senyor Damask had seen the runecrafted kerchiefs by Aiven and was interested into the point that he was willing to take Aiven as his apprentice. The senior tailor showed him how to use Spindle Gears. He started with the basic equipment of Spindle Gears which looked like a spinning wheel with a simple spindle. It is used to draw in the raw materials and spun it into a thread. It also imbued the resulted yarn or thread with the user''s mana, once the user was adept in its use. On Damask''s case, he could already create a thread from pure mana. The older tailor gave one to Aiven, and would be charged to his fees. He also discussed the difference between combat-based, magic-based and job-based mages, in terms of compatibility of items. On the combat and magic based mana-user, the mana is produced from inside their body and flows outside to interact to the mana in the physical world. However, for combat-based the interaction stopped on their body either strengthening or adding elements into a certain spell move, while the magic-based could go further and influence the environment itself. (The appeal of combat-based is that it is faster to level compared to the magic-based, since changing the world order is more difficult than changing one''s body). The flow of mana was outward. The job-based was the exact opposite. Job-based mages would take in the mana from the environment by luring it with their own, and silently work its way towards their crafted items. The flow of mana was inward. That is why all mana-users could only use their magic on the crafts from job-based mages. And in effect, these caused for the three classes of mages unable to equip any items not specified to their type, since each item was designed to accommodate the flow of mana of the specific class of the user. Continuing with the lecture, what Aiven had from Fellen is called a loom gear, the next tier version of the spindle. It was in fact used in weaving cloth and considered the blandest, boring gear for a tailor''s weaving. The resulting design is simple and repetitive. The one Damask had is called Dobby Loom Gear. It uses the faeries called dobbies to manipulate the wefts and warps of the weaving, to create an infinite number of designs with only the imagination to limit the sophistication of the template. (Weft is the horizontal, warp is the vertical threads on a textile structure) The older tailor had contracted with three dobbies, and he made a demonstration to his apprentice. The dobby is a small white rotund creature that had the feather-like antennae of silk moths as their ears, and the same huge dark eyes that expanded to the side of their scalp, and their wings were furred with soft bristles. They seem to hate Aiven. The black history of his crafting was felt by the poor creatures that they don''t want get close to him Damask then took a stool and from his inventory, he took out one large beam of metallic contraption with two large wheels at both ends. He placed it on his lap and with a few twists and turns on the equipment, it expanded. The wheels are now floating on his sides as if he was riding a chariot, the right wheel visibly smaller than the other, and the beam had turned to a frame. The dobbies were hovering above him in an excited tittering. He asked Aiven not to disclose anything, as each tailor had their own customized loom gears. He might not be the only tailor that contracted faeries, but there was still something called trade secrets. The moment he agreed, Damask pulled out a thin narrow rectangular piece of wood that has holes in it. He passes it on to Aiven. He asked what does the boy sees, and Aiven almost answered that it looked like a plank ridden with termite holes, but changed his mind and said that he doesn''t know. Damask, understandingly, explained that it''s called an algorithm template, and is used to automate the design of the woven textile. It changes the pattern of the wefts of the textile to create the desired design. At the word algorithm, Aiven was suddenly taken aback and made the tailor repeat the word again and again. Irritated, Damask flashed him a condescending look and continued on his demonstration. Multiple sheets of algorithm templates separated to form like a fan on his right side. The dobbies started arranging the sheets on the instructions of Damask, and he would make a tapping motion as if he was using a typewriter at the sheets, and the holes would correspondingly rearrange. When he was satisfied, he placed his hand on the larger wheel at his side and started spinning. The sheets would slide and be inputted to the beam frames individually with a clockwork accuracy while the dobbies make sure that each movement of the weft was smooth, and Damask would use the smaller wheel below the panned-out algorithm sheets to move the shuttle across the textile to insert the warp threads, at each interval of the wefts. Watching the whole process, Aiven paled and his hands started itching to do something. The spectacle was jarring a memory in his mind. Something dangerously monumental that he forgot to breathe. Algorithm. Computing. Formula and calculations. These are punch cards. The algorithm templates were this world version of punch cards. There was someone called Babbage. But this was something simpler, much more older. It was at the back-end of his mind but couldn''t identify it. All he knows is that punch cards are used for programming. Right in front of him is the stepping stone of developing computers. The realization was too shocking that he collapsed to his knees. Aiven was instantly humbled. He can''t help but berate the past him who kept belittling his tailoring job before and was now immensely stupified at the possibility of creating his own personal computer. On that innocent afternoon, Damask found himself with an apprentice who was so dedicated he could almost taste the migraine of having a loom fanatic in his midst.
-Aiven was also successful in creating a lace pattern that looks like a magic circle and also functions as one. The laced circles were weaved from different spellthreads and it bypasses the level limit in creating rune scroll circles which could only go to three tiers. He then let Mieu purify it and sold it to Runsaer. It was a success. The name of ''Silk Button'' was starting to get attention. He triggered another job class, [Haberdasher].
Title: "Haberdasher" [Merchant] Skill Set I: Trade Skill Set II: Bluff Skill Set III: Open Lock/Disable Device Skill Set IV: Sleight of Hand
-Aiven took out the loom and tried to create [Magic Carpet]. He first took out the cursed carriage and using the loom, took the miasma and weaved them into threads. It was actually used to weave the mana from the user but he was able to direct it from other sources. He got another title [Loom Mechanic]. He then used it to loom a cursed carpet that would fly and dumped its passengers to a cliff. He almost died but was heroically saved by Simos, in a princes''s carry.
Job Title: "Loom Mechanic" [Weaver] Skill Set I: Spell Thread Skill Set IV: Seidr Webbing Skill Set VIII: Spindle Gear
-Delica was also able to roam free from time to time. Undead familiars are common on necromancers, and she was posing as one who was on an errand for her master. There was no communication between them. Aiven was getting worried, not knowing where she had been going at the dark alleys of Runsaer. She let the doll and the black box with the undead army to Mieu to mask them. But during these time, he would tinker with the doll she''d left behind and repair it whenever he can. -Delica then found a teacher for her. A shrunken head that talks that she kept on her belt. She was heavily interrogated by Aiven and Delica only pouted in the grievance. The shrunken head was a chatterbox from hell. It kept talking and so Aiven sewed it mouth. On one discussion the shrunken head, Witch Thirty, was worried since Delica was too young when she was turned and asked her new master if her maidenhood was still intact. Aiven was still recovering when Delica said that it was long broken from a horse. Aiven almost collapsed. And Simos, Mieu, and Delica both looked at him, confused. Horseback riding could tear a maidenhood, which was a common knowledge. -Simos was training for the tournament. And a throng of tittering women was starting to gather around him. They also tried to vehemently target Aiven, in his guise as Ainee, but when they heard that he was his ''sister'', they stopped and acted all nice. Aiven told Simos his plan for the dungeon. -There was a break from the tournament and Simos suggested they took the dungeon Aiven mentioned. It was the dungeon where the tailoring looms can be found. -After their preparation, they went to the dungeon. Aiven wanted to go alone since it''s a personal quest, but the group decided that they should stick together. -They fought, explore. At the boss chamber they met Anansi at an old dungeon (ancient monster spider) then Aiven got possessed by her. He ended up with a Kaneki-like black extra six limbs on his lower spine. Could now equip eight darners simultaneously). [Slit tongue, earrings, and now extra limbs...he''s starting to look like non-human--a delinquent non-human, lol) -Maou uses the partial Labyrinth''s Core and claimed the dungeon as theirs. [A dungeon filled with beautiful undead maids...?]. Lamina and her unit became a dungeon master. -Find a lot of discarded spindles hoarded by Anansi. The spider parasite was named Nancy and they get well together with the shrunken head. Nancy likes to eat the threads personally loomed by Aiven, especially those filled with curses and miasma. -Contacts that Blacksmith Sera, and devised to recreate a Spindle Gears: Bobbin Gear, then Vanity Gear, then Overlock Gear. She went crazy in recreating those. Have fun.
Spindle Gears: circular gauntlet-like equipped (the circular gear only covers the hand and wrist but the equipment extends up to his arm. The Gears also rolls up and down to his arm when reloading) it acts like a gun. Evolution of Spindle Gear
  1. Bobbin Gear - releases needles and threads
  2. Vanity Gear - could infuse elemental attacks but never earth affinity magic [rock beats scissors] (could only be equipped with [Seamstress] Job Title)
  3. Overlock Gear - adding more power and smoother release of needles and threads. Also makes it possible to load wires (mithril wires, Hexweave, Frostweave, etc. (could only be equipped with [Weaver] Job Title)
-During the preliminary finals of the tournament. Before Simos could fight the Baron, the man died from his previous fight. Finding no more reason to continue, he wanted to quit, but his opponent continued to bait and mock him. It didn¡¯t affect him much but since it was just another match, he conceded. -However, the opponent was strong and Simos was gravely hurt. He would have died if not for Aiven, Mieu and Delica rushing on the stage to save him. This revealed the lich who stole the imprisoned witch. No other choice, Delica acted as if she was trying to wreak havoc at Runsaer. They were able to flee once again. -But Aiven was on death''s door. On the last bout of his strength, he had used a newly opened combat skill exclusive to Blade Clothier class, which was [Re:Animate Templates] which gave life to his craft. The doll used by Delica was turned to a sentient doll that protected him and dragged him to safety. -In an instant, they were back to being hunted. Delica also announced that Ilium¡¯s group was also unsummoned, meaning that the ones, who were monitoring them, after knowing of their appearance at Runsaer, also successfully hunted them with personnel too powerful for them to fend off. The monitoring group was only keeping an eye on Ilium¡¯s group in their mission to see if the Hero Yuusha would contact them. Still, the dragon undead''s group was able to contact the Dwarven Kingdom on their quest to find the Serpentine Arch. On the North, Ilium was known as the demon lord, and Coccyx and Ischium were known as Aiven and Delica. -Knowing that in the records of Frear, Aiven was finally dead, the same way as Simos. The siblings decided to erase the memory of the unconscious Aiven. They know that Aiven had suffered a lot because of them. He had thinned, became depressed, sleep-deprived, and overworked that they feared he would kill himself from exhaustion. They decided that the life of being hunted with them would only cause him unending pain. -Simos also reached out to Delica, hinting of what Aiven felt for her. Delica only nodded. She knew. But what she felt for Aiven was only as a friend. It might have bloomed into more but death had already cut it. The lingering feeling of affection of her shadow would only remain as such. It was clear that the only reason she even felt it was due to them being connected in this quest. Without that, it''ll only bore nothing. -Mieu understood and sealed Nancy. The parasite kept blurting out curses but was shut by Mieu''s seal. -On a dream, Delica and Aiven were talking. Before they wiped out his memory and let him go, free from their fate, she wanted to say farewell. Aiven was only staring at Delica and said that he understands. Rational, always worrying, Aiven knew why they decided to leave him. But she should know that he would forever hate her for doing this. -Delica kissed him on his cheek and put him on an oblivious sleep. [End of Book 1] Cheat Sheet Character Sheets Aiven of House Gallinthe [Blade Clothier -Rare Class-] MC, reincarnated, underdeveloped 12 year old boy. He is obsessed with magic that he could identify any magic at a glance (his Analyze Skill kinda helps a lot), but he will never ever use his mana unless in life or death situations. It got so extreme to the point that he won''t even spend any during combat trainings. [The gift of tongue from Yuu-chan helped him a lot, that he finally know the feeling of having mana reserves] Character Traits: Black short hair, dark round eyes Simos of (renounced) Sila-ir House An optimistic, stubborn, dense friend of Aiven. Also addicted to adventure and becoming an assasin. Think of your typical knight-in-shining armor, he would have made the perfect idiot hero. Also very protective of Delica and would tend to spoil Maou-chan. Also classless and careless. Character Traits: Blonde curly hair, blue eyes and a princely stature (at first glance) Delica, [Vassal Lich 3rd Tier] [Undying Lich 5th Tier] A very sweet child (though she did played with some corpses at an early stage before venturing into a more professional side). Also likes to tease Aiven and would tend to fangirl over Lady Yuusha and Maou-chan. Character Traits: Strawberry blonde hair, blue eyes, grey skin with no signs of veins. Maou-chan The sealed Demon Lord. She''s also polite but would be obstinate when it came to her mission since Yuu-chan sacrificed a lot for her to survive and for her to destroy the world. Also has sweet tooth. Character Traits: Black straight long hair, dark round eyes Lady Yuusha The deliverer of Evil. The Warrior-Goddess of Red Flag. The Hero of the Seven Rivers who vanquished the Demon Lord eight moons ago and continued to explore the Four Rings of Outer Frear! If you got to read this far, then you already know too much about her (maybe more than out protagist but meh) CHEAT SHEET: INTRODUCTION OF THE UNDEAD ARMY: I don''t know if you noticed it yet, but the names used for the Lich Familiars are from the Human Skeletal System. Delica''s Lich Familiars (108 Undead) 29 Beastials, 12 Seafolks, 5 Elvens, 7 Dwarvens, 1 Draconic [21 Beatsials, 11 Seafolks, 3 Elvens, 6 Dwarvens (not yet introduced)] RIGHT ARM (VANGUARD) UNIT (5 already named) Offensive, wide AoE attacked specialists/crowd control (high STR, ATK) Ulna - Head of Right Arm (Vanguard) Unit 3rd class Lvl 3: Beastial (albino winged-inherent - long straight white hair, white pupils) [Familiar Arts: Offensive: Ars Valkyria/ Weapon: Spear] -Distal 3rd Class lvl 40: Beastial (Rabbit-inherent, wavy hair with bunny ears) [Weapon: Broadsword] -Capitate, Lunate, Hamate 2nd class lvl 5: Beastials (Feline-inherent, blonde bob cut, no cat ears but with a very long tail) [Familiar Arts: Melee: Sync / Weapons: Axe-Hammer-Gauntlet respectively] -Proximal, fox-inherent LEFT ARM (RECONNAISANCE) UNIT (2 already named) Speed based, combat 1v1 specialists (high AGI, END) Acromion - Head of Left Arm (Reconnaisance) Unit 3rd class lvl 5: Beastial (tiger-inherent - fur with muddy red and black stripes) [Familiar Arts: n/a / Weapon: Any type of Sword] -Radius 2nd class lvl 90: Beastial (Canine-inherent, cropped reddish hair) [Familiar Arts: n/a / Weapon: Broadsword] SKULL (COMMAND) UNIT (8 already named) Talent based, Information gathering (high WIS) Lacrimal - Head of Skull (Command) Unit 2nd class lvl 5: SeaFolk (Saegir-Seapeople, octopus - long messy pink hair) -Malar - attendant 2nd class lvl 8: Elven (Demon Elf - white hair, glasses and small horns sprouting on his forehead) [Familiar Arts: Support: Observer] -Coccyx 1st class lvl 1: (androgynous with black cropped hair) [Familiar Arts: n/a / Weapon: Dual blade katanas] -Vomer 1st class lvl 30: Beastials (Bear-inherent, "Ponytail") [Familiar Arts: Support: Mind-Grafting] -Maxillae 2nd class lvl 50: Elven (Forest Elf - greenish hair, tanned barklike patches of skin) -[Familiar Arts: Fae Dust] -Hyoid 1st class lvl 60: Beastial (Ram-inherent, "Shorty", long curly hair and ram horns) -[Familiar Arts: Absolute Point] -Incus 1st class lvl 10: Seafolk (Crusaegir/Shellpeople, the shell acts as a hat, but looks more like an alien) -[Familiar Arts: Aether: Illusionist] -Cranial/ Palatine (beastial) TORSO (MAIN) UNIT (10 already named) Ranged attacked specialists, dark arts, DoT specialists (high INT, MP) Lamina - Head of Torso (Main) Unit: 3rd class lvl 1 Elven (Pyro Elf - busty onee-san with twin braids) [Weapon: Lasso] -Axis - attendant 3rd class lvl 1: Beastial (equine-inherent, an upright Centauriun. Bipedal but has two pair of arms.) -Ilium 3rd class lvl 6: Draconic -Sternum/ Sacral/ Lumbar/ Navicular/ Ischium (elven)(4-beastial) FOOT (LOWER) UNIT (6 already named) Defensive, tanking (high DEF, VIT) Tarsus - Head of Foot (Lower) Unit 2nd class lvl 2: Dwarven -Cuboid - attendant 2nd class lvl 1: Man -Talus/ Linea/ Calcaneus (Dwarven)
Welcome to the Basic Manual to the Arvalar Training Grounds. FOUR TRAINING GROUNDS 1. Cessine Training Grounds (Sudrine Fire) - located at the south 2. Trissine Training Grounds (Austrine Earth) - located at the east 3. Exine Training Grounds (Vestrine Water) - located at the west 4. Bassine Training Grounds (Nordrine Wind) - located at the north All trainees will be categorized into three batches: 1. Beginner Batch (Lvl 1-10) 2. Novice Batch (Lvl 11-above) 3. Apprentice Batch (12 yrs old, regardless of which level status) BASIC EXAMINATIONS Mana Status - Humans are capable of creating their first mana contract in the form of status creation, mostly at the age of seven. Just showing a child''s capacity to show status would enable him/her to attend at the Training Grounds as a Beginner. Test of Affinity - will be given to incoming Novices. Depending on the affinity, they could be sent to any of the branches of Training Grounds, Bassine (Earth), Cessine (Fire), Trissine (Air), Exine (Water) to work more on their potentials. Class Selection - Classes will be given on all incoming Apprentice Batch and would be Assigned to different Grounds depending on the results from Class Selection. Everyone is required to have a Class Selection at the age of 12 regardless if they are in beginner or novice batch. Choosing a class. Why is Class important? Class opens up the ability of a being to use Innate Mana. Some calls this Innate Mana as talent or Gift that remains latent in the body until the being could acquire a class. It is said that the moment the being has reach the age of reason (12 yr), that being is given the choice of its course of life. It also acts like a contract from your physical mana (Being) and the external mana (Nature) to form a harmonious relationship inside a person''s existence (thus activating the Innate Mana). There is also a Test of Affinity being given to the would-be trainees even before they reach this age which heavily influence the trainees. Those who find the result dissatisfying usually drops out of the training grounds. Class Selection[b] 1. Blessings are for magic-based class. Could be found in the spirit dwellings and Maegus Ground. 2. Sanctifications are for faith-based class. Could be found in specified temples and Holy Grounds. 3. Mandate for the combat-based class. Could be gained in the Appraisal of a Master Combatant and in the Battle Grounds. 4. License for the job class. Could be gained in the Appraisal of a High Maester and Crafter/Scholar/Artisan''s Grounds. 5. Prestige is for special type class. [Classification ranges from Rare, Unique, Sacred, Divine, Cursed, Demised]. Could arise from special circumstances (quest, order, etc.) or any of the grounds mentioned. Each City Fortresses has these grounds being under the strict protection of the Training Grounds. Titles for Apprentice Batch a. Assistant for job-based class b. Squire for combat-based class c. Neophyte for magic-based class The practice of letting novices take class selection is beacause of the Coming of Age Ceremony which is a tradition to all Man. Afterall these batches were only divided as to give appropriate training on a child''s level gained/potential. And most Beginners who couldn''t level up to Novice when they already reached the age of reason are more suited for Job-based class. Letting a child take extensive magic and combat training when their mana is clearly not in-tuned with it would be irresponsible and could cause the child''s body to break. Short Summation on Magic System and Underlying Theories on Skill Acquisition (incomplete with insights and commentaries) MAGIC SYSTEM Magic Systems is very misleading. As mentioned, this arises in ones ability to use mana. Mana was first regarded as magic but was then identified more as a type of energy provided by ones existence. The name stuck even if the system itself revolves around mana and its uses in skills rather than the typical Maegus'' simple elemental (earth, fire, air, water) and aether (light, dark, void) attributes. The issue to differentiate mana skills and elemental magic came from the fact that combat, support spells and enchantments were later developed. Skill is the generic name for any action or activity where mana is used. All skills are open for anyone with mana. However further unlocking its Skills Sets and Skill Tree will require undergoing Class Selection. TYPES OF MANA. 1. External Mana - mana all around us. 2. Physical Mana - mana in the physical being 3. Innate Mana - mana that can only be delved in and influenced after class acquisition. Innate mana is used to expand class skills. 4. Soul Mana - purest mana. Almost impossible to use. TYPES OF SKILLS I. Base Skills - mostly from stats acquisition. Skills that are associated with stats. i.e Mind Fortification (Required Int +50, good against confusion); Pain Resistance (Required End +100,) Always passive and anyone can use this. II. Trigger Skills - skills that can only be used if conditions were met. i.e. , Critical Shield (temporary 10% damage decrease when health drops to 10%), Night Vision, Trap Down, Berserker, Blood Lust, etc. Always command activated and anyone with the required skills and mana can use this. III. Maegus Skills - skills that uses physical mana to conjure elementals and aether. Could only be used if you have the minimum required mana. Highly linked but not restricted to the Magic Caster Class. Types of Maegus Skills a. Active Skill - Could be activated through spells (uses magic circles). i.e. Summoning Spells, Transportation Spells. Another is using chants (uses spirit/origin language). i.e. Fire Blaze, Hale Fall, Heal, etc. b. Passive Skill - skills that are always in effect. This uses excess generated mana that is unconsciously being released by a being, and are heightened if mana force is full. i.e. Enemy Detection, Mind Mapping, etc. IV. Combat Skills - skills using physical mana to enhance the body and its capacity beyond normal scales. Highly linked but not restricted to combatant class. Types of Skills a. Active Skills - could be activated through command spells. i.e. Ghost Step, Aivian Sight, Takedown Stab, Block, etc. b. Passive Skills - skills that are always in effect. i.e. Battle Aura, Magic Resistance, etc. V. Job Skills - skills that uses and infuses mana to inorganic objects. Could only be used after class acquisition, restricted to job class (Crafters/Artisans/Scholars) however they have to forego other skills. Type of Job skills a. Crafting Skills - act of creation. (create, upgrade, dismantle, etc.) Anyone could use this as long as they have the Basic Tool Kit of the craft, however they are unable to do so if they reached class selection and did not choose a job-based class. b. Job Skills - varies from Job Class selected. i.e. Smith (Metalwork, Elemental Forge), Tailor (Dressmaking, Rune Embroidery), Alchemist (Potionmaking, Transmutation) TWO MAIN GROWTH PATTERN Skill Tree and Skill Sets (originally called Mana Skill Tree and Mana Skill Sets, but the word ''Mana'' was omitted as generations passes) Skill Tree- vertical growth. The focus is raising from tier to tier. Aiming to unlock skills which will result to a number of more advance skills available. As the name implies, when graphed, it looks like a tree. Popular for combatants focused on levelling and would tend to acquire more skills as it branch out. Note: Mountain is the term used for the inverse of a Skill Tree, where the basic skills outnumbers the higher advance skills. They are mostly people used in endurance type battles and are more sturdy since they could counter most attacks they received. When two Mountain-Type Combatant fights, the battle always turn to a battle of attrition and could last of days. Its extreme opposite are called Vantage where the battles are mostly short and decisive. Fights between two Vantage-Type could be concluded in minutes, the best of them could last only in seconds. However if both could use void magic, the fight never existed in the first place (it''s a running joke since they kinda try to rewrite each other''s existence hahaha...though it is not a laughing matter if the world order gets destroyed in the process. Void mages are rare by the way...not even originally included in the aether) Tier-Class Magic System Base Tier: [lvl 1-99] 1st Tier: Intermediate Tier [lvl 100-200] 2nd Tier: Superior Tier [lvl 201-300] 3rd Tier: Champion Tier[lvl 301-400] 4th Tier: Legendary Tier [lvl 401-500] 5th Tier: Calamity Tier [lvl 501-600] 6th Tier: World Tier [lvl 601-700] 7th Tier: Celestial Tier [lvl 701-800] 8th Tier: Mythological Tier [lvl 801-900] 9th Tier: God Tier [lvl 901-999] 10th Tier: Unknown Tier Stages of Levels lvl 01-10 [Beginner] lvl 11-20 [Novice] lvl 21-30 [Amateur] lvl 31-40 [Advance] lvl 41-50 [Expert] lvl 51-65 [Master] lvl 66-80 [High Master] lvl 81-95 [Maester] lvl 95-100 [Grand Maester] It''ll take 100 levels to reach the next Tier and it''ll reset to zero A complete Skill Name Sample [2-Tier Analyze Skill: Level 43] or [Superior Analyze Skill: Expert Level] The later phrasing is the most commonly used. For class title, with the reset of levels from class up it is common practice to omit the numbered tiers. If one says Advance Bishop: Bishop is a 3rd Tier Class (Cleric>Priest>Bishop) ; and Advance (lvl 31-40) This means he is within the range of Raw levels 331-340. Also, the higher the tier, the more harder it is to level up. Skill Sets - horizontal growth. Focus is more on customization. Unlocking related skills that complements and supplements each other. Also called as Gambits. When graphed it looks like either a honeycomb or a web. These are used for specialization and mastery and is popular for crafters, hobbyists, specialists...basically support and non-combatants. Though there are some cases where combatants choose this kind of pattern to create their own fighting style. Mostly after they have gained the class they feel most comfortable with or they get stuck in a tier and they can no longer advance. Note: Skill Specialization uses a honeycomb skill set because the skill acquisition goes in a set direction and tend to skip other skills. It is trickier to fight Skill Specialists since you don''t know what they will pull off and most of skills they gain complements their desired fighting style, however they have holes in their overall offense and defense. Skill Mastery uses web skill set because the skill acquisition cluster in one area of skills. While it is hard to find holes in the Skill Masters, overpowering them in their preferred area of expertise or simply focusing on their weakness (which is so easy to guess) could do major damages. Range of Skill Sets [Skill Set I, II...X] A complete Skill Set Name Sample: [Analyze Skill Sets] [Analyze Skill Set I: Item Analysis] [Analyze Skill Set II: Status Analysis] [Analyze Skill Set III: Damage Analysis] [Analyze Skill Set IV: Artifact Analysis] [Analyze Skill Set V: Relic Analysis] [Analyze Skill Set VI: Arcane Analysis] [Analyze Skill Set VII: Spell Analysis] [Analyze Skill Set VIII: Skill Analysis] [Analyze Skill Set IX: Mana Analysis] [Analyze Skill Set X: Soul Analysis] Sample: [Detection Skill Sets] Skill Set I: Area Detect Skill Set II: Enemy Detect Skill Set III: Farsight Skill Set IV: Aerial Sight Skill Set VI: Mana Sight Skill Set VII: Mana Trace Most weaknesses and disadvantages of a mana-user however could be patched up with items, equipment, buff and a balanced teamwork. At that point, anything could go in a battle. That is why it is highly adviced to choose your class and class titles wisely and not focus on tier levels...but almost everyone go for levelling. It can''t be helped because normally if a being likes taming beasts, then aiming for a higher tier of binding more stronger and rarer beasts is just common sense. Hence the never-ending discrimination to lower specs mana-user. Adventurer Grade-Class Ranking Classification Rank shows the degree of difficulty or threat levels. Rank I - Tin Rank II - Copper Rank III - Iron Rank IV - Steel Rank V - Platinum Rank VI - Diamond Rank VII - Mithril Rank VIII - Orichalcum Rank IX - Adamantite Rank X - ??? Crafter Grade-Class Item Classification Grades shows the meter of craftmanship. While the level requirment acts as the overall standard. Grade SS Grade S Grade A Grade B Grade C Grade D Sample: Two Tier - Grade A Eljudnir Staff Sources: copyright infringement galore
ELEMENTAL MAGIC AFFINITY: Shows the range of magic that can be cast by a mana-user. FIRST Circle: [Earth] [Water] [Fire] [Air] SECOND Circle: []: Required elements [Earth][Fire] []: Required elements [Earth][Water] []: Required elements [Water][Air] []: Required elements [Earth][Air] THIRD Circle: [<>]: Required elements [Earth][] [< >]: Required elements [Water][] [<>]: Required elements [Fire][] FOURTH Circle [<<>>]: Required elements [Earth][<>] [<<>>]: Required elements [Earth][< >] [<<>>]: Required elements [Air][<>] FIFTH Circle [-Dry Weather-]: Required elements [Earth][<<>>] and/or [Earth]x5 [-Wet Weather-] : Required elements [Water][<<>>] and/or [Water]x5 [-Cold Weather-]: Required elements [Air][<<>>] and/or [Air]x5 [-Hot Weather-]: Required elements [Fire][<<>>] and/or [Fire]x5 EIGHTH Circle: [-Meteor-]: Required elements [<>][<<>>] AETHER MAGIC AFFINITY: Dark Shadow Demised Death Light Holy Divine Life Void
Generantis Lignum ignis pascitur ; Ignem creat terram ( cinis ) ; Terra et venera ferat metallum ; Metalli colligit aqua ; Aqua nutrit ligna . Expugnaturum Lignum partes terrae ; Absorbet aquam terra ; Aqua extinguit ignem ; Conflat metallum ; Metalli transversum lignum Generating Wood feeds fire; Fire creates earth (ash); Earth bears metal; Metal collects water; Water nourishes wood. Overcoming Wood parts earth; Earth absorbs water; Water quenches fire; Fire melts metal; Metal chops wood. For example if we take... Simos with his affinity of [Earth] - [Fire] - [Air] These are all the other affinity magic he could use (if he could maxed out his stats to do so): []: [Earth][Fire] []: [Earth][Air] [<>]: [Earth][] [<<>>]: [Earth][<>] [<>]: [Fire][] [<<>>]: [Air][<>] [-Hot Weather-]: [[[[[Fire]]]]] [-Meteor-]: [<>][<<>>] As of this chapter he could only use: [Earth] - [[Earth]] - [Fire] - [[Fire]] - [Air] - [] This gives him (based on Nordri of Wind Emerald, Austri of Earth Amethyst, Sudri of Fire Ruby, and Vestri of Water Sapphire) the title: Second Circle of Sudri, Second of Austri; a First of Nordri and Hringra If he wanted, he could be transferred to any of the three Training Grounds located at the City Fortresses and since he has the blessing of one of the Ancients, he would also have a recommendation in the Elrhondir Kingdom. The best combination any human-born could ask for. Only those who carry the blood of Arvalar Regalia (or if you are a Summoned Hero) could use all four affinity at the same time. Another tidbit, If you are having problem remembering the City Fortresses, just imagine a joystick, the buttons on the right. Triangle - Ex - Circle - Square Trissine - Exine - Cessine - Bassine(Box) [Please pronounce Exine as Eks-sayn...the others are Tris-sin, Ses-sin, Bas-sin] Cessine - Sudri Ruby - Fire Bassine - Austri Amethyst - Earth Exine - Vestri Sapphire - Water Trisine - Nordri Emerald - Wind MORDRED: The seven deadly virtues, those ghastly little traps Oh no, my liege, they were not meant for me Those seven deadly virtues were made for other chaps Who love a life of failure and ennui Take courage¡ªnow there''s a sport An invitation to the state of rigor mort And purity¡ªa noble yen And very restful every now and then I find humility means to be hurt It''s not the earth the meek inherit, it''s the dirt Honesty is fatal, it should be taboo Diligence¡ªa fate I would hate If charity means giving, I give it to you And fidelity is only for your mate You''ll never find a virtue unstatusing my quo or making my Beelzebubble burst Let others take the high road, I will take the low I cannot wait to rush in where angels fear to go With all those seven deadly virtues free and happy little me has not been cursed UNDEAD CONSTITUTION BLOOD spring - Leaf Solstice heart sanguis courageous, hopeful, playful, carefree more blood like muscle - STR YELLOW BILE summer - Blaze Equinox liver khol¨¦ ambitious, leader-like, restless, easily angered more yellow bile like lung - AGI BLACK BILE autumn - Stone Solstice spleen melas khol¨¦ (?) despondent, quiet, analytical, serious more black bile like bone - END PLEGM winter - Frost Equinox brain phl¨¦gma calm, thoughtful, patient, peaceful more phlegm like brain - WIS In general, there are four types of proper spirit: One is brutal spirit residing in the heart and it is the origin of all spirits. Another ¨C as physicians refer to it ¨C is sensual spirit residing in the brain. The third ¨C as physicians refer to it ¨C is natural spirit residing in the liver. The fourth is generative ¨C i.e. procreative ¨C spirits residing in the gonads. These four spirits go-between the soul of absolute purity and the body of absolute impurity. [WORLD OVERVIEW: Under Construction/Spoilers-not-spoilers] THE VOID The Void is actually a Black Hole in our world. Apparently, a super nova exploded and turned to this monstrosity that sucks anything on its path. For a black hole, the Void is moving so slow that it already created a cluster of galaxy around itself where the Planet exists. Fortunately the Planet is just on the right position to be not destroyed for about another 20 billion years. So the Freareans still have a sense of security, for now. THE PLANET The Planet has an immense atmosphere that just its proximity can rival the sun of our world. It has thick atmosphere that has red and yellow tinge. There is no water content and the land surface is hypothesized to be filled with magna and molten rocks--the same as Earth in it''s earlier development. [Freareans do not name what they cannot claim. That''s why only the Known Surface of Frear has a given name.] It has two moons. The silver Moon and Frear. The Planet can be seen at day time and acts as the source of heat and day for Frear. Sometimes roughly translated as Sun by [ Tongue of Babel ]. THE SILVER MOON Can only be seen twice each month. During the frost equinox, it is so small, it can be mistaken as a star. Not much information is known about the Frear''s Twin. FREAR One of the two moons of The Planet. It circle around a planet (that has no name). There are also two rings surrounding Frear. It is said that the rings are the remnants of shooting stars that didn''t passed through the Planet. These clusters are also rumored to have life. WORLD GEOGRAPHY INNER FREAR [SPHERE] FIRST REALM [The Underland] - The Dwarves are scattered all throughout the continent creating cavements under the ground. Milennia of mining have created a complex intercross of underground maze that also serves as defense for those who dare find Dwarven Treasures. Some abandoned Archs and cavern are also popular for Undead to fester. SECOND REALM [The Continent] - A large almost circular patch of land surrounded by the Grand Ocean. One of the two continents in this moon and it is divided by borders. Human Borders (N), Elven Borders (E), Beast Borders (SW), Orc''s Borders (S). In the middle is the Vast Lahar, a desert that expands to all territories. And in between are the Borderlands. Note: Borderlands are neutral area that has no law. One of the best places to live in if you want to escape. There are escapees, deserters amd refugees and it is mostly peaceful since if you kill, you''ll also get killed so people kinda leave other people''s business. However there are no Borderlands on the Orc''s teritory. The Vast Lahar is too far out from the coast for water. And it is too hot that there are areas where the sand have melted into glazed surfaces. THIRD REALM[The Bermuda] - The Seafolks are found in underground rivers and coastal areas though they tend to disappear every now and then. They are however said to have originally came from the Bermuda, a dangerous circle surrounding the Continent that is why the First and Second Realm could not venture outside of their land. OUTER FREAR [RINGS] FOURTH REALM [First Ring: Nirvaimn] - The floating islands that is said to be housed by the winged creatures. It can be found passed the Bermuda encircling the Continent and can be said to be a continent of its own. Only the Grand Ocean can be seen beneath it and since landmass tend to fall and rise from these areas, The sea creatures tend to avoid this part of the ocean. Also, the islands blocks the necessary light for their survival [the sea creatures that stayed are the ones made from nightmares. If you fall, your survival is nil]. Dragons, harpies, garuda, hippocampus and other legendary beasts are said to have come from these floating islands. No humanoids in history was said to survive in this realm because of air pressure and the unknown level variants of monsters except for the Yuusha [Lady Yuusha has a pet dragon of course]. FIFTH REALM [Second Ring: Muspellimn] - Inner ring of Frear. Debris of hot materials and acidic fumes can be found in this ring. This ring acts like a greenhouse for the Frear. SIXTH REALM [Third Ring: Jotumimn] - Outer ring of Frear. Debris of cold materials can be found in this ring. Too far out from the Frear, ice of boulders and frigid air pockets is prominent in this realm. However during the day, the ice would melt creating an endless streamline in the daytime sky. SEVENTH UNKNOWN REALM - no data
WORLD KNOWN RACES HUMAN KINGDOMS -Patriarchal -Monarchy/Oligarchy -Human nature is hard to understand. KINGDOM OF ARVALAR [Central Kingdom] Description - Imagine Medieval Europe -Patriarchal -Monarchy/Oligarchy -Human nature is hard to understand. Kingdom: Descendants of the Once-Known Noctem Kingdom and united the Humans and created a pact with the remaining ones. They are able to produce the Hero Summoning, automatically giving them rights compared to other Kingdoms. Not to mention their military prowess is the most advanced as could be seen in their societal and spartan educational system. People: You do not exist unless you live under the cloak of your Banner. People always associates you to your titles and accomplishments. Palace Regalia - the Castle where the Royal Family lives -governed by Regalia [Royal Family] Royal House of Regalia -Regal King [True King/Highest King/etc.] -Regal Queen -Regal Prince/Ensign [Crown prince] -Regal [position/etc.] 4 Fortress governed by High Kings -Cessine Fortress [South:crest of Sudri Ruby] -Trisine Fortress [North:crest of Nordri Emerald] -Bassine Fortress [East: crest of Austri Amethyst] -Exine Fortress [West: crest of Vestri Sapphire] 4 Nobility Banner Caste System Herald - the head of the House -Higher Gold Banner -Fiefdom Silver Banner -Knighthood Bronze Banner -Honorary White Banner [None] Colors represents the Houses of each Banner Caste i.e. Gold [Shades of Yellow]: Lion Gold, Amber Gold, Chartreuse Gold Silver [Shades of Gray]: Ashgray Silver, Stormcloud Silver, Timberwolf Silver Bronze [Shades of Brown]: Ochre Bronze, Rust-iron Bronze, Umber Bronze White [none] Tiny tidbits about The High Kings: CESSINE CITY FORTRESS governs the southern plains. The southern teritories are called Sudri. Agricultural goods is their main exports. They have the largest domain and population so supplying food has always been their main concern. They are the closest to the Lahar Desert borders where the Demons are known to pass to get inside the Land of Man. That''s why there is great emphasis for them in military. They also have the biggest contribution of soldiers during the demon war so when the soldiers finally went home, their populations ballooned so much, they have a surplus of people. High King Iralius is considered to have a bad temper and would normally toy with his opponents. The more he likes them, the more he wants to play with them and prolong the game. Most of his enemies defect to his side and became close friend with him because Iralius really likes people who defies him so he tries to ask them to be on his side so he doesn''t need to kill them. EXINE CITY FORTRESS governs the eastern savannah. The eastern teritories are called Austri. Their main source of income is the exotic plants and magical beast in their land. They are also good on artifacts creation and magical devices. Having one of the most highest danger zones, a lot of adventurers and merchants ventures to Exine. They are closest to the Beastial Pride so slavery is also their main export. On their north was the Runsaer Kingdom and they don''t have a very good relationship to Runsaer due to competition on trades. High King Remier doesn''t like pain very much that''s why he put his all to his training. He has to suffer too many hardship but he persevere with the ideal that he''ll never have to suffer afterwards. He never wanted to be a specialist though, he just want that one special skill (turning his body to air)...unfortunately it is the pinnacle of a wind-user and so, he became an expert, and was forced on the frontlines. He is in all acounts an over-all good person despite growing in a harsh environment. Also he is trying to cut the custom of slavery in his time. BASSINE CITY FORTRESS governs the northern mountains. The northern teritories are called Nordri. Their economy revolves on mining and precious stones. They have good relations with the Dwarven Kingdoms that he is sometimes asked if he is part dwarf. An admirable feat considering how tall he is. (He is all human though). Further north High King Lashven''s favorite training is meditation and cultivation. He likes the sound of rain. He never starts a fight, unless during a mission or quest. TRISSINE CITY FORTRESS governs the western seaports. THe western teritories are called Vestri. Aside form seafoods, and the only place for water artifacts, the seaports are known for their navy, magic air carriers, sandsails and other technological advances on transportation. Asdale is pretty much a pervert but he is also a visionary. He has a lot of ideas but he is not good with mechanism so he just hire people, tell them what he wants and they try to come up with something. He wants to explore and has been successful in breaching the Bermuda and already has a glimpse of the floating continent of Nirvaim. On their north was the Elrhondir Kindom and they both benefit from each other. KINGDOM OF ELRHONDIR [Pilgrim Kingdom] Description - 8 Pillars surrounding the Sacred Lands. Imagine Grecian Architecture. Kingdom: Sacred Lands is actually a forest in the middle of the 8 Pillars which represents the eight major religious belief in Man. The Pillars itself acts as a shield to protect the Lands, and The Forest itself is an intertwining of rivers and waterfalls with a giant whirlpool in the middle [Eye of the Gods] who nobody knew where leads to. There were also thousands upon thousands of statues (from the small ones to gigantic proportions) of different pantheon submerged in its crystal cerulean waters creating a scene like it''s the graveyard of the idols. Only Cardinals and Archpriests can venture inside. This is also the source of all [ Holy Water ]. People: Arts, Scriptures (Literature) and Music is the bane of the resident''s existence. Open mindedness is important when dealing with the people. Do some research on all and every religious belief, customs, behavior, greetings, nuances, dates, names, before doing anything [i.e. eating, sleeping, walking, or even breathing! (just to be sure)]. One mistake and you''ll be banned, damned to all curses imaginable, crucified, persecuted or even sacrificed to their gods before you could even blink. 8 Pillars -Temple of Sola [Day], sun, Sloth (laziness/idleness)/Diligence (zeal/integrity/Labor) -Temple of Tungla [Night], crescent waters, Envy (jealousy)/Kindness (admiration) -Temple of Stjarna [Star], star, Greed (avarice)/Charity (giving) -Temple of Hringra [Heaven], of scale and justice, Pride (vanity)/Humility (humbleness) -Temple of Freyra [Earth], leaf, Greed (avarice)/Charity (giving) -Temple of Hvatvetna [Universe], birth, Gluttony (over-indulgence)/Temperance (self-restraint) -Temple of Myrkva [Death], of howl and shadows, -Temple of Bjartra [Light], of candle and courage, Wrath (anger)/Forgiveness (composure) Circle of Elrhondir - Council governing the Kingdom made up of all Cardinals of Faith. Headed by The Pope. Temple Hierarchy Cardinal: Head of each Temple -Equinum: Right Hand -Equival: Left Hand Ordinal: Apprentices of Cardinal -Infinite: Holy Knights -Initial: Clergy -Axiom: Scribes Order of Continuum - Coat of Arms, also called as Paladins Others [outside the temples] -Pilgrims: resident''s general name -Indulgenses: those who ask for alms at the streets/beggars KINGDOM OF RUNSAER [Black Kingdom] Description - Steampunk. Victorian Goth with all the glory of mecha. Kingdom: Runsaer started as the melting pot of necromancy and alchemical monstrosity creating a very very very dark history. But is now known for it''s sports and contests, forcing human limits to the furthest heights. It is full of life and activity and is the only Kingdom where Undead (summoned/resurrected/Demised) and Monsters (tamed/pet/Familiars) roam together with the people in peace. People: There is no discrimination other than the measure of abilities. Zero abilities will keep you at the lowest of the food chain. [actually if you find yourself to be one, just leave the place, you''ll be safer with the monster-infested zones...if you stay, you might end up as a test subject!]. They are also always into the new and the novel. As long as they find you interesting you could become a center of attention. But could be easily forgotten. Marseilles Tarrouete -The central tower of the Kingdom. Also the name of the Arcana''s Headquarters. Arcana - Governing Body -Ace Alice: Head of the Kingdom. -Alice of Spades: Legislative -Alice of Clubs: Judiciary -Alice of Hearts: Executive -Alice of Diamonds: Treasury Cheshires - title for the adviser for each Alices. Also called as right hand. Madhatters- Coat of Arms [each faction of Alices has one] they do mock wars from time to time. Sometimes they''ll submerge a whole coliseum for the full immersion of Armada Wars. (warships and all, they invite the kraken once, though the experience was never repeated for financial reasons, the Diamonds almost revolted.) BEASTIAL PRIDE Beastials: Loyal and hot tempered. Misplaced trust is hard to reclaim from Beastial Clansmen. Their word is their soul. Their blade is their body. Imagine Spartan, the 300 Movie but with some animal parts swiped in. Yup, they are also that barely clothed. Culture: They live in small settlements called Clans. Do not touch their weapons, it is their own form of familiars so they''re a bit sensitive about it. Also physical appearance is not their basis of kinship since breeding with other Demi-Human is normal (they kinda kidnap you as a form of courtship) and nobody knows which beast a child could be inherent with. They are also too honest for their own good which makes them rude and hard to deal with but they accept any crude remarks as long as they think its the truth. However, lie to them (even if it''s a joke) and you''ll have your head decapitated. [which is why you should not associate with them at all cost since the truth they hold is ironclad. A lot of colorblinds have died by claiming to see green instead of a red apple.] Note: Attack one of the clan and you''ll be fighting the whole hordes of Beastials, that''s why collectively they are called a Pride. They were probably in it for any legitimate reason for slaughter. Clans that survived more than 100 generations: -Arbelos Clan: wielder of *arbelai, crescent shaped knives -Bestiarius Clan: they fight other other Demi-Humans -Cestus Clan: bare-handed, uses gauntlets or none at all -Dimachaerus Clan: dual-wielder swords -Equites Clan: rides horses [cavalry/jousting/archery] -Heplomachus Clan: wielder of gladius and shields -Scissors Clan: uses scissores, a special short sword with two blades that looked like a pair of open Scissors without a hinge. -Gladiatrix Clan: all female clan. they kidnap their men. it is actually an honor to be captured by these Amazons. -Retiarius Clan: wielder of Trident -Laquearius Clan: uses lasso, whips, or nets. -Murmillo Clan: wielder of gladius and an oblong shield. Kaisars - Head of the Clan Ludus - Mentors to Nov/Advises the Kaisars (Have to be the best to teach) Nov - greenhorns Nox - outcasts/deformed ones Note: Their world is a simple kill or be killed, that''s why their clan''s rules and survival is also simple. Also there is no gender discrimination whatsoever, actually there is no gender identity in the first place since some Demi-humans can asexually reproduce. Also M-preg is also possible [though their partner is still a female, Beastmen can only create spermcells. It just so happen that the fertilization takes place outside and the males take the fertilized ovum and put it in their sap [pouch-like skin in their abdomen]. Just imagine a kangaroo. Instincts makes it possible to find a mate that has the same reproductive processes .] ELVEN KEEP Elves: Elves are forever neutral but they would always want to keep the balance of nature. They would side from one to another depending on what would benefit the communal existence with the planet''s Manaline. Infinitely gentle and kind but would be merciless if your presence hurts their precious piece of space called Frear. They hate the demons with a vengeance. Culture: The Elven Keep is a giant tree where the elves lives under its canopy of leaves and branches. Each six main branches leads to halls that is named after the six realms of Outer and Inner Frear. This is where they watches the occurrences of the whole Manaline. They are more like observers. They do not speak unless spoken to and would treat you the way you treat them only more. Be kind and they''ll be kinder, be harsh and your fate is sealed. They have no cultural structure other than the Upper and Lower Elven Keep but it is mostly due to location rather than status. And they derived their society of that of a simple Filial relationship of Head (Father and Mother), Elves (children), and Treetrodders (outsiders). But their society is advance especially in the use of magic and their taste is mostly minimalist but elegant and free-flowing. Father [insert name] - Head of the Elves, male Mother [insert name] - Head of the Elves, female Upper Keep - focus on knowledge Lower Keep - focus on elemental Note: Elves looking after one branch can be affected by the realm it observes i.e. Ring of Muspellimn can make a fire-attributed elf or Pyro Elf; First Realm can make earth-affiliated, Wood Elf; etc. DWARVEN ARCHS Dwarves: Dwarves are stubborn and impulsive. Their lack of height is compensated horizontally with their bulky body-type. They are not impressed by accomplishments or tiles of individuals but rather their potentials [polishing rough ores to its brilliance]. Also first impressions is almost a rule in that place since their opinions are hard to be changed. They could go on debates and arguments for days or months if need be. Culture: Located underground, their kingdom can only be identified by the imposing archs at the side of a mountain as entrance to their domain. A grand dome-shaped clearing would be the place for their inhabitants. Their architecture is sharp and edgy. It is common for a house to be made from one giant stone, sculpted and engraved with intricate designs to be a comfortable place to live in. And most palaces of Dwarven Kings is created from the clearings'' wall. The whole middle wall is transformed into giants towers and masts as the palace exteriors are formed. Archaic Palace - central power - Dwarven Lord - Lady of the Arch, - Dwarven Prince etc. Known Dwarven Archs: Igneus Archs -Mount Ignis, a sleeping volcano just before the Mirdain Valley Gneiss Archs -Mount Ignis, there is a cold war for this mountain between the two Archaics Myrth Archs -Mount Basalte, known for its majestic architectures. Also the one who interacts and acts as the representative of Dwarves to the outside of their territories. They represent every dwarves [inside or outside the Archs]. Serpentine Archs -Valley of Silt, the mining structure is the same as that of an inverted tree. Also rumored to be the most priceless Archs. Lots of raiders try to find this ancient Archaic that has been lost to the legends. Others: Dwarves hide their archs since it is filled with treasures and potential treasures. The known archs is either powerful enough to stand their ground or in it for trade or peace treaties. Note: Also they do not agree well with the Elves since Dwarves works alongside the Manaline. [The elves find dwarves desecrating the Manaline, while the dwarves hate how the elves treat the serpent vent which is the main reason for their deaths while mining. There is awe and respect (to the Manaline) from the dwarves but they can''t help but see elves as nothing more than maniac mana worshipers] SEAFOLKS COVES Seafolks: Mysterious and fleeting creatures. They love to play and trick people. Aesthetics and music is their joy and weakness. They are also easily attracted to beautiful things and is generally good-natured to other races aside from the fact that they would kill any humans in sight. Culture: The coves tend to appear and disappear depending on the Seafolks, making it almost impossible to find them. The small opening is highly guarded and the crescent shaped shores is the place where the seafolks resides and is mostly made from differently colored opaque glass-like materials. They are amazingly sensual people and is rumored for their skills, making them a sought-after slaves for obvious reasons. They hate humans. However since they are attracted to the beautiful, they tend to bypass race and gender when finding mates. Their offspring are always seafolks in nature so they always leave their lovers afterwards to tend for their child. Young seafolks are very vulnerable and often die at early stage so they often go back to Bermuda until they''ve fully grown. Trium - governing body for each covenant, comprised of the leader for each three sea races: Meraegir - merpeople [upper-human, lower-fish] Saegir - seapeople [upper-human, lower-sea creatures/bipedal (sea creatures that has two feet] Crusaegir -shellpeople [upper-human, lower-shell/human with shell on the back] Note: They have this great fascination to the sky especially the night sky and they have a great affinity to Charm and Illusory Magics. ORKAN Orkans: Orcs are primitive but has the greatest ability for survival. They outnumber humans by the thousands and has the ability to reproduce and grow extensively within days from birth. It is said that their own mana is poisoning these creatures making them deformed. No Orc is the same since it''s mostly due to unknown mutation and they also came from different races. Their situation is the same as the animals who turned monsters due to mana poisoning but they survived though they did turned to cannibalism. Mana poisoning is genetic, not contagious. Culture: Orkan is a mountainous ranges mostly made of black granite, on top were covered by pure frigid ice and with pitch-black wall surrounding the Orkan. The wall was first used to prevent the spread of the disease but was long been overrun by the Orcs. Their lifestyle is savage and with low dexterity and hardly anyone willing to trade with the mindless Orcs, their equipment has always been of low quality. Pelts, ivories, skulls and bones have been their main equipment. Weapons are often scavenged from their fallen foes. But thousands of years have made it possible for the Orcs to produce a semblance of society. A simple leader and follower concept where the leader can be replaced by the one who can kills it. Also they go in swarms so it''s hard to fight them for a long period of time. GIGANTS A race from legends. Said to live in the third ring of Outer Frear. Not much facts about these giants. DEMON KINGDOM Demons appear every milennia to conquer the Frear [Demon War]. There is no known reason why demons would want to occupy the Frear. Some speculate the Demons came from the other nameless silver Moon which also encircles the Planet. Others believe these were another wave of mana poisoning where the monsters have evolved into a more humanoid and intelligent life form. Whatever the reason, the demons that are captured also has no trace of memory as to why they are in Frear. All the Freareans would just automatically point their weapons to these creatures that the Demons have no choice but to defend. For the Freareans, they''re fighting for their world. For the Demons, they are fighting to survive after finding themselves in a world they couldn''t escape. Note: Demons would appear in the middle of the Continent which is a vast desert and no one would trade and give them work [due to history of wars against demons] that they resort to violence and thieving and since Demons are innately immensely powerful, Freareans would often try to get rid of them at all cost. Killing Demons is already a tradition to all known races of Frear. Also Orcs find Demons as delicacy so they also hunt them. Culture: Their society rapidly grows from nomadic to settlements. They have a resemblance in the Central Kingdom of Man in terms of structure but is not that strict with the Demon King leading the Kingdom. They are very family oriented and are very vengeful creatures. Their growth rate is also accelerated and their body mature at its peak at the age of two decades and their appearance stays the same even after tens of years. Their race traits are the horns on their forehead and white ashen hairs. Only the demon king have wings. Their societal structure is the same as that of military system. Demon King - Head Demon Generals - Infantry, Artillery and Cavalry Demon Admirals - Fleets and Armadas Demon Marshals - Aerial Forces Note: Every Demons could and would fight in the war.
AIVEN''S SKILLS (End of Book 1)
Class [ TAILOR ]: Blade Clothier (Unorthodox Class)
(+) Butcher of Silk Button (+) Lovelace Loom Mechanic (Pioneer Class) (+) FateSpinner (Origin Class)
Secondary Class: Merchant (+) Haberdasher Origin Class: Scribe (+) Babel Lexicographer (Origin Class) Anointed Class: Undertaker (+) Bonelace Mortician
Blessings:
Amnesty of Hringra''s Scale in Vain Sanctification of Myrkva''s Hallow Veil Runsaer District License (Expired)
Gifts:
Prestige of Sola''s Zealous Pity (Unorthodox) Tongue of Babel (Hero''s Bestowal)
Curses:
Mouse Ear''s Curse (Inversion of Forget-me-Not)
Oaths:
Promise of a Mortal (Posthumous - Old Age)
SKILL TREE
TAILORING CRAFT
Skill Set I: Repair/Dismantle
Expert Skill Set I: Craft/Upgrade (Clothing Textile)
Master Skill Set I: Craft/Upgrade (Armor)
Skill Set II: Needlework
Master Skill Set II: Latiicework
Class Title: "Butcher of Silk Button" [Blade Clothier]
Skill Set I: Primo Stitch
Master Skill Set I: Dui Cross Stitch
Skill Set II: Open Grid Lattice
Skill Set III: Backhanded Stitch
Base Skill [Scout Skill Set]
Skill Set I: Bluff
Master Skill Set: Camouflage
Skill Set II: Sprint
Master Skill Set II: Lunge
Skill Set III: Sleight of Hand
Master Skill Set III: Feint
Class Title: "Bonelace Mortician" [Undertaker]
Skill Set I: Acupuncture
Master Skill Set I: Medical Gauze
Base Skill [Analyze Skill Set]
Skill Set III: Damage Analysis
Master Skill Set I: First Aid
Skill Set III: Craft Dolls
[Runic Patternmaker] (Blade Clothier (+) Intermediate Tier) Job Title
Skill Set I: Cut
Master Skill Set I: Shred
Class Title: "Bonelace Mortician" [Undertaker]
Skill Set II: Re:Exume Corpse
Base Skill [Resistance Skill Set]
Skill Set I: Abnormal Status Resistance
Expert Skill Set I: Miasma Resistance
Master Skill Set I: Curse Resistance
Grand Maester Skill Set I: Undeath Resistance
Skill Set II: Spell Resistance
Master Skill Set II: Elemental Resistance (+) Fire | Magma | Metal | Gravity
Skill Set III: Arcane Resistance
Master Skill Set II: Aether Resistance (+) Light | Holy | Divine | Dark | Shadow | Demised
Skill Set IV: Bone Reconstruction
Master Skill Set IV: Cadaver Restoration
Skill Set V: Shadow''s Purification
Master Skill Set V: Curse Alleviation
Grand Maester Skill Set V: Myrkva''s Prayer
Base Skill [Analyze Skill Sets]
Master Skill Set VII: Hex Spell Analysis
Skill Set II: Draft Templates
Master Skill Set II: Thread Guide
Class Title: "Babel Lexicographer" (Scribe (+) Unknown)
Skill Set (?): Olde Writ (+) Tongue of Babel (Origin)
Base Skills [Scribe Skill Set]
Master Skill Set I: Scrollwork
Base Skill [Detection Skill Set]
Skill Set VI: Mana Sight
Skill Set VII: Mana Trace
Class Title: "Bonelace Mortician" [Undertaker]
Skill Set III: Corpse Painting
Base Skill [Scullery Skill Set]
Skill Set I: Tinkering
Skill Set II: Brewing
Skill Set III: Binding
Class Title: "Butcher of Silk Button" [Blade Clothier]
Master Skill Set II: Mesh Latticework
Grand Maester Skill Set II: Cat''s Cradle
Base Skill [Scout Skill Set]
Skill Set II: Lock/Open Lock
Master Skill Set: Set Trap/Disable Trap
Class Title: "Bonelace Mortician" [Undertaker]
Skill Set VI: Corpse Bind
Skill Set III: Craft Mannequin
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
MERCHANT CRAFT
Skill Set I: Haberdasher Trade
Base Skills [Scribe Skill Set]
Skill Set I: Scrawl
Skill Set III: Calculation
Skill Set II: Clothe Scavenging
Base Skill [Scout Skill Set]
Skill Set IV: Forage
Base Skills [Scribe Skill Set]
Skill Set IV: Cartography
Base Skill [Detection Skill Sets]
Skill Set I: Area Detect
Skill Set II: Enemy Detect
Skill Set III: Farsight
Skill Set IV: Aerial Sight
Class Title: "Butcher of Silk Button" [Blade Clothier]
Skill Set V: Strip Clothe
Master Skill Set V: Strip Armor
Skill Set III: Clothe Appraisal
Base Skill [Analyze Skill Sets]
Skill Set I: Item Analysis
Skill Set II: Status Analysis
Skill Set IV: Artifact Analysis
Skill Set V: Relic Analysis
LOOM SCROLLCRAFT
[Runic Dressmaker] (Blade Clothier (+) Superior Tier) Job Title
Skill Set I: Ornamental Appraisal
Skill Set II: Ornamental Embroidery
Master Skill Set II: Runescript Embroidery
Class Title: "Babel Lexicographer" (Scribe (+) Unknown)
Skill Set (?): Rune Glyphs (+) Ameretat Writ
Base Skill [Scribe Skill Set]
Skill Set II: Calligraphy
Master Skill Set III: Runescript Calligraphy
Skill Set (?): Decipher (+) Haurvatat Cipher
Base Skill [Analyze Skill Sets]
Skill Set VI: Arcane Analysis
Skill Set VII: Spell Analysis
Skill Set VIII: Skill Analysis
Skill Set IX: Mana Analysis
Skill Set X: Soul Analysis
Skill Set III: Manastone Engraving
Master Skill Set III: Runestone Engraving
Base Skill [Scullery Skill Set]
Master Skill Set I: Trinkets (+) Wood | Mineral | Metal
Skill Set IV: Craft Ornamental Mannequin
[Vanity Seamstress] (Blade Clothier (+) Champion Tier) Job Title
Skill Set I: Elemental Strand
Expert Skill Set I: Elemental Strings
Master Skill Set I: Runescript Thread
Skill Set II: Loom Gear
Prestige Skill II: Algorithm Templates (-) Earth Affinity
Class Title: "Lovelace Loom Mechanic" (Blade Clothier (+) Calamity Tier)
Skill Set I: Spindle Gear
Expert Skill Set II: Bobbin Gear
Master Skill Set III: Vanity Gear
SPELL THREADS
Mageweave
Netherweave
Frostweave
Spellfire
SPELL THREADS: "Bone-Laced Mortician" [Undertaker]
Hexweave
Shadoweave
Skill Set III: Craft Runic Mannequin
[Overlock Weaver] (Blade Clothier (+) Legendary Tier) Job Title
Skill Set I: Spell Weave
Master Skill Set I: Seidr Webbing
Class Title: "Lovelace Loom Mechanic" (Blade Clothier (+) Calamity Tier)
Grand Maester Skill Set I: Overlock Gear
Class Title: "Babel Lexicographer" (Scribe (+) Unknown)
Skill Set (?): Misspell (+) Sealing of Sigil
Skill Set II: Craft Seidr Mannequin
Prestige Skill II: Imbude Algorithm Template (+) [Seidr Automaton]
[FateSpinner] (Blade Clothier (+) Calamity Tier) Job Title
Skill Set I: Craft Quest-Bearer Mannequin
Prestige Skill I: Imbude Life (+) [Re:Anima Automata]
Contract Quest-Bearer Automaton
1. Adall
*All his crafted work will have the seal as Silk Button
WEAPONRY Needle i. Single Point Needle ii. Darners iii. Finishing Needles - special-type rapier (rapier are also called as dress swords) Shears i. Blade Shears ii. Averruncators iii. Throathless Shears (huge) Bobbin Gears: circular gauntlet-like equipped (the circular gear only covers the hand and wrist but the equipment extends up tp his arm. The Gears also rolls up and down to his arm when reloading) it acts like a gun Evolution of Bobbin Gear i. Bobbin Gear - releases needles and threads ii. Vanity Gear - could infuse elemental attacks but never earth affinity magic [rock beats scissors] (could only be equipped with [Seamstress] Job Title) iii. Overlock Gear - adding more power and smoother release of needles and threads. Also makes it possible to load wires (mithril wires, Hexweave, Frostweave, etc. (could only be equipped with [Weaver] Job Title) Combat Craft Skill Set I: Stitch Intermediate Skill: Cross Stitch Cat''s Cradle: trap spell using threads ULTIMATE SKILLS: [Gleaming Bale] - curtains of hell [Re:Animate Templates] - giving life to rag dolls. Wilhelmina Hellsing- Arcenia Corpse Doll Elizabeth Bathory-Anathema Corpse Doll [Nona Decima Morta] - cutting of life lines. Could only be used once. It gives the user the ability to pluck the life thread of one person, and cut it. However, the user''s lifeline would be weaved to the target causing their deaths. Double suicide. SPELL THREADS Mageweave Netherweave Frostweave Hexweave Shadoweave Spellfire MATERIALS Runecloth Knothide Embersilk Windwool Mithril Rhinestone Mooncloth LIST OF CHARACTERS House Gallinthe of Banner of White - Ailyn, mother - Kieve, father - Aiven, son - Leian, daughter House Sila-ir of Canary Gold - Reculus, father - Deil of Aureolin, mother of Simos - Musre, head knight - Cerylde of Gesame, top dark mage - Simos, son - Delica, daughter House Oreindr of Rust-Iron Bronze - Roginn, Herald - Telmar, son - Gunnier, daughter House Amdelair of Lion Gold - Dalen, Herald Training Grounds - Tocelle of House Tharlier of Chattreuse Gold, Scholar''s Grounds, Runecrafting - Renish of House Fehrir of Ashgrey Silver, Heraldry Magisterium, Historian - Elivor, Order of Continuun, Paladin Knight - Aryan of House Trimadr of Timberwolf Silver, president of Battle Ground''s Squires, 3rd Circle Sudri - Merinn of House Henraver of Russet Bronze, neophyte on Maegus Grounds - Ceyn, common shade of Russet Bronze, novice Kingdom of Arvalar Regalias - Vasa, King Regalia - Iralius Sudri Amaranth, High King of Cessine - Lashven Nordri Malachite, High King of Bassine - Remier Austri Tyrian, High King of Trissine - Asdale Vestri Catalina, High King of Exine Cessine - Rilliana, High Queen - Azrentin of House Tharlier of Chattreuse Gold, Consul - Larem, Emblem 2 star - Dutullique, Emblem 2 star - Raciv, Emblem 2 star - Eudine, Emblem 3 star - Fylie, Emblem 6 star Kingdom of Elrhondir - Pope - Afell, Cardinal of Sola - Chaion, Cardinal of Tungla - Arylla, Cardinal of Stjarna - Emardi, Cardinal of Freyra - Irvine, Cardinal of Hvatvetna - Salt, Cardinal of Myrkva - Thist, Cardinal of Bjartra - Forro, Cardinal of Hringra Kingdom of Runsaer Alices of Arcana - Ace, Ace Alice - Nixor Bacchus Cordis, Alice of Spades - Natali Euntir Ects, Alice of Clubs - Regis Fargom Nealis, Alice of Hearts - Enver Atrea Igtis, ALice of Diamonds Cheshires - Aris, Cheshire of Spades - Paign, Cheshire of Clubs - Bisfort, Chesire of Hearts - Ciem, Cheshire of Diamond PLACES SUDRINE Borderlands Milodas Forest Termina Silva Forest Termina Settlement ARVALAR Training Grounds Cessine City Fortress Trisine City Fortress Bassine City Fortress Exine City Fortress Higher Districts Lower Districts Merchant''s Districts City Plaza Guild Square Lonely Mountains AUSTRINE Borderlands Edelei Meadow Gadawodd River Hawl River Hawl''s Den Fellen Valley Fellen Settlements Acker Settlements VESTRINE Borderlands n/a NORDRINE Borderlands n/a DWARVEN TERITORY Mount Basalte Mount Ignis Valley of Silt BEASTIAL TERITORY GodStair Mountains ORKAN Orkan Mountain Ranges ILLUSTRATIONS Set 1 Digitals by Joao-sama Set 2 \